Yamaha R-N500 Stereo Network Receiver, 80W RMS Output Power, 100dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio, USB/Subwoofer Out, AirPlay Compatible

2016-06-30T20:00:00

This is a good receiver. I never thought I would be able to find another receiver as good as my vintage Harman Kardon 680i, that after 36 years finally died ... but this is it. It sounds so good with my JBLs.

mike56427

Originally posted at

2016-03-16T20:00:00

I must say I love this new receiver! I connected to my pair of Monitor Audio Bronze 6 speakers and can't believe how much BETTER everything sounds -- I had no idea the audio I was missing until I upgraded my old system. This Yamaha has more power & features than I'll ever use -- but nice to know they're there! I still working on the Airplay, etc features, as my home wireless router is physically too far away to connect---hoping to get this piece figured out soon. Highly recommend this receiver.

Larry

Originally posted at

2015-11-04T19:00:00

I purchased a competing brand receiver to replace a 19-year-old Yamaha receiver whose power supply went out. Buying the competing brand was a mistake; Yamaha's engineering and construction quality are obviously better. After show-stopper problems with the competing brand's bluetooth implementation, I sent it back and got the R-N500, plus a YWA-10 wireless adapter. Setup of the R-N500 and YWA-10 was easy. I soon discovered the many little things of the R-N500 that are better than the competitor; for instance, convenient spacing of the speaker terminals. I am very pleased with the overall features and performance of the R-N500, the phono input, and especially the many digital music capabilities that weren't on my old Yamaha. The only things I don't like are: (1) Using the PURE DIRECT switch blanks the display; the receiver no longer tells you what is playing. (2) While NET RADIO is booting, the receiver needlessly displays a long sequence of "Access Error", "Not Connected", "Connected", and "Loading" messages. (3) This isn't Yamaha's fault: the world of Net Radio has been balkanized by many competing firms. Yamaha's vTuner interface may not offer a station you want; in which case you need to put the app for the stations not supported by vTuner onto an Android or IOS device, and AirPlay that to the Yamaha.

Eddie

Originally posted at

2015-10-24T20:00:00

It's almost impossible to get network radio to work properly. Display shows station, piece being networked, but you hear nothing. Am continuously setting up network, almost everytime I want to listen to an internet station. Either software is very bad or the entire device does not work

pixelillo

Originally posted at

2015-10-21T20:00:00

I wanted a modern AV receiver with network features and digital inputs. Webradio is awesome. Excellent sound quality, very clear, coupled with a pair of Monitor Audio BX5 speakers. Happiness for my ears. Depth is greater than most of AV, be careful to have sufficient place for cabling. I enjoy it.

Claude

Originally posted at

2015-08-07T20:00:00

I purchased the R-N500 as a replacement for a 30-year old quality receiver that passed away. I don't need the network features immediately because I have a Logitech Squeezebox system, I wanted the funtionality for the time when the Squeezebox dies. The R-N500 also brings Yamaha's superb and accurate audio response, which is perfect for the Classical and Jazz music that comprises most of my listening. It easily drives my speakers in both the family room and master bedroom and can rock out when called upon to do so. My wife is also delighted with the unit because the controls are obvious. This is an excellent receiver that deserves a look by anyone in the market for a true high-quality stereo receiver for MUSIC.

Cork

Originally posted at

2015-07-10T20:00:00

just what you need

harley

Originally posted at

2015-06-16T20:00:00

Replaced an old Denon receiver with this unit. Wanted network capabilities. Generally, all good. The only issue I've had is with the set up of a wireless connection (via the Yamaha YWA-10 wireless adapter). If you can do an ethernet direct cable connection to the R-N500 that would be preferrable. Otherwise, you should have very strong wireless reception at the point of the receiver.

Scott

Originally posted at

2015-06-12T20:00:00

Even after updating Firmware about every 5th Pandora song buffers 1-5 sec at the beginning of the song. Buffers at no other time and no issues on my network with other devices. IOS App could be improved to allow custom editing like other IOS Yamaha Apps. In every other way this unit rates more than 5 stars, looking forward to using the addition connectivity features.

DeanCoo

Originally posted at

2014-12-23T19:00:00

I wish that it was wireless but it is very good, solid and dependable.

Pat

Originally posted at

2014-12-20T19:00:00

Wanted true stereo receiver with bells and whistles and this receiver delivers!

PatrickinFL

Originally posted at

2014-12-07T19:00:00

We've always been Yamaha people going back to the 80's. This purchase was a technology upgrade from a previous 2.1 receiver. Delivers everything we are looking for. -The only thing that keeps it from 5 stars: The app needs A/B speaker control. Frequently, we are in rumpus room B wanting to switch on the tunes, and then realize we have to get up & go to serious listening room A to switch the speakers. This lack of a small app upgrade keeps it out of the 'world class' category!

