Up until at least the early 1980’s when rental records became common in Japan, an FM tuner that let listeners enjoy stereo sound for free and a tape deck for recording it were important audio sources along with the turntable. In the North America-oriented overseas market, although there was not a culture of recording off the radio, from major cities densely packed with broadcasters to the remotest of locations there was a demand for high performance reception within a wide range of radio broadcast conditions.
However, while the high frequency technology required for tuners was delicate enough that it could not be compared to the low frequency technology of amplifiers and other equipment, it’s also true that there was a great disparity between manufacturers. The CT-7000 aimed to put Yamaha, without a history as a communications equipment manufacturer, squarely at the apex of the world of tuners, an outstanding FM tuner that was the product of four years of development. With newly developed measuring instruments to help realize characteristics beyond the limits of measurement, it should be said that the high level of its sound quality anticipated the technology on the way in the near future.
Of particular focus was its practical reception performance under difficult circumstances. It had both low distortion and high effective selectivity, able to distinguish a signal without interference from adjacent stations. It had both the high sensitivity required for reception of weak radio waves in weak electric field areas and compatibility with the allowable inputs on strong electric field regions.
The CT-7000 handled these conflicting requirements at an unprecedented level. Even though it was overkill in the Japanese market where at the time there were only one or two FM stations, in the North American market where high-end tuners had become established as a genre of audio hobby, the advent of this unit rapidly elevated Yamaha’s presence.
In particular, its power handling characteristics meant that its audio characteristics did not deteriorate even up to an antenna input level of 146dB, extreme for a tuner, and the advanced sound quality and selectivity produced by its double IF circuit and its overall beautiful design were enough to surprise audiophiles.
The technology introduced in this machine also eventually resulted in improved reception performance in low-cost HiFi receivers, leading to the confidence in Yamaha AV receivers seen in today’s markets. As evidenced by the fact that it was the only Yamaha HiFi unit with a “7000” model number, the CT-7000 was a special presence in the Yamaha lineup and not just another component product.