My journey into HDMI begins with this amp.
As some of you know, I have long sat on the sidelines with my legacy HDMI-less AV amp.
Why didn’t I change my amp earlier, simply because I bought this new amp not so much as a replacement but an add-on processor for the new sound formats and also as a HDMI switcher for my Hi Def players, the XE1 HD DVD player and the potential acquisition of a BR player.

My analogue / audio –centric components will still be hooked up to my SR 12, which I have found difficult to replace without spending a princely sum. I have found that speakers and power amps keep their value better, but AV amps tend to loss their value rather precipitously.

Considering the features and functions it contains, I consider it the cheapest AV processor right now with pre-outs. This will be connected to my Pioneer HD ready 507.

Links to problems and issues plus features of this amp are provided here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=995796

The features:

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/product...mp;CTID=5000300


HDMI upconversion of all analog souces. 1080p60hz, 1080p24hz support, Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio support. Even has a surprise output for 2 subwoofers with possibly seperate level controls!

RX-V663BL 7.2-Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver NOTE: The HTR 6160 is the same receiver as the V663!
High-Performance Home Theater Receiver features full support for HD audio formats, HDMI video up-conversion and de-interlacing, iPod and Bluetooth audio compatibility, improved YPAO, Adaptive DRC (Dynamic Range Control), multi-zone custom installation facility, and four SCENE buttons.
MAIN FEATURES
High Sound Quality
HD Audio format support: Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio
7-channel 665W powerful surround sound (95W x 7)
Digital ToP-ART and High Current Amplification
Pure Direct for higher fidelity sound reproduction
Burr-Brown 192kHz/24-bit DACs used in all channels
Assignable amplifiers for bi-amp connection
Advanced Features
4 SCENE buttons offering greater operating ease (with 18 preset SCENE templates)
XM ready with XM HD Surround powered by Neural Surround
SIRIUS Satellite Radio ready
Improved YPAO for automatic speaker setup
iPod compatibility via Yamaha Universal Dock
Bluetooth (A2DP) compatibility with Yamaha Bluetooth® Wireless Audio Receiver (YBA-10)
Superior multi-zone control compatibility
High Picture Quality
1080p-compatible HDMI (2 in/1 out)
Supports Deep Color (up to 36 bit), x.v.Color, a double speed Refresh Rates of 120Hz and 1080p/24Hz transmission, and Auto Lip-Sync compenzation
Analog video to HDMI digital video upconversion and deinterlacing with TBC Surround Realism
• Fine-tuned CINEMA DSP and Adaptive DSP level
Improved Compressed Music Enhancer
Adaptive DRC (Dynamic Range Control)
Other Notable Features
XM Satellite Radio ready with XM HD Surround powered by Neural Surround
SIRIUS Satellite Radio ready
40-station preset tuning / Auto preset tuning
HD Audio LPCM 7.1-channel reception (up to 192kHz)
High dynamic power and Linear Damping
Low Jitter PLL Circuitry
Assignable amplifiers for bi-amp connection
Initial Volume and Maximum Volume Setting
iPod song titles displayed in English and Western European languages ISO 8859-1 (Latin 1) on the front panel and on-screen display
SILENT CINEMA and Virtual CINEMA DSP
Dialogue Lift for dialogue to screen center
Preout terminals for front, center, surround and surround back, and dual mono subwoofer out
9 selectable subwoofer crossover frequencies
Subwoofer phase select
8-channel or 6-channel external input
Speaker A, B, A+B selection
Preset remote unit

Yamaha RX-V663 Official Website
Yamaha RX-V663 Manual

http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/av/eng...e/RX-V663_U.pdf


The best advice I can give you is to first read the manual, then this FAQ, then ask your question if you still don't understand. In fact, I will label each section of this FAQ with the appropriate pages of the manual so you can do your own research. Almost all of my advice came from reading the manual and testing stuff out. Some members (not including myself actually) are bothered by simple questions, so please show some courtesy and try to figure out your problem first before posting.

INDEX
1. Why buy the 663 over other receivers?
2. Why buy the 663 over the 863?
3. What is the best price I can get?
4. Known issues
5. General Background on HDMI as related to the 663
6. Connection tips
7. Best setup for other devices (TV, DVD, etc.)
8. Yamaha Sound Field Discussion
9. How to optimize your speakers (YPAO)
10. Why is there only (2,5) lights lit up on my receiver when I am using more speakers than that?
11. Should I bi-amp my fronts with the surround back terminals?


