Price Paid:  $45.00 from used

Summary:
From reading so much good critics about this amp, i feel lucky to have bought it second hand at only US$45.00 from someone who took extremely good care of his units. Although it doesn't have DTS, but who cares at the price!

Will need to buy the sprs and hook it all up later. Thus, will write here again for critics.

Strengths:
Good value (second hand price)

Weaknesses:
To be discovered

Similar Products Used:
Onkyo amp

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Yamaha Direct

Summary:
I bought this unit new from Yamaha the month it came out, right as DVD and AC-3 were hitting the market. Having heard the difference between standard Surround Sound and Dolby Digital, I was eager to build a home theater and the opportunity to grab a Yamaha Dolby Digital unit for half price was too great to pass.

Overall, I have been very satisfied with this unit (and the RX-V692 I have in my bedroom). The sound production is excellent for both movies and music. This brightness problem I hear some people complain about - it's called the treble knob. Turn it back to your liking. Honestly, I think that people are just so used to the crappy sound produced by mass-produced, light-weight, chip-based receivers (Sony, Pioneer, etc) that they aren't accustomed to the kind of accuracy that can be produced when each channel of sound has a reliable, constant power flow.

Durability is phenominal. I have often-told the story of the guy I met who ran his A-channel into the top pole (of a bi-ampable Kappa VIII) and the B-channel into the bottom pole and left the bridge in place and then complained when his Yamaha DSP-A3090 would shut off every hour or so. That's right folks - the unit operated in a direct short for over an hour before overloading and shutting down and was not damaged. That is a brick - try THAT with a Pioneer or Sony! Needless to say I was forever sold on Yamaha's quality.

As for weaknesses, I fall into the standard fare here. The more-than capable learning remote is bulky, complicated, and the "flip-top" is far to fragile to be practical. Keep it simpler Yamaha. Complaint number two has to do with the fact that when I first experimented with AC-3, I did it on a Yamaha RX-V2090 paired with a DDP-1. The channel separation was so distinct that when you turned off the mains during "Can you feel the love tonight" on the Lion King's closing credits (LD) you could actually hear how badly Elton John really sings. Unplugging the Center channel meant all you heard was background music. In the AC-3 onboard RX-V992, there is some definite bleed-over, especially from the center to the mains, that was not present in the separate processor set-up. I know it's being picky, but it did bother me a little. I will audition this feature before upgrading to my next Yamaha. Finally, (and this is probably unit specific here), my display has a minor malfunction. The area of display on the far-right, where the DSP field in use is displayed, has a malfunction - there are zeros lit up all the time which obscure the display. They don't affect the operation, and are annoying more than anything - I could probably have it fixed for $10 and have never bothered.

As I said, overall a great unit that has offered years of faithful service in three dorm rooms, two houses and six apartments over the last 6 years (whoa - I move a lot!), proving that quality is heavy. I think I may be a Yamaha-for-life owner, especially if this is the most disappointing receiver they can come up with!

Strengths:
Incredible quality. Versatile unit. Durable.

Weaknesses:
Too few digital inputs/outputs. Minor bleed-over between channels. Remote is bulky and complicated

Price Paid:  $330.00

Summary:
Wow! this is one fine product. i bought this unit second hand from someone who i know would have abused and used every once of it's potential. yet it's performance is still flawless. i myself love loud music and movies. this is deffinatly the choice for that. power, dynamics and accuracy all come to mind when i think of this receiver. not to mention the incredle amount of features, hook-up options, and Quality. i would recomend this to anyone, and stand by my recomendation. i've dropped the remote several times onto a cement floor, a party left the remote covered in pop yet it never fails. at one point i had small problem where it was doing that delay thing with buttons, but all i had to do was press the reset botton and it was fixed.

This unit is used every day, loud or quiet it performs imaculatly. i can't even explain how happy i am with this reciever. all i can say is if you find one get it!

Strengths:
flexiabily, build quality, proccesor quality, endless features, and sound detail.

Weaknesses:
When played really loud distortion guitars sound overwhelming. remote is confusing in the dark.

Price Paid:  $900.00

Summary:
I bought X992 sometime in 1997, replacing my old Dolby-logic only RXV352 (I think that was the model number). Anyway, I could tell right away the difference in sound quality, especially the much tighter bass. Of course, X992 has 80W/ch comparing to 50W/ch of my old receiver. I dont care much about DTS, so this is working fine for my HT.
After 3 years, my remote control is not working properly anymore. Each time a botton is pressed, it would take 2-3 seconds before the remote would send out the signal to receiver. Must be the processor in the remote that is malfunction. Also, each time I turn on the receive, there will be a loud "pop" from my center speaker. Don't know what is wrong with it. I am going to put in a 5-channel amp in the very near future, so the Yamaha will used exclusively as a pre-amp.

Strengths:
Value for money, great sound, 5 ch pre-out

Weaknesses:
no component inputs, reliability, hard-to-use remote control

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha RX-V352

Price Paid:  $1100.00 from WA SOUND

Summary:
An absalute bargain, with brilliant sound and an awsome array of effects including 70mm movie theatre, dd enhanced, rock, jazz, hall, and heaps more.

Most of all, this processor lifts you into the higher end of movie home theatre sound, and once you have it you will never pay to sit in an vovie theatre again! Even my local pic theatre spent millions on there sound and with such a big erea to cover it doesnt match my RXV-992 when it comes to punch and detail! Yamaha manages to throw its sound effects around the room at a quick and rapid rate but still retaining a very respectable smoothness in its actions.

You will need five good speekers to obtain full potential from the 992 and a healthy sub will ensure you top range sound from all sourses, the RXV-992 will despose of cheep speekers at a rapid pace so don't waist your money on cheep speakers, do it right the first time.

This is a full monte amp with full monte sound, and was a bargain at new prices, so if you get one second hand its a steel! Damn good AV Reciever and have no intentions getting rid of it for a long time, and allso had no probs with this unit.

Strengths:
Powerfull sound, accuracy and detail, value value value, good looks, multitude of functions, two sub out, second room out, two centre chanells conections, back lit remote, speakers a+b.

Weaknesses:
It doesnt wipe your ars! But it does everything els.

Similar Products Used:
Sherwood, Technics.