Yamaha today announced five new Home Theater in-a-box (HTiB) systems supporting HDMI 1.4 and 3D video passthrough.

Yamaha YHT-693 5.1 system

The announced HTiB systems are as follows; all have HDMI 1.4 inputs/outputs and support 3D video passthrough (to be enabled with planned firmware upgrade):

• $399: YHT-393BL
• $449: YHT-493BL
• $549: YHT-593BL
• $649: YHT-693BL
• $849: YHT-893BL

The $549 and up models add Yamaha Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO), which compensates for the acoustic qualities of a room; they also add an iPod dock (which is now iPhone-certified), return audio through HDMI 1.4, and decode all authorized Blu-ray sound formats. The iPod dock is compatible with all systems ($99.95); a Bluetooth receiver is optional ($129).
All announced systems are 5.1 with the exception of the $849 YHT-893BL, which is 7.1. Most of the differences between the models lie in the speakers.
The $399 and $449 model both feature a 5x100W amp, a 100W 8″ sub, and compact two-way woofers, but the $449 model has larger two-way woofers.
The $549 and $649 model use the same 100W 8″ sub but use a slightly more powerful 5x105W amp; the $649 model uses larger 6″ woofers rather than the 2.75″ in the $549 model.

Yamaha YHT-893 7.1 system

The top-end $849 model has a 7x90W amp, and a 100W 10″ sub.
A Blu-ray or DVD player is not included with any of the systems.

A/V Receivers

Yamaha also announced three new A/V receivers (AVRs). The models are as follows:

• $249: RV-V367: 5x100W
• $379: RV-V467: 5x105W
• $479: RX-V567: 7x90W

These receivers are Yamaha’s first to support 3D video passthrough and HDMI 1.4. Feature support includes automatic lip sync, HDMI repeater, 120Hz PC refresh rate support, and 30/36-bit Deep Color compatibility.
Only the top-end $479 model includes 1080p upscaling of analog input formats. The top two models support all authorized Blu-ray sound formats, and YPAO.

Source

The YHT-S400 has a few other goodies included as well. The unit includes 3 HDMI inputs, which are often excluded in home theater systems like this. Yamaha is also heavily promoting their Air Surround Xtreme technology, which is their latest version of simulated surround sound. Other sound tricks are handled with UniVolume, which delivers consistent volume levels, and Extended Stereo, which changes the sound field vis custom sound profiles for movies, sports and music.

The YHT-S400 also supports Yamaha’s YDS-11 universal iPod dock and YBA-10 Bluetooth wireless audio receiver to stream A2DP audio from Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, PCs and Macs.

The Yamaha YHT-S400 is currently available for MSRP $599.95.

In the box

The YHT-591 ships in a single large box, containing separate boxes for the primary components. The receiver is packaged individually, as well as the subwoofer, leaving the front, center, and rear speakers in the last box. Packaging was very good, since the exterior box showed significant signs of wear, but left everything inside unscathed. This even includes Fedex and myself turning the box end over end to move it to its destination. The outside and internal boxes are held together with tape and large packing staples, which may require a bit more effort to open than a standard box.

System Features

• 5-channel 525W powerful surround sound receiver (105W x 5)
• Decoders for HD audio formats: Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master
• Audio; Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
• 3-way speaker drivers (Front & Center) for high power input capacity
• 10” 100W advanced YST ll subwoofer
• 1080p-compatible HDMI (4 in/1 out)
• Rates and Auto Lip-Sync compensation
• SCENE buttons (BD/DVD, TV, CD and Radio) – quick and simple to use
• YPAO sound optimization for automatic speaker setup
• iPod compatibility via optional YDS-11 Universal Dock
• Bluetooth (A2DP) compatibility with optional Yamaha Bluetooth®
• Wireless Audio Receiver YBA-10
• Front panel mini jack for connecting portable audio player
• 40-station preset tuning / Auto preset tuning
• CINEMA DSP (17 DSP programs) with Adaptive DSP Level
• Adaptive DRC (Dynamic Range Control)
• SILENT CINEMA and Virtual CINEMA DSP

The Yamaha YHT-591 follows a standard home theater system all-black theme, including the speakers and speaker grills. The receiver has a lightly polished front face, with black buttons and gold-plated connectors. The display on the receiver is white dot-matrix, and closely resembles some of my other home theatre equipment. On the opposite end the receiver has plenty of inputs for all of your external devices, including four HDMI inputs with audio decoding capabilities. Also included are 2 component video inputs, 4 composite video in, and optional support for A2DP Bluetooth audio and universal iPod dock.

