Yamaha C-5000/M-5000 review

Yamaha is a difficult company to pigeonhole. It dominates the musical instruments market, manufacturing everything from grand pianos and electronic keyboards to guitars and trumpets. The brand is also rather good at making motorbikes, engines and jet skis.

In the world of domestic consumer electronics, Yamaha has spent recent decades focusing on the home cinema market, particularly AV amplifiers and soundbars, so much so that it is easy to forget the brand’s rich hi-fi heritage. The NS-1000 speakers of the 1970s are a highlight, as are the more recent, Award-winning YH-5000SE planar magnetic wired headphones, but there are so many others.

What does all of this have to do with the new high-end Yamaha C-5000/M-5000 preamp/stereo power amplifier combination we have on test here? To our way of thinking, any company so involved in music-making and the playback chain is ideally placed to make a no-compromise piece of hi-fi. Given Yamaha’s broad spread of expertise and the scale of the resources at its disposal, the prospect is enticing.

Features & connectivity

The C-5000 preamp (£8599 / £10,999 / AU$12,999) is a well-equipped unit, though perhaps more focused than we would have expected. This is a wholly analogue product, with plenty of connectivity and a serious moving magnet/moving coil phono stage.

We can’t imagine the C-5000 preamp getting caught short with its six line-level inputs that include two sets of stereo balanced XLRs. Even the phono stage offers balanced XLR connectivity to partner the conventional RCA option. Those expecting digital inputs or even Bluetooth are in for a disappointment; Yamaha has chosen a more purist route in a bid to optimise performance, which is fine by us.

In our experience, even the digital modules included in car money components often struggle to sound better than standalone units like Chord’s Qutest DAC (£1195 / $1625 / AU$2400), so we think Yamaha’s decision to exclude the digital circuit makes sense. Doing so also avoids any unwanted interactions spoiling the preamp’s analogue line-level performance.

The C-5000 has a trio of line-level outputs: two single-ended stereo pairs and a balanced XLR option. There is a 6.3mm headphone socket on the front, accompanied by a trim control that helps to compensate for different headphones with varying sensitivity. This is a thoughtful touch by the engineers that keeps the volume control operating across a usable range.

You will also find a subsonic filter switch on the front panel. This is useful for minimising any rumble or ultra-low frequency noise generated by the partnering record player that could cause your speaker’s woofer to move excessively. The waste of power and additional distortion associated with such cone movement is well worth avoiding. However, while this filter does as advertised, it also degrades the preamp’s transparency a little.

Other controls include tone adjustments that are subtle enough to be useful, preamp output attenuation to optimise use with third-party power amplifiers and a cartridge gain selector with loading options for moving coils.

The M-5000 power amplifier (£8599 / £10,999 / AU$12,999) is a hefty 27kg beast that delivers 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms and doubles that output as impedance halves. We doubt there are many domestic speakers that it couldn’t drive to high volume levels.

Even so, flick the small toggle on the back panel and the M-5000 reconfigures into a bridged monobloc capable of pumping out 400 watts into 8 ohms. That should be plenty, even for those with large rooms.

Other switches on the M-5000’s back panel invert phase and govern whether the power amplifier goes into standby automatically or not. Inputs? It will come as no surprise that there are both single-ended and balanced input options.

Build & design

Both of these products are immaculately made inside and out, as befits their high price tag. Their caseworks are made of beautifully finished slabs of aluminium, and each of the panel lines up perfectly. We love the flawless mirror finish on the gloss black wooden side cheeks and suspect that the company’s experience with its similarly furnished grand pianos pays dividends here.

These Yamaha products are truly tactile treats to use, with each switch and control working with precision and positivity. The nicely tapered volume dial even uses ball bearings to ensure smooth operation. The C-5000 preamp’s simple yet effective remote is nice enough to add to the feel-good factor.

Take a look inside the pre and power, and you will find that both designs are built around fully balanced circuits with a ‘floating’ ground, which means that any ground plane noise isn’t injected into the audio signal. Great care has been taken over the power supply arrangements to ensure that the sensitive audio boards get a stable and low-noise feed.

The C-5000 preamp even uses dual mains transformers to avoid unwanted interaction between the two stereo channels. These transformers are encased in copper to control stray magnetic fields and reduce any mechanical vibrations. Yamaha has really pushed the boat out with the preamp’s circuit layout with mirror-imaged signal paths for the left and right channels to ensure identical routing, helping stereo imaging.

