Customer Reviews

Yamaha HTR-6160BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Originally purchased the Onkyo 705 and it sounded good for a while and then all of its issues came out. I plugged this Yamaha into the same setup and WOW! The sound that this Yamaha puts out is so clear. The Onkyo at its best is not even close. The onkyo needs 8 inches of space above the receiver in order to not burn up. I have less then 2 inches of space above this receiver and it still runs extremely cool. A Yamaha fan for life now!

SUMMARY: Great Sound, Good video switching, Decodes all HD sound formats, Great DSP features, tremendous value, Pre-Outs upgradable.

I was interested in buying an A/V receiver and was undecided between the Onkyo SR606 and the Yamaha RXV663 (aka HTR-6160BL), given what I'd read about them. Both are well known, well liked receivers. The Onkyo SR606 seems more popular due to the number of HDMI inputs, 1080i up conversion (though fairly buggy), and decent performance. The Yamaha is popular because of its great sound fidelity and quality, has pre-outs (unlike the SR606 and many other receivers at this price range), and 2 subwoofer outputs (instead of 1 - i.e. this is really a 7.2 system, not 7.1). Both receivers offer great value. Note that both receivers do poorly in video up conversion. BUT both decode all SD and HD audio formats!

--- Updated review from here on 10/4/09 ---

SOUND PERFORMANCE:

In terms, of actually hearing the receiver perform: I went to a local store (Fry's) and had a chance to hear both the Onkyo and Yamaha units perform. I liked the Yamaha sound better (before learning about the numbers above). But the Onkyo was very good too. How about in my living room? The Yamaha sound is described by one word: AMAZING.

The RX-V663/HTR-6160 power consumption according to the manual is 400W, and the SR-606 is 120V*5.5A = 660W. That means that the Onkyo should be able to play louder. However, 400W is already plenty for a small/medium room and it seems that with in the power specs of the Yamaha, it does seem to do a better job in paper than the Onkyo:

According to HT Labs, in stereo mode (2 channel) the Yamaha was able to perform above 0.01% THD @150W continuous in stereo mode. This is substantial since most high end small and medium speakers (and some entry level towers) would probably get destroyed when driven by 150W/Ch continuous power. In stereo mode, the Yamaha OUTPERFORMED NOT ONLY THE SR-606, BUT THE Rotel RX-1057 "450W" (Rotel has a reputation for understating their power numbers) receiver as well in terms of THD.

However, there are no miracles. Like previously stated the Rotel and Onkyo have larger power supplies and can drive 5 and 7 speakers with more power than the Yamaha. In the 5 channel measurements (and 7) the Yamaha apparently loss ground significantly to both the Rotel and the Onkyo: 112.1W/Ch (Rotel to 4 ohms), 109.4W/Ch (Onkyo to 4 ohms), and 74.9W/Ch (Yamaha to 4 ohms).

Now, if you bought typical small home-theater 5.1 speakers, each satellite tends to require 40W nominal, and can tolerate a maximum of 100W before they start getting damaged. Based on this, this Yamaha receiver should run them effortlessly. Furthermore, if you need to drive power hungry high-end speakers requiring at least 50-600W to work, none of the receivers in the HTR-6160 class would be a great choice. UNLESS, you use the pre-outs of this receiver along with a separate audio amplifier. Not many receivers in the HTR-6160 class offer 7.2 pre-outs!

Yamaha often gets criticized because they claim 95W into 7 channels, when in fact according to HT Labs it is more like 46.9W (driven continuously - Onkyo gives 63.2W). That means Yamaha's marketing may be misleading, but the receiver is fairly good considering their power consumption rating.

VIDEO:

In terms of video up-conversion, this and current receivers in this price range are not great performers (with Sony usually reviewed as the top performer at the expense of audio).

This receiver (HTR-6160) is probably at the bottom of the pack when it comes to up-conversion. In fact it either does nothing (probably best) or up-converts analog signals to 480p (with a lot of issues). Onkyo SR-606 is not much better with their infamous borders around 1080i up-conversion. Sony probably does better, but allegedly at the expense of audio performance (at this price range).

For decent video results you need a much more expensive pre-pro's or receivers (>>$2K) that use very high end video chips, or a dedicated video processor (like the $600 DVDO). They are great in up-converting digital video (HDMI). But analog sources are a little trickier.

If video up-conversion is a deal breaker for you, consider pairing this receiver with a video processor for a better job and less $$$.

HDMI:

One thing this receiver does not have that the Onkyo does is 4 HDMI inputs. You can get a priority 4 port HDMI switch for your Yamaha for $30, but it is an inconvenience. Personally, I can live with that if the Yamaha delivers in terms of sound performance for the $$$.

TEMPERATURE:

If you do not have 8 inches above your receiver for proper ventilation, you may have issues with Onkyos and Pioneers, but not with this Yamaha.

My main concern with the Onkyo was not necessarily that its audio performance was not satisfactory (in fact, its numbers are quite good and you can crank up the volume more than you can with the 663 so that your neighbor's neighbor can enjoy your music). It was the Onkyo's fame for running hot that concerned me. I placed my hand on the top of both receivers while @ Fry's, and the Onkyo did run substantially hotter than the Yamaha. UltimageAVmag actually measured the temperature after the 7 channel test, and the thermometer read 135 degrees! Since I don't have an open cabinet for the receiver, this scared me away from the Onkyo.

Two of my friends had their receivers die due to heating problems, so this is indeed a concern. On Onkyo's defense though, my friend's receivers where not Onkyo nor Yamaha (point is overheating should not be overlooked in closed spaces).

PRICE

The price for the HTR6160 can go as low as $350 (RX-V663 can go that low as well), just depends on the vendor and the time. The Onkyo is usually $400, but you may find it for $350 as well. Rotel RX-1057 usually sells for more than $1K.