1. Why buy the 663 over other receivers?
I will layout why I chose this receiver over the most popular alternatives available when I was shopping. This is really just a summary of what I gathered from reading the respective threads on avsforum.

Onkyo TX-SR605 - This receiver is notorious for speaker popping issues, heat risks, and the inability to matrix 5.1 pcm to 7.1. I was dead set on this before the 663 was announced.

Onkyo TX-SR705 - More expensive, power increase negligible, noticeable hdmi syncing issues, slight heat issue.

Yamaha RX-V661 - No transcoding to hdmi, no internal decoding of TrueHD and DTS-MA

Pioneer 1018 - This receiver isn't out yet, so comparing them is really trivial at this point. Many have opted to wait for this instead, though.


2. Why buy the 663 over the 863?
Price. Why spend $400 more for one extra hdmi input, a negligible amount of power, a phono input, and upconversion to 1080p? It just isn't worth it, especially at this price point. See this thread for why upconversion/upscaling is generally a joke. Long story short: regular DVD content is 480i, your TV most likely already scales the signal anyway, everything else is just making up info where it wasn't before.


3. What is the best price I can get?
When this receiver was announced, it was discussed in great detail how to get this receiver for $400 shipped from J&R. You can still do this to this day. Simply phone in your order (price not available online) and request the receiver for $400.

Recently, someone reported purchasing the receiver for $350 shipped from 6ave.com. This may or may not be available, you'll have to check.

It has also been reported that the Best Buy employee discount price is $320, so if you know someone who works in an electronic store...

If you find a price lower than $350 shipped, please check the Yamaha website (link above) to ensure that the seller is an authorized dealer. If not, potential headaches await you if your receiver is faulty. Yamaha only honors their warranty if you bought it from an authorized dealer. Is the warranty really worth $20? I think so, you may disagree.


4. Known Issues
If this receiver decodes a bitstream HD audio source, it cannot matrix it from 5.1 to 7.1. If the source is 7.1, there is no issue. If the player decodes the audio and sends it as PCM, there is no issue. The 5.1 to 7.1 issue only happens when you try to make the receiver decode and matrix. This should only affect you in the future if/when players stop decoding audio and can only send them as bitstream.

When you switch from an analog video source, such as the on screen display (OSD), to a digital source, such as HDMI, your picture may be green or generally discolored. This is an hdcp handshake issue and can easily be resolved by switching to another digital source and back. This problem does not occur every time; in fact, I only see this issue with my 25ft PC DVI->HDMI connection. Others have reported the problem with older cable boxes.

The remote control has 2 power buttons, one for turning on the unit, and one for turning off the unit. This can be troublesome when programming universal remotes. My dish network remote can only turn on the receiver; I can't find a way to program it to turn off the receiver. Harmony remotes can easily be programmed to control both power buttons, so it's not really a big issue, just something to be aware of.

This receiver has been reported to not pass Blacker Than Black. The HDMI standard says that video should use level 16 for black and level 235 for white, but most other receivers do full BTB. This one doesn't.

5. General Background on HDMI as related to the 663
A lot of people ask questions about converting to hdmi, transcoding hdmi, etc. so I thought I'd put my most common answers here.

(19 manual, 23 pdf) You can transcode every possible input except 1080p component (xbox360) to hdmi. You cannot convert hdmi to anything else. This is not a receiver thing, it's an hdmi rule.

(18 manual, 22 pdf) This receiver can upconvert 480i analog to 480p, but it doesn't do any other kind of scaling/upconverting. See thread above about why upscaling is usually a joke anyways.

If you want to have HD audio, such as TrueHD or DTS-MA, you must use hdmi. Optical and coaxial digital do not have the bandwidth to allow hd audio.

Don't worry about buying $80 monster hdmi cables. $6 monoprice cables work just fine.

6. Connection Tips
(93 manual, 97 pdf) Many people are puzzled by the labels on the back of the unit. Every input can actually be renamed and relabelled, so the words on the back are really just guidelines for quick setup. This is not true for analog audio (red/white or Left/Right) and composite sources however; when you call the VCR source, you can only call the vcr analog audio or composite. In other words, You can call any component or digital audio input for the vcr source, but you can only call the vcr analog input. There is no way to reassign analog audio/video sources.
Example: I have a nintendo wii, which has component video and analog audio. I connect the audio to the vcr analog input and renamed the vcr input as "WII". I then assigned Component C to the vcr (WII) source. When I hit the vcr button on my remote, it calls Component C for video and whatever is hooked up to the vcr analog input for audio.

