Yamaha Z1 vs. V3300 (1 Viewer)

[Yumbo]

Hi,

Is the Z1 worth the $1,000 price difference?

Would appreciate any opinions.

thanks.

 

[Bill_Mis]

As a new owner of the 3300 I can say only my opinion. The power ratings are similar with the distortion edge to the Z1 but what it comes down to is what the $1K gets you. The remote is fancy and worth several hundred dollars if you need it. I have an mx-500 and didn't need it. There are a couple of extra inputs but not that many more. The Burr-Brown DAC's are nice but not worth the extra premium. So my bottom line is, if money is not that important, go with the Z1, but I put my extra cash into an ISF calibration and better cables.

 

[Richard Burzynski]

Bill nailed most of the differences. With the Z1 you also get Yammy's 44bit processor. More powerful processor should yield a higher quality sound. The only way to know would be to demo it with similar/same gear.

I follow Yammy gear pretty close, and my guess is that the Z1 will be discontinued soon, it's been out for a little over a year now. When Yammy closeouts happen, you can get close to 50% off original list (new sealed box). The V1 was great proof of this. If you want something right now, I'd say demo and see if the extra horsepower of the processor is audible to your ears, if it isn't then the 3300 looks like a great buy.

Rich B.

 

[Marty Neudel]

>my guess is that the Z1 will be discontinued soon, it's been out for a little over a year now.<

Yamaha has followed a two year life cycle up to now. The DSP-A1 was introduced in 1998, the RX-V1 in 2000, and the Z1 in 2002. I don't know of any reason for them to change.
If anything, a sagging economy has been cause for longer life cycles in the past.

Marty

 

[Yumbo]

thanks,

the Z1 here does not have the RAV remote.

I have a V3000 - is the V3300 much of an upgrade?
I am aware of DPLII, power, video conversion etc.

I like the look of the Z1. Is DTS 96/24 ES necessary (not present on V3300)?

Is the volume control on the V3300 better/newer than the Z1 ie. faster/exponential changes, instead of proportional?

I can demo the Z1 next week, but the V3300 is only available to order. Plus there aren't any closeout options here. 1 dealer, minimal stock.

Hence the dilemma.

cheers

 

[Yumbo]

well, I picked up the Z1, couldn't wait.

I can hear a difference from the V3000.
one thing I don't understand is how with bigger amps, it sounds lower, and reference level keeps inching upwards. shouldn't it be the other way around?

sounds cleaner, and more detailed. less muddy, and harsh.

the V3300 has newer features, such as video upconversion and faster volume control.

couldn't wait 6 weeks for it though, lol.

for Z1 owners - anyone played with Cinema EQ?