New Yamaha entry level receivers: iPod dock and XM 5.1 surround

[Woochifer]

Yamaha just announced three new entry level models, which they typically introduce around this time of year. The RX-V459, RX-V559, and RX-V659 will replace the 457, 557, and 657, respectively. No replacement to the RX-V757 was announced, but the differences between that model and the 657 were relatively minor, so they might have simply dropped that model and incorporated those extra features (such as the phono input) into the 659. On the surface, it looks like they made only minor changes, just as the changes last year primarily consisted of adding XM satellite tuners and component video upconversion to the list of features.

This year the main additions to the entry level lineup are Neural Surround, which is supposedly a new way of extracting 5.1 sound out of a two-channel source, and an optional iPod dock.

With Neural Surround, XM has apparently started broadcasting in 5.1 surround on three of its channels, and you need a Neural Surround decoder to hear it in 5.1. The details on Neural Audio and Yamaha's websites are unclear as to how this is done. Pioneer has also recently announced that their receivers would also include Neural Surround decoding.

The short of it is that Neural Surround is an encoding/decoding scheme that sends the signal out over a two-channel carrier with some watermark data that's used for 5.1 playback. This is supposed to provide broadcasters with a means by which to use one audio feed that's compatible with both two-channel and 5.1 playback. I'm not sure if the watermark is a digital or analog signal. If the watermark is analog, then this system might be no better than any other matrixing scheme such as Dolby Pro Logic.

Another aspect that I'm not so sure of is what source is used for XM's surround music broadcasts. Are they taking a two-channel source and just applying some DSP processing? Or are they using discrete 5.1 sources and encoding them so that the Neural Surround processor can play it back in true 5.1 at the other end?

The optional iPod dock will plug into the receiver and allow the user to control the iPod with the receiver remote and display the song information (not sure about JPEGs).

Otherwise, it seems that the features from last year's models are making the migration into the lower level models. The RX-V659 adds a phono input, Burr-Brown DACs, and parametric equalization to the YPAO auto calibration. The RX-V559 adds video upconversion, and an onscreen display. The only disappointment that I see is the lack of HDMI support, but I guess that will have to wait another year until HDMI 1.3 comes out and the midlevel models start adding the DD+, DD True HD, and DTS-HD decoding. And with the RX-V659 holding at the $550 price point, that's still a pretty loaded receiver for the price.

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/receivers/RXV659.htm
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/r...eural_home.htm

P.S. The HTR-badged models that Best Buy, Sears, and mail order houses will sell are the HTR-5940, 5950, and 5960.

[KaiWinters]

I just got the RX-V659 and love it.