DD DTS You can hook lots of stuff up to it.

None

I just love the Yamaha rx 795a! I use it for movies the most. When I watch movies in my home I feel like I am at the movie theater. The Mummy Returns DVD sounds great. I have had this receiver for over 1 year and it get better everytime I use it.

I did my research and price comparisons and finally chose the 795a... Im so happy with it I almost cried when I began playing my favorite music through it. The difference between the 795 and the 'a' are few: better plug terminals on the back. Binding post, I believe theyre called. The remote is slender and long, easy to get lost in in the dark, but some of the buttons are irridescent so its at least easy to find. The 'mode' selector wheel is cheesey but it does the job, and in the dark you cant tell what youve got selected unless you hit another button... then the little red light illuminates your selection. I like how you can controll *everything* from the remote, Im deeply in love with the sound fields and Im also looking foreward to making my own. It is also a very handsom unit, and is easy to use. DTS is a scream with it hooked up to my Panasonic DVD-A120u (which I am also very fond of) via a $30(!) fiber optic cable.
The power of the unit more than accomodates me. 85 strong watts each channel (besides sub) is enough to drive my big old Magnavox speakers down past 28hz at an alarming gain level. This I like, a lot, because it means I dont have to spend more money on a powered subwoofer. The unit is also "Future Proof" meaning it has 5.1 inputs for any new audio decoding technology that may come out in the years to come.
As for price, I was able to negotiate $650 for the reciever, speaker wire and some other little things I needed to get my powered rear channel speakers hooked up (The reciever has an 'and/or' low level output for every channel).

A great buy. Very much fun. Definitly worth more than my car to me.

I hate to spoil the party, but there are some serious issues being overlooked by my fellow reviewers. Yes, the RX-V795a sounds good and has DSP modes that provide terrific enhancement to movie soundtracks. However, it is a bit too hissy at higher volumes, and its ergonomics are very poor. For example, the tuner display can only be viewed transiently when you change a station - otherwise the display consists either of the name of the DSP program, or else "EFFECT OFF" if no DSP program is selected. The buttons on the remote are tiny, and the labeling is even smaller. Furthermore, it seems to me that, in some cases, the labeling on the remote is not even logical. In short, I find this unit very cumbersome to use. I give it 4 stars for sound, 2 stars for ergonomics, average=3 stars.

I purchased the RX-V795a this month for $550 (shipping included) from Uncles in NYC. Ohter models I also considered include the Denon AVR-3300 and Sony STR-DB930. I chose the Yamaha based largely on recommendations from others, and because it met my basic requirements.
Pros
-----

Excellent set of inputs and outputs.

The build quality of the reciever is very good.

The amplifier is clean with very little hiss.

The tuner works well.

The DSP modes are cool.

Cons:
-----

Setting the speaker levels is a little wacky, as everything seems to be set relative to the mains.

The remote does not control any of my compoenents very well. None of the codes for my JVC TV support power on/off. Several functions are missing for my Sony VCR and CD changer. I'm buying the Cinema 7 learning remote today to remedy this.

No 5.1 channel stereo mode, like the Denons have. This is a big minus for me, as I listen to lots of music, and I'd like to use all of my speakers.

In retrospect, I probably should have bought a Denon, but the Yamaha is pretty darn good and sounds great for Home Theater.

Overall, I give it a 4.

Kit Cheves
San Diego, CA

Excellent Overall in sound, features and quality.

The remote, I don't like the wheel very much, feels cheap.

What can I say about this great receiver. Before this I had a Pioneer VSX-401, comparing that to the Yamaha, I'd say the Pioneer is a piece of junk(which it really is). I'm only 18 so purchasing this I knew I would need a receiver that would last me 4+ years. The features on this are very nice. Currently I still live at home so I can only give you my take on the musical side of things since my room is not nearly large enough for a sufficient home theatre setup. I have a pair of Paradigm Monitor 7's that I purchased with it(total was $1160, not a bad deal at all). In stereo the sound is fantastic. I listened to a few CD's at the audio shop with this setup and was sold after about 10 minutes. After I heard the first minute of audio coming through this setup I had a huge grin on my face. Now being a poor 18 year old college student I'd say this setup should last me for years to come. I really like the fact that the RX-V795A has a DD and DTS decoder built into it. The sound fields are a little excessive, but you can tweak the delay and room size to make the effect very minimal. I currently have my computer's sound card running to the tape monitor loop through the spdif out of the sound card. MP3s sound very nice, and playing video games with the Disco sound field sounds amazing. I can not wait to get this thing set up in a good sized room so I can listen to it do some Home Theatre.

Similar Products Used:

None, it's my first high(er)-end receiver. Had an old Pioneer VSX-401.

All round

No optical for MD

I listened to the RX-V795a and the Sony STRDB930. The 795a blew the Sony away, it produced crisp sound, as well as a good amount of base for my R&B music. You should get this unit for about $540.
A very good unit for this money, though the remote takes a while getting used to.

Similar Products Used:

Sony

Connections galore

confusing and hard to see remote

Hooked it up last week with Klipsch quintets and a Klipsch 10 inch subwoofer, great sound! Being totally new at this I still feel this is a great unit although somewhat difficult to operate but I am getting better. One problem is that when I try to listen to the "B" speakers in a different room the rear speakers of the "A" speakers can still be heard even with "A" button off. Can anyone help?
At $600 from a local dealer I'm please with this unit.

Sound, looks AND the remote

none so far except the heavy the weight......

The remote is certainly not the weakness....only the few among us with a low IQ number can't handle this high tech remote.....just punch in the right code numbers and you can use him for all your Audio-video equipment.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer

- Great sound and features

- Remote

The RX-V795a is the heart of my new home theater system that also includes a Sony 53" XBR-300 TV, Sony 850 200-DVD changer, Polk Audio RT-800/CS-400 speakers, and an old Technics turntable. This home theater also replaces my old stereo system.

The RX-V795a is a great product when comparing features and value. It's biggest drawback is the odd remote control. To be honest, the remote can control much of the home theater (ie TV sans PIP, DVD sans changer features). But it is somewhat cumbersome and leaving the device selector dial on the wrong device can result in a surprise when you press a button. My DVD remote can control the RX-V795a volume, so most home theater functions can be accomplished between the two remotes.

versatile input connections / strong, crisp and clear sound

no 5 channel stereo, remote not backlighted

This receiver is an excellent value for for money compared to others in it's class. I did a lot of research, mostly focused on Yamaha, Onkyo and Pioneer. I choose it after 3 months of research - mainly because it has all features, quality, power and connections I could need for now and future upgrades in my HT (which is a very important point when deciding what receiver to buy).
One interesting point: DSP modes are normally fake and useless, but Yamaha made them very realistic and nice to hear. "Pro-logic enhanced" is so cool, giving a better sound feeling. "Rock Concert" makes rock music come alive! Dolby Digital processing (including DTS) is perfect, no flaws at all.

System:
Yamaha rxv795a
Pioneer DVD
B&W DM601 s2 (front)
B&W DM302 (rear)
Mission 73C (center)
Def. Technology Pro Sub 80 (subwoofer)

Similar Products Used:

onkyo pro-logic receiver