Price Paid:  $942.00 from AudioShop

Summary:
Well, my first carfully chosen Receiver. upgrading from a pretty good but adging entry receceiver Kendwood VR-410, I was expecting great thing from this Yamaha receiver, and I am very satisfied so far. The sound is amazing, clear and powerful, I've upgrader my speakers as well couple of weeks before(Axiom top line) so this receiver now match my speakers perfectly. Listening to Play from Peter Gabriel or Queen Greatest Hits in DTS 92/24 really make it shine! and great movie soundtrack like Gladiator, Lord of the rings or Star wars really is breath taking!

Strengths:
Amazing cristal clear natural sound. Lot of option to ajust the sound. Lots of connectivity in the back to accomodate almost all set up, eassy to set up thanks to the YPAO system and microphone. very nice GUI on screen. Easy to use.

Weaknesses:
my only complain will be the fact that the GUI on screen isin't working in Progressive component video so I hate to keep a RCA cable connected to my projector when I need to get in there(not very often now that it is all set up and tweeked so no big deal) and also the remote isin't the greatest I've seen but as far as good design and readability goes.

Similar Products Used:
Kenwood VR-410

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I compared the Denon 2805 and the Yamaha RX-V2500, and i think that the Yamaha is better, because is more complete, is better made, design and materials, the sound is better because the highs are smoother but very defined, good mids and powerfull bass, but the Denon has very bright highs, very very poor bass, and the sound a little distorted, the construction of the Denon is more like plastic and the system is lighter than Yamaha.
I hagly recomend the Yamaha because is better and is cheaper too.
Very complete and excelent quality sound.
But I rally prefeer Marantz is simpl the best

Strengths:
Quality sound, design, materials, connections, power.

Weaknesses:
none for the price.

Similar Products Used:
none.

Price Paid:  $750.00 from american furniture a

Summary:
Good product

Strengths:
Clarity diversity ease of use low noise floor. You can put your ear to the speaker and not hear any hissing. The highs are stunning the mids are fair and the bass is great. for ht this unit excels it many dsp are the best in the business.

Weaknesses:
this unit is a bit underpowered for my taste. yamaha definitely fudges the numbers

Similar Products Used:
yamaha rxv 1103 denon 3805

Price Paid:  $850.00 from Hi Fi House

Summary:
This is my first Dolby digital reciever. I'm upgrading from an H/K PA 5800 Amp and an H/K reciever used as a pre-amp, which I enjoyed for many years. I searched long and hard for a replacement and almost bought the denon 3805. But to me this sounds better. If you spend this much on a reciever be sure to buy from an authorized dealer. That way you are covered. And don't be afraid to ask the dealer for his best, price because they DO have room to haggle. Tweeter quoted $905 and HiFi House went even lower. Ok, this reciever is very easy to set up. And grapics for the OSD are super! It's fun to play with. Plug in the mic and hit auto set-up, that's it. Of course you can tweak from there. The sound for movies is powerful and clear. I use dolby Digital in the "General" surround Mode. For me no extra processing is needed for movies. But of course with Yahama you can play with all the different surround modes for years. A lot them are useless for me. I bought this mostly for music, and it does not dissappoint. There are 3 modes for 2 channel music- 2 channel Stereo, Straight, and pure direct. Pure direct cuts off all processing, there is no sub output. I found this useful for some of my bass heavy cds. 2 channel stereo is what I use the most. You do get subwoofer output with that one. I can'tell much of a difference with the "Straight" mode. Some cd's I have listened to like the "Police" did sound a little bright to my ears, but I'm sure with tweaking I could take care of that to some degree. Bottom line is the stereo sound is really good. Very powerful, clear with good seperation. It doesn't sound compressed like some older dobly digital recievers I tried. I haven't found the perfect level for the subwoofer yet. I find myself fiddling with the levels depending on what I'm listening to or watching. One reviewer talked about running the output through the sub and to his main speakers. That might be an option as well. I use infinity Crescendo speakers, an Onkyo dvd player and a Jolida cd player. This thing can be adjusted for days. You can play the Trim, output level, gain, EQ, etc etc. I am no expert so I haven't touched much of that yet. But the Auto setup has this thing singing! So I'm in no hurry there. This was a lot of cash for me to scrape together, but I'm glad I did, it is a great reciever. The remote is easy to use. I haven't programed it yet so I can't speak on that. One thing I am not thrilled with is the finish of the faceplate. It is very susceptible to smudges. If it had the finish of a Marantz it would be perfect. Other than that it is built pretty solid. Eventually when I move to bigger place and get floor standing speakers I will use the pre-outs and purchase a big tube Amp. But for now I'm going to have fun with this. You can't go wrong if you buy it........... Isn't this a great hobby!? Happy listening.

Strengths:
Ease of set up. GUI (graphic interface)is super! Sound for movies is great! Sound for music is really really good! I've heard better 2 channel channel rigs if you are willing to ante up. The buttons on the reciever have a nice solid feel, (if you care) . Overall, it's a great value.

Weaknesses:
The finish of the face plate. Yahmaha could've done better. Even if it would cost a little more. I have no use for the 58 different varitions of surround modes, and I question how many people actually do. The only reason this doesn't get double "fives" is because the finish could been better. (It's a big deal to me)

Similar Products Used:
I've auditioned other older dobly digital recievers but none sounded as good this for stereo.

Price Paid:  $650.00 from Stereo Video (local

Summary:
I've owned Rotel, Yamaha, Pioneer, Sony and tested Denon. The thing that sticks in my mind about this receiver is that sound does not get distorted, even at high level db. And well matched speakers are very important. I use a combination of Infinity TSS 750 and Onix Rocket RS750's in my theater room.
The YPAO is certainly easy to use and can help even the most inexperienced user obtain that delicate balance for the truest theater listening environment. And at 130RMS, the power is not lacking. I also found the remote easy to program (read the manual) and was able to control my LGXBR446 DVD Recorder, Motorola Cable Box, and Sony HD TV. Anyone looking for a mid level audiophile quality AV Receiver should give this a look. And, with a little more investment, look at the newest Yamaha RX-V4600.

Strengths:
Great sound at all levels db, ease of operation/setup, onscreen gui is very intuitive,

Weaknesses:
none that I can find....does seem to run a little hot, but that's true with most of the "high power" units I'm told.

Similar Products Used:
noted above in summary