Ted

Originally posted at

2014-09-05T20:00:00

The main reason I bought this product was for that USB flash drive. I use this unit in my garage and the fact that you can play music almost endlessly with the flash drive was the main reason for my purchase. The unit sounds great, I especially like the bass, treble and loudness controls. Of course it has Yamaha's great sound and power. I was a little disappointed that when using the flash drive the software will not allow it to play folders consecutively. It also could have two lines of display so it could display the artist and the song title simultaneously. Like the fact that Yamaha is still building stereo units for applications such as this. I also wish it had round knobs!

Rob

Originally posted at

2014-08-24T20:00:00

I purchased the RN-500 to replace a 13 year old receiver so I could take advantage of music offered online. I can now listen to music in so many ways it is hard to choose. Internet radio, Pandora, airplay, and the usb port all work great. I also did a firmware update and can now use Spotify with a paid subscription. So far I am very happy with this unit.

JB 2.

Originally posted at

2014-07-20T20:00:00

I almost never bother writing reviews of products. However, this Yamaha receiver is really exceptional. After hunting for a receiver for almost a year I finally found one that meets all of my needs. The networking capabilities (Pandora, Spotify, internet radio), variety of inputs (coaxial, optical, RCA, ethernet) and built-in Airplay really allows me to listen to music in so many different ways and the sound quality has exceeded my expectations. The receiver has also exposed me to the pleasures of internet radio, which is incredibly diverse and most of the stations come in crystal clear. My only nitpick is that the Yamaha app for this particular receiver could use more functions. Right now, the app essentially just allows you to change the input source, control the internet radio station, control volume and turn the unit on and off. The app does not allow you to change the tone controls, nor does it allow you to change the A or B speakers. Hoping these features. will be added to future releases of the app. Regardless, I would highly recommend this receiver to anyone.

Rich

Originally posted at

2014-07-08T20:00:00

I've had this receiver for over 6 months now, and I've got to say that I love it. The sound it produces from my AR11's is remarkable. I had my vintage ARs paired with another receiver for a while, but the RN500 blows it out of the water. My speakers sound brand new and not over 30 years old, as they truly are. I have particularly fallen in love with the "Pure Direct" setting. In addition, the HiRes audio (Flac, etc.) capabilities are awesome, and the network connectivity is great as well. As for negatives, I'd only list two: 1) Network connectivity often dropped until I added fixed ip addresses, subnet numbers, etc. That might be the fault of my own network. And 2) At this point, gapless playback is not available when playing music from the USB input. PLEASE ADD GAPLESS PLAYBACK CAPABILITY via the next firmware upgrade. It's a must for those of us who want to play HiRes audio files from USB drives.

Ken

Originally posted at

2014-06-27T20:00:00

I had been looking for a receiver with streaming capability and digital inputs in stereo, not surround. I have a Yamaha RX-497 receiver that is a great unit that still works fine. However, I could not take advantage of the latest technology. The R-N500 perfectly fits the bill. It has all of the modern ways to listen to music without the unnecessary surround sound and video features. I bought this unit for music. I feel my older unit has a warmer sound and punchier bass, but the R-N500's features and very good sound quality make it a unit I will keep for a long time. The app is great for controlling the receiver from anywhere in the house. I have it in the bedroom with 2 bookshelf speakers. I use the 'B' speakers in the dining room. The app would be better with the ability to select 'A' or 'B'' speakers. I do sometimes have trouble with Air Play, but I think it is a bandwidth issue on my wi-fi.

PRGR

Originally posted at

2014-06-26T20:00:00

I bought this to replace a Nachamici receiver that was 25 years old, but was considered high end when new. I'm powering a new pair of Goldenear Triton 7 floor standing speakers. At about 2 weeks in, I am very pleased. The sound is a significant upgrade and better than I had expected. FM reception is also better and very good. The power output seems adequate for my larger sized speakers. I especially like the many listening options. In order to get internet radio and Pandora I had to buy the Yamaha wireless adapter, which is a little quirky, but not too bad to set up and is working fine. It really expands the listening options and the wireless sound quality is good. It was not clear to me when I bought the receiver that I would either need to run an Ethernet cable from the router to the back of the unit or buy the adapter, which was an additional expense. Setting everything up was not too difficult, and I'm no tech genius. I have a Panasonic TV that sends the audio out through an optical cable in some sort of Dolby sound. This will not send sound to the receiver without an additional Dolby decoder, as far as I can tell. I think my TV is slightly unusual and probably most people won't have this issue, or there is something going on that I don't understand, but that and the additional cost of a wireless adapter drops one star in my rating. It's still very nice and there are not a lot of options available for a two channel receiver that has all of the wireless and other listening choices.