You can reassign more than one video/audio input for each source button, but the higher quality source will always take precedent. Therefore, if you want to use one source button for more than one input, make sure the higher quality unit is turned off when you want to use the lower quality input.
Example: I have my Wii and PS2 hooked up to vcr (PS2 analog (yellow) video to vcr analog video, ps2 optical to optical 3, wii video to component C, wii audio to vcr audio). If both are on at the same time, I will get PS2 optical audio and wii component video.

(100 manual, 104 pdf) Here are my connections for all my devices, which enables me to use the yamaha remote as a universal remote for everything except the PS3.
PS2: Analog VCR Video, Optical 1 Audio. I use the VCR Button on the remote to call this input.
Wii: Component C Video, Analog VCR Audio. I use the VCR Button on the remote to call this input.
PS3: HDMI 1. I use the DVD Button on the remote to call this input.
HTPC: HDMI 2 Video, Coaxial 1 Audio. I use the DTV/CBL* Button on the remote to call this input.
Dish Network DVR: Component B Video, Optical 2 Audio. I use the DVR Button on the remote to call this input.
*I use the DTV/CBL for my HTPC because the remote can only control one unit per source and this is supposed to be set to control your tv. I have nothing to control on the pc with the remote anyways, so it works.
If I had an xbox360, I would connect the video directly to my tv via component to get 1080p, and coaxial to the receiver for audio.

I prefer the source buttons (DVD, DVR, VCR, etc.) to the scene buttons (1,2,3,4). The scene buttons were incredibly frustrating, but you may disagree.

7. Best setup for other devices (TV, DVD, etc.)
For your tv, search avsforum for the best settings for hdmi on your tv. The settings for my Sony KDL-40V3000 are amazing.

For your dvd player (normal, blu-ray, and hddvd), if bitstream is available, use this. Make sure dolby digital and/or DTS are turned on, or you won't get digital audio. This ensures that the audio decoder you are using shows up on the front of the diplay, which a lot of people are worried about. If you use pcm, it won't tell you the decoder you're using because you won't be using a decoder.
One caveat: If your hd audio source is 5.1, but you want 7.1, you must use the player to decode the audio so the receiver can matrix it to 7.1. Switch to pcm to do this.

For your ps3, set it to pcm. The ps3 cannot output truehd as bitstream, so it must do the decoding for you. You cannot get the receiver to show TrueHD on the front panel with the ps3 (it will show the tiny graphic, but not the big letter display).

For your wii, make sure you have the tv type set to 480p and 16:9. The games still look good when transcoded to hdmi, unlike other receivers I've heard of which stretch the video. Also, set the audio to dolby digital PLIIx

For your ps2, I use analog video because the receiver can convert 480i to 480p, so component progressive scan with the ps2 is not necessary. By using analog video, I am able to combine the ps2 and wii in to one source button (vcr in my case). The yamaha remote can control the ps2, in case you were wondering.

8. Yamaha Sound Field Discussion
(72 manual, 76 pdf, yamaha article) The yamaha sound fields use the data collected during YPAO along with the appropriate digital decoder to optimize the sound for your room. I would suggest trying each out for it's respective situation, but if you aren't satisfied, switch to straight or surround decode. I currently have a 5.0 setup but for a few weeks I had a 3.0 setup. I found the sound fields useful when I only had 3 speakers, but now that I have surround speakers I stick almost exclusively to surround decode. I try to minimize as much as possible the amount of processing done to the audio.

If you have 2 channel sources but want more than 2 speakers running them, try surround decode PLIIx. Use Movie for movies/tv and Music for music sources. You don't really lose much by not having speakers for the extra data, but if you want to try to use the extra data try one of the sound fields.

9. How to optimize your speakers (YPAO)
(32 manual, 36 pdf)
Yup, that's all I'm gonna tell you. Completely described in the manual.

10. Why is there only (2,5) lights lit up on my receiver when I am using more speakers than that?
The lights indicate the input channels, not what's being output. This let's you know if you're getting the dolby digital or truehd you want, not whether you are using them effectively.

11. Should I bi-amp my fronts with the surround back terminals?
Read this article to see if it is practical for you to do it. I didn't feel like doing internal surgery on my speakers, so I left it alone.


