Yamaha's new entry level RX-V receivers: XM-ready

[Woochifer]

Yamaha issued a press release announcing their new entry level RX-V series receivers. They tabbed the new models as the RX-V457, 557, 657, and 757. On the whole, this does not look like much of a change over their previous versions, as evidenced by Yamaha not going with a RX-Vx60 numbering scheme. The only new feature that I saw of any note on these receivers was the addition of component video upconversion on the 657 and 557.

The biggest change in the new RX-V series receivers is the addition of XM satellite radio tuners. The AM and FM dials have turned into wastelands of mediocrity, at home I tune into the Music Choice channels on Directv a lot more than the FM stations. XM would be a logical extension of that.

Otherwise, this update on the Yamaha receivers follows the trend with the 1500 and 2500 in that they did not add much to the existing receiver design. I get the feeling that receivers in general will stand pat at least until HD-DVD and Blu-ray make their debuts. Once that occurs, then I think that in quick succession, you'll see receivers begin to incorporate HDMI inputs, and start to add the DD+ and DTS-HD decoding to the mix. Been waiting for the proprietary SACD and DVD-A digital links to make their way down to the entry level receivers, but that has not happened and I'm not sure if it will.

[paul_pci]

Yamaha issued a press release announcing their new entry level RX-V series receivers. They tabbed the new models as the RX-V457, 557, 657, and 757. On the whole, this does not look like much of a change over their previous versions, as evidenced by Yamaha not going with a RX-Vx60 numbering scheme. The only new feature that I saw of any note on these receivers was the addition of component video upconversion on the 657 and 557.

The biggest change in the new RX-V series receivers is the addition of XM satellite radio tuners. The AM and FM dials have turned into wastelands of mediocrity, at home I tune into the Music Choice channels on Directv a lot more than the FM stations. XM would be a logical extension of that.

Otherwise, this update on the Yamaha receivers follows the trend with the 1500 and 2500 in that they did not add much to the existing receiver design. I get the feeling that receivers in general will stand pat at least until HD-DVD and Blu-ray make their debuts. Once that occurs, then I think that in quick succession, you'll see receivers begin to incorporate HDMI inputs, and start to add the DD+ and DTS-HD decoding to the mix. Been waiting for the proprietary SACD and DVD-A digital links to make their way down to the entry level receivers, but that has not happened and I'm not sure if it will.

Yeah, I saw this announcement over on audioholics and the reception was less than stellar. Posters were complaining that with all the potential features or upgrades, who cares about XM radio capability. I'd have to concur.

[Woochifer]

Yeah, I saw this announcement over on audioholics and the reception was less than stellar. Posters were complaining that with all the potential features or upgrades, who cares about XM radio capability. I'd have to concur.

I kinda wonder though what else they could've added that would make a big difference. DD+ and DTS-HD haven't even made their way into the flagship models, and I can't see Yamaha adding HDMI switching when they didn't even add that feature to the 1500 and 2500. Like I said, I think the big changes will probably follow whatever happens with the HD-DVD and Blu-ray introductions. Rumor is that those formats will only pass HD signals through a digital connection, and if that's the case, then HDMI switching will be more of a necessity.

Seems that with all the huge changes that they made with their receivers last year, it's taken until now for the competitors to catch up. Of course with Yamaha standing pat like they are, the competition might pass them up when their next round of updates comes around.

[paul_pci]

I kinda wonder though what else they could've added that would make a big difference. DD+ and DTS-HD haven't even made their way into the flagship models, and I can't see Yamaha adding HDMI switching when they didn't even add that feature to the 1500 and 2500. Like I said, I think the big changes will probably follow whatever happens with the HD-DVD and Blu-ray introductions. Rumor is that those formats will only pass HD signals through a digital connection, and if that's the case, then HDMI switching will be more of a necessity.

Seems that with all the huge changes that they made with their receivers last year, it's taken until now for the competitors to catch up. Of course with Yamaha standing pat like they are, the competition might pass them up when their next round of updates comes around.