The port selection covered most of my needs, but I still use an additional HDMI switch because I have 7 devices with HDMI-out. For the average home with a Blu-ray player, computer that supports HDMI out, HDTV cable or satellite, and game console this receiver has you pretty well covered.

The included speakers are pretty nice, with 5-driver front and center speakers, and 3 driver surround speakers. The primary drivers for each speaker are 2.25” woofers, with a single .75” tweeter. The subwoofer incorporates a 10” driver. All the speakers not including the subwoofer have mounting points to connect to aftermarket speaker stands, and hangers for wall mounting. Yamaha covers all their bases with this approach, so any customer can adapt this system to components they already own.

Setup and Performance

Setup was very simple once each individual component was removed from the box and sorted. All of the speakers except the subwoofer include threaded holes for wall mounts and speaker stands. Yamaha also provides small circular pads to support the front speakers, if you want them to be floor or desk standing. For ease of installation I don’t like the continuous spool of wire and instructions to “cut to length”, since that adds time to cut the wire, strip the ends, and also expects that anyone buying this kit will have a pair of wire cutters on hand. Since the speakers offer standard spring loaded slots to hold the wire, I used wire already in place at my home to hookup the system.

Once the speakers are located where you want them to be, you can either manually calibrate each speaker to equalize volume, or use a handy included microphone to let the system configure itself. With the microphone placed near your seating area, you run the auto speaker setup program, which makes each speaker emit a special sound, going around until each speaker is at the same power level. This utility also checks for proper speaker connection, and notifies you if a speaker is wired incorrectly.

During my review I used the YHT-591 with a variety of HDMI sources, including an Xbox 360 with games and Netflix, satellite receiver, Blu-ray player, and a computer connected through an optical digital audio cable. Switching to each source the receiver was quick to pick up the signal, only having a delay of about 1 second before it recognized the input and started playing the audio. I enjoyed using the “direct input” for all of my music sources, since that leaves the processing to the source, and leaves the audio track untouched in terms of modification. If you want to adjust how each source sounds, Yamaha includes an extensive selection of presets with its audio processor, including settings ranging from Sci-Fi, Adventure, and Drama, all the way to Hall in Munich, Chamber, and The Cellar Club.

Audio quality from the speakers is excellent, with crisp highs and very good low range production with the external subwoofer. I found the range of volume to be excellent with peak levels well above comfortable listening ranges, with the speakers still not distorting. Surround separation was great, especially when you are able to hear footsteps around you indicating an adversary nearby in a video game.

While the primary speakers can be calibrated automatically, you have full adjustment over the subwoofer through controls on its back panel. If you want to give movies or music more punch, you can turn up the volume on that, while leaving the primary speakers untouched. On the flip side if you like in a multi-family dwelling such as an apartment or condo, you can turn it down to levels that might not disturb the neighbors while you are enjoying the latest action movie.

Every HDMI audio source worked perfectly except one, with the Dish Network satellite receiver being the culprit. Every 10-15 minutes a glitch would interrupt the audio of a movie or TV show, causing a “clip” or pause in the audio stream. Before this system I only had it connected via component video cables and RCA audio jacks, so I am pretty sure it was the fault of the box, and not the home theate system.

Conclusion

The Yamaha YHT-591 is a very nice Home Theater in a Box system, offering a great looking 5 channel speaker system with a 10” external subwoofer. The receiver supports full HDMI audio decoding, instead of simple HDMI switching like other models. This means you can have truly single cable hookups for most of your home theater devices, with HDMI connecting HD media players to the receiver and HDMI passing the video to your TV. Overall sound quality was excellent and the speakers offer a multitude of mounting options that make it easy to install this system in any environment. With a MSRP of $649 this system is pricey compared to other options, but with internal HDMI audio-decoding I think the price is very reasonable.

Pros

• Affordable price for a system that can handle HDMI-audio
• Great sounding speakers
• Easy to setup

Cons

• You need to cut speaker wire to length

4.5 out of 5 stars – Editor’s Choice

When the Yamaha neoHD system is powered on, the media controller and TV power up and start the user with a simple menu that has three options; “Watch,” “Listen,” or “Play.” From there the user selects a more specific activity like; Watch Movie or Watch Live TV. Depending on the option selected, the proper components turn on and will appear on the screen. They’ll also be manageable by the neoHD remote control. neoHD can control up to six AV components through its remote control and three IR outputs on the Media Controller’s back panel. For quick setup, remote control codes from most manufacturers are embedded into the neoHD Media Controller.

