Limitations of Yamaha YHT 196 (1 Viewer)

[dbrook007]

Regular DD and DTS can sound very good but TrueHD and Master Audio can sound even better. Some BR players allow you to switch between the different sound formats on the fly and in doing so I can clearly hear a difference. Whether it's enough of a difference to worry about it is up to each individual. But anyone seeking advice on a forum like this probably would be.
Edit: I should also point out the the differences I hear are mostly during concerts on BR. Music seems to bring out the best of the HD audio formats.
But in order to hear the differences more clearly you need capable equipment. The limitations of the YHT-196 isn't just in the receiver but also in the speakers ability to produce quality sound. That's a fine entry-level system but the speakers might also inhibit the ability to hear any difference between any formats. As Sam said, if your BR player decodes the HD signals then the Yamaha receiver will accept them (but it won't show TrueHD or DTS/MA on the display, it will show PCM) so give it a listen and see for yourself. You would need to go into the BR players HDMI setup menu and change the audio output from Auto (or Bitstream) to LPCM. Give us the make and model of the BR player if you have any problems or doubts.

I have Panasonic dmp bdt 220, what do I need to do in settings to get best surround sound & quality with Yamaha yht 196?
thanks

 

[schan1269]

Set the BD player bitstream and secondary audio off. Explains that in the manual.

 

[Venkata Ramanan]

Hi Gene, I am trying to change the Equalizer setting in YHT 196. Please let me know the proper setting to hear the best/ good quality music.

 

[overthehill]

Hi, gene, I'm a stone age person stuck in electronic atmosphere. For the first time in my life, I'm going to buy an home theatre system mainly for music listening. My budget pulls me to Yamaha YHT298 and Pioneer HTP522. As it seems you could give valuable advice for those like me, may I please ask a few questions? 1. Are these units suitable for installation in a bedroom? Average size room, of course. 2. Which one would you recommend and why? Regards, John C

 

[gene c]

We don't have that Pioneer system over here, or anything like it. The two receivers are a wash, so the deciding factor would be the speakers. Since I can't find any info on the Pioneer system I can't really recommend one over the other. But I would look at the frequency response of each the speakers (not just the system as a whole), the size of the drivers, does either one have seperate tweeters and mid-ranges or a single full range driver, the weight of each individual speaker and the SPL rating (or efficiency). It will tell you how easy the speaker is for the receiver to power it. A higher number means the receiver doesn't have to work as hard. The speakers in both systems are probably comparable as well but if you have access to that information then compare them against each other. In my opinion the the main difference will be the subwoofer. Without knowing exactly what the specs are for the Pioneer's subwoofer I'd give the Yamaha the clear edge. I had a similar sub to the one in the yht 296 and it was a decent performer for the price. I just can't find any info or good pictures of the Pioneer system. Between the two I'd pick the Yamaha.

 

[overthehill]

Thanks a lot, Gene. Could you do me another favour and compare Yamaha YHT196 and YHT298, please? Will there be considerable difference in sound quality? Regards, John C

 

[schan1269]

We don't get either of those Yamaha systems in the states either. Based on the forum I found for the Pioneer system, it is the VSX521 paired with a $100 set of speakers...yawn. Between the two Yammy...pick the one with the AVR that has the features you'll use...plain and simple.

 

[Krunal Negandhi]

Hi Gene C, Seek your inputs. I have a LG TV LED 3D HDMI and a LG Blue ray player. Wud you advise to go in for YST - 196 or a better system. I am a beginner and not so familiar with Home Theatre Systems. My hall size is large and has lot of open windows so will the performance get affected. Krunal

 

[gene c]

The Yamaha YST-196 is more suited to a much smaller room. The subwoofer is pretty small and in a room that large it will be over-whelmed. Also, the 196 doesn't support Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio audio formats. I'd look for something better.

 

[ashu]

Hi, I have Toshiba 32PB200 LED TV and Videocon D2H HD set top box , is it possible to switch sound between YHT-196 and TV without changing wire setup ( settop to HT and HT to TV) also can someone inform how much power consumtion of YHT-196 in operation ?

 

[charlesDean]

Hello friends, functionalities are follwing- 5-channel powerful surround sound (100W per Channel) HD Audio decoding with CINEMA DSP (17 DSP programs) 1080p-compatible HDMI (4 in/1 out) HDMI with 3D and Audio Return Channel SCENE buttons with direct power on iPod/iPhone compatibility with optional YDS-12 Universal Dock Bluetooth (A2DP) compatibility with optional Yamaha Bluetooth® Wireless Audio Receiver YBA-10 Audio input assign capability for HDMI and component video input Stylish, curvy speaker design looks fresh in any interior Auto power down function with variable time setting

 

[Ravish]

hope i'm not too late for the party but here is my short review of yamaha yht-196 HTiB system which i recently purchased.
here are the few points that i could come up with having very limited experience with AVR's but this review is more from what i can see and hear

1. installation was easy except for the wire part. it comes with a single long cable that needs to be cut into 6 pieces before connecting.
2. AVR looks neat and has pretty good build quality. will require few trail and error methods before you get used to the user interface and it is not all that difficult either
3. speakers are good enough for a medium sized room. mine is about 12'x15' and sound interfernce is good enough if speakers are placed wisely. although, it is a touch inferior compared to what the AVR has to offer but still very good
4. sound quality : this is very subjective but here are few pointers which i observed. i have connected my PS3 and PC to this AVR and HDMI out to my LED monitor. first impression, this is a very natural sounding HT system so don't expect too much booming bass like sony which i never liked. sound output is very precise and clear even at low volumes. i always prefer straight/flat sound with a few standar DSP programs that yamaha provides. EQ has to be tweaked a bit while listening to mp3's. good thing is, each channel has its own custom EQ i.e. you can choose what frequencies to boost/reduce at each channel. i generally increase low on the front left and right channels, very little mids on the center and slight high frequency boost on the rear channels. this sounds good for any genre of music in my opinion. again, this is purely personal preference. i would suggest you to tweak frequencies before you find what sounds best.

games and movies. this is where the speakers really amaze you. when all the channels are properly placed, it'll create a wider soundstage and every detail is crystal clear. bass, mids and highs, everything is well balanced. people who like too much bass might not like this. it is not like the bass is inferior but it is not exaggerated bass which overrides everything else but tight and deep enough to create the right atmosphere. with its cinema DSP programs, soundstage can be made much wider and takes the immersive experiece to the next level. while playing games like resistance 3 and killzone 3, it'll create the exact same atmosphere around you that you'll be seeing while you walk through the game. brilliantly balanced sound output i must say

overall, it is worth every buck!