Cinema DSP is fun, Loud, Straight forward design, LOTS of digital inputs (4 optical, 1 coax, 1 optical out)

Noticable hiss--loud (even before 10 o' clock position), remote is too symetrical and skinny, often finding myself holding upside down and turning the volume up instead of down (I'm dumb...so what).

*PLEASE NOTE* This review is for the rx-v520!

This was an impulse buy and I had not done any research on lower end home theater equipment prior to buying my current setup (Yamaha rx-v520, klipsch quintet c/l/r/s, ksw-10 sub, Pioneer dv-434).

After buying though, I started researching-- I was disappointed that this site didn't have review listings for my reciever, but this is close enough and will do. The rx-v520, in my opinion is not worth the $100 more from the 420, because the changes are very small, musically it sounds the same (at least it did to me), it does add s-video switching, and a few more digital inputs (the 420 doesn't have 5 total inputs), It also has more power, or, this is what I was told at Magnolia, I have doubts though.

Anyways, overall, the reciever performs well, the silent cinema dsp settings are really cool to play with, it is easy to use and was a good learning experience for me being the first a/v home theater reciever i've ever used. The manual is well documented and easy to follow. I do not understand though, why they call it "silent" cinema, because I can hear noticable hissing (especially from the rears) when the volume is even below the 10 o' clock position. The hissing is even noticable in quiet parts of movies occasionally, but this may not be the reciever (?), but my friend has the Denon avr-1602, and there is no hiss at all when turning his up; so I could be wrong. Another complaint is the remote, it is long and skinny, and the volume buttons are right in the center which makes it hard to tell if its upside down or rightside up without looking at the remote (like during a movie) this causes the volume to go down instead of up!!

This is a great reciever though, and I do reccomend it to anyone getting started with home theater that needs a cheap, upgradeable (this thing has 6-channel inputs for future standards and 5 digital inputs), and easy to operate reciever. I don't think I can reccomend this over the Denon line of recievers though because for the same price they have dolby pro-logic II (this doesn't) and also don't have a hissing problem.

If you have a little more to spend on your home theater reciever I would reccomend the Yamaha rx-v620 over this one because it has even more features and power, and I haven't read anything about hissing problems with it.

This is overall a good reciever and I am pretty pleased with everything except:

-Price paid
-Remote
-Hiss

And just for fun, some of the good things about it:

-Many digital inputs
-6 channel input for future formats
-S-video switching (only on the rx-v520 and above)
-Gets loud
-Silent Cinema DSP mode is incredable

Hehe, and the neutrals:

-Not sure how music sounds because I don't listen to music on it very often and use the dvd player for cd's when I do (which probably gives a very bad quality sound from audio cd's)


My setup:
Yamaha rx-v520 (reciever)
Pioneer dv-434 (DVD player)
Panasonic 32" unknown model (TV)
Klipsch Quintet (Mains, Center and Rears)
Klipsch KSW-10 (Subwoofer)

Similar Products Used:

not really similiar "stereophonic" Marantz 2220B 1970's model receiver. Auditioned Denon 1601-1801's and Yamaha rx-v420, 520 and 620.

good sound, easy working, easy to program. Its also a great reciever company, my dad has had his Yamaha reciever for 25 years and it is still going strong, he has never broughten it to the shop

I can't find any.

Great reveiver I would recomend to any one who wants to get a good reciever. I like the different effects, i usually use the rock concert setting.

Similar Products Used:

its my first real stereo, i used to use a crappy Sony boombox

Power, Crisp, Precision, dsp, DD, DTS, it's a Yamaha!

Remote, a little bit hard to understand....but then everything ok!

I have tried a lot of receivers with the same price (technics, kenwood, jvc, sony, and also the denon 1602), but the yamaha is the best one (imho), I use it with Celestion speakers, central is the cc6 s2 B&w, subwoofer is by Yamaha, i am very impressed of the clear and precision sound. Although it is only a 65watts amplifier, i can't reach the half position of the volume. If you don't want disturb your wife, parents or kid, the Silent Cinema is very impressing, also the solution with only the two frontal speakers is absolutely fantastic (virtual cinema).
Very reccomended, for the price and for the brand (probably one of the first in HT).