Yamaha RX-V1300 6.1 Channels Receiver
- Surround Sound: Dolby Digital® DTS® DTS ES® Dolby Pro Logic II
- THX Certification: No
- Number of Channels: 6.1 Channels
- Type: Receiver
- Surround Mode Power: 100 Watt @ 8 ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, THD: 0.04%
- Stereo Mode Power: 100 Watt @ 8 ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, THD: 0.04%
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Excellent value ... Wife certified!
Pros
Excellent value, quality, sound and effects. Great for music and movies!
Cons
Possibly bright sound that can be countered/minimized with neutral speakers (Boston Acoustics, Paradigm...)
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This has been an awesome buy, with never a disappointing moment. For the price, I find it hard to beat the quality (sound and build) and the features.
Being that I'm not really an audiophile; my ears just have not developed to the point of being able to be seriously critical on the subject of sound quality. However, I have always been a music lover, but even more so, a video lover; a videophile. I do know my ears love this thing!
We have now had the Yamaha RX-V1300 for about a year now, and have never turned back. I had already begun researching surround receivers months before this purchase. I also looked at Harmon Kardon, Onkyo and Pioneer.
During my research, I had learned that Yamaha receivers lean toward the bright sounding side of things. However, in the opinion of many, the sound quality is still excellent; particularly for the price. Paired with a set of neutral speakers, such as Boston Acoustics or Paradigm (which are also an excellent value!), the bright sound can be countered or at least minimized. Perhaps in a side-by-side comparison with a better receiver, I might be able to pick out the brightness.
All around, the 1300 fit our needs better than others; actually, exceeded them, yet within our budget. The fact that it was last years model and clearance made it all the more enticing. An excellent deal considering we bought it from an authorized dealer and maintained a valid warranty.
Naturally, I couldn't wait to get it home and plugged in. Once out of the box, the first thing I noted was the weight; it's pretty hefty; 33lbs. You can see and feel the quality of everything about it. The front panel is thick metal (extruded aluminum?), with the exception of buttons and the display (of course). The buttons and knobs also feel sturdy and have a nice responsive feel. Many, less used, buttons are hidden behind an oil-dampened door, that opens and closes easily; it too is made of thick metal and is extremely sturdy.
Connectivity
If this unit can't handle your needs, I don't think any others in this price range will help. On the backside, besides tons of the usual, there is also, component video input and output, 7 digital inputs (5 optical, 2 coaxial), and 2 digital outputs. There is also full 6.1 channel preamp outputs. There is Zone 2 audio output for sound in another room or for a second pair for front main speakers.
Setup
It is as complicated or simple as you make it. It will perform well right out of the box, with necessary steps being fairly straightforward. Then you can get into re-naming the inputs, programming the remote, and even tuning the sound. The manual is well written and easy to understand and follow.
Operation
It's not unlike any other receiver when it comes to powering equipment on, selecting inputs and sources, etc... The front display lights up and tells you everything about what mode it is in, and is also fairly straightforward. Compared to some others, there is a surprisingly high number of characters displayed, which means that fewer phrases are truncated to fit; instead of maybe "DlbySC", you'll see "Dolby Sci-Fi", or "DTS Adventure".
Although the volume is digitally attenuated, the settings are extremely granular, so you can set the volume precisely to your tastes. With the remote, small adjustments are easy with simple taps; hold the button to change volume faster. With the volume knob on the front panel; a quarter turn of the knob slowly will make a small adjustment, but a quarter turn quickly has a much bigger effect. Very nice!
Sound
The DSP sound field programs can add another dimension, and with 25 (45 variations) we're definitely not lacking here. Making music sound like you're in a hall or movies like they're in a theater is loads of fun, and very real sounding. I do find myself using them less and less, and listening to the original unaltered sound track. Its also interesting how the receiver can take a stereo CD and produce effects on the surround speakers; mainly the music minus vocals, but also things like echoes. For parties, there is also the 6 channel stereo mode to fill the room with music.
Movies; that's what we really bought ours for, and it really shines! My wife was pretty indifferent about the whole thing; she didn't really care. She honestly believed that it would be my toy, with no effect on her whatsoever. She's the first to admit she was wrong! It has also been simple enough to use that she has no trouble using it. The surround sound is terrific, and going to the movies is something we now do just go out; no longer because it's better.
