Customer Reviews

Yamaha RX-V3900BL 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased this unit a week after it went on sale. I had been investigating the device for some time prior to the actual release. I used this to replace a Yamahe DSP-A1 purchased about 10 years ago. I wanted to simplify my cabling by switching to an HDMI capable receiver. The availability of 4 HDMI inputs was a big selling point for me.

After initial setup I put the unit through it's paces with SACD recordings of Elton John's Madman Across the Water and the Alman Brothers Eat a Peach. The SACD 5.1 sound from my PS/3 over the HMDI was exceptional, wonderful depth to the soundfield. The video upscaling in this unit is far superior to that included in my 50" LG Flat Panel and has made watching non-HD signals much more palatable. Using blu-ray DTS HD and DD Pure HD both sound amazing. I also purchased a Rhapsody subscription account to use with the unit and love the virtual library of hundreds of thousands of CDs at my fingertips through the remote. I have found several albums on Rhapsody that result in a "unable to play" error, I am not sure if they are encoded in a format other than MP3 or if this error also occurs when using Rhapsody on a PC, these were usually extremely obscure recordings.

The onscreen Ipod controls are great and the album cover display is a great addition, now if they could only get the album, flip view from the iPhone or iPod touch working for scanning through and selecting albums/songs that would be truly fabulous.

The lack of inclusion of wireless networking is a big mistake in my view, how many people would have their ISP drop right next to their stereo system? I overcame this easily with the purchase of a "Wireless Gaming Adapter" which attaches to the Ethernet port on the receiver and connects it to my wireless network, this solution has worked well and runs about 50-100 dollars.

My biggest concern with the unit has been the adaptive sound leveling. This is a great feature to make sure you don't get blasted out of the room when commercials come on at twice the volume of your show. Usually this feature mutes the sound and makes the adjustment very quickly but every now and then it has difficulty setting the volume accordingly and drops the audio for as much as 10-20 seconds, very annoying when using DVR functions to skip commercials then having to go back 2-3 times to get the audio enabled again at the end of the commercials. Once the unit could not seem to set the audio at all and it required selecting a different source before sound was enabled again.

Overall I am quite happy with the unit and hope that a software/firmware upgrade may alleviate the audio level drop issues at some point in the future, while sometimes annoying this issue comes nowhere close to outweighing the great benefits of this receiver.

Pros:

Exceptional sound quality
Great video upscaling
Extensive features listing
Amazing array of device connections

Cons:

Not in everyones pricing range
Initial configuration not for the inexperienced
No built-in wireless networking (could have been a design decision to reduce potential degration of the audio signal)
Infrequent extended audio drop outs when relevelling the audio between programing and commercials or when changing stations
Some CDs visible through Rhapdosy cannot be played

I purchased the V3900 to upgrade my older avr in order to get hdmi switching and improved audio format support (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD). I've had the receiver for about a month now and I'm 100% satisfied with the purchase.

Pros:
--excellent sound for both movies and audio, numerous audio processing choices
--4 hdmi inputs, 2 hdmi outputs, all inputs (including component) are user assignable
--video conversion to hmdi, numerous video processing choices
--hd radio tuner
--net radio, rhapsody support, dlna (home media server support) via wired ethernet
--ipod support, usb support
--user upgradable firmware (sirius internet radio claimed for March 2009 firmware)

Cons:
--browsing of home media servers is a bit cumbersome and slow through the on screen menus, I much prefer to use squeezebox or the xbox360 for those music choices
--ipod dock sold separately
--no screensaver when playing back net radio or other music content sources
--no built in wi-fi support

Surprises
--the net radio support is excellent. Yamaha has their own integration with vtuner http://yradio.vtuner.com where you can "register" your receiver and then use to manage your favorites which can include music stations and podcasts
--the ipod playback also supports video from the ipod


Other receivers considered and listened to
--Pioneer SC-07
--Denon 4308
--Onkyo TX-NR906

I'll keep this review short, as the other reviewers have covered a lot of ground here. However, since I upgraded from the Yamaha 1800 receiver to this unit, some folks might find my thoughts interesting.

