Yamaha C-80 (1984)
Not much is documented about the Yamaha C-80 as a standalone component. Almost everything the record shows comes from a single period review. The C-80 was a preamplifier, tested alongside the matching M-80 power amplifier by HiFI-Stereo (November 1984, p.31-33).
The C-80 had a phono input stage designed to reduce noise and distortion. It shipped with a twin shielded cable terminated in gold-plated plugs for connection to the M-80, and the chassis-mounted connector was gold-plated too. The tone controls were unusually flexible. Bass and treble each had a continuously variable center frequency (31.5 Hz to 800 Hz for bass, 800 Hz to 20 kHz for treble). A separate “Q” or bandwidth control adjusted from 0.3 to 3, with a center-detented flat-response position. The same review noted that all controls operated with smoothness, precision, and electrical silence.
Beyond that review, the C-80 is barely recorded in the usual equipment directories or service literature. No original price, production run, or detailed specifications have surfaced. It appears to have been Yamaha’s upper-mid-range preamp of the mid-1980s, paired with the M-80 amplifier in a system built around flexible tone shaping rather than a straight-wire-with-gain approach.
Known Specs (from period review)
- Type: Stereo preamplifier
- Phono input: noise- and distortion-reducing circuitry
- Tone controls: Bass (variable center 31.5 Hz – 800 Hz), Treble (variable center 800 Hz – 20 kHz), Q/bandwidth adjustable 0.3–3
- Gold-plated preamp-output connector; gold-plated plugs on supplied interconnect cable
- Designed for use with Yamaha M-80 power amplifier
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