Right now you can get it locally for $8xx, eg at KEC, but since I was travelling in USA, I managed to score a set 110v of course at a nice price. The lowest recorded price in AVS was $350 and that is much better than what I got, I won’t be posting my price, but I still got a chunk off the local price.

How about the problem of voltage? I would not advice new users to get a 110v just to go cheap, but in my case I am using it as a processor so the current drain and the effect of the transformer on this will be minimal. Now after importing a few 110v items from USA, I feel comfortable using this.

I will be putting my Belkin power conditioner between this and the New Star 500W or 1000W transformer.

The nice things for me about the new amp are:

- front presence speakers
- YPAO – always wanted to try it but I will also manually calibrated my system
- New loss formats – TruHD and DTS-MA
- The 4 scenes buttons
- DSP modes for sheer fun
- HDMI OSD
- Not afflicted by the DTS-MA bomb (popping sound)


I am not concerned about the lack of a upscaling chip and prefer this, as my sources will be in full HD anyway and require no further processing.



Other forums:

http://forums.highdefdigest.com/showthread.php?p=756393

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=375032

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=995796


So after hauling this baby across Florida to Philadelphia and finally to New York, I have developed fairly muscular arms.

So I finally get it home to setup:

Some background info:

As some of you many know, I have a dip in the 28--32 Hz region, which I identified through a room frequency sweep. Moving the sub improved things a bit (thanks bass meister)

But the bass meister's advice was to add more to this region. Since I managed to score a Velodyne miniVee for a really good deal in USA, I will use this to pad things up a bit.

My hookup:
For my equipment list, please see my signature

Yamaha RXV 663 as a pre-processor --- to --- Marantz SR 12 as a power amp via the 7 analogue inputs in 'direct mode'. Input volumes set at 0 db.

The SR 12 will continue to function as my main stereo amp, with the CD player and other non Hi Def components connection to it. My main speakers i.e. all speakers except the subwoofers will also be connected to the Marantz.

Toshiba XE1 & most likely a PS 3 via HDMI to the Yamaha. They will also be connected with digital optical and coaxial to the Marantz.

The two subs will have a direct input from the Yamaha to one of their inputs. In addition, I will also patch a cable from my plasma sub out to the SVS. The second input to the Velodyne will be from my Marantz for times when I use the Marantz only.

So my ops plan:

- pre setup --- get home

- phase I

hookup the spagetti mess and use the YPAO auto-setup
I will use the front setting since my front 3 speakers are fair better than the rest

- phase II

check the YPAO settings and tweak as needed esp the distances and crossover

- phase III

get bass meisters to help

- phase IV

re tweak the system and sub position in a few weeks.

YPAO:

Calibration:
The YPAO system is pretty accurate, getting the distances, phase and speaker type right mostly but the crossover was too high at 120Hz

The test tones took less than 5 mins

Within minutes I had DTS-MA from my XE1 playing Terminator II running. Not bad.

The marvel of new technology when it works is lovely. I deliberately waited until the HDMI business was into its 3rd or 4th iteration before jumping onto the bandwagon and the stability of the Yamaha 663 platform shows. Synchronisation is simple and smooth.

Connections:

I use Mogami cables from the pre-outs of the Yamaha to my Marantz

Audioquest subwoofer cables and a 'tan ah kow' brand - will be getting some more later

Monoprice HDMI cables

Xindak, Furatech and Wireworld power cables

Newstar 2000w 'reverso' transformer which can do 110 to 220 and vice versa.
I run the current to a Belkin Power conditioner the PF 30 to clean up the power after the transformer before i plug in my Yamaha and Velodyne.


The Marantz has a multichannel direct input, and I set the volume at -15db with a +10Db boost across all channels. The Yamaha is set at a volume of -20db for calibration.

So how does it all hang together?

The Yamaha is a fine processor and since it has to only drive a pair of ‘front presence’ speakers, is a calm machine, and all signal changes are smooth and fuss free. The words on the amp display are legible and the controls intuitive. I wish that there was a menu pad on the amp itself, so you do not only rely on the remote.

Speaking of the remote, my USA model will be slightly different from the local one, mainly in the absence of a switch at the side and opting for some re-arrangement of control. Otherwise it falls into my palm quite nicely for a one hand operation.

Tomorrow when I am less jet lagged, I will continue with the description of the sound quality etc….