High points:
- Overall sound is excellent, as well as very flexible. A slight upgrade from the 1800
- Video processing is top notch. I actually use the HDMI -> HDMI up-conversion, as for non-1080p sources I believe this improves the overall picture quality. A MAJOR upgrade from the 1800
- Ergonomics are very good, and the on-screen GUI that works with the HDMI output is a BIG plus from the 1800, which did not support this.

Low points:
- For my two video displays (Sony HD RPTV and Panasonic 2000 video projector) you cannot use the simultaneous output of HDMI1 and HDMI2. Every time I toggle between my two displays I have to change this setting.
- Whenever I switch my FIOS DVR to my Panasonic 2000, the DVR output is down-rezed to 480p. This was briefly mentioned in another review. This only happens with my FIOS unit; my DVD and BluRay players do not have this problem. Also, this is not an issue when using my Sony RPTV. Annoying to say the least, however I'm hoping that a future Firmware update for the Yamaha might fix this. (BTW: I tried every video option on the 3900 including using the THROUGH option for HDMI -> HDMI output; the problem remains)

Overall, I'm still happy I bought the 3900, however I cannot give it a 100% recommendation until this HDMI handshaking issue is resolved)

** 10/16/2009 Update ** After researching my HDMI issues, I purchased a Gefen HDMI Detective (About $120) and this has completely fixed my handshaking issues!

I normally do not respond to these types of forums simply because I don't usually have anything to add, although I have used them extensively in the past when doing research for purchases. With the recent purchase of the Yamaha RX-V3900 I felt compelled to inform those considering the purchase of this, or possibly any zone-capable Yamaha video receiver, of the false advertising and blatant misrepresentation of its capabilities.

The 3900 is billed as having a "Built-in 7-channel power amplifier" available in combinations designated for the Main Zone, Zone 2 and Zone 3. Nowhere in the manual, or on Yamaha's web site, or in any of the professional or personal reviews is it stated the limitations of how these 7 Amplifiers may be used, or in what combinations. Having not seen any data to that effect my belief was that connecting speakers to Zone 2 and Zone 3 would allow either of these speaker sets to be turned on, along with the Main Zone, so long as no more than 7-channels were used at any one time. In my case, I have connected the Main Zone with a 5.1 speaker set, Zone 2 and Zone 3 each with stereo speakers. So, I believed that I should be able to have 5.1 surround sound playing in the Main Zone, and stereo sound in either Zone 2 or Zone 3 simultaneously.

What actually occurs, however, is that the Zone 2 amplifiers, speaker set 1 connections (SP1), are shared with the Surround Back/BiAmp amplifier, and Zone 3 amplifiers, speaker set 2 connections (SP2), are shared with the Surround Left and Right amplifiers. In my case, turning on Zone 2 speakers along with the Main Zone does indeed yield 2-channel stereo in Zone 2 and 5.1 surround sound in the Main Zone. But, keep in mind that I have no connections to the shared Surround Back/BiAmp connections. Turning on Zone 3 along with the Main Zone causes the two surround speakers in the Main Zone to turn off. The effect is basically a 3-channel system in the Main Zone, and 2-channels in Zone 3. The explanation from customer service was that since SP2 connections share the Surround Left and Right amplifier the system shuts off the two surround speakers in order to play the two Zone 3 speakers. Well, that's 5 channels, so where is my 7-amplifier system?

I know most of you will simply blow this off as being of little or no importance because the receiver has great sound and capabilities, but for those like me who wanted to use this receiver to spread music throughout multiple zones of the house, 3 in my case, this is a real disappointment, and, I believe, false and misleading advertising on the part of Yamaha. Before contacting customer service the first time I actually thought the system capable of 7.1+2+2 simultaneously.

