Yamaha Amp Nostalgia


I remember the Yamaha C4 and M4 with some nostalgia, as they were beyond my high school student budget, and quite beautiful with their back lit power and speaker selector switches.

20 years later, they seem to be reasonably well bid on the used market, although the lamp lights are often burned out and not easy to replace, apparently.

So last week, I impulsively bought an M2, because it looked even more powerful and more interesting than the M4, and the one I found seemed to be in good shape with working lights.

There is not much info on the web - does anyone know anything about this amp?

Thank you.
cwlondon

Showing 5 responses by cwlondon

Yes, I found that link, too.

Nice photo, but doesn't say much.

There seems to be some debate about whether or not this amp works with lower impedance loads, amoung other things.
Elevick

Interesting you mention those amps - I thought only the B2, M4 and M2 were the real deal, and the ones you mention were all more mass produced.
Now we have some nostalgia!

Flg2001, yes the A1 was a very interesting amp, and a beautiful design, too.

They are not easy to find in good condition and also very well bid on the used market.

Elevick, would you suspect the M2 would be Class A as well for the first few watts?
As an update, I finally received and have tried the M2.

It sounds surprisingly good with my Tympanis.

Not the same transparency or "air" as my trusty Levinson 23.5, but for about 1/4 the value on the used market, I am very impressed.
Reviewing this thread, I still have my M2 and continue to think this era of Yamaha components were particularly beautiful.

Sadly, the back lit switches are often dark, and even from across the room, repairs using LEDs do not look authentic or original to my eye.

Would anyone please know how to restore these gorgeous, glowing back lit switches to their original color and brightness?