Onkyo TX-NR5008 9.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)Like many "gear heads" a great deal of research online and in various A/V mags went into the prep for purchasing a new receiver for my dedicated home theater. I had been a pretty loyal Denon owner in the past with my last one being the 3808ci. It was a great unit but I wanted a new receiver with the Audissey x32 that could better calibrate for new front high and wide speakers. I also wanted the newest HQV Reon processor for enhanced upscaling of video. Frankly, this Onkyo was much more price efficient than the current Denon equivalent. I took the leap and purchased thru Amazon...one of my best decisions of 2010! It did take me a couple of shots with Audissey, playing around with the microphone positioning; but, the end results were fantastic. My Paradigm speakers never sounded so full and brilliant. The depth and soundstage this receiver creates blows away any receiver I have ever had. A couple of key features for me...1) a full rich soundstage even at lower volumes; 2) the THX Ultra2 Cinema settings... Hats off to Mr. Lucas!... I have never been a fan of using "enhanced" preset sound settings but this is absolutely amazing. If you have at least a 7.1 speaker setup this setting will transform your typical hohum cable TV 5.1 Dolby into a 7.1 aural soundfest! I have found that when I have guests over to watch a blu-ray in 5.1 DTS Master HD, and the back row seating is occupied, near the back surround speakers, I will use the THX to bring the back surrounds to life for them. They love it, and IMHO there doesn't seem to be much, if any, loss in sound integrity. A similar setting, THX Cinema, will even make the inherent 2.0 sound from sources such as Netflix or Amazon VOD come to life. Of course, this is all just my opinion but for this home theater junkie it's like heaven. Oh, and BTW the video upconversion is excellent too. In this price and category, I believe you are unlikely to find a better A/V Receiver; the equivalent...maybe; better... I don't think so... Do your own due diligence and enjoy whatever your purchase may be!

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Onkyo's new flagship network receiver answers all your home entertainment questions-even some you hadn't yet thought to ask. The quality starts at the very foundations: a massive toroidal transformer, 22,000 μF capacitors, gold-plated terminals, and separate transformers for audio and video processing. Speaking of video, HQV Reon-VX offers the ultimate in 1080p upscaling via HDMI, while ISF calibration gets the best out of every video source. On the audio side, 9.2 speaker channels let you take advantage of lossless Dolby and DTS codecs, as well as expanded surround formats from Audyssey and Dolby. The extra channels also allow you to enjoy a multichannel source in your main room and powered stereo in two other zones. Connections abound, with eight HDMI 1.4a inputs, two USB inputs, and an Ethernet port for streaming audio from your PC or internet radio. To simplify set-up and adjustments, Onkyo provides a new overlaid on-screen display and Audyssey room correction. It all adds up to one smart and muscular heavyweight contender.

