Yamaha power ratings (1 Viewer)

[Scott_AH]

My brother gets a great discount at Best Buy and is planning on purchasing a new receiver soon. The Best Buy in our area carries Yamaha, Sony, Pioneer, and Kenwood receivers. I've looked into the models of each brand and it seems that Yamaha is probably the best they have to offer. The funny thing is that on Best Buy's website, Yamaha's receivers have the lowest power ratings--80 watts/ch instead of 100 watts/ch like the other brands. Do they rate the wattage differently or are they really less powerful. If so, why would these be considered Best Buy's finest (according to their salesmen) and what difference would this make in the sound of an HT setup?

Scott

 

[Jamey F]

There's more to a receiver than just "watts", and yamaha is typically rated fairly, if not perfectly accurate. I don't think BB can carry pioneer elite, sony es, or Denon. Also, I don't think they carry Onkyo or HK. That takes alot of NICE receivers out of the picture. Yamaha allows BB to carry some of their better receivers under mass marketing product numbers in order not to sell the same part number the local high-end dealers may carry. This makes the BB's higher end Yamaha's a good choice ot look at. Generally they are priced a tad cheaper with less warranty. I would look at yamaha's website to see what's listed and what the similar mass marketed number is that BB carries. Look at the Kenwood 6070 or the Yamaha 5590. Those are the best receivers (IMO) listed on BB's website. Many people also like the Pioneer 811.

I would get your brother to listen to each and check out each of the units for features he may want. Just because he gets a deal there, doesn't mean he couldn't get a better deal somewhere else on something he may like more (I know unlikely but just consider it). I used to get a few things from a person that worked at CC. I know I was getting much better than I could elsewhere.

He should learn as much as he can about what technology is available now. Possibly print out all the product literature on these three recievers. If this is a stepping stone to a better system in the future, look for pre-outs for all channels so an external amp can be added. If High-Def is in the future, make sure the Component switching can handle the video bandwidth if he wants to use the reciever to handle component video switching. Make sure there are enough digital inputs/outputs for his needs. Look at the remote for ease of use if he is going to use that.

 

[RobCar]

Hi Scott,
I believe Best Buy carries the HTR line (vs. the RX-V) ... in which case, I'd consider the Yamaha HTR 5590, which has 100 watts/channel. (This model is roughly equivalent to the RX-V1300.)

I have a 70 watts/channel Yamaha and it has more power than I'll ever need.

-R

 

[David G Greene]

RX-V line may have more weight than the HTR line.
HTR 5560 weights 22lbs
RX-V 630 weights 25lbs
They are indentical.

 

[David G Greene]

I'm wrong. They both weight the same.

 

[Scott_AH]

Thanks for the posts all! New question: I've heard that wattage isn't a good indicator of a receiver's quality before. So what is? What makes a Best Buy Yamaha better then comparably priced Best Buy Sony? I've noticed that you seem to have to pay more for a Yamaha to get the same features you would on a Sony. Why is that? What does Yamaha provide that's so great?

Scott

 

[Jamey F]

What makes a mercedes cost more than a ford when they can both go the same speed? There are fundamental differences between high quality and stuff put out to reach lower price targets. You have to look at build quality. Ratings like watts and ratings on many features are for marketing.

You ask what is a good indicator of quality, and I would say there isn't a sure way to tell. Some will say the price or even weight of the unit could give an idea, but don't let these be deciding factors as to quality. That's what I'm doing here. Most of the nicer models get a lot of coverage here. I ended up choosing Denon, but my last receiver was a Yamaha. It all boils down to choosing quality, picking features, and price. All of the manufacturer's have their lower end models which I try to stay away from. When manufacturers cut costs, they have to cut quality somewhere. That doesn't mean cheaper receivers won't satisfy or last a long time. It only means they are marketed for a different segment of the population. My personal thoughts on receivers is to choose one of the better models from one of the more respected companies listed here in no specific order.

Yamaha
Denon
Onkyo
H/K
Pioneer Elite
Sony ES
maybe kenwoods top models


Listening to the unit on the speakers it is going to be used with is the best way to tell if the purchase will be liked. Make sure the unit has the features the user desires. At least consider the upgrade path from the receiver. I spent $650 on my last receiver (yamaha 992) just before the 995 came out ($1000). I saved $350, but I didn't get DTS, or 5 channel preouts. If I would have spent the extra money then, I probably wouldn't have gotten a Denon receiver now. Instead, I would look into getting an external amp that would move me towards seperates faster. I'm happy with the choice I made because of the large amount of time I wouldn't be upgrading, but I did factor my lack of upgrading potential when I purchased the 992.