have to crank it to three quarters to get any desent sound out of it. the remote not bad once you get use to it

the first time i read an article on this baby i knew this was the next amp i was going to buy. its got just about everything the average audio buff needs. my wife even likes it. she does get a bit jealous at times, cause i play with it more than her. the 5 channel stereo mode is great.

Similar Products Used:

yamaha rx-v595

REMOTE,MANUAL

SINCE I HAVE ADDED HOME THEATER TO MY HOUSEHOLD WE NOW USE THE REC. ROOM I BUILT IN THE BASEMENT. MY WIFE WHO THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY FOR MAKING THE INVESTMENT LIKES IT AS MUCH IF NOT MORE THAN ME. I PURCHASED EVERYTHING ON LINE INCLUDING A TOSHIBA DVD, BIC VENTURI 1210 SUB, CENTER, AND 736 FRONTS, WITH MISSION 77-SERIES REARS. GREAT PRICES BETTER SOUND. THE RECEIVER WAS PURCHASED FROM CRAZZY EDDIE ONLINE, SAVING ME ABOUT $275 FROM LOCAL RETAILERS. EVEN THOUGH YAMAHA SAYS THEY WONT WARRENTY IF NOT BOUGHT FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, I TOOK A CHANCE. I DID BY AN EXTENDED WARRENTY FROM CRAZY EDDIE.
OUT OF THE BOX EXPIERIENCE WAS A LITTLE SCARY, LOTS OF INPUTS AND AS I SAID I AM NEW AT THIS. BUT A LITTLE PATIENTS GOES A LONG WAY AND I HAVE THE SYSTEM DIALED IN AND IT SOUNDS GREAT.

Similar Products Used:

NONE

Component & S-Video Inputs/Outputs, DTS ES, DD Matrix, assignable & renameable inputs, runs cool, good sound, 5-channel stereo, 5.1-channel headphone jack, remembers input DSP settings, bass & treble center frequencies set lower & higher than most receivers, center-channel 5-band EQ.

No separate station presets, no record-out selector, remote control source selector.

This is a great receiver! When looking to replace my older great receiver, a Luxman R-361 (moved to the bedroom, it's only 2-channels), I wanted a minimum of the following features:

1) Good amplifier because I have Dahlquist DQ-10 main speakers,

2) Full pre-outs so I can add amplifiers (because I have Dahlquist DQ-10 speakers :)

3) DTS as well as Dolby Digital,

4) S-Video Inputs & Outputs,

5) 6-channel inputs for "future technologies",

6) A nameplate that didn't have the word "wood" in it (Kenwood, Sherwood, etc.)

For awhile I thought I wouldn't find one for under $1500. Thank you, Yamaha, for making my dream a realization!

I've already mentioned a lot of stengths above. The DTS ES rocks in Terminator 2. You would swear that there is a rear center-channel speaker behind your head. ES detection is automatic if you have that option on in the setup menu (not sure why you wouldn't). I like the volume control, which adjusts at 1/2-dB steps. You can set it easily with the remote to exactly the volume you want without "over-shooting". You can also have your main, center, and surround speakers set to "large" and still have the subwoofer output active if you want (don't be surprised at this -- with many receivers, you can't). The front panel looks better than the older Yamaha models, the main difference being that the display window has been sunk in flush into the groove instead of sticking out like in previous models, and the lack of the large rotary source selector knob (replaced by two round pushbuttons).

The remote could have been better; The volume buttons are too far to the bottom, making them difficult to reach while holding the remote in a natural position. I think the "TV Volume" buttons are also a major waste of buttons -- I mean, who uses a 6.1-channel DTS/Dolby Digital receiver of this caliber and uses the crappy little speakers in their televisions? The rotary device knob makes this remote a pain to use as a universal control, especially in the dark. There is a button that lights up the little window where the device is listed, but it disappears after only 4 seconds, barely enough time to turn the knob halfway around. I'll admit, I'm very picky about design. Any manufacturers out there want to hire me for design consultation?

And while I'm nitpicking, the display on the front panel that shows what source is selected is way too small for any human being to read from more than about 6 feet away; the letters are only about 3/32 of a inch high. I would much more have preferred a readout like is used for the DSP sound, which is very usefully [sarcasm] spelling out "NORMAL" all the while you're sitting there. I would also like a more noticeable indicator for DTS and Dolby Digital.