The Yamaha neoHD comes in several configurations:

• neoHD YMC-500
• neoHD WiFi YMC-700 with WiFi/Ethernet compatibility
• neoHD System 2.1 YMC-S21  - YMC-500 Media Controller with two speakers and subwoofer

All neoHD models feature HD quality audio playback (Dolby TrueHD) and three HDMI inputs. The YMC-700′s WiFi compatibility allows it to wirelessly play back content from PCs, laptops and audio files stored on hard drives. The YMC-700 can also access the Rhapsody online music service and Internet radio and can playback iTunes AAC files via TwonkyMedia Server Software that purchasers have access to via a bundled license key.

Both neoHD Media Controllers, YMC-700 and YMC-500, are currently available for $799.95 and $599.95, respectively. The neoHD System 2.1, YMC-S21 is available for $799.95.

Yamaha DVX-700

In the Box

The box (actually, two boxes) contains the DVD controller unit (DVR-700), two satellite speakers (NS-P700), subwoofer/system control unit (NS-PSW700), indoor FM antenna, remote control with batteries, video pin cable, system control cable, speaker cables, cover with screws (to attach to back of subwoofer to cover wires), two stands for the satellite speakers, and the owner’s manual.

System Features

The first thing that you notice about this system is the white and black color scheme. The DVD player unit has a white top panel and black base. The satellite speakers are half black and half white mesh. Luckily, the subwoofer unit is all black, with a very nice high gloss finish. While the color scheme may not be for everyone, it’s still a very nice looking system.

The DVD player (DVR-700) is svelte, measuring 14.2″ W x 2.7″ H x 8.8″ D and weighing 5.7 pounds. A slot loading drive and minimal buttons complete the styling. As far as connections, there is simply a “system connector” that connects the DVD unit to the subwoofer and then composite, component, and HDMI video output connectors. A USB slot on the front of the device looks kind of bad, but allows you to connect a USB device from which you can play MP3, WMA, or WAV files. This unit also takes care of displaying the status of the system, from input choice, to surround program or FM frequency. The built-in FM tuner can tune across your typical frequency range – from 87.5 MHz to 107.9 MHz.

Back of DVD player unit

The pair of satellite speakers (NS-P700) each contain two 5.5cm woofers and a 2.5cm tweeter. This setup allows for a frequency response of 130Hz – 20kHz and the speakers have a maximum output power of 70W. Excluding stands, which come with the system, each speaker measures 3.7″ W x 7.5″ H x 3.8″ D.

Yamaha DVX-700 w/ speakersBack of DVD player unit

The subwoofer unit is where a lot of the action happens. It’s not tiny, especially compared to the rest of the system, but its measurements are 7.6″ W x 17.7″ H x 15.7″ deep and it weighs about 29 pounds. The subwoofer unit connects to the DVD unit using the system connector cable. The only power cord for the system connects to the subwoofer unit, there isn’t a separate cord for the DVD player unit. The 16.5cm cone in the subwoofer has a frequency response of 35Hz – 130Hz and a power output of 70W. The subwoofer houses all of the input connectors as well. You’ll find the antenna jack, optical audio inputs, RCA audio inputs, coaxial input, “dock” input for the optional iPod dock, Sirius input, and XM input. The satellite speakers connect to the subwoofer unit for their audio signal.

Subwoofer

Back of subwoofer unit

This system has quite a few “optional” features – features that, to take full advantage of, you’ll need to purchase something else. You’ll need to get Sirius or XM docks if you don’t have them yet, and the iPod compatibility is provided via the Yamaha Universal Dock (YDS-11). This system can output audio from Bluetooth source, but you’ll need the Yamaha Bluetooth Wireless Audio Receiver (YBA-10).

Setup and Performance

The compact styling of the DVX-700 system makes it pretty easy to fit just about anywhere. The trick is that the subwoofer unit needs to be within reach of the system control cable, which is 4 meters long. You won’t be able to do much unless that cable is plugged in since it supplies power to the DVD unit. If you can get around that configuration, it’s actually pretty nice to be able to plug everything into the back of the subwoofer. It’s not buried in a cabinet and it even comes with a cover to hide the nest of wires.