Rothgar

Originally posted at

2014-05-31T20:00:00

I was looking for a USB/network receiver with phono input. I am quite happy with the sound although I am using it with Yamaha NS-333 speakers that don't look like can show all the potential of this unit. What I am disappointed most about this unit is the poor user interface and lack of some essential features on media playback. To start with, USB interface accepts only FAT16/FAT32 file systems. Those formats have lots of limitations and would satisfy storages devices unless 10 years ago. There's no fast forward function on device. This makes me very sad. Basic media players that cost hundred times cheaper can do that. Display does show just the very basic information on media played. You can't control the scroll speed; there is no file name, remaining time... You can add tuner presets but you can't edit it... I just updated the newest firmware and none of the problems were fixed... There are lots and lots of drawbacks in software. My guess is that there are huge problems in Yamaha's software development department. That would be a really good unit if software was developed by competent stuff. I'm still hoping for a firmware upgrade that would essentially change media playback experience but for today, just because of poor user interface I would not recommend it to a friend.

Gundra

Originally posted at

2014-04-21T20:00:00

This would definitely be a Sonos system Killer! BUT, only if they can write a flawless App for the smart phones and tablets. Most importantly, it MUST be able to turn on & turn off the A & B speaker channels independently from the App. Think about it...this will power 2 zones at 80 watts per channel (Sonos is only 55 Watts per channel) Yamaha is 2 zones for $599 Retail, while Sonos is 1 zone for $499 retail. Stack these up to create an incredible, yet very affordable multi-room music system. I tried this with Onkyo's last year and it failed miserably! The App is awful! The receiver's disappear from the App on the iPad and the only way to get them back is to power cycle the receivers (all located in the client's basement - NOT convenient at all)

Gman

Originally posted at

2014-04-06T20:00:00

Really pleased with this purchase. Upgrading for more power due to new speakers and desire for getting a subwoofer eventually; but net radio is a real game changer! I love the variety of content on internet radio/Pandora over conventional tuner (although some local radio isn't on net and I get that too!). I extensively researched alot of other stand-alone products specfically for internet radio/streaming capability. I was looking for something that not only got internet radio, but BBC show re-broadcasts too. I was nicely surprised that podcasts are supported, and even BBC Radio 1 catch-up episodes available on the internet radio via Vtuner. The sound quality is great, able to drive my new speakers with ease, and hook-ups galore for peripherals (CD, Tapedeck, TV, Blu-Ray for me).

Heffe

Originally posted at

2014-02-26T19:00:00

I'm very happy so far with this product. I've tried almost all the digital inputs (vTuner, Pandora, Airplay, USB flash, BlueTooth (via add-on dongle), and a NAS drive) and all work flawlessly. The combination of the R-N500, the NP controller, and a NAS drive are great for preserving and playing your CD collection. The sound is comparable to the RX-777 it replaced (although it is less powerful than that unit, which isn't an issue for me). My only grip is that it doesn't support gapless playback (the comparably priced CD-N500 does, according to its user manual). If this feature can be added via a firmware update, is one in the works?

mikeyatswb

Originally posted at

2014-01-19T19:00:00

Would have given this unit a 5 Star rating but could not due to lack of a Video Source.

Grumby59

Originally posted at

2014-01-08T19:00:00

I was very excited to see a network capable receiver. I have always been a fan of Yamaha audio gear, and this does not disappoint. With the demise of radio, I have been wanting for awhile to have streaming capability to my stereo. This unit fit the bill perfectly. I can now listen to Jazz stations from Paris and Switzerland, as well as U Penn radio and Pandora. It works seamlessly with my old technology (Dual turntable & EPI speakers) as well as my new Rotel CD player.

Boto

Originally posted at

2014-01-01T19:00:00

I was initially looking for a quality mini system to listen to music supplied by a smart device. Once I found this receiver I decided to move up and pir a decent pair of speakers. I chose a pair of polk audio Rtia 5. My concern was if this setup would supply enough bass without a subwoofer. Happy to report that the bass is adequate with the bass control turned up. Sound is very good. Clean and tight. Caveat I do not turn the volume up near capacity so I'm not sure if it is as clean as when playing at low to mid volume levels. The ability to use air Play and other sources is great. works really well with my iPad and iPhone. I would recommend the optional wifi adapter ywa-10. The free Yamaha network player app is also a great enhancement allowing your iPad or other to become a remote control. Bottom Line - Very Pleased with the product.

RandyW

Originally posted at

2013-10-17T20:00:00

It really is well constructed compared to some other Stereo & AV/Receivers out there. It has cutting edge tech options.. which is a Much needed improvement with all the advancements in connectivity. The Phono connections are a BIG Welcome.(Please return them to the AV/Receivers).. Another Big Plus in this receiver is the Optical connections, Thank you!! BUT, with such a great step forward, Yamaha Really prevented this Unit from having a Slam Dunk 5 Star rating by: Leaving off a Quality Video connection (HDMI or Component InOut).. In this day of High Quality Video, Its a Must on all High-end Equipment. And as a Yamaha fan I expect it. It could have had at least 1 HDMI or Component connections. That being said, I have to give it a solid 4 Star rating.

thedeanster

Originally posted at