Still, this is one terrific receiver, especially in its price range. I think the reviews here so far is indication that it will become an AudioReview CHOICE AWARD winner. I am enticed now to upgrade mine for the RX-V1000 (because I get great prices), so look for it in the classifieds for a really good price.

Similar Products Used:

Luxman, Sony, Denon.

build quality, sound, features....sin't that what it is all about. The best strength is the fact that this receiver is a lot LESS bright than any of my older Yammies.

You can say the remote, but it works great for a "sold with" remote.

This review will be based on my upgrade from my Yamaha 595a.
(PS I hope this review helps beginners that already have a DD/DTS system and are looking to upgrade. A lot of the reviews on here are an upgrade from prologic. Anyone upgrading from prologic to DD/DTS will love what ever piece of equipment they buy...DPL to DD is a night and day difference)

OK.

This is a great reciever for the money, one of the best values on the market right now IMHO.

FEATURES
This unit puts out 100watts RMS per channel of clean power. What I mean by clean power is that a lot of "off the shelf brands" JVC, SONY, KENWOOD, can put out 100W but often it is filled with AC line noise that causes a lot of distortion, and can polute the sound. The amps in this receiver are big and powerful and run my new Paradigm Monitor 7v2s with ease. The comparison to my old Yammy 595a are like night and day. The 595a struggled to power the Mon 7's....but the 800 produces clean loud undistorted sound.
The ToP aRT technology is amazing for 2 channel music. It really cleans up the signal for the speakers to produce. I noticed a great difference in sound quality between the Marantz SR7000 and the RXV800. The 800 sound quality in two channel music was a lot closer, if not in the same league as the Marantz SR8000, very easy to listen to and open sounding.
It also has 6.1 matrix capability, which is more of a nice convienience. I don't have any need right now for 6.1, nor have I heard a difference in a room my size (semi-small) between 6.1 and 5.1. But nice to have.
Component video switching is really nice to have, although I don't think the connections are high frequency, which means it would still be better to connect any HD source directly to you monitor.
The feature that I am really happy about that my 595a didnt have was preouts. I really like the fact that I have the option to add external power amps to feed my front speakers.
Plus it is an easier way to upgrade. Slowly buy amps for each speaker then by a really really good prepro from B&K or something and your system will be shining.

NICETIES
The front of the receiver is really nice and clean looking compared to a lot of other models below it and the models I audutioned. I like a clean front display with not to much jumping out at you.
The back panel is very well organized and chock full of inputs (7 digital) (learn from this DENON).
Take a look at the back and front panels here:
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/rpeddle1?d&.flabel=fld1&.src=ph
Another great thing about this receiver is the fact that it only runs warm at high levels. The heatsink in this model is huge and it's good to know that the transformer will not heat up to the point of damage. (my 595a ran quite hot)
The remote isn't all that bad. It's a big improvement over the one that came with the 595a. It has learned most of the functions or all my other remotes.

ON SCREEN DISPLAY
The on screen display is a nice feature to have. There is separate LFE adjustments for DD and DTS.
There is also separate bass tests so you can test the slope db levels from 30hz to 200hz. (a simple but nice feature)
I really like the fact that they incorporated on screen balance for the Left and Right speakers. It was a huge pain when calibrating my 595a to get up from the listening position to adj the balance
There is also a built in Center Channel EQ, so the you can adjust the frequency response. I gave my center a little more bass at 100 hz.
Assignable inputs are a good feature as well.

SOUND
2 Channel:
This receiver has great sepation between the front speakers and have made 2 chan music an seriously enjoyable improvement over my old 595a (which was good as well). The sound is very clean, due to the clean power and the ToP aRT circuitry. The bass is fantastic as well, well defined and seems to be able to produce it faster as well.
5 Channel:
Very seemless imaging across the front soundstage and moving from front to rear. The rears are open and airy when needed and locatable when needed.
The bass response in this model out performs all the mentioned auditioned models above. It is quite tight,well controlled, and tremendously low.

DSPs
If you are a DSP (digital sound processing) person then you will really like this receiver. I only use a few (TV sports, 6.1, 5.1, 5 channel stereo, 2 channel stereo). But if you are a person who likes to play with the sound this receiver is overloaded with dsp modes.


