Yamaha RX-V3200 (1 Viewer)

[Marty Lockstead]

Hello everybody,
This is my first thread on the forum and I'm curious to hear some of the expert opinions out there about my new pride & joy...the YAMAHA RX-V3200 6.1 discrete receiver.
Thanks for reading.

 

[DonnyD]

It sounds like you are in love........

The 3200 should be a fine piece. I've had several Yamaha receivers, now up to the RX-V1 and all have performed flawlessly.

Turn it up........

 

[Sheldon C]

I have the rxv3000 and have been very happy with it. Does the 3200 have front effects speakers? There was some debate about this awhile back on the forum.

 

[Dan A]

Sheldon, I posted a question on the 3000 thread that you may be able to answer. thanks

 

[joe logston]

you are going to love your yamaha, i know i love mine i have a rx-v1 (gold) i had it sence oct. 2000 i use it every day it works flawlessly, yours should do the same

 

[Marty Lockstead]

In response to Sheldon C.'s reply: I used to have the RX-V3000, before my local retailer let me upgrade to the 3200, and I quite liked it also. In response to your question, no, the 3200 doesn't have front effect speakers. I guess that's why it's a little cheaper than the 3000 was. But when I compared the other features it has that the 3000 doesn't like more wattage, a DTS-ES DISCRETE decoder and Dolby Pro Logic II it seemed worth it.

 

[Ed Vandeweerd]

Hi Marty,

Welcome to the forum! Glad to have you onboard! I like your Rxv-3200 too! Just so everyone is aware Marty reccomended my Yahama RXV-995 receiver to me. Although it's not quite as elaborate as the rxv-3000 or 3200 respectively I agree with the earlier reply about Yahama generally producing excellent gear.

 

[Earl Simpson]

OK/ Bart wants a full report on the 3200. It looks like you have the only one on this forum. Does it do dolby EX/THX EX? And does it have an equalizer for each separate channel? We want the details!

 

[SidH]

Apparently Yamaha never went for certification for Dolby ES or THX. I don't think a THX logo has ever appeared on any Yamaha product. But if it keeps costs down without compromising quality, who cares?
The v3200 does have "Dolby Digital/Matrix 6.1" which is their implementation of ES, as well as DTS:ES.
AFAIK, only the center channel has a 5-band graphic equalizer, but that's where it's really needed the most.
I am waiting to receive mine today, although it was supposed to have been delivered two days ago - UPS keeps missing me, ouch! I hate it when that happens :rolleyes

 

[Marty Lockstead]

Earl - Sid is correct. Yamaha has never bothered with THX certification on their products. And he is also correct about the 5 band eq on the center only. Here is some more specifications that you asked about:
120 watts X 6 with 20Hz to 20 KHz at about %0.02 THD at 8 Ohms, Damping Factor - 20 Hz to 20 KHz, 8 Ohm, 200 or more, THD 20 Hz to 20 KHz, 60 W, 8 Ohm, MAIN L/R %0.008, Signal to Noise Ratio - 50 dB along with 2 sets of component inputs and one set of outputs. In other words, BOO YEAH, BABY!

 

[SidH]

Well Marty, it looks like YOU are the expert on this baby! Have you got it all set up yet? How do you like it compared to the v3000? Do you miss those front effects channels? What's the rest of your setup like?
Mine arrived yesterday and it's sitting at home, still unopened! I was thinking that I might sell it and wait for the RX-Z1 since I already have the front effects speakers wired up for my DSP-A3090. But now I'm leaning towards keeping it since I use my A/V system much more now for home theater than music (it was the other way around until I had kids). Anyway, it would give me an excuse to upgrade again in a year or so
Sid

 

[SidH]

P.S. Did anyone ever tell you that you look an awful lot like Michelle Pfeiffer?

 

[Dan A]

Sid, maybe you can also answer the question I posed to Marty on another thread 3000/3200. Would you trade the front effects for DPL 2. Price isn't a big issue, they're close enough with the 3000s being cleared out. What is the 3200 supposed to do better than the 3000, other than DPL 2?

I think the RX-Z1 might be out of my price range.

 

[Sheldon C]

Dan, the 3200 has dts es discrete and the 3000 (which is what I have) has dts es matrixed - same deal on dolby digital.

What I wish my 3000 had was a seperate volume setting for each source. I hate having to turn the rear speakers up/down when changing from music to movies (I like the rears higher for movies). I don't know if the 3200 has this or not, but it would be nice to have.