Great review pete, my son is looking at this avr

I realised that your price on the amps are quoted in US dollars. Yamaha does not perform international warranty. Also You have acount shipping charges. If your amp is faulty it might cost you 2 x shipping charges each time they fix your amp.

I prefer to buy it from a local aussie reseller.

Well aussie prices are not cheap.

I brought mine back from the states for a grand total of USD 423 with tax. You decide what is best for you. I am not selling these amps. Just giving my thougts on my purchase.

I am using this mainly for movies, and have no illusions about its audio capabilities. No matter how magazines may wax lyrically about its musical capabilities or you see how well lauded it is on owner’s threads in USA, when you compare it to a real stereo amp, or even to my Marantz, it is a toaster.

But in HT, this becomes a force of marvel. I debated buying the Emotiva, or a dedicated pre-processor from the like of Integra as well, but this amp comes at a sweet price dollar point. Technology is quickly superceded, so I wouldn’t grab the most expensive AV amp anymore, since you are paying a premium for technology. When it filters down to a low range model like this one, the scale of volume takes over and you can see a whole list of sweet features like Burr Brown chips, lossless decoding, twin sub outputs, YPAO autosetup and many more. I can easily upgrade this with less holes in my pocket than an Integra and still hold onto my Marantz for audio playback.

When you pop in a normal disc, the effects are quick and well steering. There are almost endless tweaking options, and those DSPs heaven forbid, actually sound pretty decent in certain situations. However for real movies and hi def, I still prefer “straight” mode with no extra tweaks, except to use the front presence speakers, which do their part to add more ambience and air to an atmospheric movie. The HDMI switching works well, and is pretty much free of the bugs plaguing the earlier generation of HDMI implementations.

In lossless listening an viewing of movies. Compared to a SD DVD, the soundtrack is softer, but when you use the same volume, there are more nuances to be heard. Little bits of sound bytes, twinkling of keys and other ambient sounds come through easily and big blasts and booms are also well defined. However the difference is not night and day, and those with legacy amps should not loss too much sleep.

I wish I could see the volume and signal info on screen (you need to press ‘menu’ and it will stop the HDMI transmission), and I wish I could matrix bit stream hi def signals, but it’s a small issue.

Also you can choose sound from your HT speakers or the flatscreen panel, but not both.

So is it worth buying? Well I had a supremely good price, and for the price of a few good meals and wine, I have a new amp which also keeps my Marantz in use, and brings me up to speed on the latest technology, so it is a no brainer for me.

At Aus 1k or so, you need to line it up against the local competition. The Onkyo 606 has decent reviews and the older 605 is also well regarded. None of these threesome are really powerful and are best in smaller rooms or aided by a decent subwoofer, but IMO the Yamaha is a better option than these and the more costly offerings from Denon, Marantz etc and represents a fine value for money if one is looking to get into Hi Def HT.

A pic of my setup:
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x244/pe...iroom080508.jpg

Yes... the dollies are still there...

Whats the measured output of it compared to the rated?

Err... I am not a professional reviewer, I do not measure the output...

But, with 8200mF times 2 in capacitance, I am not holding my breath. However when supplement by a subwoofer or so, I think if you live in a pidgeon hole in the city, it will be fine, if you live out west in a big home, then you will need help

The sonic signature is as I remember Yamaha. Clinically neutral, which is pretty ideal for HT, but a tad dry and sexless for music. I will defintely be using my current Marantz based setup for music.

In HT though, the pinpoint and clear sound effects impress, probably because of the new geneneration processors built in. Play Hi Def is a joy to behold, and you can be easily immerse in the movie.

The 663 uses the Silicon Image chip 9135 for its HDMI functions, and the 863 adds a SI 9185 3:1 switch.

http://www.siliconimage.com/products/product.aspx?id=109

Quote
The VastLane SiI9135 is an advanced, dual-input HDMI 1.3 receiver designed for high-definition (HD) digital A/V receivers. The SiI9135 supports the latest HD audio formats, allowing customers to experience the ultimate surround sound experience. The support for HBR audio enables A/V receivers to decode compressed lossless audio formats such as Dolby® True HD and DTS-HD™ to deliver a rich digital audio experience. Dolby True HD and DTS-HD are the next generation lossless audio formats for the high definition disc media such as HD DVD and Blu-ray discs.

Applications: A/V Receivers

He wasnt having a go at you mate, just clarifying some pitfalls.