ALl in all, this is a feature filled receiver well worth more than the price tag. It has plenty of power to drive most speakers but also has preouts if you want to add external amplification. Stereo use really shines and makes music listening more enjoyable than I have had before.
I would recommend this piece of equipment to anyone that is looking for a high quality sound that will not put you into debt.

Thanks Yamaha, you made a near perfect sub 1000 receiver.

Similar Products Used:

Former Yammy 595a
Auditioned Marantz SR7000, 8000
Onkyo 676, 787
Denon 3801 and down

clarity, power, wide variety of connector options, 5 channel stereo

remote control
Small text for sound decoder display

I spent a lot of time researching the various a/v receivers available. For the value versus specified features, I kept coming to the Yamaha RX-V800.

The features important to me:
5 Channel Stereo
DTS, dolby digital sound decoder
>= 80 watts per channel
component, composite, svideo & optical connections
speaker terminals that accept banana, spade and wire
decent mfg reputation
price

For the most part the RX-V800 is a great receiver. I am utterly amazed at the clarity and power of the sound that the receiver can produce. 5 Channel stereo is killer and home theater totally rocks.

I've tried dealing with the remote control and making it work with my other components, but it's just not worth the effort. The DTS, dolby pro logic, and dolby digital decoder text display is unreadable if > 2 feet from the receiver. One thing that wasn't stated in the Yamaha specs was the fact that the receiver is incapable of switching video between different connection types. For instance, I tried to use dvd component in and s-video out to TV. Found out after much tinkering and a litle research that, if I use dvd component-in connector, I have to use the component-out connector to TV, svideo in - svideo out to tv, etc

I'm by no means an audiophile, but I know good sound when I hear it and the Yamaha RX-V800 puts out great sound (course decent speakers help immensely). The receiver has plenty of features and capabilities to keep me happy for a long time. Great bang for the buck!

My home theater setup:
Mitsubishi VS-45607 TV
Yamaha RX-V800 receiver
Panasonic DVD-RV31 DVD
Panasonic PV-4561 VHS
BIC v736 front speakers
BIC DV62CLR center
Acoustic Research AR-215PS rears
Dalquist PDQ1500 sub
Radio Shack 15-1994 6-in-1 remote

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TX-DS474 (friend's)

Clean power, dts ES phantom, incredible dsp processing suond, great money for value.

remote control

I was looking for a new and definitive AV amplifer for my Sony DVD, for listening movies in 5.1 and music in stereo.
This reciver is the best that i can find out from the market. The sound is absolutely clear and precise, ready to explode with a powerfull bass when required (see "The Haunting" and you will know what i mean).
The quality it's very high, whit a good OSD menu and an incredible number of connections on the back, but is always quite easy to use. The remote is very useful because to operate all my componets, but the selector isn't too smart.
In any case a very good choice (I made it!)

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Denon, Jvc

AMPLIFIER,PROCESSING CHIP,CONNECTIONS,LOOKS,DIGITAL VOLUME,5 CHANNEL STEREO,DOLBY EX ANF DTS ES MATRIX

NONE

EXCELLENT FOR A MID PRICE RECEIVER. THIS RECEIVER USES NEW 32 BIT CHIP FOR ALL DIGITAL PROCESSING AND BELEIVE ME YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE OLDER 24 BIT CHIP. THE AMPLIFIER SECTION IS REALLY POWERFUL AND CLEAN. THE PRE-AMP SECTION IS DEAD QUIET IN ALL MODES. THE DIGITAL VOLUME CONTROL IS REALLY PRECISE. IT REALLY HELPS WITH SETTING UP THE PROPER SPEAKER LEVELS. ANOTHER NICE FEATURE IS ASSIGNABLE DIGITAL INPUTS. THE 5 CHANNEL STEREO MODE IS NEW TO YAMAHA, AND THEY REALLY DID IT RIGHT. I JUST CAN'T TOLERATE PLAIN STERO ANYMORE.

MY CURRENT SYSTEM IS COMPRISED OF THE FOLLOWING:

YAMAHA RXV800 RECEIVER
SONY 660 DVD CHANGER
SONY 545 CD CHANGER
DENON DRM20 3 HEAD CASSETE DECK
SONY 785 HI FI VCR
SONY 32" TRINITRON
CERWIN VEGA D9 SPEAKERS FRONT L/R
KLIPCH CC1 CENTER SPEAKER
KLIPCH KB 1.1 SURROUNDS
MONSTER CABLE A/V CABLES
RADIO MEGA CABLE SPEAKER WIRE

Similar Products Used:

PROTON D940,YAMAHA RX750,YAMAHA RV905

Ease of Use.Component Video.Yamaha Customer Service.Great Sound.