 

[SidH]

Dan,
I can't speak from experience since I haven't heard DPL2 yet, although I am very familiar with Yamaha's proprietary effects.
Back in the days when I listened much more to music other than Britney Spears and Radio Disney (i.e., before I had kids) I used to use and play with the effects and I loved them. Nowadays I don't get to just sit and listen much, so I tend to just throw something on in plain old stereo.
I also should say that I was never too crazy about the enhanced versions of DPL or DD; they are fun on occasion but a bit too much for my taste for general use. DPL2, on the other hand, will (hopefully) be a much more useful and general-purpose enhancement.
In brief, I would say you should go for the front effects over DPL2 if:
1. You like to listen more to music as opposed to home theater.
2. You love to tweak and mess around with effects, and you actually have the time for it.
Go with DPL2 if:
1. You are primarily interested in home theater.
2. You just like to "set and forget".
Or you could win the lottery, buy the new RX-Z1 when it comes out and have the best of both worlds! This is the most highly recommended approach, there's just one part I haven't figured out....
BTW, I think you could get an RX-V1 for just a bit more than the RX-V3200, maybe that would be the decisive factor for you.
Sid

 

[Marty Lockstead]

SidH- You don't have it set up yet?! That would drive me crazy! In response to your queries, Yes, I do have it all set up now, I like it a little more than the 3000, but not by much, I never had the front effects hooked up because it would be rather awkward given the layout of my living room. The rest of my set up consists of: a 32" Panasonic tv which has progressive-scanning, a Toshiba SD-6200 pro scan dvd player, Definitive technology BP8 L/R mains, Energy AC300 center, (Bi-Wired with kimber cable) a pair of Def Tech BP2X rears, a Def Tech Pro Center C2 as a rear center and a Paradigm PDR-10 powered sub-woofer. All the speakers are connected with 24K gold-plated banana plugs. Personally, I listen to very little music, when I do it's always on the stereo mode. What's your set-up like there Sid? By the way, Michelle Pfeiffer is my future ex-wife, she just doesn't know it yet.

 

[SidH]

Nice set-up Marty! I was once veeeery close to buying a pair of Def Tech BP-2000s, they were real monsters physically and sonically.

Well I still haven't even unpacked the V3200 yet, and I may not get to do so until sometime this weekend. Just too much stuff going on in my house. I'm like a kid with a big present under the tree waiting for Xmas. Or maybe more like a junkie waiting to score.... Anyway, I want to wait until I have a nice chunk of time to get this thing plugged in and wired up in one fell swoop.

I have a Toshiba DVD player (SD-2106?) with component outs (not progressive) connected to a Sony VPL-W400Q LCD projector that projects onto a 92" diagonal screen. Other video sources are a JVC S-VHS VCR and a Sony 8mm deck. My HT speakers are little Energy Take 5's with a Sunfire True Sub that my wife hates with a passion.

On top of that, I have just about every audio format known to man, including two 400-disc CD megachangers, cassette deck, tuner (which I won't need anymore), minidisc deck (soon to be banished) and a Pentium 4 PC with DVD and CD-RW. Also, a recently purchased vintage Systemdek turntable with a Mission 774 tonearm for my fairly large vinyl collection.

For stereo listening I have a pair of Sonus Faber Concertos in an adjoining room, driven by a Carver TFM-35x amp. I am going to try to run them directly off the RX-V3200 to see what that sounds like (if this was an audiophile forum I would get flamed for sure). The speaker wiring is mostly generic OFC 12 gauge cable, and the interconnects are decent mass-market (mostly AR) but nothing special. I am one of those skeptics about the virtues of high-end connections, but to each his own.

In short, there is enough stuff to use up just about every dang input or output on the receiver. Hmmm, I guess I really am a junkie!

Give Michelle a smooch for me when you see her.

 

[Dan A]

thanks Sid and Marty. I still find some time for music listening even with my kids around. I think a close to live music experience is more important to me than a movie theater in the house (the HT still sounds pretty darn good), so I'm leaning towards the 3000. Hopefully I'll decide while they're still available.

Would both of these support DVD-A. I have the Panasonic 91...dvd player?

 

[SidH]

Yeah Dan, it's a tough decision that has hounded me as well. But I don't think you will be disappointed either way.
If you haven't already seen it, there is a PDF file that compares the 3200 to the 3000 here:
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/prod...fo/rxv3200.pdf
and more specs for the 3000 here:
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/prod...o/rx_v3000.pdf
One possibly significant difference is that the 3200 can switch wideband component video signals; the 3000 has less bandwidth.
Both have 6-channel external decoder inputs so they are compatible with DVD-audio players. But I don't think that either one provides bass management for those inputs, which is more of a problem for satellite/subwoofer speaker setups (as opposed to full-range). The Pioneer 47TX and 49TX receivers are the only ones I know of that take care of this. You can buy external bass management units but they ain't cheap (M&K makes one for about 300 smackers). Maybe this matters and maybe not! I think most people just grimace and bear it.

 

[Scott_HL]

Well, after 5 years of reading this forum, I am finally posting.

I A/B switched between the RX-V3000 and the RX-V3200, and could hear no difference between the two. I was somewhat expecting to hear a slight difference amidst all the talk about the newest yammies not being as bright, but I really heard no change. The demo was with Klipsch speakers.

I Also A/B'd the 3200 with the Denon 4802, and of course it was the classic Warmth vs. Brightness difference.

After years of having a Denon, I think I'm going with the RX-V3200. I have Snell E-IV speakers, and there are times they sound Muddy with the Denon.

Sid - Where did you get yours?

Can anyone reccomend or have experience with an online dealer?