Frame of reference: Thirty-two years ago I made my first Yamaha purchase at the military exchange in Okinawa. The M4/C4 and Bose 901 speakers served me well for decades. About five years ago I purchased my first AV Receiver, an Onkyo TX-SR605 with a JBL 5.1 speaker set. I was very disappointed with the sound, and found some improvement by upgrading to an Onkyo 7.1 speaker solution (but I kept the JBL subwoofer). Still, I assumed that the sound I was getting was the result of streaming MP3s versus listening to vinyl and CDs.
I decided to upgrade again when the Onkyo began having issues with the video connections. I spent a few days comparing systems and reading reviews... I *wanted* to buy another Onkyo and ended up comparing products from Sony, Onkyo and Yamaha. I wanted to spend less than $500 and was seduced by the deep discount on RX-V671 from $599 to $395 (a new model was released). I placed my order on July 2nd and received the unit on July 3rd (thanks Amazon Prime and a $3.96 upgrade to one-day shipping).
I very carefully moved all of the video connections from the Onkyo to the Yamaha and fired the system up. Setup was much easier than I expected though having some familiarity with an AV receiver helped significantly. Also helpful was that HDMI is much more the standard, so that output was activated from the start.
The audio performance, out of the box and without using the YPAO calibration, was stunning. Using the same speakers, I found all the clarity that I had written-off after converting my CD collection to MP3. I couldn't believe such a difference was possible by changing up the electronics of two mid-level systems. After using YPAO and playing around with the Sound Program selections, I am very happy with the sound quality this system produces. Now my Saturday mornings are back to music versus using the TV as background noise.
Big Wins:
Sound quality - As I said, the out-of-the-box sound was stunning. And it got better from there. The Sound Programs are really very good at recreating environments. I was not a big fan of sound processing before, but these have won me over. The Music Halls are great with classical music, the night clubs are very realistic recreations of what your favorite singer would sound like in a more intimate setting. I use the 7-Channel Stereo for maximum presence and clarity, the 2-channel stereo when background music is the objective. Still not impressed with the Surround Decode functions.
Network Source - This is awesome. I use Uverse and have a network port available at my system, so there was no work involved with getting connected (this system does not include wireless). The system easily found my TVersity server and began streaming my music collection with ease. I like the menu construct... and this is an easy thing to screw up. Response to the remote control is very quick, and scrolling is smooth. Options for jumping forward, back or 10 screens at a time are available on the right of the on-screen display. Not great but functional. I would have preferred to see buttons on the remote to support Page scrolling (though the remote is already choked with buttons). The Network options include PC, NetRadio stations, Sirius, Napster, Pandora and Rhapsody. I only use Pandora for the online services. I was impressed by the response of the system - music typically starts within a couple of seconds of making a selection. And there are many, many hundreds of NetRadio stations to select from.
USB Source - The manual warns that large sources will take a while to load. By 16GB USB displayed my options within 8 seconds and began playing music as soon as I made a selection. It is quick because it only reads the page you are viewing and does not buffer information that was read after you leave the page. This means you get the 8-second delay every time you load a new page. Not a bad option compared to waiting for the system to buffer the entire directory.
"Scene" functionality - This provides four options for one-button selection of an activity. This makes it simple for my controller-challenged wife to watch TV, videos or listen to music without threatening to throw the whole system away. These are pre-configured and labeled on the controller as BD/DVD, TV, CD and Radio. Configuration changes are easy; you set up the system how you want it and save the configuration to the Scene of your choice. You can change the name of the Scene in the receiver. I think they might have done better if the color-coded or numbered the controller versus using labels. While DVD/TV/CD and Radio are reasonable choices, they are not my choices. I use DVD/TV/XBox and NetMusic, and always have to make that translation when making a selection from the remote. The best solution would have been to create eight Scene buttons to cover more options.
Network/Droid Application Controller - Both are a very nice way of controlling the system. Neither offers all the functionality of the remote and on-screen menus but both allow you to access the most commonly used features such as selecting a Scene, a Sound Program, Changing volume, Source, etc. I would expect to have the full functionality in the application at some point.
