New Yamaha Receivers RX-VX57/ HTR-58X0 models at jandr.com

[kexodusc]

That time of year again...enjoy:

http://www.jr.com/JRSectionView.proc...pe+of+Receiver

Minimal improvements, but it looks like the parametric EQ is included on a few more models this year...hard to tell by the stats...couldn't find any reference on the Yamaha USA or Japan sites...didn't have much time though.

Oh, and satellite radio ready...wonder how attractive that will be to people?

Edit: Looks like about a $50-$100 price jump too...might be too early to tell though, snarf up Kex's 2004 best value-receiver(RX-V650/HTR-5760) while you can...hopefully they drop in price soon too!

[hershon]

Out of curiosity as you obviously know how to interpret specifications, have you noticed any receiver brand that was "replaced" by a new model actually offer some kind of improvement in sound quality or is it just feature stuff each year like auto EQ & 6.1 or 7.1 sound instead of 5.1?

That time of year again...enjoy:

http://www.jr.com/JRSectionView.proc...pe+of+Receiver

Minimal improvements, but it looks like the parametric EQ is included on a few more models this year...hard to tell by the stats...couldn't find any reference on the Yamaha USA or Japan sites...didn't have much time though.

Oh, and satellite radio ready...wonder how attractive that will be to people?

Edit: Looks like about a $50-$100 price jump too...might be too early to tell though, snarf up Kex's 2004 best value-receiver(RX-V650/HTR-5760) while you can...hopefully they drop in price soon too!

[kexodusc]

I have a hard time keeping up with all new models, but my experience is that differences are usually subtle, with one or two attractive features added each year. Usually, more power, newer inputs/connectivity to keep up with new technologies (often unnecesssary). Once every few years though something of a break-through hits the assembly line. IMO YPAO and other auto-calibration/parametric equalizers was the most recent. These can make a fairly significant difference in sound quality, and help the less informed properly setup their gear.
For Yamaha in particular, a few years back they completely redesigned their platforms to using more efficient power supplies, and a whole new front (pre-amp) section...this got rid of the "bright" sound Yammies were famous for and replaced it with a neutral, more natural sound IMO. That was a big deal.

Usually the big jumps are format compatibilities, video conversions, etc...something many people don't really need, but a few of us are thankful for. Pro-Logic II, DTS/DD EX/ES etc...were big.

That's what's great about separates...amps can last decades, pre-amps can be upgraded usually cheaper than entire receivers. Unfortunately, the initial cost, and space requirements are high, not to mention the mess of cables you can get....

It's kind of like cars...The Honda Accord gets a major overhaul every 5-6 years or whatever, but in between differnces are very subtle...just enough to call it a new model...This makes production much more affordable while giving the perception of "current" or "new" to the consumer...win/win situation.