# picked up a used Yamaha RXV667



## mjcmt (Aug 30, 2010)

Not knowing what they are worth, I just purchased a Yamaha RX-V667 receiver from Habitat for Humanities Restore for too much money, I'm embarrassed to say. 
Fortunately I have a YPO mic from a much older Yamaha receiver I had. Now I have to locate the remote for cheap. I only have a part time grocery store job, so I have to watch my expenditures and I don't think I did so well on this purchase. But, I can justify the receiver cost because it will help Habitat build homes for the poor. 

My question, is this a good receiver? I sounds nice to me and I like the basic operation.

Next is finding a cheap bluray player. What is good cheap one to look for with network to subscribe to Netflix? Currently I have a dvd player w/ hdmi out and over the air HDTV for tv programming.

I hoping for some sound advice and encouragement.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

For a decent BluRay player Panasonic makes one for under $80 that will do just fine. 

Your older YAPO mic may not be compatable with this newer receiver even if it plugs in as they are usually made for a specific line.


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## simpjr (Feb 18, 2015)

I'm looking at Yamaha receivers as well...I'd appreciate feedback on their sound. As for the blu ray, you can pick up a Sony BDP-S5200 on ebay for $46


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Yamaha receivers are just fine but as with any manufacturer the low end models tend to be less quality than the higher end ones. It depends on what your looking for?


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## simpjr (Feb 18, 2015)

I have a cambridge audio receiver now which doesn't do HDMI...so I'm looking for a low cost receiver that does HDMI and produces good sound...


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Accessories4less is a good place to get receivers at a reduced cost.


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## simpjr (Feb 18, 2015)

Thx!


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## Chromejob (Feb 19, 2015)

I'm on my fourth or fifth Yamaha amp, because they are one of the few mid range amp makers that still support 6Ω speakers. Very nice feature sets. The RX-V line tends to emphasize audio over a/v, and an enthusiast once told me they have better components - take that with a grain of salt. 

I recently upgraded from a RXV663 to a 775 for the updated HDMI capability (including ARC), and wireless control via Android and iOS apps (which are superb apps, I often control it without using the supplied remote). OP, if you didn't get the remote, check if its supported by one of the apps. The apps will afford you access to about all the menus via the "remote" function.

The 775 also has a web control interface which you can use from any computer browser. 

Both of these require that its on the local LAN via ethernet or an optional wireless adapter. (If you can pick up a cheap router and put it in wireless bridge mode, you might save money. I bought a $20 Asus router at NewEgg with a $10 rebate late last year. Or you can get one of those $20 gaming wireless adapters ... a single device wi-fi to ethernet dongle.)

I love the sound options Yamahas feature. With a 5.1 speaker setup (mine is 5.0, with my mains I don't need a subwoofer), you can channel stereo content to all 5 speakers, you can adjust Dolby ProLogic IIx Music mode to offer a wider center channel than the Movie mode, and for the big bonus ... if you disable treble & bass tone controls, those circuits are bypassed. For the absolute minimum in receiver processing, Pure Direct mode sends the straight unmodified audio right to the speakers, bypassing much of the internal circuitry. 

OP, if you didnt get the manuals with your receiver, download the easy setup sheet and user manual from Yamaha, do that now. It will better inform you of your model's capabilities. If the 667 takes a YPAO microphone for automated setup, and it wasnt included, I suggest buying one. It will provide some baseline settings for speaker levels based on what you have. [Oops, I overlooked that you had one already. Should have warned you about disabling the YPAO EQ settings after automated setup.]

BD players are cheap, I would get a well-reviewed model at a big box store that has a good return policy. Get one with HDMI output at a minimum. Costco for instance has a great return and support policy (they extend manufacturer warranties by a year, free). For streaming services, consider a Roku, Chromecast (needs an Android or iOS device), or Amazon Fire TV Stick. 

Hope this helps. I joined the forum to answer these questions. 


