Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I posted a review a couple some time ago.
Im now running power amps on all channels.
Ive come to the conclusion that there is something wrong with the bass management and the centre speaker arrangement.
The Bass goes missing when I select the centre speaker(whether large or small) when playing in Dolby Digital mode. I have changed every option on the settings, bass to main, both, subwoofer etc. I am using my main right and left for bass, no subwoofer. It is not the centre channel speaker being out of phase either, as when I turn the amp off for this channeland select b/w centre off and centre on , there is a large increase in bass coming through the left and right speakers with centre off. The difference can be made up with the bass control, but needs ~7db boost to the bass to bring it up to the same level. Has anyone else experienced this, or perhaps you would like to try and see what does happen when the centre is switched on and off. It would be useful to have some type of equalisation settings for the centre channel. Its very unlikely that a centre speaker every matches the left and right. I have put a graphic equaliser in the cenre channel pre out line to tame the boominess of male voices that occurs on my centre speaker.
I still hate the remote, and as other people have commented, the display is too small to read from +3m away. Ive got good eyesight and can read the display on most things from 4-5metres.

Strengths:
Low noise, heat.

Weaknesses:
Bass signals with centre channel.
No preset buttons for radio, input selector sometimes freewheels.

Price Paid:  $500.00 from 4Audio Belgrade

Summary:
I was not very pleased with stereo sound of this amp,so I bought an external amplifier.Now I`m very satisfied.As a preamp it`s excelent.I recommend yamaha for home theater or as a preamp.

Strengths:
Very good as pre-amp,bass is strong and accurate.Excellent in surround mode.Build quality.

Weaknesses:
Remote,lack of treble(in stereo mode),soundstage.

Similar Products Used:
Technics

Price Paid:  $500.00 from LeSalle Electronics

Summary:
All-arround this is a prety solid receiver. After having used this product for two years I feel I know almost all it's quirks. When it comes to Dolby Digital and DTS processing this unit is solid. As for the amplification, not so good. The signal from the 596 is harsh, shrill and flat,not good. I landed up using this unit with a B&K AV500 5ch amp and the difference is staggering.The 6ch outs on the 596 are a wonderful feature. This proves one thing, the shrill, flat sound is not due to the processing but to the amplification. Also the remote is horrible but almost anyone will get used to it with time. Not bad for $500, but other companies make better for the same $

My system (audio)
Yamaha RX-V596 (as pre)
B&K AV5000 amp
Marantz DV6200 DVD/CD player
Tributaries Directconnect interconnects
Straightwire Rhapsody S cables
B&W 601 S2 speakers
B&W CC6 S2 center
Type Twelve Audio Monolith sub

Strengths:
Exelent when used as a pre-amp with a good external amplifier. Good for both 5.1 and 2ch

Weaknesses:
Not good when used as a stand alone unit. Poor, shrill, thin 5.1 2ch. Nasty remote.

Similar Products Used:
Marantz 4300

Price Paid:  $629.00 from East Hamilton Radio

Summary:
This is a great quility entry level home theater receiver. There are not a lot of extras but there are no problems setting it up either. Plenty of power considering the price, although 2 channel stereo is very bad, it sounds to open.

Strengths:
Great price, great power
easy to use

Weaknesses:
bad 2 channel sound
bad remote

Similar Products Used:
Dennon

Price Paid:  $280.00 from A&B

Summary:
A receiver good for home theater, but little else. I went from a Yamaha RX-V870 purchased in 1994 (for $1000) to this model in order to gain 5.1 and was immensely disappointed in the way it handles 2-channel stereo music. My old 870 produced wonderfully smooth, rounded and warm timbres with even with those recordings where it is most critical (such as with Arvo Part's "Te Deum"). To play this same CD on the 596 is almost unbearable. Hollow, tinny, completely lacking in midrange and depth. I guess I was wrong to assume that just having the name 'Yamaha' on it would ensure quality audio. My wonderful sounding Polk speakers sounded like junk with this thing. So now I've got it for sale, and hope to buy the new Onkyo SR600.

Strengths:
Bright clarity on Dolby Digital. A plus for home theater, but that same brightness negatively flattens music when in 2-channel stereo.

Weaknesses:
When playing music in 2 channel stereo: hollow, terribly bright sound. Little midrange. Poor reproduction of acoustic instruments/voices. If you only listen to pop/rock you may be okay - but if you are expecting reasonable reproduction of orchestral, choral or other music requiring an amp with finesse you'll be very disappointed... as I was. Also, the center channel in Dolby Digital is quite tinny sounding.

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha RX-V870. Onkyo TX-DS595.