I am not overly impressed with dial on remote I find it is faster just to use different remotes than to switch the dial in the dark.

I origanally purchased a HTR-5280 from Best Buy for retail price 799.99.Upon my adventures through different stores I found the RX-V800 open box at the Good Guys for 549.00.Needless to say I returned the HTR and bought the RX-V for 250 less(the RX-V and the HTR is the same amp with cosmetic differences unless Yamaha is lying and that I doubt).I have pondered the Denon 3801 because of the addition of DTS-ES.That would be a exspensive upgrade.About 650 dolars ouch.They say that the Denon is a better amp for music but I am not convinced.Unfortunatley noone has a good display to prove it.They usually use a 5800 and that is not really a fair comparison.I use Energy Audissey 2+2 all the way around and a Energy AC300 for a center.These are soft speakers in my opinion so even if the Yamaha is so called bright I do not hear it.I am curious to see what the 3801 would sound lke.650 dolars curious I don't know about that.
Yamaha has a great reliability reputation and that is important to me.I am sure noone wants there amp to take a plunge in a year.I know for the price I will not beat it.Even at 800 dollars it is a great amp.Any feed back is welcome.

Similar Products Used:

RX-V496,RX-V596,Sony,Demo of Denon.

Price to power ratio/Connectivity/Everything actually for the price!!!

None so far!!

Nice neat product!!. I have read reviewers here complaining about the sad remote..but I must say " Just read the manual ". I have used the remote for almost all the functions of the amp and have just taught the remote to control my tv,satellite receiver and the vcr. The manual is proper and well written and I could find everything I needed for consultation.

I did have a problem once in the beginning when I tried to play the Patriot DVD. The sound switching to Dolby Digital gave me a bit of a fright. During sound switching loud clicks were audible through the speakers. But then again it was only on this one DVD.

I have the following setup:

Yamaha Rx-v800 amp
Onkyo DV-S535 dvd player
Definitive technologies Pro 100 home cinema speakers (5.1)

I would advise anyone considering buying this amp to go for it!!! Its worth the price you pay for!!

Similar Products Used:

Technics Home system

Powerful, clean sound, great DSP.

None

I originally purchased a Yamaha RX-V620, which was a huge improvement from my old Onkyo A/V reciever. The sound was was more powerful, but had better clarity. The highs were crisp, and the bass had authority but not overbearing. However, I upgraded to the RX-V800 after a couple of weeks due to a deal that I just couldn't pass up.

On my Onkyo reciever, the soundfields were essentially useless. They just added a lot of irritating echo. With the Yamaha reciever the soundfields work GREAT. I personally like to listen to my jazz cd's with the jazz club setting. With the upgrade from the 620 to the 800, I got the added church setting. This is the one soundfield that although very accurate (cathedrals have horrible acoustics), its reminds me a bit of the Onkyo soundfields.

Listening to music is one thing, but with home theater this reciever is incredible. With Dolby Digital or DTS, I can finally hear things moving "around" the room and not just front to back or side to side. The 800 also has the addition of 6.1/ES decoding. I do not have any DVD's with this particular encoding, but that should change soon.

I would highly recommend this reciever to anyone looking for a versatile audio and home theater reciever. This reciever has composite, s-video, and component video inputs and outputs, plenty of optical and coaxial inputs, 100 watts x 5 channels, RCA inputs and outputs for all channels.

I noticeed that many people have complained about the remote. I have a Home Theater Master MX-500 universal remote that controls my entire system. But from what I've seen, it isn't all that bad. It would be able to control the most used functions of all my components.

MY HOME THEATER SYSTEM:
Yamaha RX-V800 reciever
Yamaha CDC-506 CD changer
Panasonic HiFi VCR
Sony DVD
Panasonic 27 inch TV
Polk Audio RT8 (mains)
Polk Audio CS-250 (center)
Polk Audio MiniMonitor (surround)
Yamaha YST-800 (1000 watt downward firing sub)
Monster Cable XP speaker cable
Monster Cable Interconnects (with Optical cable for CD and Coaxial for DVD)

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo Dolby Pro Logic Reciever (1995 model), Yamaha RX-V620