Excellent sound, plenty of power. SVideo. Rated for 4 ohm speakers. Phono input.

Remote stinks. Can't route S-Video ins to composite outs and vice versa. Bass filter fixed @ 90 Hz. Spring clips for center & surround channels.

This receiver is GREAT! Clean, excellent sound. Runs very cool to the touch, with no cooling fan.

I was looking for a Dolby Digital/DTS receiver with SVideo for about $400.

I did a lot of research, comparing this unit with:
Sony STR-DB930 (better components than DE series)
Pioneer VSXD608 (runs hot, no phono input)
Sony STR-DE935 (runs very hot)
Kenwood VR309 (can't run 4 ohm speakers)
Kenwood VR-3080 (horrible remote, more $)
Denon AVR1800 (no SVideo)
Onkyo TX-DS575 (no SVideo, less bass)

I was going to buy this from OneCall for $392 + shipping, decided to give a local dealer a chance: they came within $20 of OneCall, so I bought from the local guys.

One note about Yamaha: they only honor the warranty if you buy from an authorized Yamaha dealer. OneCall isn't listed as one on Yamaha's web site, but I called and they said OneCall is a dealer. Also, Yamaha confirmed that this unit is part-for-part identical to the HTR5150. The HTR can be sold via mail-order. This unit can't.

This is really a superb unit. It even makes my 30 year old JBL's sound great. It's obvious Yamaha put their time/money/effort where it counts, and not into a bunch of lame gimmicks that you'll never use after the first day.

Sound and build quality; great with all types of music and movies; runs cool no matter how hard driven.

push terminals for center/surround speakers; remote could be better, but it's acceptable.

I've been an enthusiast for over 25 years and this receiver is probably the best I've ever owned. I paid $400 at the time it was current, which is truly a bargain in such a crowded price point, but if you can find one now at a reasonable discount it should be given serious consideration. I guess what I like best about the unit is that every time I turn it on I know it'll give me what
I want; excellent sound whether it's from CD's or DVD's. The digital outputs are incredibly clean and really reveal the rest of your equipment, which might be good or bad! If only everything else I owned was as consistent. I'm sold on Yamaha products and wholeheartedly recommend their receivers.

My system currently is:

Yamaha RX-V595a receiver
Pioneer PD-F1009 301-disc CD changer
Sony DVP-S360 DVD player
Panasonic PV-9661 VCR
Panasonic CT27D11 27" TV
Infinity IL30 speakers (front)
Acoustic Research AR-S112PS speaker (center)
Jensen C-5 speakers (surround) (Hey, they we're cheap!)
Acoustic Research S112PS subwoofer
Audioquest/Monster speaker cables
Acoustic Research/Monster A/V cables

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Technics, Sony ES, Adcom

Clean, powerful sound.

Bass response, could use old fashioned loudness button when listening to FM stations.

I purchased this unit in Dec 1999 to replace my old Marantz receiver, and upgrade to home theater. I wanted both Dolby Digital and DTS, and after comparing many units in this price range, the Yamaha stood out.

In short I would highly recommend this digital home theater receiver. The overall sound quality is very clean, and when using the sound field programs they respond very well depending on the type of DVD selected.

For example for DVD movies @ DTS (Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan) the enhanced program will provide a very clean crisp, sound. The Cinema DSP program will also create a more wide sound field as advertised. With DVD music @ DTS (Eagles, Roy Orbison, Queen) I would recommend the Disco program to obtain equal tight sound, or the Cinema DSP Program for wide sound which is excellent.

The silver remote control is very sleek, however complex, and does take some time to become accustomed to. It would be nice to have a volume control which is marked, however I have used a glow in the dark small reference point.

To get started in Home Theater this unit will not disappoint you, 70 watts of power equally distributed is more than enough to start.

Home Theater System: (Family Room 12 x 18)
Speakers, Paradigm (Monitor 3 front, Titan's rear, CC-170 Center, PDR-10 Subwoofer)
DVD, Toshiba 2220
T.V. Hitachi HD 43"

Similar Products Used:

Marantz 2220 model (20 years old)

Clean,detail sound and punchy bass.Easy setup although no onscreen display.

No banana plug on center & surround.

I didn't realised how good this receiver is until I brought home a Marantz SR5200 for upgrade for it's 6.1 & PL2 at a very tempting price. The Marantz being 15W advantage on all channels was a disappointment.On 2 channel stereo it didn't have the tight mids and the punchy bass the Yam Had. Moreover, the Marantz burnt out in smokes only after 20 minutes of play. I returned the unit and keep my Yam for now. I'll wait for Yamaha to come out with an entry level PL2 receiver like the onkyo 494. The Rxv1200 is still a bit expensive.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood,Teac & Techics

Smoothness, high end, bass control, non-digital volume control, phono input, resolution of fine detail, nice power output. Glow in the dark buttons on the remote!

No banana jacks for surround speakers, shrill when pushed (extremely) hard, numbers wearing off the remote buttons, that's about it.

