Yamaha RXV-659 Receiver

7.1 Channels, 130 W/Channel, 0.06% THD, Supports 8 Devices - MPN: RXV659

Description: Yamaha RX-V659 Digital Home Theater Receiver features 7.1-channel, 700W Powerful Surround Sound, Digital ToP-ART and High Current Amplification, Burr-Brown 192 kHz/24-Bit DACs, Frequency Response: 10 Hz100 kHz, XM Radio/iPod Ready

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jnmfox from UT

Member Since
Oct 2004

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User has 3 Days of experience with this product

Incredible quality, power, and features for the price

Strengths:

Understated watts per channel output, quality internal components, video up scaling via component, great great value, warm Yamaha sound quality.

Weaknesses:

No HDMI (but if you know this going in it isn’t really a con, especially considering the price)

Posted Apr 4, 2007 - If you want to read a comprehensive review go to the audioholics website. They take a complete look at this receiver and show why it is one of the best values you will find in the market. Yamaha actually understated the power delivered per channel, normally you will see manufactures do the opposite and overstate the power delivered. It seemed that cnet was trying to compare this receiver to ones that cost 2x or 3x and much. For the price this receiver can’t be beat. For the price you can understand why Yamaha didn’t include HDMI, plus if you really want HDMI you should get a receiver that supports HDMI v1.3. Currently any receiver that does support v1.3 is 3x to 5x more expensive. When choosing a a/v receiver do your self a favor and go listen to some at a store. One the same speakers different receivers will sound different. Personally I like the “warm” sound of Yamahas or the “strong” sound of Denon and Onkyo. The poster who had problems with the bass output obviously set-up his receiver incorrectly. The high-pass or low-pass filter was set wrong or the crossover was set incorrectly. If you want strong bass you almost always need a sub. Read some of the other reviews that are out there and compare it to other receivers in its class and I think you will see what a great value this receiver truly is. If you’re willing to spend more look at the Denon 2807.

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wdouglasmith

Member Since
Jul 2006

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User has 6 Weeks of experience with this product

Feature rich, but not very intuitive

Strengths:

Optimizer jack/mic with auto setup; reassignable inputs/outputs; 7.1 channel audio; on screen display (OSD)

Weaknesses:

Front panel display size could be larger; remote is cluttered; selection of signal processing is not intuitive

Posted Mar 13, 2007 - If you are looking for a reasonably priced, non-HDMI consumer receiver, this receiver is a great choice. These is a bit of a learning curve, however, to take full advantage of its features (and the manual, though very detailed, is not always helpful). Some examples where the operation is confusing: 1. It's not clear that the receiver auto-detects the native signal processing of the source, though it does display the source signal processing (e.g., Dolby Digital, Pro Logic, etc.) when the soundfields are off. The manual does not explain this very well. It is logical for the receiver to work this way, but there is no clear indication that the receiver is processing the native signal as opposed to using a soundfield. 2. The OSD is a very basic text-only menu system. The UI was obviously designed by an engineer. I was having difficulty understanding how to reassign the digital inputs when I accidentally discovered that there were more options below when I pressed the down arrow on the remote. There was no indication that there was a second page with more settings. Now it made sense how to reassign the inputs. The manual showed additional screens, but not how to access them. Despite some frustration trying to understand the signal processing and how to reassign the inputs, I really like this receiver. The auto setup of the speakers using the optimizer function and included mic is a real time saver, and you can tweak the auto settings (checks polarity of wiring, distance of speakers, acoustics of room, etc.). You can even tweak the the soundfields as well. The sound quality is what you would expect from Yamaha. Additional features that appealed to me: a) Up-conversion of composite and S-video to component video b) Ability to rename inputs (front panel display) c) Support for external amplifiers d) Turntable inputs e) Built-in XM radio (subscription required) f) iPod control through dock (sold separately) g) Volume displayed in dB (no guessing as to the actual level) h) Sleep timer (120, 90, 60, 30 minutes) i) Ability to listen to different audio source from the video

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Lawrence W. from NC

Member Since
Jun 2006

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User has 28 Days of experience with this product

Happy in Hickory

Strengths:

A lot of Receiver and features for the money. Sounds great.