Setup is extremely easy. Connect the system control cable to the DVD unit. Connect the video output (HDMI, component, composite) of the DVD player to your TV. Connect the speakers using the included cables and then plug it in. Oh, and don’t forget to put the batteries into the remote. From there, you’re all ready to go.

Once things are all connected, you’ll want to make sure that the DVD player outputs the best video settings for your setup.  You’ll need to use the remote to open the on-screen display, where you can set output resolution, color, and tweak all the image settings (sharpness, brightness, contrast, gamma, hue, chroma level).  You can also use this on-screen display to navigate an inserted disc.

Setting video output

Image adjustments

The remote control is also necessary for you to control the surround program, speaker levels, and settings that optimize audio for your particular room configuration.  There are four surround programs – movie, music, sports, game.  The virtual 7.1 surround sound is courtesy of Yamaha’s Air Surround Xtreme technology.  You can adjust the output of each channel (left, center, right, surround right, surround left, and subwoofer) to your liking.  For example, while watching a movie, I was having a hard time hearing the dialog, so I bumped up the center channel until it worked with my ears.  A “test” mode plays a tone on each “channel” in succession so that you can adjust the levels that way.

You can also adjust the audio field for whether your viewing position is offset (to the left or right) of the system.  Depending on how far apart the satellite speakers are in your setup, you can set the audio for a narrow, regular, or wide field.  The manual explains this well, recommending a normal setting for speakers on either side of a 42″ TV, and narrow for a 32″ TV.

I was very impressed with the overall sound quality from the DVX-700.  I was most impressed with the clean and clear sound that was produced from DVD and CD audio.  The bass can be a bit overwhelming, depending on your room (and what you’re watching or listening to).  My hard floors did nothing to deaden the thump coming from the subwoofer.  However, I’d much rather have more oomph than less, especially when you can dial back the output just a bit – that way you can get it when you want it.

The one area in which I was underwhelmed was the virtual surround sound offered by the system.  During the “test” pattern when the rear “channels” were playing the tone, it did not sound like the tone was coming from behind the viewing position.  I played with speaker angles and the different settings on the system, but had no luck improving things.  The surround effect is just not strong enough to make you look over your shoulder when you hear a particularly creepy and unexpected sound from the rear channel.  The Air Surround Xtreme technology is certainly better than no surround at all, just not as impressive as I was hoping with the price tag on this system.

Conclusion

If your entertainment space is limited or does not lend itself toward installing a full 5.1 or 7.1 channel home theater system, there are a lot of options on the market to provide virtual surround sound, including the 2.1 channel Yamaha DVX-700.  A list price of $1200 puts this system near the top-end of the market for systems like this.  It certainly has high end styling and features, but a less-than-convincing surround sound makes it tough to get over the sticker shock.  Build quality is excellent.  The design is stylish and compact, but the black and white design scheme won’t appeal to everyone.  Audio quality, is very good, if not excellent – it’s just that the virtual surround provided by the Yamaha Air Surround Xtreme technology on this system is underwhelming.

3 out of 5 stars

All four HTiB systems are designed to be easy to use and include features like Yamaha’s Scene Modes, which let consumers press a single button to instantly fire up the system and select the proper input and surround sound combinations. They all also work with Yamaha’s optional iPod dock and wireless Bluetooth receiver. 

All systems are available now and replace the prior equivalent models, YHT-790, YHT-690, YHT-590 and YHT-390. 

Yamaha YHT-791

The Yamaha YHT-791 is a 7.1 channel system that pushes 90 watts per channel to the two-way satellite speakers while delivering 100 watts to the YST II powered 10″ subwoofer. The receiver features four 1080p compatible HDMI inputs. Supporting those is HD audio decoding that supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio. The system also features 1080p upscaling and Auto Lip-Sync compensation to make sure the audio and video align perfectly. The YHT-791 also comes with the YDS-11 iPod dock.

The Yamaha YHT-791 retails for $849.95.

Yamaha YHT-591

The Yamaha YHT-591 features the same audio decoders as the YHT-791, but in a 5.1 channel package. The receiver pumps out 105 watts per channel to a three-way front and center bass reflex speakers and two-way surrounds. The system shares the same YST II 10″ 100 watt subwoofer from the YHT-791. The receiver also features 4 HDMI inputs and automatic speaker setup.