The Negatives:
Static "play/pause" indicators at the top of the music screen - This really concerns me. I have a 58" Samsung Plasma so am a little sensitive to static images. When listening to any music, there is a background picture that is letter-boxed with a black band above and below. There is a black box in the center that displays a static music graphic, the artist, album, track and time, with a few controls to the right. In the top black-stripe, there is a Pause or Play indicator that, given the opportunity, would probably leave a ghost image on the plasma display. Same thing goes for the graphic in the middle. Fortunately, one of the controls on the right side will maximize the background graphic and eliminate the black bands. The system is usable with the TV off by reading the front-panel of the receiver (assuming you are close enough and your eyes good enough). The best option when listening to music is to use the TV to set up your source then shut off the TV.
Does not stream pictures or video from PC or USB - It would have been a very pleasant surprise to stream video and pictures from my TVersity server. I'm not sure why it doesn't; they do show up in the on-screen menu but are greyed out. I had to search the forums to learn that it would not work versus a configuration issue. As it sits, it looks like a Roku or some other media player is in my future.
Controller is a little busy but effective - There is probably more capability built into this controller than expected as it will allow you to control the receiver, the source, the TV, and other devices connected to your HDMI and AV connections. However, the layout is very dense and it is not *real* obvious which end is up... this issue us exacerbated in a dark room. Direct access to the "Scene" function described above is a ingenious move to make an otherwise user-challenging remote a simple way to control what you see and the volume. I've got a Logitech programmable controller that I am trying to set up as an all-in-one do everything controller. Until I get that done, I am a multi-remote user. I think this remote will end up in the pile of remotes that you use only to access the deeper recesses of the Yamaha's configuration.
I'm giving this five stars because of how well is meets my needs. I could go 4.5 for the issues that I have mentioned about, but a 4.0 would not give it it's due.
I am VERY happy with this purchase... it has made music listening enjoyable for me again.
Compare with similar items
 | YAMAHA RX-V385 5.1-Channel 4K Ultra HD AV Receiver with Bluetooth | Denon AVR-X2700H 8K Ultra HD 7.2 Channel (95 Watt X 7) AV Receiver 2020 Model - Built for Gaming, Music Streaming, 3D Audio & Video, Alexa + HEOS (Discontinued by Manufacturer) | YAMAHA RX-V6A 7.2-Channel AV Receiver with MusicCast | Denon AVR-S570BT 5.2 Channel AV Receiver - 8K Ultra HD Audio & Video, Enhanced Gaming Experience, Wireless Streaming via Built-in Bluetooth, (4) 8K HDMI Inputs, Supports eARC, HD Setup Assistant | Sony STRDH590 5.2 Channel Surround Sound Home Theater Receiver: 4K HDR AV Receiver with Bluetooth,Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (279) | (2587) | (502) | (377) | (460) | (4897) |
| Price | From $399.99 | $299.95 | $799.00 | $579.95 | $299.99 | $348.00 |
| Sold By | Available from these sellers | Amazon.com | Huppins | audio video sales guy | S V I | Amazon.com |
| Color | Black | Black | Black | Black | Black | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired | Bluetooth, HDMI | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI | Bluetooth, HDMI | Bluetooth, HDMI |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.25 x 17.13 x 6.38 inches | 12.4 x 17.13 x 6.34 inches | 17.1 x 13.4 x 6.6 inches | 20 x 18 x 11 inches | 17.1 x 13 x 6 inches | 11.75 x 17 x 5.25 inches |
| Item Weight | 23.10 lbs | 16.30 lbs | 0.35 ounces | 9.92 lbs | 0.39 ounces | 18.25 lbs |
| Output Wattage | 115 watts | 100.00 watts | 95 watts | 100 watts | 130.0 watts | 725.0 watts |
| Special Feature | 7.1-Channel, SIRIUS Satellite Radio ready, USB Digital Connection, CINEMA DSP Digital | Built-In Bluetooth,Auto Calibration,DSP | Music Streaming | AM Tuner | spotify | 360 Spin |
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