sound quality,price,features,bang for the buck

no digital numbering for indexing volume level

4 basic "consumer end" brands that give truer wpc ratings in my opinion -onkyo/denon/hk/yamaha(compared to jvc, sony....etc.)yamaha makes great products-when they market a "natural sound" line..it's for real. Their cd players DO SOUND natural and beautiful-and rival much more expensive units..and this- as does all their recievers, sounds powerful,natural...brings out the cleanest/best in audio/movies..(you can def.spend more..this wont have the same result as going w/an amp/pre-amp set-up..but it is a TRUE 60watt output).I had this w/an aiwa rated at 120/ch side by side..and yamaha at a quarter was twice as loud(and cleaner)as aiwa at a half..similar result w /pioneer and technics as well...yamaha rates across entire b/width-discrete circutry..makes all the diff.in the world!! Bottom line: clean power-more than enough for smaller size apt, dolby decodes GREAT, it has the opticals, DSP is def.usable ..hard to find better value for a REAL better than entry level H.T.Reciever...i give 5 overall..because really no weknesses other than the volume thing- i am very happy w/unit.

Similar Products Used:

aiwa, pioneer,technics,hk,jvc,onkyo

hk,jvc,aiwa,.....

Excellent ouput and soundstaing. Used with Paradigm Titans..phenonmenal. Most $1000 combos' couldn't replicate the sound I get. Never use a center channel, and yet everyone who hears it swears I have a hidden speaker.

No LED lighting for volume.

Compared for the money, this is absolutely one of the finest receiver available. The modest 60watts per channel is obviously underrated because this thing will drive anything you connect to it hard! DTS decoder is great, fantastic tight control over everyhting, yet a very warm sound. Pair with the right speakers, and these things will undoubletly beat out any of those $1000+ crap Sony systems you can put together. Yamaha's clean sound brings out the best in all sorts of music - the smoothness of jazz, to the metal edge of rock, and the boomy bass for R&B, this receiver can do it all. Audiophile quality receiver for average buyer prices. Lets face it, not all of us have the money for the Arcam or Marantz...just yet. ;-). You won't regret this reciever.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo, Denon, Nakamichi, other Yamaha, Sony, Technics

Great sound and terrific value

Remote is a bit tricky as it relates to menus

Hi kids! First off, I enjoy the website and your reviews helped steer me to Yamaha. I previously owned a yamaha dsp pro logic machine which was very high end ( RX - 850 ) in it's time. It was time I upgraded to Dolby Digital after buying a very fine DVD player from JVC (BX710).

The Yamaha was frankly right up there with a Harman Kardon I listened to but this machine supported my outdoor speakers in addition to home theater. The HK couldn't support my outdoor speakers without an external switcher box. Forget that! So, the sound is very fine. The controls are a bit confusing on the machine and not quite intuitive which is really my only complaint. The remote is fine although pressing enter is sometimes tricky...as you must press right in the middle. There is a disco sound selection which frankly sounds dated. I would have named it rock or popular or dance. This machine has incredible power and I never turn it up past one quarter of the way, otherwise it blows you out of the room.

I bought expensive monster cable for the first time and home theater bought sound and video especially from the DVD is just outstanding. I paid $ 379 at Myer Emco so perhaps I spent a bit more but the salesman did his best to try to talk me up to the more expensive Yamaha's but I thought this was just fine. I would love to give it a 5.0 but I really think they could have made the controls more intuitive. That's my only knock.....Great machine for both dvd and cd and theater...

Similar Products Used:

Used to own a Yamaha dsp pro logic RX-850 which in its time was a monster machine. Time came for me to upgrade.

Value for Money, reliability, construction, IT MOVES Magneplanars!!!!

Pre-out for sub only

I've been very happy using my unit for some time but now is "time 4 an upgrade".

I've been a Yamaha fan since I started my HT setup "saga" and now I'm leaving my 495 behind...

In my case I'm looking for a receiver replacement after upgrading (almost) all my speakers to Magneplanars; these are 'low efficient' pieces of gear (86db) at 4ohm and all the Yamaha gear I tried hasn't been a 'nice' match for them (it's not a question of 'RMS power')...

Yamaha "CAN MOVE" Magneplanars (yes, they certainly move) but, even the DSP-A1 I've tried, starts clipping with these 'beasts', so my choices are not here anymore (this is the sad part).

I'm looking for separates in the pre-amp processor/monoblock section of the "HT world" with caaaaaaaaalm and paaaaaacience, I guess something will show...

It's allmost imposible to beat 'the Yamaha value' at the same price tag... you can't go wrong with Yammie (even w/the expensive models).

Happy tunes

5 stars all the way, Yamaha deserves it!