A great reciever overall, all the great traits, some of those that made it exceptionally better than other A/V recievers I've heard (even at 3X the price) were it's ability to retrieve low-level detail. I like the volume control, in that it's not digital like you see on most of the others. The 70 watts that it's rated into each channel is VERY conservative. It powers my B&W602 S2 speakers just fine.
Equipment used:
Harman Kardon FL380 CD changer (heavily modified) - and Ah! Tjoeb '99 Single disc player
S&E pure Silver interconnects into
Yamaha 595a reciever
Through both Monster Z1 speaker cables and S&E Silver speaker cables
Sony DVPS360 DVD player

Initial hookup was through the original S&E Copper interconnects, which were then swapped to the Carbon Fiber interconnects. The Carbon Fibers really impressed me. I knew that they had a higher resistance, but the carbon fiber remains linear through a larger range than the copper interconnects. Next I tried Silver, which was thin. Finally, the S&E Reference, which blew the others out of the water. I'd say that the change to this interconnect was like changing the entire digital front end. Female vocals sang out of a pure, black background. I've had JPS Superconductor, and even a bunch of the Nordost interconnects, and none of them even come close to the sound I heard through the S&E Reference cables! You really don't know what your reciever is capable until you put some nice cables on it! Good pricing too!

Similar Products Used:

Harman Kardon AVR7000, AVR520, Onkyo TXDS898, TXDS696, McIntosh monoblocks

Good, precise sound in Stereo and DD
Excellent volume adjustment for 5:1 speaker matching

Too many hall/movie and other 'effects' that I never use.

Yamaha already was main competitor for my old Luxman some 25 years ago.
Both excellent reviews then.

Not a single moment disappointed in the hones 1:1 sound amplification in both normal Stereo and 5:1 DD.

Volume indication is not on display, and my Volume knob is black all over, a simple small triangle white sticker on the knob gives me all the visual feedback I need to know how the knob is positioned, I hardly need more then 40% of the volume range. More then enough power by then!

Rated 5 x 105 Watts (at 0.7% THD) but in reality I guess about 5x 60Watts at < 0.05% according to the specs)
Agtain more then enough power on-board for clean and excellent dynamics (e.g. in Mahler Symphony #2).

Very pleased with this very affordable unit.,

Similar Products Used:

Luxman 25 yr.old 1040 stereo reciever, amnnalogue tunng. no remote

Price, DSP modes, Dolby Ditigal and DTS

Spring connectors for rear and center channel speakers, needs more digital inputs for audio

I was looking for a entry to mid level reciever which had Dolby digital and DTS decoding ability. I had listened to a friend's Yamaha RX-V 2090 and thought it sounded pretty nice so I decided to go with a Yamaha. The DSP modes are nice - although some are a bit much (the concert hall mode has too much echo). The sound is pretty bright and very clear - I haven't experienced any distortion yet (I also haven't tried turning it up more than halfway because it gets too loud). Overall I've been very pleased with the reciever. I only wish it had more digital inputs for audio sources. The only problem I've experienced is that every now and then it will shut off for no apparent reason. I don't know if it's a short somewhere inside the amp - or if it's clipping for some reason.

My current system is:
DIY front speakers (k06b10 from speakerpage.com)
Polk cs-150 center channel
Mirage FR-X dipole rear channels
DIY subwoofer (see my SHIVA review from adire audio)
Monster cables throughout
Yamaha CDC-765 CD player
Sony PS2 dvd/game player
Yamaha rx-v 595a reciever
Monster power hts-3500 power conditioner
Sony 27" WEGA television

Just got this yamaha today to replace a old sony pro logic receiver and man what a difference! i can hear every little detail that i never even heard when watching dvd. simply the best receiver for the money!

Just upgraded from my pro-logic receiver today. Man! what a huge difference. Love the sound that this yamaha delivers. AC3 is miles ahead of pro-logic. Have not tested out the DTS yet....can't wait. Rushing out tomorrow to get "Tina Turner - Live in Amsterdam" in dts, heard the DVD rocks. OK, on to the receiver itself.Cost me US $465 here in Singapore. All the Yamaha RX-V series look alike and this one is no exception. Only 3 things that I dont really like about it:
1) lacks binding post terminals for center and surround channel
2) does not have a light indicator on the volume knob
3) the remote does not work very well with my Pioneer 515
Other than that, its a great buy. Awesome sound, AC3/DTS, Yamaha cinema DSP, what more can one ask for ? especially for less than US $500. By all means pay more for a 995 but if you budget is less than $500 then look no further.

I agree with previous posters that the Yamaha RX-V595a is a fine receiver. I own one with a different label.
According to Yamaha Customer Support, the Yamaha RX-V595a and the Yamaha HTR-5150 "are identical units that are sold thru different retail channels of distribution". Also from Yamaha Customer Support, "the HTR line is replacing the R-V line".

A FAQ at www.yamaha.com states: "The HTR line is sold through mass merchants, catalog retailers, and department stores. You may also purchase the HTR line through the mail. The RX-V line is typically sold through Yamaha authorized audio/video specialty retailers, and is not available for mail order sales. All transactions must be done through the authorized Yamaha dealer network. Any purchase made from an unauthorized dealer/retailer voids the Yamaha manufacturer's warranty." (In the FAQ, I have substituted "HTR" everywhere the old "R-V" designation appears).

If you need the advice and hand-holding offered by a specialty audio retailer, then the RX-V595a is a good value on an excellent receiver.

If you would prefer a 20% lower price and a valid warranty on a mail order purchase, then the HTR-5150 offers a better value on the identical receiver.

Because I fall in the second category, I rate the RX-V595a four stars based on value.