The standard 800# customer service was no help with this, and referred me to a "level-2" customer service long-distance number where I spoke directly with an engineer. When speaking to this person I was led to believe that he too was not aware of this limitation, and even he had to seek assistance from another engineer to answer my problem. I am not familiar with the other manufactures' systems, but at least some of you may reconsider your purchase in light of the limitations I have discovered with Yamaha.

I nursed my 10 year-old Yamaha AVR into her golden years waiting until the right features and network integration could woo me into spending the big bucks to move into the new century. Well, considered me WAY wooed. A search for a decent HD radio started me on my upgrade path and before I knew it I was ready to put down $1,700 for the RX-V3900. Satisfied with my pervious Yamaha gear and seeing it had solid reviews in every source I checked, I didn't spend a great deal of time doing a feature by feature comparison to alternatives.

The setup was easy with the manual a perfect blend of "why" and "how-to". It had just the right of information to get things started and a clear path to enable more features when I'm ready. The HDMI GUI is robust and intuitive while the remote is laid out logically and leaves the heavy lifting to the GUI. The web interface is simple yet powerful. My 7-year-old was able to dial up his Backugan videos after 30 seconds working with the GUI and my iPod classic video plugged into the DOCK.

The HD radio stations tune in quickly and sound great. I have yet to put the unit through serious video switching, but I'll make an additional report should I find it lacking.

I have had the RX-V3900 since New Year's eve.
The unit replaces the RX-V3300 I had previously.

The manual takes you from hookup to the automated setup (YPAO) then using the features. The auto setup found my reversed wired presence speakers before I could continue!
After I fixed this the auto setup completed having set the speaker distance and EQ. Sounds very nice from the listening position I used.
I really am happy with HDMI OSD and the other features the HDMI inputs gives. Much less cabling using the HDMI audio.
I used the firmware update via the front panel and ethernet without the need for PC or USB stick. A very handy feature.(USB can be used)
The browser GUI is a bit sparse for all but control, but, the zone 2 & 3 as well as main control is complete.
Using the internet radio and PC streaming is really cool.
The HD Radio is a very nice feature as there are many stations that I found in the S.F. bay area that deliver in this format. Sounds great considering it's FM/AM.
I am using an XM mini tuner as well and this works as advertised.
The remote was easy to program for my components and the back light and small form make it much more useable that the RX-V3300 remote.
Codes for my DVRs would have been nice but as the remote will learn from another it is not a show stopper.
The included zone remote is a very useful tool too.
All told I am really quite happy with the receiver and it's ease of use.

The HDMI pass-through in standby means that I don't have to turn on the receier to use the TV/DVR, a nice feature.
An other review had mention problems with this but I suspect that the settings are wrong for their needs.
Also I have no problem with the HDMI to a Samsung LCD TV. I have 2 DVRs and a PS3 using HDMI and am having no issues at all.

All in all I recommend this for all who desire the rich feature set this receiver offers.

I have long been a Denon Fan and when it came time to replace my Harmon-Kardon receiver I had every intention of picking up a Denon as I had been pleased with other Denon products in the past. When I did a head to head comparison between the V3900 and the Denon 3808, I just prefered the sound of the Yamaha better. I had already made up my mind and wanted to like the Denon more, but the Yamaha sound just had more presence.

I have had the V3900 for 3 months now. The sound is great paired with my Pardigm speakers. The dialog for movies seems clearer than with my Harmon-Kardon unit. I have my own sound meter and have been disappointed with the auto setups in the past, but Yamaha EQ was almost spot on. I had to tweak the base a bit, but that is more personal preference. I think the effectiveness of the setup is somewhat room dependent as I set up a room for my neighbors house and it just did not work well.

The onscreen menus are a breeze and fairly intuitive. Firmware Updates can be done either over the network or via a USB key. It is a very simple process and Updates at this time are free.