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Marantz AV7005 Audio Video Pre-Processor (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Update May 6, 2011
I lost the two front speakers again and restored them using the technique on page 115 of the User Guide. The speakers are now working but I'm curious why that is happening; I'm going to contact Marantz technical support and see if they can shed any light on it. If anything interesting emerges I'll post another update. I suppose the most important information I can share at this time is to please use the memory saving instructions on page 115; they're simple and can save a lot of re-setup in the future if you experience a problem.
Update March 14, 2011
A few days ago I experienced a complete loss of my two front main speakers, both left and right. That was a first so I started checking wiring etc. to try and isolate the problem but everything looked good. I then checked the settings on the Marantz and could find nothing suspicious there either. I tried using the tone generation feature but it too skipped over the front left and front right speakers.
In researching the mystery I got to page 115 of the User Guide and read the section on "Resetting the microprocessor." I decided to try that procedure and it worked and restored all of the speakers to normal operation. I had spent several hours on the initial setup and found that work could be saved to memory by following the "Memory Saving" procedure on that page.
I would recommend that you save your settings to memory by following the instructions on page 115 when you have completed setting up your AV7005. If you should experience a similar loss of speakers the resetting procedure described on that page worked well for me and may work for you as well.
I continue to be very pleased with the musicality of the Marantz; I have discovered the "Neural" setting amoung the surround options and have started playing back my two-channel CD's using that setting and am getting fabulous results. It's almost like hearing my older CD collection for the first time.Original review
I have owned a Krell Home Theater Standard preamp processor for many years now; the experience has been both rewarding and disappointing. Rewarding in the sense that the Krell has very good audio qualities, but disappointing in the sense that it was not future proof as represented. This Marantz AV7005 is replacing a Krell HTS 7.1 which has absolutely no HDMI capability and cannot be updated to offer it. This happens to be my second Krell, neither of which could be updated to utilize later developments although both were initially represented as being future proof.
It has been a delight to set up a piece of equipment which has all of the latest bells and whistles and can accommodate the latest cables. Of all of the things important to me, the only things lacking is the ability to decode SACD and DVD-Audio; this, however, is being supplied by the OPPO BD-83SE player which I've attached to the system. With those two correctable exceptions, the Marantz has done everything asked of it and done it very well.
The set up on the Marantz took some time but was not too complicated. If one uses only new equipment with HDMI capability the set up with the Marantz is virtually automatic. If you're trying to integrate some older equipment it takes a little longer but the flexibility is there to integrate most legacy equipment successfully.
I tried using the Audyssey auto setup but found the results were not really to my liking; I wound up using my trusty Radio Shack sound pressure level meter and adjusted the speaker balance and crossover frequency between the subwoofer and the other speakers to the THX recommended standards.
As one of the other reviewers mentioned, the primary use for my system is the reproduction of music; I happen to be a serious pipe organ fan and had the pipe organ in mind when I originally set up my system. As I've mentioned elsewhere, a system designed to reproduce pipe organ has an easy time with the crashes and explosions found in most action films.
With regard to musicality, the Marantz has provided very satisfactory results to date; I cannot clearly detect any major differences between the Marantz and the Krell which cost many thousands of dollars more. A direct A/B comparison might reveal differences but that sort of comparison is not possible.
As of this point I am very pleased with the Marantz which accommodates 3D as well as a first rate 1080P video image and reproduces first rate audio. For the price I have found it to be an outstanding piece of equipment.


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Panasonic SC-BTT350 5.1 Channel 3D Blu-Ray Cinema Surround Home Entertainment System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had my eye on this package for the last month. I waited for holiday deals to kick in and purchased this for great price on Amazon. But that really isn't the point of my review.
A few things I like about this product:
1- it talks to my TV! This was totally unexpected as I went to watch my first movie and everything kicked in on its own. TV changed inputs, surround sound kicked in and the TV volume went to mute. I can't tell you how many times I've had to get off the couch to lower the volume by hand with my old system. Awesome feature!
2- Blu-ray player. This is my first Blu-ray experience and I am not disappointed. I love the beautiful images and all of the extra on-screen, in-movie features available.
3- Great Sound. I was amazed at how small of the speakers were but how much of punch they made collectively as a unit. The sub-woofer is so small it fits in my bookshelf-out of the way, but still packs a resounding boom that can be felt throughout the whole house.
4-Plays FM radio. Not a fancy feature, but a nice one none-the-less.

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Get your home theater going right out of the box with the Panasonic SC-BT350 full HD 3D Blu-ray disc home entertainment system, which includes a Blu-ray Disc player plus a complete 5.1-channel surround sound speaker system. It also features 1000 watts of total power, Panasonic's VIERA Cast streaming video, 7.1-channel virtual surround sound (from the 5.1-channel speaker set) and an SD memory card slot of medial playback. And you'll be able to play music and video stored on your iPhone or iPod thanks to the included iPod dock.

