Nola

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.33 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Please note my 'value rating' before getting upset with the lukewarm 'overall rating!' I'm not hear to deliver a bunch of trash on this receiver; in 2009 these are going for $100 (used, and often less) and you would be crazy to pass it up. Unless one of the following things bothers you:

Bass management. It defaults at a non-adjustable 90hz, which is fine for many sub/sat systems but extremely limiting for other configurations (or if you're a stickler for fine-tuning). There are ways around this but in the interest of brevity I'll leave it at that. For me, that is an annoyance, and a very common one on x.1 receivers.

Secondly, stereo music is very, very sterile. I know that solid-state amps are all supposed to sound the same, but they don't. The Yamaha doesn't sound *bad* - not by a long shot. It's just a bit bright and artificial. Again, this is a matter of opinion and does not necessarily make this a poor choice for your needs.

Now, for the good. Though this unit is approaching a decade in age, it still has ALL of the inputs and outputs you need in a serious theater package. This includes, but is not limited to, pre outs for every channel (wow), optical inputs (if you prefer that the receiver act as your DAC), and more video ins than you can shake a stick at. While I'm not a huge fan of DSP effects in general, there are several here to choose from, and are able to be fine tuned in terms of delay, etc, to match your desired sound field tastes (but no adjustable crossover for the subwoofer out...c'mon!). The unit runs at moderate temperatures even after several hours of being driven hard. In short, this model was an insane bargain in its time and is these days an absolute steal, as it offers the bulk of what you get in today's DTS receivers (you could argue that if offers more) for about $100 used...often less.

WARNING - if you buy one of these used, you must ensure that it comes with the remote (they commonly don't). The receiver's advanced configuration options for speaker settings, delay times, etc. are accessible only via the remote. I would have much rather seen a couple of extra menu and settings buttons on the unit itself. As it is, the FM tuner has the most physical buttons on the unit. Makes sense....buttons for FM stations, or advanced sound configuration? That's irritating. The remote is commonly available online, though, for appx. $50. But do keep this in mind if you are here reading because you see a deal on eBay or Craigs.

All in all, you can't go wrong with this receiver, at these prices. My complaints are very legit, but you have to keep them in perspective with what you're likely paying for this model in 2009. There is simply NO BETTER VALUE that I have seen. This receiver was and is essentially future-proof, until the entire format is changed. And that won't be Yamaha's fault. Go for it.

PTimmel

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
2.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $35.00 from eBay

Summary:
I was poking around ebay looking for a stereo reciever to run an extra pair of speakers lying around the house and i stumbled across this baby. It was up for bid in near perfect condition (the knob on the bass control was lost, so another was substituted, you can barely notice) with a starting bid of 35.00 dollars and no one bidding on it. I took my chances and put a bid down, waited and no one so much as took a look at the thing. I became a bit skeptical (buying electronics off of ebay) but it arrived just as described, in perfect condition. I absolutely love It. (I do feel kinda bad about absolutely steeling it from the guy that was selling it, but i guess he must not have known its value) I've ran a pair of Paradigm Titans off of them and they sound fantastic. Watching Apollo 13 with this was awesome. Plenty of inputs and options and good bass and highs. The DSP modes are ok...disco is prefferable for just plain music. I'm currently waiting for two pairs of Klipsch Heresy's to run off of this and i can't wait (my uncle, who i am getting the Heresy's from has a very similar set up with the Yamaha reciever and heresy's and they absolutely scream, they are amazing.) Overall, i am very impressed with this beauty. I would absolutly recomend it to anyone.

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer Stereo reciever, Yamaha surround sound reciever

Price Paid:  $140.00 from BestBuy

Summary:
I talked the clerk down to 140 for this receiver at BestBuy (display inventory model), and went home feeling like I won the lottery. I can't believe someone didn't snap it up before me. I never thought I'd find a home theatre receiver that would make me stop crying over my beloved 20 year old Carver stereo receiver. The Dolby Digital is crisp with good channel separation. It really cranks, as much as my old Carver, and surprisingly good bass. Everyone keeps bashing the remote, but my only quibble with it is that it's hard to use in darkness. Otherwise it's pretty intuitive and functional, considering the fact that it's a factory universal remote for such a variety of purposes. The DSP's are kinda overdone, especially for stereo cd playing. The only decent one out of the box is Disco. But the DSP's get better with tweaking, and I don't have any complaints. For 140 dollars, I'm still jumping up and down.

