Sound, built well, unobtrusive looks

Remote

First off I would like to warn any would be buyers to stay away from an online store called CrazyEddies.com Over 1 month hassle and I still wound up buying locally, a total nightmare. Ok, this reciever took me 25min to swap with my old H/K and about 2 days to get it set up like I wanted it. Lots of tinkering but when finally finished it has a neat lock feature where you can't disturb your settings. The DSP settings sounds great, everything sounds great---except I don't think 2 channel stereo is as good as my old H/K, but the 5.1 stereo on the yamaha sounds so good I doubt I will use 2 channel stereo anyway. All in all this reciever is perfect for me, it's a black box that sits on the shelf and does it's job perfecty.

Yamaha reciever RX-V800
Sony 5 disc
Sony 4 head
Panasonic DVD
Panasonic TV
Klipsch RC-3 center
Klipsch KSW-12
Klipsch RF-3 mains
Klipsch RF-3 rears

Similar Products Used:

Harmon/Kardon, Sony, Pioneer, Technics

Clean design, great value, plenty of outputs, great sound

remote could be better, speaker adjustment is awkward

My initial viewing of the receiver was an experience. It looked and sounded great in the demo room. I compared to all other in the HiFi shop (tweeter) and Yamaha was clearly my favorite. The competition was not up to the same standards for the same price breaks.

Be sure if you buy on the internet from an non-authorized dealer (most won't tell you they are, but if it's less than $800 it probably isn't) you understand you will not get Yamaha's warranty or special offers. Yamaha has a great history of dependability so it didn't bother me too much. But it is important to know that before you buy. Otherwise it might be worth the peace of mind to buy from an authorized dealer.

Once I got one home, it only got better. Set up was very easy, onscreen display is a great feature. The back is very well set up and easy to plug and go. The only problem is the speaker leveling was not intuitive using the remote. Eventually it all worked out, but they could make it a little better.

Sound is beautiful. DSP modes are clean and clear. Effects aren't too over the top and blend well with each setting. Prior I used an old Pioneer deck system. When I hooked up the yammy I was floored in how well my speakers sounded. Tons of power and plenty of drive.

I won't get to detailed in that others already have. One feature I really enjoy is the "silent cinema". No one has mentioned it yet. My wife goes to bed early and the ability to get good sound (somewhat directional) is a plus. I know it's not the 5.1 experience, but it's a great alternative in the situation. This feature isn't publicized widely, but it's strong in my book.

The receiver also does a great job of staying cool. I haven't noticed very much heat so far.

Here's my set up.

Receiver: Yamaha RX-V800
DVD: Pioneer 414
Speakers: Klipsch quintets (4 sats and center)
Subwoofer: Klipsch KSW12
CD: Pioneer

Overall, great value and solid product.

Similar Products Used:

Sony ES 555, 333, Pioneer Elite models

Clean sound, Plenty of IOs, DD/DSP modes, 6.1 phantom

The remote takes some getting used to!

As a brand new owner, I pretty much echo what's been stated in most of the previous posts.....this is a terrific receiver, especially for the price! I personally bought it for the number of optical inputs available, and the DD5.1/6.1/DTS/DSP modes. The reviews posted here made the decision a final one for me. (Thanks everyone!)
The remote can be a bit awkward, but I only use it for the DD/DSP modes, OSD, volume and power. I use my other remotes to control all the other components, but that's just a personal preference. The one thing I am concerned about is the volume level. For a 100-watt receiver, I have the volume adjusted to over 52% just for normal room listening levels! This does not seem right. On other receivers, the same levels would only be at about 20% volume. I've seen other users mention this too, so I'm wondering if this is normal for this model? Other than that, I think this baby will give you everything you want (and more!) for less than $1000.

Similar Products Used:

Older Yamaha RX595 A/V Receiver

DON'T BUY FROM MOREAUDIOVIDEO.COM!!! After placing an order (that they forgot to ship--it was in stock, but it took a week to ship), when it finally arrived, it had no factory warranty card, as the website said it would have. After calling them, they said, didn't you know, we're not an authorized Yamaha reseller, so you won't get their warranty, just our 1-year in-house warranty. After 24 hours of waiting for them to fax a copy of this warranty for me to look at (which never came), I finally said enough is enough, I'm returning it. They reluctantly agreed, and UPS will be picking it up in a couple of days. My credit card company has been made aware of the situation, and they've already credited my card for the full amount. If MoreAudioVideo tries to charge a restock or handling fee, they'll have to fight it out with Citibank, because I'll already have my $$$. I'm now going to go to Sears and get an HTR-5280 (yes, I know it is the same unit except for the graphics on the front panel and the power rating system) for $608, with a 30-day full return policy and a Yamaha warranty, plus an additional year because of my Platinum card. So much for the thrill of internet purchasing... P.S. The below ratings are for MoreAudioVideo, not the Yammy!

