Customer Reviews

Yamaha RXV1700 7.1-channel Digital Home Theater Receiver

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased this receiver at Ultimate Electronics in Nov 06 for $1000. I absolutely love this reciever. I compared this with the denon for around the same price and both are very comparable. The only difference I saw was that the yamaha reciever was easier to switch between modes for other devices and the different sound settings that are used. I have the system hooked up with my tv using the hdmi cable and all other devices are also hooked up through the reciever. This is great because I only have to use 1 remote to control which device I am using since I don't have a universal remote. The receiver delivers 130 watts to each of my speakers and sounds great. What I like about this receiver is that their is not a million little buttons all over the place and the ones that are their actually do something. Here are some of the specs on the receiver and a link to decide for yourself whether this receiver is for you.
[...]

MAIN FEATURES
High Sound Quality
7-channel 910W powerful surround sound (130W x 7)
Digital ToP-ART with extremely high quality parts and devices used
throughout
Pure Direct for higher fidelity sound reproduction
2 in/1 out HDMI (ver. 1.2a) for handling digital signals including
Super Audio CD
Assignable amplifiers for bi-amp connection
Advanced Features
iPod song titles displayed on front panel and on-screen display
Improved YPAO sound optimization
Superior zone control with additional zone remote unit
High Picture Quality
1080p compatible HDMI (2 in/1 out)
High-definition video up-conversion
De-interlacing (480i to 480p)
Wide-range component video bandwidth (100MHz -3 dB, 1080p
compatibility)
Surround Realism
CINEMA DSP with 23 DSP programs
Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES 96/24 compatibility

OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES
Audio Delay for adjusting lip-sync (0-240 ms)
Dialogue Lift for dialogue to screen center
Selectable 9-band subwoofer crossover frequencies
Subwoofer Phase Select
Night Listening Enhancer ensures can be heard clearly at low volumes
SILENT CINEMA and Virtual CINEMA DSP
iPod song titles in English language on the front panel and on-screen
display
Detachable power cable
Extended remote control codes
Remote terminal for Zone 2 or Zone 3
Dual programable +12V trigger outputs

The 7 band equalizer makes all the difference for me.I am able to adjust each speaker individually for all 7 bands as well as volume output.My subwoofer sounds much better using line {pre-amp} out jacks,rather than speaker line out.I like hearing 7.1 channel stereo while listening to songs,and surround sound from dvd movies is awesome too.

We now get the full surround sound effect. It is complicated to set up and we are still figuring it out, but we do get better sound effects than we were getting with our older Yamaha receiver

Purchased this unit in March, 2008 to replace a basic 60 watt/channel Yamaha A/V receiver that was approximately 7 years old. Difference in sound is notably better - this unit delivers oustanding sound. The digital sound processing features actually add to the experience. I compared 130 watt/channel receivers with 75 watt/channel units head to head and decided that the extra power made a notable difference. The sound, while maybe not "louder", is much "fuller" with the 130 watt/channel unit.

The cost, as I write this, is about $500 as they are closing the model. Unless you are a hard core a/v fanatic, this is all you should ever need. Outstanding value at that price point. I doubt that the current line receivers at that price point could match the sound quality.

Over-all unit quality is excellent. Set-up is complex, but perseverence should yield good results.

HDMI feature (ver. 1.2) works fine - don't know what you would really gain by going to the newer version.

had looked and listened to denon ,pioneer etc.,even carter amps,this yamaha beat them all hands down for power delivery,surround options and ease of install and surround setup..has more than enough power at 130 watts per channel x 7 . is a very excellent deal,went to neighboring circuit city,had a lower model at 90 watts per channel @ $900- on sale !! many (22) sound options to find just the right surround.am very satisfied with purchase.no problem pushing 4 klipsch towers yamaha center plus 375 watt subwoofer--sounds fantastic.great power

I used to sell audio equipment but even found this very tough to set up. Some of the people at their customer service talked to me like I was a moron. I finally got a decent person on the phone and got it set up correctly......It sounds fantastic, but be warned is difficult to set up.

Have had this receiver for over 5 years now. This amplifier has ability to adjust the electronic equalizer as the volume changes. However, it does a VERY POOR job of this. Unfortunately, this ability is not adjustable to personal preferences. I have expensive, great-sounding Klipsch speakers. When I turn up the volume, the high frequencies are much too loud. The very-limited EQ is buried in a very un-user-friendly menu system, that no one would go to each and every time that they adjust the volume. As a result, I have a powerful, expensive system that I can only play at my most-typical volume, which is low volume.

I have hoped for years now that Yamaha would do a firmware update to add some functionality and adjustability to the automatic EQ adjustment, but they have let me down. Clearly, the unit is capable of this, but never programmed for it. Even with its great specs, this unit performs worse than competitors at 1/2 the price - simply because of this very specific flaw in programming. The unit makes the sound "tinney" when I turn it up, unless I go deep into the menu to adjust the EQ and then change it back after the track finishes. I can only adjust it to sound good at ONE volume level at a time, and there is nothing that I can do to change this. I have tried every setting - not that there are many settings for the EQ. Many, many sound affects that no audiophile would ever use, but the Engineers did not think to include something as basic and necessary as automatic EQ customization.

I would not recommend this unit. I would not purchase another Yamaha receiver.

I have tried other brands of Receivers but like Yamaha the best. I like their natiural sound. THis RX-V1700 is no different. I has good power, nice features, and lives up to the Yamaha name. I could have bought a brand new receiver but opted for a higher quality receiver for the same money by buying used. The same principle lots of people use for buying nice cars. I will buy the AVENTAGE RX-A3010 in a couple of years!

I paid 400.00 for this on Amazon aroeund 2 years ago and it has not let me down. I have ownwd many Yamaha reveivers and all have been excellent. One of my units I bought back in 1986 and it still works great. Yamaha has always been a good brand and will continue to be. This unit is no different. A short story. One day I was at a great buy center and one of the customer was looking at a 900 yamaha amp. This amp had a bunch of knobs on the front. I told him that for less then 1/2 the price he could buy a much higher priced Yamaha receiver on amazon. He decided to buy it cause he was in a rush. The RX-1700 has the clean look with minimal controls on the front panel. I recommend this to anyone looking in getting into the mid-level receiver area.