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Denon AVR-1911 7.1 Channel A/V Home Theater Multi-Source / Multi-Zone Receiver with HDMI 1.4a supporting 1080p and 3D (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Note - This review is for the nearly identical Denon AVR-791
There are three $500 receivers to consider, if you're buying one in 2010 - Onkyo TX-SR608, Pioneer VSX-1020-K and this one. All three feature the latest HDMI 1.4, which is necessary for 3D signals. Here's how they compare:
-The Onkyo is the most powerful in terms of real world performance, followed by the Denon and finally the Pioneer. All three perform at par for normal listening volumes, but the Onkyo can handle very high volumes the best, while the Pioneer runs out of breath
-The Denon has Audyssey Multi-Eq, which automatically calibrates the receiver for use in your room (a mic is provided). The Onkyo has a similar but less versatile Audyssey 2EQ. Pioneer has its own system called MCACC which also works well, but Audyssey may be slightly better.
-All three can upconvert analog sources via HDMI - hence you'll only need one HDMI cable to connect to the TV. The 1.4 spec supports an audio return channel, so the TV's sound can be output to the receiver without extra cables. The Pioneer and Denon use the excellent Anchor Bay chipset, while the Onkyo uses the slightly inferior Faroudja DCDi chipset for video processing.
-The Pioneer and the Denon have a front USB input where you can connect your iPod (or iPhone) directly. You can browse playlists etc using the receiver's remote via the onscreen display. Since this is a digital connection, the sound quality is excellent - while the iPod can be connected to the Onkyo via an analog cable, it does not sound as good and cannot be navigated using the remote.
-The Denon offers an equal variety of inputs as the other two, but has fewer of them - eg, one optical input vs 2 for Pioneer and Onkyo
- The Pioneer's iPhone app is just a gimmick and of limited utility - I would prefer using the main remote.
Overall, I decided to purchase the Denon since it has Audyssey MultiEQ and adequate power (unlike the Pioneer) as well as excellent video processing and iPod connectivity (unlike the Onkyo). I have been using it for about a week and am very pleased with the level of performance offered.Update on December 3, 2010: The receiver continues to perform well and I have no new complaints. However, I have noticed that both Pioneer VSX-1120-K and Onkyo TX-NR708 are available for ~$500, while discounts on this and other Denon receivers are marginal (here on Amazon). Hence, both those higher spec'd receivers now represent better value than the AVR-791/1911, if you're looking to spend ~$500 on a receiver. Also, the Onkyo TX-SR608 and Pioneer VSX-1020-K are now available for ~$350 and hence have become more compelling alternatives to this receiver.

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The new AVR-1911 is packed with technology and features making it the clear choice for value oriented consumers looking for exceptional performance. Each of its 7-amplifier channels produce 90-watts of power, delivering detail and dynamics to music and movie soundtracks. They can be configured for 7.1 channel surround sound, or drive a 5.1 channel system in the main room and power a pair of speakers in a second 'zone". It's equipped with 1080p and 3D (all formats) compatible HDMI 1.4a Repeating technology, delivering both audio and video to your HDTV with single HDMI cable. This HDMI connectivity supports the latest generation surround sound formats available on Blu-ray disc, including Dolby TrueHD and DD+, dts-HD and dts-HR. Also included is Dolby Laboratories new Pro Logic IIz Matrix decoding featuring front height effects channels that expands front soundstage. The AVR-1911 boasts a number of Audyssey technologies. Advanced Audyssey MultEQ analyzes a speaker systems interaction with the listening room at up to six measurement points (microphone included), and then automatically corrects the response to optimize clarity and tonal balance. Audyssey Dynamic Volume is an automatic volume-leveling system that tracks audio dynamics to eliminate the irritating volume swings between TV shows and commercials. Audyssey Dynamic EQ is also on board to ensure rich bass and smooth tonal balance at low volume listening levels.