Great quality sound. Great effects.

Remote, as many others have pointed out. I could not get it to learn my TV remotes buttons.

I looked for a few months before deciding on this Yamaha. I found that for the price, there was no better sounding AV receiver out there. Better even than some at much higher prices. I looked at similar priced receivers from Harmon Kardon, Denon, an Onkyo.

What closed the deal for me were all of the various DSP settings, even though the sales person was not as impressed in the sound quality of these features as was I. The technical specs of the system were a bit beyond me so I did my testing by auditioning several of my favorite CD's at the store. (as an aside, I walked out of another store that would not let me do this, they wanted me to use their special sound effects discs only, some mumbo jumbo about not wanting to accept responsibility if my discs were damaged...)

Once in my home I tested on a wider range of CD's and was amazed at some (Jazz, Concert Hall), pleased by others (Rock Concert, Five Speaker Stereo) and disappointed only in one (Church Hall). Here are some of the test cases. Miles Davis : "Kind of Blue" on Jazz Club. Yamaha Claims this is like sitting center stage at the Blue Note in NYC. I've been there, it is. Amazing.

Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C minor On Concert Hall. My system is set up in the family room; which has a 24 foot ceiling and is open to the living room above. I listened from up there and the effect was like being in the balcony of a fine concert hall. Again, amazing.

The Grateful Dead: "One from the Vault" On Rock Concert. As a veteran of 30 plus shows, I can say Jerry and the Boys (and woman, in this case) sounded great with this setting. Rock concert mimics some of the echoes and bumps you get in an arena, which I found were pretty true to life. Best if you crank the volume way up, but I probably would not use this setting for more casual listening.

Van Halen: Van Halen 1 on Five Speaker Stereo, cranked! Even at high volumes this sound was crystal clear. I sat in the middle of the room and was blown away.

I found that for acoustical folk type music, like some Neil Young or John Haitt, the best effect is no effect. The DSP settings tend to make this stuff with too much echo.

Other Pars & pieces:

Boston Acoustics CR-9 Main Speakers
Boston Acoustics CR-2 Center Channel
Bose 301 Rear effects (I know, over kill but I ran out of money. These eventually will be replaced by in walls and then moved to another room as a B set. 13 years old and they still rock!)
Sony DVD something or other.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer Pro Logic 100w. something or other. Similar type receiver from Sony.

Crystal clear sound, super accurate soundfields, lots of power, all the inputs you'd ever need, fresh, clean look, fully customizable sound parameters

I can't believe they made such a crappy remote for such a remarkable receiver. It is such a pain to use.

The sound quality from the unit is absolutely first rate. I honestly have not been to the local movie theater since I have purchased the yamaha RX-V800. To my ears, my home theater system sounds better and the Yamaha RX-V800 it the heart of my system and provides all power and dsp processing. This unit will blow you away. Dolby Digital/DTS have to be heard to be believed (Saving Private Ryan, U-571, Gladiator, Matrix, T2). Equally as strong is the quality of the music production. A "natural" crystal clear sound is accurately reproduced by this receiver. Yamaha has traveled the world and recorded and sampled the sounds of many different venues (concert halls, jazz clubs, cathedrals, etc.). Then they put this on a chip and into the recivers. To my knowledge, they are the only company doing this. Other receivers will leave you with a artificial, lively sounding soundfield. The unit is built like a tank, and will fill your room with power. Just when you think you have it cranking, look at the volume knob; more times than not, you will see that it's not even at half way. The unit has all the inputs you'll ever need, hell you can even power a separate set of speakers for another room.
The remote is another story. The selector dial is simply a pain in the you know what. It does not glow in the dark. Say for instance you are watching a dvd movie, and want to fast search or rewind. After having the selector dial on dvd/ld, you have to move the selector counterclock wise to be able to do this, and then swith the selector back to the dvd/ld function. Other than the selector dial, the remote isn't too bad, but the moving selector dial is how you operate different components. I can not believe that Yamaha even considered pairing this remote with this absolutely state of the art receiver. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting a "user friendly" universal remote. I just won a bid on ebay for the Sony AVR 2100 LCD universal remote. They list for $179 and I got it for $80.00. Don't let the crappy remote deter you from purchasing this fine unit. You will get years of enjoyment from this quality product and will be truly amazed at the sound quality and power it reproduces. I paid $800 for mine and you can get it much cheaper. Go to crazyeddie.store.com. and you'll find that it's in the $500's. Good luck, happy listening, and enjoy your music and movies, but protect your hearing.