Similar Products Used:

None

sound quality, looks, features, solid construction, lots of power

None really, only surround and center speaker input doesn't take banana plugs, only 1 coaxial digital input.

I never owned any other A/V receiver before this one, but I bought this product at a local dealer, after extensive comparison with similarly priced models. Sound was noticeably better and warmer and this product has lots more functions. There are more than enough connections and it plays everything smoothly. I use it mainly for CDs and DVDs. The tuner part I cannot use since I bought mine directly imported from Japan, where the frequencies are different. Anyway, I don't listen to radio all that much.
The first one I had blew up (literally) after a few days, but the dealer replaced it without giving me any problems. Apparently the first unit I got had manufacturing flaws, but the replacement I got doesn't, so I am a happy customer.

I bought mine in Gold colour, looks very nice, much better than the black actually, and my wife liked its looks, which is always a bonus.
I give it a 4 for value rating, since there are better deals to be had (especially at the prices here), but the overal rating is a definite 5. I can see myself enjoying this unit for many years to come.

My system:

- a complete set of A Quarter speakers, apparently a local OEM brand that is not well known, but that are very well built and give amazing sound.
- AMC CD9 player
- Technics RS-TR272 Cassette deck
- Pioneer DV-525 DVD player
- SonicLink Cables

Similar Products Used:

Denon, Technics, Panasonic, Kenwood

Clean no-hiss sound, lots of power, great DSP

none found yet

After burning up the SSI mini-system, I evaluated systems based on having the following: DTS/Dolby 5.1, having @ least one optical input, easy to use remote and staying with in $500.CDN price range. This review site pointed me to Pioneer, Sony and Yamaha. Yamaha was my last choice but after hearing the Pioneer and looking at the confusing remote on the Sony the Yamaha was the winner. The Yamaha had the least rated power out put of the 3 but it didn't sound that way. The DSP's are the best sounding (they are based on real enviroments that were mesured and used to create the DSP fields) and I never listen to music cds with the effect off! This unit dose have DTS and optical/coax/svideo inputs so check the Yamaha web site for specs. For the $450CDN I paid, It was worth it! I have even stopped listening to some of my CD's because this units sound is so clean that poorly mixed or produced cds are really noticeable!The DTS output on DVD's is amazing!
BTW, I am waiting to replace the SSI mini speakers (15W rated @8ohm)which even being crap (4"driver no tweeters that I know of) sound clear and handle the volume at just over 1/4 the way up with no distortion--my wife can't handle the volume that high-she distorts!
BUY THIS SYSTEM! you wont be unhappy in the least!

Similar Products Used:

JVC Dolby 5xx & SSI mini Dolby system

Just bought this A/V receiver for a birthday gift for only $329.99. I had to put the unit together for the birthday person. I was very impressed with the features and especially the sound quality for such an inexpensive A/V receiver. The remote that is included is relatively easy to program and operate. This A/V receiver even comes with connections for an external processor for future technology to come. Overall, this A/V receiver does the job it was designed to do. Of course, it couldn't compete against the high-end A/V receivers out there but that is not what this A/V receiver was designed to do.

Bought the RX-V495 as part of a "package deal" from Magnolia Hi-Fi here in Seattle on 5/23 for $320 "new" not a demo. Checked it out for a month and it is an excellent entry-level DD receiver with 60x5 watt system. Identical to the RX-V595 with a new and better universal remote. Yeah, its a smaller amp, but I look at its Yamaha international version and it says its rated for 100 watts. Clean sound, eleven (11) good AV DSP choices including 70mm Theater mode, same basic controls (~80%) as on RX-V595 and RX-V995.
Yep, happy with this baby. Had a ancient Kenwood system from the early 80's and waited until a DD system came below $350 in retail price range. Here is my setup

Yamaha RX-V495
Yamaha CDC-575 CD Player, simple and efficient
Mission 7713 front speakers (...for now until I see a good price on Mission 772 or 773, then switch the 771's to the back surround sounds.)
Definitive ProSub 80 Subwoofer
Mission 77C1 Center Speaker (very nice and clean broad dialogue dispersion.)
Mits U570 VCR (yeah.. still looking for a killer price on a Toshiba 3109 DVD...)
Mits 27" 2-tuner S-video TV

Its basic, simple and does the job handsomely folks...

I've had my receiver for 3 months now and it has been working perfectly while providing excellent sound. While this is not the most powerful receiver out there, it has more than enough for small spaces. The remote is much better than the one offered with the 595, and easy to use. A great unit and a great price.

This reciever and the Take 5's from energy will give you an incredible experience for under 1000 bucks! And yet it sounds like a million! By it you won't regret it.