Ok... sure
But actually even at Oz prices, it still remains the cheapest way to drag a good legacy amp into the HDMI age.
And at its price, you won't feel so bad when it gets outdated unlike the Integra or the other amps I was looking at. A real no brainer, voltage or warranty issues taken into account.

I look forward to plonking in all my classic hits every day when I get home.

Oh, for cold winter nights, the 2000W transformer is a nice thing to place your feet on....

Could anyone tell me how the sound of the new 663 would compare to an old rxv-690 . I bought it new 10+years ago and replaced it with an onkyo amp to get dolby digital a few years ago . To my ears the Onkyo sounds weak and tinny compared to the more powerfull meaty sound of the 690 . I've got Energy 4.5 speakers up front , MS20's for rears infinity centre and energy sub . Recently purchased an LCD (1080p) and the HDMI upscaling sounds appealing but if i'm going to splash out I'd like an improvement on the sound that my crappy Onky ouputs out . To be honest my old Yammy in pro logic is a much better listening experience than my Onkyo in Dolby Digital for movies and the Yammy blows the Onkyo out of the water for straight stereo .

Unless you can find someone who has both, thats hard to tell isn't it?

As I mentioned, I don't put a lot into the audio capabilities of a budget amp, but I am comparing to my Marantz SR 12.

Just got my PS 3 and hooked this up to the Yamaha. I tried Tru HD, LPCM and LPCM 7.1
The effects are clear, well positioned and the dialogue is crisp. A solid cinema machine.

Top review petetherock.

The RXV-663 is now on my hit list.

Cheers
Struggo

For those who asked me about the whole 2 HDMI input 'problem' - hey just buy a switcher and viola! Cheapest level 6 AV amp with pre-outs...

Mate $400!!? I saw it at JB for $1025.. what a rort.

If that phone order thing is not too complicated, I will definately take advantage of that..

edit:: damn just read its US prices.

so what are the prices locally?

also this will definately give me HD sound for PS3 blurays right?? how can i check if it is HD?

Press the square knob next to the play button on the PS 3 controller to get OSD from the PS 3

German review of the 663
http://www.areadvd.de/hardware/2008/yamaha_rx_v663.shtml

Note the 6800mF X 2 Capacitors. This amp is not mean for big transients or hard to drive speakers. Partnering it with other components in its price range, then using a subwoofer to take the power sapping bass notes away will help.

Hi Pete,

thanks heaps for the review.

I travel to the US regularly for work, and have been eyeing off the ridiculously lower prices there too.

Any other caveats on bringing one back from the US to AUS? The US website doesn't even mention if its a switch mode power supply - however I assume fixed 110V?


--Q

Before you buy this product read this link first it may concern you

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1010178

Yes, I posted that already....
BTB is someting known, the thing is can you actually See any difference?

I finally had a quiet weekend to do some listening, and use it with some hi def material through my PS 3 and XE1.

I decided to run a full 9.2 channel and give it a thorough workout. My system isn't a bass fiend, despite using 2 subs. Instead, I tend to use it as a good system for surround effects, and careful speaker placement in my tiny room is the key to making this small haven sound better than the local Reading cinema.

To me a good movie is much more than the Boom! The whole air and ambience in a well crafted soundfield is even more vital in creating the mood and suspense required for a solid show.

Clever subtlelities are essential in conveying the emotions. So with my newly calibrated Yamaha as the brain of the operation, feeding the Marantz SR 12 which acts as the muscle, and the whole bunch of speakers, balanced on stands, shelves and all, it seems to hang together quite nicely.

Much of the work is the synergy of the PS 3 and the Yamaha RXV 663 in LPCM + PL IIx mode. In such a lossless sound format mode, there is not just good bass energy, but interestingly enough, to use a audiophile term, detail retrieval. Without desperately cranking up the volume, I can hear details which I could not in the past with a SD DVD. Little ambient noises that add so much to the mood. I find the XE 1 is softer especially when it does bitstream, but once the levels are equalised, it too can deliver more detail. Despite having a set of SHARC DSPs and all, the Yahama DACS seem the equal and do not fare worse, which is remarkable credit to Yamaha, which as a mass manufacturer, can deliver quality bits like the Burr Brown DACs, at such a low price point.

HDMI is a real boon, allowing a single cable to deliver the highest level of lossless decoding currently available and the air afforded by adding PLIIx to the single is effective. The additional effects presence speakers are more hit and miss, depending on how recent the movie is. Newer movies seems to have a deeper involvement of the sound engineer and it shows in the usage of all the rears and surrounds.