Video upscaling is unexpectedly terrific. My wife has an old collection of Disney VCRs and the upscaling was near DVD quality. The same thing happened when I played my Ipod Videos on my 50 inch plasma. I was expecting dismal image quality as Ipod videos just are not designed for the big screen. Instead I got very good video quality--not DVD Blueray quality but non-high def cable TV quality images. Apparently the Anchor Bay chip is capable of doing alot. How much of that power is accessible to the user depends on the software implementation used by unit in which it finds its home. In the V3900 Yamaha chose not to unleash the full power of the chip. Want more features from the same chip? Then you have to go up to higher Yamaha models.

The Ipod interface is also good, but has a few quirks. When the Ipod is connected the menus for the Ipod don't come up automatically. You need to hit the display or menu button. The IPOD onscreen menus in my opinion work better than the Menus using just the unit itself. Perhaps future firmware updates will clean that up a bit.

The only real downside--and it is a minor annoyance is the slow switching. For example when I turn on the TV cable box and receiver, the receiver takes a noticible time to find the right inputs. I would have liked to see the dynamic volume implemented by Yamaha as well. I really hate having the volume cranked by commercials. It is a feature I really liked on the Denon. But the Yamaha sound pushed me over to the dark side.

Aesthetics: Well it's a big black box. My wife misses the sleek look of the Harmon-Kardon with its glowing blue dial. But this is a problem for Denon as well.

Overall Great Receiver.

I purchased this amp as a replacement for a RX-V2500. I am totaly impressed with the features that are on this new amp. You can't go wrong with a Yamaha. Set it up, and hooked it to the internet and it found all the internet channels on its own. All of my music on my home server was there to. Wow very easy.

I purchased this receiver a while ago and I have a few things to say about it. First, a word to the wise, read the manual first!

Pros:
+The sound is just beyond incredible (7.1) even with mismatched speakers. The automatic speaker setup is a must.
+The different sound choices are just unbelievable. Even "I Love Lucy" reruns sound great.
+Net radio has so many choices.
+FM sensitivity is amazing. I have an outdoor FM antenna and no matter where I point it, even distant, weak stations comes in clearly.
+FM HD Radio stations
+I can run my Sony HD TV, cable box, Sony Playstation 3 through it.
+Wireless, lighted, remote control
+USB set up
+You can control your internet music through your PC
+Great set up in back for hook-ups
+Front flip down panel with extra hook-ups and controls giving it a clean look
+Works with Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote Control
+Firmware updates available.
+Tons of extras.

CONS:
-FM HD radio. Stations here in the San Diego and Los Angeles, California area keep going in and out. Not enough transmitting power? Mountains? I don't know.
-Remote not friendly. Need the TV turned on to see which menu you are in.
-Receiver screen lettering too small. Slow to respond to menu change.
-Menu is convoluted. GUI menu tree on page 76 resembles a government bureaucracy.
-Manual can be a little bit more helpful.
-Setting up FM stations not fun.
-Way expensive
-Gets very warm
-Front flip down panel can get hit if you have a close cabinet door.

Other Thoughts:
*I wish that a direct, wired system can be made to use your PC for setups and upgrades. That would save a lot of squinting and tiny button pushing.
*Getting this for HD Radio is a disappointment but the sensitivity and station reception make up for it.
*Free internet radio is very nice. Maybe, some day, they can have an interacting interface with the internet to connect with your PC.

Now if I could only get my vinyl to download onto my flash drive. That would be a nice add on.

All in all, I love it, I would recommend it and I would do it over again in a heart beat. My wife and I use it constantly every day now for almost a year with hardly a problem. And believe me, when she is unhappy about something, she lets me know.

If the V3900BL were a little lighter and robust, I would take 'her' out to dinner frequently. We would go for long walks in the woods and dip our toes in the cool stream water. I love my V3900BL. I cannot imagine living without her. She completes me!