Weaknesses:

Digital Surround sound selection is a little confusing.

Posted Feb 6, 2007 - Excellent receiver, easy to setup and great sound. More features than I'll every use. Automatic setup of the speakers with the included microphone was very easy. Included remote works well with my other components and is well laid out.

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jgreene2001

Member Since
Jun 2006

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User has 4 Days of experience with this product

Great Product, New Yamaha RX-V659

Strengths:

multiple inputs and outputs great signal processing and 7.1 decoding 4 optical inputs including one on the front panel 2 digital coxial inputs pure direct sound processing great sounding receiver

Weaknesses:

none so far, maybe the remote has a funny layout, but in terms of the sound quality. The receiver is top notch.

Posted Jul 10, 2006 - I was looking for a nice mid-priced receiver to finish my new HD system. This Yamaha listed for quite a bit more than I actually ended up spending. (List $500, Web $350) It's been great, offers all the surround sound modes and has multiple input and output functions that are assignable. It also comes with the mic to optimize your rooms sound but I have yet to use this feature. A great receiver for sub-400 bucks, sound is great, and it's a step up from the HTR series which they sell out of the big box retail stores.

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netboyz

Member Since
Jul 2006

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User has 2 Weeks of experience with this product

Big and powerful

Strengths:

Sleek looking design; powerful audio output; plenty of inputs

Weaknesses:

Bulky and heavy, but other than that, none!

Posted Jul 21, 2006 - This is my first Yamaha receiver and I love it. The inputs are clearly marked, the remote is easy to use, the display on the front is hi-tech without being annoying and over the top. Audio output to our 5:1 channel surround is top quality. We have it controlling music to another room (living room), as well as the family room TV/DVD/movie surround sound. Other than the unit being somewhat large and bulky, once you place it in your entertainment center, that complaint goes away. I recommend this!

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westbrook3 from NC

Member Since
Feb 2005

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Another impressive Yamaha receiver

Strengths:

7.1 channel capability, mic allows easily speaker optimization, iPod and XM connectivity, variety of input options

Weaknesses:

larger and heavier than I expected, remote control (while better than previous models) still pales in comparison to Harmony models

Posted Nov 21, 2006 - This is my second mid-range Yamaha receiver (the other is an RX-V620), and I remain impressed. The features of the RXV-659 are a noticeable step up. I'm also excited to utilize the iPod dock capability. Finally, the prices available on the web are significantly lower than the full retail rate. I definitely recommend this receiver!

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Bird50

Member Since
Feb 2008

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User has 4 Weeks of experience with this product

Yamaha RXV-659

Strengths:

A mid to high end receiver for the price of an entry level unit.

Weaknesses:

No HDMI, but if you don't need it who cares. Discontinued unit 661 & more recently 663 replaced it.

Posted Mar 9, 2008 - I couldn't be happier with both the product and the buying experience. I knew ahead of time I was buying a discontinued unit but it was exactly what I wanted. Local stores had the same unit for $100 more.

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jferrario from MI

Member Since
Jan 2008

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User has 7 Days of experience with this product

Yamaha Receiver

Strengths:

Easy set-up. Slick auto speaker set-up. Intuitive controls.

Weaknesses:

Speaker binding posts.

Posted Feb 12, 2008 - Very easy set-up including the auto speaker set-up. Fairly clear controls. The buttons and knobs do what you expect them to do! Use banana plugs for the speaker connections. The binding posts are difficult to screw-down tight. There ARE banana plugs in the market for less than $1.00 each...yes gold plated ones.

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hitechvideo from FL

Member Since
Dec 2007

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User has 30 Days of experience with this product

GREAT VALUE

Strengths:

The Easy setup was so awsome. It has made a difference in audio and video.

Weaknesses:

REMOTE

Posted Jan 14, 2008 - Everything about this receiver is great, except the remote. I did go buy a logitech learning remote and it works it fine. This receiver's audio and video are so good, my father bought one also. He is a receiver snob, he only buys the best. He couldn't say no to the price and the quality. I am glad I bought this one! My wife actually said the same thing, Hurrah for me.

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