That crap always makes me laugh.
There was never anything wrong with Yamaha back in the 90's other than some retailers / distros smearing their name. It happens to ALL brands, whether you notice or care will depend on how invested you are in the company and what side of the fence you sit on.
Remember the rubbish like:
"Marantz is warm, but slow".
"Yamaha is fast, but bright".
"Pioneer is powerful, but makes your ears bleed".
It's all trash, after all, the HiFi / home cinema press is full of bias and rubbish... but some of it sticks.

Remember when the Japanese turntable manufacturers pushed their (great sounding) direct drive turntables... and the British press rallied heavily against the very concept of anything that wasn't belt-driven? You could guarantee the UK audio writers would recommend a Linn or similar to ANY consumer, whether they were buying a high-end system or wanting to connect it to a budget all-in-one... it was simply biased and most likely to protect a British cottage industry.

The AVR side of the industry is and was no different. The 'Japanese sound' was decried by those who didn't come from Japan... and even though you can tweak an AVR any which way from Sunday, those who decided certain brands carry a particular sonic trait would lampoon them daily and indeed for eternity.

Now, you could have a 100% failure rate with NAD, but certain parts of the audio press would tell you it was EASILY the only choice for your home!
However, where things became unstuck was when English companies were purchased by Japanese companies, then sold to US companies... then sold to companies operating out of the Cayman Islands.
Basically, global economics makes a sham of these 'gear from certain countries sounds a certain way'.

Take Marantz...
Marantz was made in the US, Japan, owned by the Dutch and Japanese and is now under the flag of a US based private equity firm.
Yet they produce 2-channel kit with a Union Jack on the front to appease the British press and garner good reviews in What HiFi?

Basically, spec what will suit the job and you trust, pay attention to global recalls (Onkyo / Integra) and if you aren't looked after and are left short changed - move on. If not, all is well.