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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For Home Theater and Music Listening this Rocks
Pros
Excellent value for a fully loaded receiver; sound processing (Dolby, DTS, DSP) sounds non-synthetic.
Cons
Much more complicated than earlier generations of (plain stereo) receivers.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
With a good choice of speakers the RX-V1300 is great for music from Rock to Classical, and makes home theater surround sound worthwhile.
I was looking for a replacement for an old but high quality simple stereo receiver (part of a failing quad system). I had been unimpressed by the sound quality of surround sound systems in stores, and so hunted carefully through online information about A/V receivers. The (stereo) technical specifications (0.04 % THD etc.) on this unit were good, but it had all of the surround stuff I had found unappealing in other units I had heard in stores. Since most current receivers are A/V receivers (except for mini systems or very expensive audiophile equipment), I decided to try a unit with good standard stereo specs that also seemed to put an emphasis on having all of the "surround stuff" up to the same standards.
With good headphones or a good speaker setup, the tone controls and bass boost (bass extension) can be left off on this receiver. The stereo quality is excellent. The different sound field settings sound "real", not "synthesized." Although some sound processing settings may not be appropriate for some sound sources (or as a matter of taste), there is no hunting around through the controls trying to find one setting that is the only "good" one. The only problem, if it is one, is deciding which sound processing you like best, or plain vanilla stereo. This is also true (I was surprised) for headphone use; for some material, the sound processing produces a rearrangement of the stereo soundstage that is an undistorted improvement of the original audio editing.
The receiver hooks up easily to a TV with audio out jacks. The sound quality is comparable to a movie theater (not as loud, but similar or better quality).
It's worth mentioning that the fold down cover on the front of the unit is completely unlike the easily broken type found on some (older) TV sets. The controls on the front of the unit seem sturdy and look classy; this includes the fold down cover.
The illuminated display is easy to read; there is also an on screen display, which is helpful for some of the more complicated settings.
The settings and controls are much more complicated than a simple stereo, but are actually straight forward to use. A test tone can be used to set the relative loudness level for each speaker. A simple menu lets you set the distance of each speaker from the listening position—the receiver adjusts the delay on each speaker to compensate for room layouts that don't allow the speakers to be in the ideal locations. Advanced custom adjustments can be made to some of the sound field processing settings. Because the unit has so many features, there are many things to learn about it; but most settings, once made, can be forgotten. I should emphasize that you don't need to figure out any mazes for the receiver to sound great; it's completely "listenable" right out of the box. It has many quality options for fine tuning and customizing the sound (kind of like musician meets technician). It sounds so good I have lost interest in fiddling with advanced settings.
With good headphones or a good speaker setup, the tone controls and bass boost (bass extension) can be left off on this receiver. The stereo quality is excellent. The different sound field settings sound "real", not "synthesized." Although some sound processing settings may not be appropriate for some sound sources (or as a matter of taste), there is no hunting around through the controls trying to find one setting that is the only "good" one. The only problem, if it is one, is deciding which sound processing you like best, or plain vanilla stereo. This is also true (I was surprised) for headphone use; for some material, the sound processing produces a rearrangement of the stereo soundstage that is an undistorted improvement of the original audio editing.
The receiver hooks up easily to a TV with audio out jacks. The sound quality is comparable to a movie theater (not as loud, but similar or better quality).
It's worth mentioning that the fold down cover on the front of the unit is completely unlike the easily broken type found on some (older) TV sets. The controls on the front of the unit seem sturdy and look classy; this includes the fold down cover.
The illuminated display is easy to read; there is also an on screen display, which is helpful for some of the more complicated settings.
The settings and controls are much more complicated than a simple stereo, but are actually straight forward to use. A test tone can be used to set the relative loudness level for each speaker. A simple menu lets you set the distance of each speaker from the listening position—the receiver adjusts the delay on each speaker to compensate for room layouts that don't allow the speakers to be in the ideal locations. Advanced custom adjustments can be made to some of the sound field processing settings. Because the unit has so many features, there are many things to learn about it; but most settings, once made, can be forgotten. I should emphasize that you don't need to figure out any mazes for the receiver to sound great; it's completely "listenable" right out of the box. It has many quality options for fine tuning and customizing the sound (kind of like musician meets technician). It sounds so good I have lost interest in fiddling with advanced settings.