Similar Products Used:

Technics receiver

name brand, clean sound, power, flexibility, lots of i/o,
6.1 phantom, EX and ES auto sensor

as usual the REMOTE

Present set-up

Amp/Receiver - Yamaha RX-V800
Main Speakers LRCLsRS- Mirage AVS500
Subwoofer - Yamaha YST-160
DVD - Pioneer DV525
LD player - Pioneer forgot the model
VCR - Sony VHS hi-fi SLV-60

Cables:
Video - Monster S-Video/composite
Audio - Hi-DEF
Speaker - Quantum

Video monitor:
Sony 41" rear projector

At last the final link to my home theater. A jump to the digital bandwagon. I must say this receiver is light years away from my aging PIONEER pro-logic. Lots of input. High dynamic headroom. Auto sensor (DTS/DD/EX and ES)makes it much easier for my wife to operate except for the remote. It would have been a 5 by 5 except for the uni-remote. I'm still tweaking this unit as I write. Tip: Adjust the volume of the individual speakers having equal volumes all around and leave the rest to the factory settings and enjoy. Afterwhich you can tinker with the delay/reververation/liviness later. Buy this a little bit costly than its predecessor but it's worth it.

Similar Products Used:

none

Good clean sound. DTS-ES. Loads of inputs.

None

The sound is very clear and clean. This reciever has plenty of S-Video inputs ( 5 in the rear ) and plenty of Optical inputs ( 4 in the rear which are assignable ). DTS and DD5.1 on this receiver is the best I have heard on any receiver under $1,000. The S-Video pass through is extremely clean and does not affect the quality in any way. I would highly recommend this receiver to anyone in the market for a mid level unit that won't break the bank.
Also, the remote is not really all that bad. It has good range plus it has learning capabilities and has learned everything I have thrown at it including my 14 year old Kenwood C-Band remote. The sound fields sound great especially DTS Spectacle and Spectacle ES. 5 channel stereo mode is great for music.

My H-T setup:
Receiver - Yamaha RX-V800
DVD Player - Pioneer DV-333
Mains - JBL N-26
Rears - JBL N-24
Center- JBL N-Center
Sub - Yamaha YST-SW160
TV - Zenith 27" AVI
S-VHS - JVC HRS-7600U
C-Band - Kenwood KSR-1200P with GI Videocipher II
Digital Cable
S-Vid cables - Monster Video 2
Analog audio cables - Belden RG6 Digital with RCA connectors
Speaker cables - Belden 8717 #14 twisted shielded

Similar Products Used:

None this good

price, ridiculous amount of extra goodies, the remote which isnt all that bad

remote didnt learn all of my tv, this is not an amp for a very casual listener

moreaudiovideo will screw you, i initially recieved the rxv900 and it kept cutting off so it got sent back, i then got the marant2 version of this yammy model and the peek light kept coming on at just normal listening levels, so i returned that twice. this yammy is incredible, if a little pricey. i have noticed that people are writing in on listening levels, i have my volume in a college dorm with bad power distribution set at about 50% (55-35 on the machine) but at the same time the marant2 was put up higher than that and the onkyo is set around 75%, so go figure, anyway, i am still waiting on my dvd player but for now i cna tell you that videos are incredible with my polk rt600 floors, 245i polk center, and infinity bookshelf rears which have come alive since the yammy, and my pinnacle ac100 sub with only 100wat has also been brought to life, as far as music goes, i am quite pleased with the dac in the yammy, i can hear cymbol decay on my pantera cds (something impossible with heavy metal), ja22 and classical bring goosebumps, the extra inputs in the hidden front panel are cool, made for when your friend brings his playstation2 over, a beaute of a machine, i love it and will post another one when i finally get my dvd

Similar Products Used:

piece of crap jvc, marant 8000? for like a day, my brother has the 320$ onkyo

Sound and DSP modes that work. Great clarity!

somethimes the remote is a bit anoying, but its cool and runs everything with ease.

I used the sony 405 for many years and then decided it was time for a dvd player. Then i of course had to get me a DD and DTS compatible reciever, the 405 is only pro-logic.
So i tryed the Sony str-de 545. But it dident sound as god as the 405 in music listening, surrond modes where great. It also had a slight hiss that i couldn´t stand. I returned it and got a proson rv1800. About the same specifikations as the sony. But larger and only a small inprovement of the sound in stereo. So i decided to get me a more midpriced reciever. And made a choice between denon 2801 and the Yamaha rxv-800. And i am glad i choose Yamaha. It sounds great, looks good and has 5 channel stereo just as denon.

I bought it over the internet from Germany and thereby saved some 2000 SEK about 210 US$. I would have saved a bit more if the swedish krona wouldn´t have dropped the week following my order (kost me 30$).

I realy recomend this reciever and give it, for the price i paid, a 5 star rating.

Similar Products Used:

sony str-de405, sony str-de545, Proson Rv1800