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Aaron,
One problem with buying HT gear for price alone is the later buyer’s remorse and upgrade itch, like “why didn’t I get…”
I got the RXV-800 about 3 yrs ago when I walked into Good Guys and found it “open box” for $600.
Mechanically/electrically, it’s a fine receiver with most of Yamaha’s bells n whistles (DSP programs; more optical inputs than one wud ever use) and more than enough output power at 100wpc x 5. Like I say, it’s no slouch and runs coolish (I make sure it has 4-6 inches of airspace above it in my cabinet shelf as a general rule.)
Trouble is, 3 yrs ago HT gear was making several major shifts, and the 800 just misses these points:
· 5-channel vs. today’s more common six or 6.1 DVD and speaker format
· Expanded 50MHz component video bandwidth in newer rcvr models to handle HDTV signals thru the rcvr to the TV monitor/projector
· 800 stops at “old” Dolby ProLogic, while all new rcvrs include the better ProLogic II (to expand rear spkr performance when playing 2-chl material including TV audio) and some now have PLIIx for 7-chl setups.
Now, I don’t have room for 6.1 and I’m not yet using component video, so I don’t actually miss not having these expanded features. Still, the 800 isnt future proof!
As an aside, today I am bypassing the Yamaha's internal amplifiers since I succumbed to getting a 180wpc x 5 external power amplifier.
Today, I wud buy the Yamaha RXV-1400 for the updated capabilities and mainly for the new microphone-based automatic speaker calibration. I’m quite handy with a set-up tones disk and sound-pressure meter, but these things can take hours sometimes.
bill
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)Its in a medium sized room. O and merry christmas and happy chanukah to all!