Of course, we have to mention the M-5000 power amplifier’s huge VU meters. They may not be the last word in accuracy, given that their mechanical nature means they take a certain time to react to the signal, but they look lovely and add an extra touch of class to the visuals.

Any amplifier at this level positively demands a top-class partnering system. Our sources are Naim’s range-topping ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and the Technics SL-1000R record player. As for cartridges, we have our usual Kiseki Purpleheart to test out the C-5000’s moving coil performance and a Vertere Dark Sabre for moving magnet duties.

Speakers? The bulk of our testing sees us use the ATC SCM50, but we also spend a fair amount of time with Fyne’s rather talented F1-8 standmounters.

Sound

Given their imposing size and hefty power output, we would expect this Yamaha duo to go big on scale, authority and dynamic reach, and it does. But those things aren’t the highlights of what turns out to be an impressively sophisticated and natural performance.

The biggest compliment we can give to this Yamaha combination is that, after a short time, we don’t even notice it in our system. We end up spending far more time thinking about our speaker choice or the quality of the recording than what the Yamaha amplifiers are doing. This pairing just goes about its business without drawing any undue attention, and if you think about it, that’s exactly what an amplifier should do.

This combo has the talent to deliver Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata with all the finesse and subtlety it deserves. There is plenty of detail, of course, and all that information is organised with care. The result is that the piano at the core of the piece sounds as harmonically rich and natural as we’ve heard at this level.

We’ve already written the word ‘natural’ twice, and our thoughts keep coming back to just how unexaggerated and even-handed this amplifier pairing sounds. Low-level dynamic shifts are rendered with unusual fluidity and ease, while larger-scale changes in intensity are delivered with verve. Importantly, this never comes at the expense of control or composure.

Tonally, things are spot-on and as balanced as you like. As we work our way through our collection of classical and jazz recordings from Coltrane’s Love Supreme to Shostakovich’s dense Symphony No.10 through to Olafur Arnald’s Found Songs, we can’t help but be impressed by the C-5000/M-5000’s chameleon-like nature.

This duo can stretch the impression of scale and authority as the recording demands, sounding bold and powerful with the Shostakovich piece, offering impressive insight into the complex work, while rendering Found Songs with real intimacy. This amplifier is agile when the music demands, yet can produce a sound of breathtaking solidity and power when required.

Stereo imaging is accomplished too, with a nicely layered soundstage and precisely located instruments. We are pleased with the stability on offer and the convincing sense of image depth.

Moving to other genres of music reinforces our opinion of the Yamaha’s admirably accommodating nature. Ice T’s O.G. Original Gangster comes through with plenty of rhythmic drive and a full dose of menace. His bold and aggressive vocal delivery cuts through the mix as it should, and bass lines are rendered with power, punch and precision.

Similarly, we have a great deal of fun listening to Quincy Jones’s The Dude set with its complex production, immaculate musicianship and vivid dynamics. This Yamaha pairing shows no favour and treats all types of music equally well.

Feed this Yamaha pairing a poor recording, and it won’t hide the flaws. This is a highly revealing performer after all, but provided you’ve partnered it with suitable care, it won’t go out of its way to highlight the recording’s shortcomings over the positives.

We’re pleased to report that the C-5000’s phono stage is good too. It is decently quiet and retains the refinement and insight we hear through the line stages. If vinyl were our main source, then we would still be tempted to add an outboard unit like Luxman’s excellent E-07 to optimise the results with records. But, if the record player is going to be an occasional listen for you, then the phono stage built into the C-5000 is more than good enough to satisfy.

Equally, we’re pleased with the sound we hear through the headphone output. We try both the Sony MDR-Z1R, as well as Yamaha’s own excellent YH-5000SE headphones, and enjoy the results. The sound out of the headphone socket is detailed, clean and crisp without losing any of the energy we so enjoy with speakers.

Verdict

Yamaha may not be the first brand that comes to mind when we think of high-end amplification, but this C-5000/M-5000 pairing proves that it is capable of producing truly excellent products when it wants to.

If you are lucky enough to be able to buy at this level, this pairing is hard to beat when it comes to the blend of build, finish and performance. Take a listen. We’re sure you’ll be as impressed as we are.

Review published: 2nd February 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

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