Strengths:
great clarity, channel separation, bass. Endlessly configurable.

Weaknesses:
display screen very dim, hard to read. Some DSP's not very good. No volume led indicator.

Price Paid:  $200.00 from JandR

Summary:
ok, now normally i read these reviews as a guide to making my next purchase, but for the first time i was actually impressed enough to throw in my own 2 cents on this receiver. well you know the specs, 100w/ch, 5.1 etc. etc. etc. so i won't go into that. what really moved me about this receiver is its flexibility. now granted, for ht this thing is a gem, but for music, i am a bit dissatisfied especially when i sneak out my venerable marantz 1180 when my girlfirend's away. the marantz has a deeper, more solid sound than the yamaha, music wise, but i didnt hold this against the yamaha too much because its so hard to find contemporary amplifiers that can perform like that anymore (at least ones in my budget range - i tried to do the budget thing before and found a sony that i thought was an absolute bargain, but after the thrill of a great deal had worn off, the thinny, hollow, teddy bear sound had gotten on my nerves so much i sold it at a loss and chalked it up to experience. ). so, does this mean i had to sacrifice music for ht... no way. this unit comes with pre-outs round the back that allows you to attach whatever else you can throw at it. when i get the time (and the apartment space) i plan to run my 1180, my clasic kenwood and onkyo amps (that my girlfriend doesnt know about by the way) and hook up my dcm12a's, kef's and nht's and let the dogs loose. but back to the yamaha... at the point of purchase, i was considering the yamaha, an onkyo and an hk, but when i looked behind this unit, my mind was made up. for entertainment purposes, this is the only thing you need. handy inputs in front, not to mention expandability to dolby 6.1, eq ready, s-video inputs, i have not looked back since buying it. the yamaha has good bass (not great when the marantz is put beside it) and great highs. i also have a bsr1000 equalizer hooked up which sweetens the sound even more with the right tweaking. as for the sound fields, i find that the disco setting works well. although not true quad stereo, it does an ok job because if i wanted real 4 way stereo, i could easily configure my other components. and besides, trying to find the sweet spot with quad stereo is not an easy task when you live in a nyc box of an apartment. i'll be moving back to sunny jamaica soon, where noise laws are more liberal and your neighbor doesnt live under, above and beside you. i can't wait to see how this thing performs when i push it to its maximum capabilities. a word on the dolby 5.1. listen man, watching saving private ryan in 5.1 is an unforgettable experience. you really feel goosebumps on your neck when those bullets whiz by. i was playing medal of honor (ps2) the other day and swore i had to keep looking behind me because the sound is so lifelike. i've never owned a yamaha before (i'm not a big fan of the orange lights or the ugly front face) but this thing has changed my mind.

Strengths:
1.endless expandabilities 2.strong bass 3.good highs 4.inputs and more inputs 5.deep, solid ht surround sound good 5.1 6.plays for long hours with virtually no heat

Weaknesses:
1.ok... yes, the remote is horrible 2.the orange light (it doesnt blend in with my other components' display) 3.i wish i could program the display to rename the selected component 4.ok, this is really superficial, but the face of this receiver isnt one of the most attractive. if only yamaha made their equipment as sweet looking as say harman kardon... 5.an led on the volume knob would be nice 6.oh did i mention the remote

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer, Sony. JVC, Kenwood, Marantz, Onkyo

Price Paid:  $449.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
Love it!...I think it is definitely one of the best for the price....I will always from now on......own a Yamaha.....I had a Sony before, and a Kenwood, and I will never go back. Friend have Onkyo and they are definitely not as nice as this Yamaha!

Strengths:
Power!!!!!.......Sound Quality....I am also running Yamaha Speakers....that might help.....all around....front, center, rear

Weaknesses:
Remote is less than great.

Similar Products Used:
Sony, Kenwood