Using a smaller room like mine does not allow floorstanders but with good placement and YPAO plus then adjusting the settings, really demonstrates that Yamaha is at the top of the HT game.

For most intent and purposes, the 'Straight' mode will be fine, and add PL II x to that and voila the effect of 7.1 versus 5.1 is evident.

With the current prices in cinemas, it is better to rent a good movie or buy it and invite a few good mates over for a nice movie night....

A German Review:
http://www.areadvd.de/hardware/2008/yamaha_rx_v663.shtml

thanks for review

http://www.guidetohometheater.com/avreceivers/608yam663/



As I expected it works better as a processor, which is what I want

Potential buyers should see if this amp meets their needs.

I use it as a processor with a more powerful amp, so the fact that has a weak power amp section is fine by me, but may not be for you.

I use the "brains" of this amp, and thats the part which got a good review - the decoding.

I was wondering if I could hook up 2 speakers to each channel on zone B with this amp. I have 4 ciling mounted speakers in my living room I use for music so can I hook them all up?
Thanks guys.

You need to check the total impedence (revise your high school physics...)
This is not a powerful amp so I would not want to overstress it with so many speakers IMO

double post

Excellent review and information Pete, really appreciated by someone who is admittedly a novice in the HT game. I just bought my RX-V663 on Sunday, and I probably should have researched a bit better, but I wasn't really intending to buy anything, just look around to see what's out there. Unfortunately my addiction to impulse buying got the better of me. Ended up spending about $850, which compared to the $950 that Harvey Norman was asking I thought I got a good deal, but after reading your review I suppose it wasn't such a great deal after all. Live and learn I suppose.

The salesman told me I would be able to plug the component cable from my Xbox 360 into the unit and use HDMI to output it, but from what you're saying this isn't true. Getting my xbox back from repair shop tonight so will find out for sure, but I'm assuming I'll need to connect xbox directly to my TV's component port and just use the receiver for optical audio right?

I'm really overwhelmed with what this machine is capable of. I've barely made a dint in the manual and already I'm suffering information overload. Like yourself, I'll be using this primarily for movies. I've set up a couple of SCENEs, one for TV watching and one for DVDs. Do you use the SCENE functions?

At the moment I only have a 5.1 speaker setup......would you recommend getting a 6th or 7th speaker? I have a BD, but have noticed there aren't too many 6.1 or 7.1 channel soundtracks, would that be right? Appreciate any info you can give me.

Mate I bought mine in USA, so you cannot compare.
Be happy with what it can do.
You can feed component in, but it does it at 480p, so you may be better off connecting that to the TV direct.
I use a 9.2 setup but 5.1 is fine for most purposes. Enjoy it and build up the system gradually. I would spend more on buying movies and having a good time

Cheers

I intend to mate, thanks for the advice. Just bought some new speakers last night, do you know anything about Accusound? Hopefully get them by Friday, can't wait to have it all set up and watch a few DVDs on the weekend.

mate if you bought the speakers, best not to ask... can't change them right...

LOL ****, that bad eh? Oh well I'll just have to make do I suppose....if there's one thing I do know about A/V equipment it's that you generally get what you pay for, so I'm not expecting Bose quality sound from speakers that cost me well under $1,000. As long as they sound decent I'll be a happy camper

I think you can expect Bose quality....
Thats the point...

Just a few short notes on this:

The dock is much cheaper off amazon, and it has a proprietry connector to the 663. It allows you to use the amp remote to navigate the menus and even display the menu on the TV at 480i.

The interface is an old font, which isn't atractive but does the job.
A nice touch is that you can also see the song title on the amp display.

As for the sound, I will post more, but suffice to say the improved output devices on the Ipod Classic works and couple with the dock and a decent stereo system, it almost makes you wonder why you need a CD player. If you have a good music system it will not embarass itself and will give many hours of fun

Hi Pete, how do you know you are getting "Tru HD, LPCM and LPCM 7.1" etc from
the PS3, when I check the OSD it just say "Linear PCM" while I am playing the "Caino Royal"
BD. The 663 just indicates "PCM".
I am very new to HT so forgive me for the noob questions.

The PS 3 sends out LCPM only.
Press the button on the lower left side of the PS 3 button on your remote or joystick to see what is being decoded.