We've thrown everything from Terminator2, Top Gun and Lord of the Rings to Jerry Maguire and Princes Bride... over 120 movies... and it does nothing but impress. Likewise, Metallica, Bon Jovi, David Grey, Blue Man Group, Nine Inch Nail, Tori Amos, Dixie Chicks... all sound excellent!
This is all with our current and mediocre Boston Acoustics HD8 bookshelf speakers, which lack in the midrange. Our Paradigm CC-270 Center vastly improved movies, and we only expect things to get better when we acquire new Paradigm front mains.
We have now had the Yamaha RX-V1300 for about a year now, and have never turned back. I had already begun researching surround receivers months before this purchase. I also looked at Harmon Kardon, Onkyo and Pioneer.
During my research, I had learned that Yamaha receivers lean toward the bright sounding side of things. However, in the opinion of many, the sound quality is still excellent; particularly for the price. Paired with a set of neutral speakers, such as Boston Acoustics or Paradigm (which are also an excellent value!), the bright sound can be countered or at least minimized. Perhaps in a side-by-side comparison with a better receiver, I might be able to pick out the brightness.
All around, the 1300 fit our needs better than others; actually, exceeded them, yet within our budget. The fact that it was last years model and clearance made it all the more enticing. An excellent deal considering we bought it from an authorized dealer and maintained a valid warranty.
Naturally, I couldn't wait to get it home and plugged in. Once out of the box, the first thing I noted was the weight; it's pretty hefty; 33lbs. You can see and feel the quality of everything about it. The front panel is thick metal (extruded aluminum?), with the exception of buttons and the display (of course). The buttons and knobs also feel sturdy and have a nice responsive feel. Many, less used, buttons are hidden behind an oil-dampened door, that opens and closes easily; it too is made of thick metal and is extremely sturdy.
Connectivity
If this unit can't handle your needs, I don't think any others in this price range will help. On the backside, besides tons of the usual, there is also, component video input and output, 7 digital inputs (5 optical, 2 coaxial), and 2 digital outputs. There is also full 6.1 channel preamp outputs. There is Zone 2 audio output for sound in another room or for a second pair for front main speakers.
Setup
It is as complicated or simple as you make it. It will perform well right out of the box, with necessary steps being fairly straightforward. Then you can get into re-naming the inputs, programming the remote, and even tuning the sound. The manual is well written and easy to understand and follow.
Operation
It's not unlike any other receiver when it comes to powering equipment on, selecting inputs and sources, etc... The front display lights up and tells you everything about what mode it is in, and is also fairly straightforward. Compared to some others, there is a surprisingly high number of characters displayed, which means that fewer phrases are truncated to fit; instead of maybe "DlbySC", you'll see "Dolby Sci-Fi", or "DTS Adventure".
Although the volume is digitally attenuated, the settings are extremely granular, so you can set the volume precisely to your tastes. With the remote, small adjustments are easy with simple taps; hold the button to change volume faster. With the volume knob on the front panel; a quarter turn of the knob slowly will make a small adjustment, but a quarter turn quickly has a much bigger effect. Very nice!
Sound
The DSP sound field programs can add another dimension, and with 25 (45 variations) we're definitely not lacking here. Making music sound like you're in a hall or movies like they're in a theater is loads of fun, and very real sounding. I do find myself using them less and less, and listening to the original unaltered sound track. Its also interesting how the receiver can take a stereo CD and produce effects on the surround speakers; mainly the music minus vocals, but also things like echoes. For parties, there is also the 6 channel stereo mode to fill the room with music.
Movies; that's what we really bought ours for, and it really shines! My wife was pretty indifferent about the whole thing; she didn't really care. She honestly believed that it would be my toy, with no effect on her whatsoever. She's the first to admit she was wrong! It has also been simple enough to use that she has no trouble using it. The surround sound is terrific, and going to the movies is something we now do just go out; no longer because it's better.
We've thrown everything from Terminator2, Top Gun and Lord of the Rings to Jerry Maguire and Princes Bride... over 120 movies... and it does nothing but impress. Likewise, Metallica, Bon Jovi, David Grey, Blue Man Group, Nine Inch Nail, Tori Amos, Dixie Chicks... all sound excellent!
This is all with our current and mediocre Boston Acoustics HD8 bookshelf speakers, which lack in the midrange. Our Paradigm CC-270 Center vastly improved movies, and we only expect things to get better when we acquire new Paradigm front mains.