The Yamaha YHT-591 retails for $649.95.

Yamaha YHT-491

The Yamaha YHT-491 includes a 5-channel receiver that comes paired with slim bass reflex tower speakers  for the front left and right, a two-way acoustic suspension center and two-way bass reflex surrounds. The system also comes with an 8″ 100 watt subwoofer and features 1080p HDMI switching with two inputs and one output.

The Yamaha YHT-491 retails for $549.95.

Yamaha YHT-391

At the entry-level is the Yamaha YHT-391, which is a 5.1 system with 100 watt acoustic suspension two-way satellites and an 8″ 100 watt subwoofer. 

The Yamaha YHT-391 retails for $399.95.

UPDATE – 7/6/09 – Yamaha YHT-591 Review Posted

Yamaha DVX-700

Features Overview

• FM tuner, Sirius ready, XM ready
• Slot-load DVD player
• Capability to plug in a USB drive for MP3, WAV, and MWV playback
• Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic II compatibility
• iPod compatibility via optional Yamaha Universal Dock (YDS-11)
• Bluetooth (A2DP) compatibility with Yamaha Bluetooth® Wireless Audio Receiver (YBA-10)
• Left and right speakers – 70W total output from two 5.5cm woofers and one 2.5cm tweeter (in each unit)
• Subwoofer – 70W total output from 16.5cm cone

First Thoughts

As we haven’t really gotten in-depth with the product yet, my first thoughts will be centered mostly around the initial setup and design of the DVX-700.  Design-wise, the system looks good, but may have a polarizing effect.  The “ebony and ivory” design scheme, where the top panel of the DVD player and half of the satellite speakers are white while everything is black, is certainly not going to appeal to everyone’s taste or fit in every decor.   The subwoofer and bottom two-thirds of the DVD player are a piano-gloss black.  The top of the DVD player is a matte, pure white panel.  The matte finish hides fingerprints, but just doesn’t fit in with every set-up.  The satellite speakers are covered with mesh – half white and half black.

Yamaha DVX-700 w/ speakers

Besides the color scheme, the build quality is excellent.  The DVD player unit is compact, solid, and built with an overhang on the back to help conceal the wiring.  The subwoofer unit is relatively bulky, but still solid and well built, with a sturdy external case, metal backplane, and nice rubber feet.

Setup was very straightforward.  The subwoofer unit is really the “central” unit in this system.  The DVD player gets its power and sends audio output over the “system control cable”, which is attached to the subwoofer.  Its only other connection is the video output to your TV.  The subwoofer unit gets plugged into your AC outlet and houses all of the connections, from the speaker cables to all of the inputs and the antenna.  On the back of the subwoofer, you’ll find the antenna jack, optical audio inputs, RCA audio inputs, coaxial input, “dock” input for the optional iPod dock, Sirius input, XM input, and left and right speaker output.  If you do have a lot of wires connected, there is an included cover that can be screwed onto the back of the subwoofer to cover things up.

So for me, I had just a few connections – HDMI cable to TV, audio output from TV to subwoofer, the control cable between subwoofer and DVD player, and the speaker connections – to do, and I was up and running.

Conclusion

So far, I’m pretty impressed with the sytem, although am still a little shocked at its sticker price ($1199.99).  Over the next few weeks, we’ll dig in to the manual, play with settings, run through the feature list to see how things work, and examine its audio quality to see if it’s a smart buy.  Stay tuned!

The DVX-700 does its best to make sure listeners get the sound they want from this small system. The system features HDMI digital output and 1080p video upscaling from the included DVD player. The simulated surround sound system comes with four modes (Movie, Music, Sports and Game) and supports three speaker position modes (Narrow, Normal and Wide) to get the best sound for your space.

The two satellite speakers are 70 watts each and contain a 2 1/8-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter. For bass, the 70 watt subwoofer features a 6 1/2-inch driver.The speakers include removable stands and are wall-mountable with vertical and horizontal placement capability. 

The system offers a polished black and white finish that will blend well with more contemporary home theater designs. The biggest down side is the price, coming in at an MSRP of $1200. With no Blu-ray and only 2 satellites to deliver simulated surround sound, we’re a bit cautious. Nevertheless, Yamaha has a track record of delivering great sound out of small packages, so we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt until we see the system close up.