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Elite VSX-33 A/V Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I am an experience AV and tech person. I had Sunfire, Sony, NAD, even Macintosh. But as I got older I notice that technology has change and sound hasn't. Speakers sound the same and I am sticking with my Paradigms. My last receiver was an Onkyo great price for what it offered. I like new technology and I am early adopter. It's an expensive taste and now that i am older i will slow down on the latest and greatest. I have friends that spent over $5000 for their receiver and i cant tell the difference. The internet market has changed the way people buy and now i am here writing my first review. I explain a little bit about myself so you can understand where the review and point of view is coming from. I am also a CFO so i understand value.
There is nothing negative about this receiver, I highly recommend getting it. If you are smart you can get this $1000 receiver for $680 on the internet. I have the iPad and downloaded the iphone app from Pioneer and works great. The reason I picked this unit is that I do own a 3D TV - Samsung PN58C7000 and BDP6900 3D Blueray player. So I wanted to run all my cables through a 1.4A HDMI receiver. This receiver is feature rich. Now there are several units out there by Sony, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, and Pioneer. I picked Pioneer unit because they didn't charge another $100 for a docking station for an iPod and you can do so much with this unit.
I live in an apt and therefore the power is adequate at 120Watts per channel. I feel it should be a little heavier but if I wanted that i would have gotten the next model up the SC model with the "D" rated amplifier. But i didn't need that. This unit sounds very clean no hissing noise. Switching between HDMI input is a little slow. I turned off the automated pass through feature that can cause some issues with Samsung Product. I always turn on my Receiver because the sound from the TV is terrible.
My setup is still 5.1 but then again i live in apt in nyc so i don't need 7.1. onkyo offer 9.2 again overkill. The unit has Ethernet connection and i can stream music but the internet radio choices are terrible, i will just use Pandora on my Blueray player instead. Ethernet connection will be good if Pioneer does an software upgrade on the receiver. I haven't tested the DLNA capabilities but i do have DLNA storage unit one by netgear called Stora.
I wish this unit has a PC input like the onkyo but it does not and i do not like the way HDMI from my mac looks on the Samsung Screen either so it doesn't matter. VGA from MAC to TV is just fine with me 720p.
What i like most about this receiver is the surround settings this is a THX receiver and it has many surround sound options more than onkyo or sunfire or any receiver I have played with. Options are great, remote control is easy to use. I have TIVO thru RCN so it can do 1080p. I programmed the Logitech Harmony remote to follow Pioneer VSX-1120 the non-elite version which works great. The VSX-1120 is not much less in price so why pick the VSX-33 Elite version. Build quality is better especially on the front face of the receiver, i believe it is made of aluminum. It's heavier that means the heat sink for the amp is better for cooling and power control, Amber glow, more power, better remote, more inputs, THX, etc. There are a lot of little details i notice that warrant the extra price, but more importantly the ability to expand. You can assign the This receiver is future proof, it has an additional HDMI out in case i want to add a projector. I figure best street price for the VSX-1020 which is below the VSX-1120 is around $449-$499 so the best difference is $180?? to me that is a amazing deal.
The GUI interface on setting up the system is cleaner and better than most receiver. Another big advantage is the Video upconversion which is better than the VSX-32, VSX-31, VSX-1020, VSX-1120, Onkyo SR608 to 808, Denon new models etc. I checked them all out. But i don't care about this feature because everything is passthrough at 1080p for my system.
I hope this info helps, shop around carefully someone is selling this unit for under $700 including tax and shipping. I am highly impressed with this and recommend it for it's features. It can do bi-amping and other things which i was not able to test. I am probably missing alot here on what else the unit can do but to me this is alot of stuff already plus it is 3-zone capable.


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LG LHB975 1100-Watt Blu-ray Home Theater System, Gloss Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this system in May of 2010. When it worked, it worked great and I really enjoyed the quality of the blu-ray player and sound.
About a week ago the wireless subwoofer stopped working. It has power but will not link up with the wireless receiver. I tried everything I could possibly do and couldn't get it to "remate" (connect) again. I then called LG and they were unable to fix it.
LG offered to repair the system but they wants me to spend $70.00 for them to look at it and this does not include shipping. From what the customer service representative told me, the 1 year warranty means that regardless of the cost to repair, my cost is capped at $70.00. I'm not sure how that qualifies as a warranty but according to LG it does.
What is troubling about this issue is that this problem does not appear to be an isolated incident. I searched the internet for reviews from people who owned the system. There are a number of people who are having this exact same problem after using the system for about 6 months. Mine started in just 5 months. It's starting to look like this product has a defect.
I own an LG cell phone, washer and dryer, and this blu-ray theater system. I've never had a problem with any LG product before. I'm surprised that LG would put out a product that seems to have a systematic defect. I'm even more surprised that the LG customer service would be so bad and not customer friendly. This experience has really questioned my brand loyalty towards LG. At this point, they must know this product has a problem. Rather than do the right thing - which is to correct the problem and send a new unit to everyone who is having this problem free of charge - LG is instead forcing the consumer to pay for service, pay for shipping, and hope that the repair is a long term fix. I'm afraid I'll spend the money to get the system "repaired" only to have it break again in another 5 months.
Rather than deal with the nonsense I'm going through, anyone who looks at this home theater system should just avoid it.


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LG's NetCast Interface lets you easily access a vast array of internet content. This model comes with two tower speakers.