Well I certainly hope Yamaha doesn't let the competition pass them by in this regard, in principle at least, as I plan on hanging on to my receiver for a while and will probably be a longer while till I need HDMI switching. Generally it would be a shame for all these mainstream companies to pump out new receivers every few months a la market logic at the price of real innovation that we all know takes time and pays off in the end.

[Tarheel_]

i like the idea of adding satellite reception to my HT receiver. I regret though, that Yammie choose only one format which means others will likely choose one or the other (sirius or xm). I currently have Sirius and don't want to choose a AVR receiver based one which side of the fence its on.

I hate these damn format wars...just add both Sirius and xm and be done with it.

[kexodusc]

Wooch, I posted this a while back, but there's plenty of speculation that this year's entry level Yammies include the Parametric EQing in the YPAO feature instead of just the auto-setup stuff.
That'd be a fairly significant offering at that price point...
I'll have to see one to verify though.

Not sure what else they could add to these at this point that would offer any significant value...some people might use 2 HDMI inputs I suppose...At first glance it looked as though the prices would actually increase...any word on that?

[Woochifer]

Wooch, I posted this a while back, but there's plenty of speculation that this year's entry level Yammies include the Parametric EQing in the YPAO feature instead of just the auto-setup stuff.
That'd be a fairly significant offering at that price point...
I'll have to see one to verify though.

Not sure what else they could add to these at this point that would offer any significant value...some people might use 2 HDMI inputs I suppose...At first glance it looked as though the prices would actually increase...any word on that?

Not sure what if any changes were made to the YPAO function. I know that the YPAO on the 2500 was tweaked to run faster with greater accuracy, but no idea if that's the version that comes with the new models. My understanding is that the YPAO that came with the 650 and the 750 did include the parametric adjustments as well, so the 657 and 757 would not be any different. You might be thinking of the Denon AVR-2805, which includes an auto calibration feature without any EQ adjustments. Would be nice if Yamaha updated the YPAO to extend the functionality on the PEQ below 60 Hz (which is the current limit).

It looks like the list prices are holding steady. Given that the new models have only an interim model number change with no cosmetic updates, you might not see great closeout deals, since the new models look like they just add component video upconversion and the XM satellite tuner.

The real functionality of HDMI switching won't be know until more manufacturers start using the HDMI connection for both video and audio, and more devices begin to include digital video outputs. As far as I know, JVC's the only company that has attempted this so far. If HD-DVD and Blu-ray hit the market with the HD signals requiring a digital video connection (a plausible scenario), then you'll see a mad dash by receiver manufacturers to add those connections when the next upgrade cycle hits.

[kexodusc]

Wooch: The 650/5760 and 750 don't perform the P EQ steps...I don't consider that a huge loss as above 400 Hz or so I can't tell any difference at all (though it'd probably help if my speakers weren't all matching), and below 400 Hz really doesn't throw things off until the bottom 2 or 3 octaves.

My TV has an HDMI input, problem is many service providers for HDTV aren't supporting these formats yet (the STB's don't output I guess) so there are some inconsistencies in the effectiveness...My cable provider and satellite provider both caution agains using HDMI until upgrades are made...I haven't tested it yet.
Hopefully that's just short term.

I love the fact that HDMI and DVI are compatible though, and even more that HDMI is an a/v cable, all in one...that would help clean up that mess behind my gear considerably.

[Woochifer]

i like the idea of adding satellite reception to my HT receiver. I regret though, that Yammie choose only one format which means others will likely choose one or the other (sirius or xm). I currently have Sirius and don't want to choose a AVR receiver based one which side of the fence its on.

I hate these damn format wars...just add both Sirius and xm and be done with it.

You're preaching to the choir here! Some technology columnists have begun to bring this subject up. They noted that it would not be difficult to create a dual format tuner that can receive both Sirius and XM signals.

Forcing consumers to choose one format over another is just an unnecessary market barrier, which almost always impedes growth. But, these format wars are usually about greed more than anything, so we'll probably have to live with it until one of the two providers runs out of money. I don't see any problem with creating dual format tuners and letting consumers choose their network, or even subscribe to both services. The real revenue will come in the form of subscriptions, so the hardware should not hold things up. HBO and Showtime figured out a way to thrive while competing with one another, I don't see XM and Sirius as anything different.