OTHER RECEIVERS (PRICE AND FEATURE RANGE):

HTR-6260/RXV665: Has more HDMI inputs and probably better video upconversion. It has pre-outs as well. But it has a smaller power supply, and if people criticize the 663 about its power against its peers, 665 would probably be seen more as a pre/pro than a receiver (and an expensive pre/pro for its feature set)

RXV765: Seems like a 663 with better video stuff, but at almost 2X the price. In this price range, other brands like Marantz might be worth checking out.

Pioneer VSX-1018: Just like the RXV765, but runs a bit hot and it seems discontinued.

HK-254: Worth considering as well.

I would mention Denon, but like Onkyo, at this price range NO PRE-OUTS: No way to upgrade power for higher end speakers down the road.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS:

Now that I have this unit, I can say that paired with a 5.1 Mirage Nanosat system, this receiver rocks my living room and I could not be happier. Some people say this receiver is bright, and some others are warm. Well, after I ran the YPAO calibration it seems the receiver equalized that out (Onkyo's - and other receiver's - Audyssey should do the same). The receiver also has a graphic equalizer that should tailor things to your taste a bit more. I do not feel my system bright at all, and I can definitively hear incredible audio detail out of it through the speakers.

I have my receiver connected to my LN46A650 TV and my WD HD TV hard drive player (1080P), and I have had no problems so far running HDMI video through the receiver (because I'm not up converting), or decoding audio at all. I also control my LN46A650 TV using the HTR-6160 remote. I also can pump the volume up, and can never go above -15 dB before my wife screams at me to turn it down :)

I bought this Yamaha recv.back in jan of 09 and I've been very pleased with this product, don't be fooled by the 665watts, it can get louder than you might possibly ever need ,this unit is a 7.2 not a 7.1 it has two sub outs, I have 7 pair of JA Audio cube speakers and two powered subs which makes a huge difference and really rounds out the bass in my living room,I did alot of research and even baught and returned a few name brand recv. and Yamaha was just a better quality all around, very clean sound even for a lower end recv. and for $349.00, no tax, and free fast shipping,you can't find a better deal, thanks Amazon!!!

This is a great receiver for anyone who has a home theater and a budget (meaning you didn't win the lottery). I have it driving an existing 5.1 surround set-up in the living room and a second zone for the pool area. It is great having the ability to control two zones with different audio sources. Initial set-up was very easy with the included microphone and an automated process. The improvement over the Sony 5.1 system it replaced is incredible.

Adding components was beyond simple. Although only having 2 HDMI inputs is limiting, I only have two HDMI input devices to attach - BluRay DVD & HD TV. The Samsung big screen takes the single output. We just dumped Comcast HD cable and got AT&T U-Verse with full HD. The switchover on the Yamaha was nothing - unplug the HDMI cable from the cable box and plug in the AT&T HD-PVR. The receiver couldn't care less, which is exactly what you should expect. Sound and video across the single cable for TV and our BluRay DVD is great. I have a Technics CD jukebox connected via optical cable and a Harmony remote running it all.

Great receiver!

Got it on amazon to build my home theater around it. Upscaling and upconversion rules. A little bit hard to control, but it definitely worth the money. Highly recommend to anybody. After all, do you REALLY need those 800$+ pieces of equipment?

First I have to say this is a nice receiver/amp for a technical person. The amp allows you to re-map video to audio ports, it has plenty of ins and outs for connecting gear. Sound quality is grat and the auto setup feature does a good job of setting levels and EQ. The other settings are not accessed intuitively. The manual is not clear on how to access the units settings. Maybe it is just me but I had to read the same section 4 times and paw through manual to figure out how to access common settings.

The problem I am having is with the HDMI out. I have a 720x480 Samsung DVD-R connected to the component, and optical audio inputs on the amp. The amp is connected to my new 46" Samsung 650 1080p 120hz HDTV. While watching, the image flashes between low and high brightness at varying rates between about 0.5 and 4 seconds. If I switch to component video on the amp, all the problems disappear. This is very annoying considering how great HDMI is supposed to be and how much I paid for the system

All evidence points to the Component to HDMI conversion in the amp. I will probably keep the amp in hopes that I can find a fix for this issue and keep using Component video until I get a blue-ray player.

Recommend you buy something else until Yamaha corrects this issue, or can tell folks how to avoid it in the settings.

I got this brand new in box for $350 on ebay and I couldn't be happier. As long as the specs meet your needs (2 hdmi inputs, etc), you'll be pleased. It's true that the settings are a bit daunting in scope, but in my opinion that's good in a receiver. With the manual in hand and a bit of patience it can be dialed in to make any listener happy! I don't know that I'd be any better off with a receiver priced hundreds more. Heck, most Blu-rays are only 5.1hd, and therefore can't max out this units capability.

Note: this is 7.2, not 7.1 as titled on Amazon. It has 2 subwoofer outputs which bumps it up to 7.2

This is truly a great AV receiver. It has a great number of features and input options. The sound is extremely clean and dynamic, as would be expected from Yamaha. It is a very good value for the price. It is highly recommended.

This is one the the best reciver for the price sound is unbeliveable. Its set itself. Decode the sound format every time you change channel or source.

Only AFTER I buy this do I discover the Yamaha "clips" the HDMI video signal -- meaning it can't do the full range of 0-255, instead clipping it to 16-235 and losing Blacker than Black and Whiter than White, which some TVs can handle. If you use a PS3, then you've seen the "Full" or "Limited" video option. This basically takes away the "Full" option. I think this is absurd and I can't believe Yamaha has allowed it to happen. Other receivers from other manufacturers DO pass the full 0-255 video signal. But don't just take my word for it, there are whole threads about this problem in places like AVSForum. Check them out before buying.