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Yamaha YHT-393BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt HTiB System (Each, Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I saw this receiver in the store, and then looked at the price (when compared to other "comparable" systems), I assumed it was going to sound like a tin-can. I'm so glad I was wrong...!
The receiver itself has a wealth of features, bells, and whistles. If you will be listening to your iPod through the system, go ahead and spend the money on the dock. The sound quality is excellent and you can control the iPod via Yamaha's excellent remote. One of my favorite features (being a classical musician/pianist) is that you can choose a sound mode that makes your music sound as if it's being heard in two of the best concert halls in Europe (Munich/ der Musikverein in Vienna), and some famous/typical American venues (The Roxy Theatre, The Bottom Line, Chamber, Cellar Club, etc...). It's really a neat effect!
I like that I can run all the HDMI signals from my DVD player, TV box, etc... through the receiver, so I never have to switch inputs on my TV, or run 10 different cords up behind the wall! The receiver does all the work of switching inputs-- you can even select a different audio input to pair with your HDMI signal just in case (like with a DVI to HDMI cable from your computer) there is a separate audio source.
If I had to brag on just ONE thing about the system, It would be: The subwoofer. The speakers that come with the system give a clear upper range, but if you were relying on them for the bass frequencies, you'd return the whole system the same day you bought it. Enter: the subwoofer... This speaker can punch out the lowest lows, even at the lowest volumes. Don't let the size fool you, either! It will fill your whole room with great, booming, clear bass!
To conclude this glowing review: If I were adding another TV in my den, I would buy another one of these systems to complete that home theatre as well!If you're looking for a great quality product that works and sounds even better than you'd expect, just hit the "Add to Cart" button now...

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Yamaha's YHT-393BL 5.1-Channel HTiB System is the easy way to enjoy the cinema experience at home. Featuring 500 watts of power (100Wx5), the latest HDMI specifications, and popular Yamaha technologies like SCENE and CINEMA DSP, you'll be sure to get the most out of your high-definition movies and music.

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Yamaha RX-V671BL AV Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this receiver recently after trying Yamaha v667 and Denon 2311CI. This one simply blew the other two away... particularly Denon, which to my ears didn't sound impressive.
Pros:
* stunning sound - crisp, clear. currently hooked up with Harman Kardon HTKS 30BQ
* quality onscreen menu, very easy to use
* network player, plays music from ipod, iphone and mp3 from usb flash drive
* 1080p upscale output, support for 3D and ARC
Yet to come across any con so far... I love this receiver a lot.

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Network AV Receiver with 6 in / 1 out HDMI ( 3D and ARC compatibility), iPhone app compatibility, front panel HDMI and USB connections, HD Audio decoding with CINEMA DSP 3D, and 1080p upscaling.

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VIZIO XVT3D554SV 55-inch 1080p 480Hz 3D LED HDTV with Full Array TruLED, Smart Dimming and VIZIO Internet Apps Review

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(More customer reviews)The 2D image here is extremely sharp, almost shockingly so. Remember when you first moved from SD to HD and all the TV shows suddenly seemed kind of... shabby? As if the sets just weren't up to HD scrutiny? The image here is so clear, the colors so deep and the contrast so high, that you can have that experience over again. Sometimes it even feels like the 2D images are 3D. Compared to my earlier sets, it's actually disorienting.
I've made some changes to the review to address questions and discoveries.
Calibration
As usual, the out of the box settings tend to favor a brightness that could give you a tan. However, the default "movie" mode tones things down a lot (and looks very much like what I got after spending hours on calibration, so you may want to spare the effort and just make that quick selection, assuming all these things emerge from the box equal). Technically, the out of the box modes all seem to run a little to the "warm" side, so you'll need to cool the image down a bit if you want the textbook values, but I find myself liking the warmer image a bit better. Somehow (even though I know better) it looks more lifelike.
Screen glossiness
The screen is glossy. Yup. I've found that it doesn't cause a problem during the day because the set's inherent brightness shrugs off evenly distributed lighting from reflected sources (I don't get direct sun on the set, but that would be inadvisable for most sets). And naturally, the set looks great in a dim room. However, if you're sitting down and have some lamps in front of it at night, they can be reflected. Some reflections even give a scattered, prismatic effect that can be distracting. It's not a big deal. It doesn't take on the mirror-like appearance of some screens. But it is noticeable and may require that you rearrange your set position or lighting.
Remote
The slide-out keyboard remote works fairly well, but it has a list of problems. First off, it's not backlit, and on a remote this complex that's a real problem if you expect to use it to replace your cable box or DVD remotes. You'll find lots of small buttons, many almost flush with the case, that you can't make out by touch. The slide-out alpha keyboard is fine for entering information needed to access Netflix or search for clips, but a Tweet is about the longest thing that can be typed comfortably. The handling of multiple devices is both clever and irritating. The remote associates a device with each input to the TV. So if you tell it that HDMI-1 is your satellite box and HDMI-2 is your blueray player it will (after correct setup) switch the remote function to the appropriate device when you switch input. However, getting it to control a different device -without- changing the input (if, for example, you have all your devices running through a receiver) is much less neatly handled.
3D
Initially, I was having trouble getting DirectTV to recognize this set as 3D and kept getting the "Your 3D TV does not support this resolution." This appears to have been resolved, and I can now watch soccer re-runs and old tennis games while waiting for more 3D content along with everyone else. The depth of the 3d is good -- equal to the apparent depth on the Samsung X500, which is the best I've seen. However, there is no apparent way to use the 3D effect on 2D images which, while a gimmick, is a handy gimmick when you don't feel like watching "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" for the 20th time just to see some 3D.
USB
I've been unable to view any video off USB ports. I have a downloaded 3D clip saved to a flash drive which was provided as a test of the Samsung. Though there are 3 USB ports, none of them seem to recognize the clip (or actually, to even respond to inserting the flash drive)
2D Image quality
I'm still very taken with the 2D image. Even neighbors who were unimpressed with previous Vizio sets are excited by this one. Very deep blacks, color saturation nice (initial setup is slightly on the warm side... but I find that I rather like it). Brightness and contrast have a wide range and will go right up to the "torch" level that many stores seem to like. If you think it looks good on the shelf at Megamart, it looks even better on the wall at home.
I've upped my rating a star after two weeks of owning the set. I still wish it came with an improved remote, but now that it's all calibrated and connected to my system, I have little else to complain about.