Pete, just another quick question mate.....

I have Twister on BD, says on the back that it has Dolby TrueHD 5.1, but when I played it nothing came up on the receiver that it was Dolby TrueHD, just says Dolby Digital. Pretty sure I could see the words Dolby TrueHD when I had a look at the unlit lights on the receiver's OSD......is there a setting on the receiver I need to change or is it the BD which is the problem? Thanks.

You need a BR player that sends BISTREAM to the amp to see the Tru HD or DTS-MA light up.
If your player sends LCPM, Nothing lights up.
Not all players can send bitstream, best to check your player manual.

Yep fixed it, thanks for the help mate. Just needed to adjust one of the settings on the BD.

Pete, that's what I am saying, when I press that button, on the top right of the screen it says,

Linear PCM 5.1CH 48 KHz 4.6 Mbps AVC 23.5 Mbps

No mention of True HD, DTS-HDMA etc.
The PS3 is set to Linear PCM over the HDMI. Could this be the Casino Royal disk
it's self .... perhaps it doesn't have the HD audio ?

CR is encoded in LOSSLESS LINEAR PCM
Which is Hi Def audio.
This disc was made when DTS-MA and Tru HD discs were rare.
LPCM takes up more space so less discs are released in this format.

BTW I think you are asking PS 3 and not Yamaha stuff now....

Cheers

Thanks Pete, perhaps it is the CR disk, I will try another.
Yes, It did cross my mind that the question was it bit more PS3 than 663,
but you seem to know your stuff re the two units in conjunction.
I've still got a lot of manual reading to do in relation to the 663, but
so far i'm loving it.
I'ts all a bit daunting at the moment as this is my first venture beyond
a regular 2CH stereo system .... missing my Tanoys already ....
BTW what does the "AVC" stand for ?

Cheers.

I took a quick trip down to the local video shop and grabbed the Simpsons Movie
(the only one I could find that stated DTS-MA on the box) and sure enough, I now
have Master Audio being out put by the PS3 .... I'm happy now.
As you said it still is only displayed as PCM on the 663 but that is OK.
I did have a weird occurence while running through the YPAO, after the first
run through it came up with a warning "W-1:out of phase" for my centre speaker
which according to the manual means that the speaker polarity is incorrect.
I checked it and it was fine. I decided to swap the wires anyway and ran it again
and came up with the same error. I swaped them back to original (correct) and
ran it a third time and this time no errors .... go figure.

Hi cachuk

How are your Accusounds going? I'm thinking of getting these off ebay as well (Ref 6.3 or 8.3). And intend to hook them up to the 663 which I can get for $800.

Thanks

They're going well mate, they have a lot of depth and produce great sound at the lower frequencies. I bought the Ref 6.3, think the only difference between them and the 8.3 was the power, 8.3 are 120watt speakers from memory. I was really impressed with the subwoofer, really compliments the speakers well. The only problem I can see with them is the sound at higher frequencies, especially with "busy" soundtracks like some movies have. I bought Twister on Blu-Ray, which has a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack, and while the low end stuff was awesome it just struggled a bit at the higher end. Music sounds great through them, I've only tried CDs and radio but both sounded good when pumped loud.

Anyway, I think for the price they're a pretty good buy. That said, I'm no audiophile so I could well be talking out of my arse.

They're going well mate, they have a lot of depth and produce great sound at the lower frequencies. I bought the Ref 6.3, think the only difference between them and the 8.3 was the power, 8.3 are 120watt speakers from memory. I was really impressed with the subwoofer, really compliments the speakers well. The only problem I can see with them is the sound at higher frequencies, especially with "busy" soundtracks like some movies have. I bought Twister on Blu-Ray, which has a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack, and while the low end stuff was awesome it just struggled a bit at the higher end. Music sounds great through them, I've only tried CDs and radio but both sounded good when pumped loud.

Anyway, I think for the price they're a pretty good buy. That said, I'm no audiophile so I could well be talking out of my arse.

Thanks. I'm no audiophile either but just want something a little bit better than a HTIB. I see that you can get the 6.3 on ebay for $499 (carton damaged) so that is pretty cheap.

Is that a "Buy It Now" price? If it is, I'd hold out for when they do an auction mate, I got my 6.3 for just over $500, no damage to the carton. Looking back through the history of the seller, they seemed to sell for between $450-$550. Shipping costs a packet, I think it was about $125 but got it virtually overnight.