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3D Technology Checklist
This product is 3D-related. To help you get a great 3D experience, use the checklist below to ensure you have everything you need. 3D viewing requires:

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Yamaha RX-V667 7.2-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I own a rx-v663 and upgraded this past weekend to the RX-V667.
Skipping the 665 model was a good thing.
This one has a great on screen GUI for changing the settings.
It's an overlay, so you don't lose the video in the background when changing settings.
It pops out from the left side and then you scroll up and down to pick the setting
to change. Then those options are popped up from the bottom of the screen and you scroll
right and left.
6 HDMI is more than enough for me, in fact I have 3 left over after changing out things.
Biggest advantage is I am now able to plug in everything in to the receiver and able to change
the label that shows up on the receiver and the tv screen when changing sources.
My components running into the receiver are as follows
Oppo BDP-83
PS3
Computer with HDMI interface
(radeon 5770 so I get sound and audio)
These next two are connected via Component video (R,G,B)
Xbox 360 (optical out for audio)
Wii
To run all these the Remote has 5 HDMI buttons and 6 AV buttons.
I can actually choose each source independently with one button, kind of nice.
I also have the YDS11 Ipod dock, it works great with the new receiver. Interface is greatly improved
with album art being shown to the left of the song title on the screen and browsing capabilty. This really looks a lot better than it did on the RX-V663 and is another overlay screen. Now they just need a good screen saver to go with it.
This would all be worthless if the sound quality did not match up with the 663.
Big one for me was continued support of DSD across HDMI. The Oppo BDP-83 plays SACD disks and so does
my PS3. The 667 has a signal information selection and from the PS3 it reports PCM as it should since
the PS3 converts it to PCM before sending the signal to the receiver. The Oppo using the same disk reports
DSD back on the receiver.
and yes the sound quality equals the 663.
Sidenote: There is an audible difference in the sound when switching to Pure Direct Mode.
I played John Hiatt's "Master of Disaster" which is a Hybrid SACD and switched between
straight and Pure Direct. Pure direct seemed to have less bass, the straight mode was obviously
making adjustments to the bass in the background. Honestly though this could be due to my
speaker setup as I do not have a sub-woofer. IT's a 5.0 setup on mine. Try Pure Direct Mode and see if
it makes a difference with your DSD/SACD disks. I thought the clarity was better.
Setup was easy, hardest part was undoing everything I had done to get everything to work on the 663.
YPAO mic setup for sound, seemed to have not changed from the last time I did it, so don't expect anything
new here.
I have not tried setting up the remote to control any other components. This did help in the end
as it cut out 2 remotes and I am down to 3 now due to eliminating a switch box I no longer needed
and the HDMI switch I bought that also acts as a fan for my PS3.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RX-V667 7.2-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)

Enjoy a revolutionary home theater experience with the Yamaha RX-V667 Audio Video Receiver. With 90 watts per 7 channels, 6 HDMI inputs (including a front input), multizone support, and the latest hi-def audio and HDMI specs for upscaling to 1080p, this receiver plays well with all your home theater equipment. Enjoy more than just your movies with SIRIUS-ready and yAired compatibility, as well as iPod support for album art (when connected via supported dock, sold separately). There's also a full-color GUI for controlling all the action when connected via HDMI.

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