// Tapatalk on iPad Mini - Misspelling courtesy of Logitech folio kybd //


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## mjcmt (Aug 30, 2010)

After using the rxv667 with the 5 speakers eq'd using the yapo mic I found the sound balanced but a little thin. Though it is 90w x 7, I found the sound lacked the authority and drive of my 100w x 2 Denon dra685.
I therefore got rid of the Yamaha and my wife and I are much happier listening to 2 channel, because of the more involving and fuller bodied sound. This is my second avr I've tried for a while, so I don't think I will be happy with surround sound unless I get a separate processor and 5 channel power amp. Because of the much larger investment for this kind of 5.1 system, I would rather spend a little more on a better 2 channel integrated amp.


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## Chromejob (Feb 19, 2015)

Whoops. You might have been listening with YPAO EQ applied to the speakers, which I feel limits the "punch" of the speakers in "Flat" mode. My 775 has options where it tries to flatten the response of all the speakers to match, or adjust C, SL, SR to match L and R, or "Natural." I sometimes try the "match front" mode, but generally leave it on "Straight" (no eq) because my speakers arent terribly unbalanced. 

Did you try Pure Direct? 

It is possible to have a satisfactory 5.1 system on the budget, which I gathered is your primary limitation. For my money, few options can beat the Yamaha on Pure Direct playing 2.0 material. 


No, I dont think you need to get separate amps for satisfactory Surround Sound. After 5.1 supplanted Dolby Surround, home systems could no longer suffice with little surrounds capable of little more than 1kHz to 3Khz (iirc the design limit of audio on rear surround channels), now you need full fidelity surrounds. But Dolby engineers will tell you that most people turn the surrounds up way too high, again requiring some good sensitivity in those speakers for low-level audio. The lack of punch you noted is probably the YPAO EQ in operation, I notice it too when I switch to "Flat" or "Front" modes. ("Natural" mode just reminds me of the old "Loudness" switches of olde.) 


// Tapatalk on iPad Mini - Misspelling courtesy of Logitech folio kybd //


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

YAPO as well as other auto room correction systems have their limitations however if done correctly can usually give much better results than bypassing and running in direct mode. Unless your room is acoustically perfect speakers will not sound best "flat"
By done correctly I mean proper placement of the mic, on a tripod pointing up and at ear level. Measuring a minimum of 5 positions usually in a box around the main listening position. I find you get best results if you only move the mic about 2 or 3 ft to each side and in front of the main position gets much better results than placing the mic in each seat around the room (first reading in the main position).


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## Chromejob (Feb 19, 2015)

Nodding....

Thats roughly how I did it last time, though I had the mic behind my rear-facing surrounds to get accurate readings from my Bose 301s. As evidenced by looking at the correction curves of each speaker (which also confirmed that 401s and 301s have very similar response curves, which I rmember Consumer Reports determining in tests in the 1990s).

To my ear (hampered by tinnitus btw), Flat sounds a little limited. Its like that mode takes all speakers down to a lowest common denominator, which isnt as nice sounding as Straight. 


// Tapatalk on iPad Mini - Misspelling courtesy of Logitech folio kybd //


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

curious, the Bose 301s are direct/reflection speakers and need to be placed near a wall to function correctly. How are yours mounted. I would think they would not be ideal surround speakers due to the nature of the design.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

No subwoofer? That will help with punch. Especially with surround/movies. Except for budget, I can't imagine one good reason for exclusion.


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## Chromejob (Feb 19, 2015)

Me? Because the 401 has a dedicated base woofer and tuned port that delivers audible sound down to 60 hz or so. I've done tests with a powered subwoofer, and there was minimal difference in performance. 

The 301s; tweeters cast audio in multiple directions and the woofers are bouncing off a back wall. They're turned up to compensate for being in an sofa table enclosure, but in actual use the directional soundstage works surprisingly well. Yes, it's not by the book, but running tests with specific material has proven the setup. (E.g STAR WARS opening, APOCALYPSE NOW ghost helo and opening transition to helo sound fx in Saigon, tank fight in GHOST IN THE SHELL, etc.)

// Tapatalk on iPad Mini - Misspelling courtesy of Logitech folio kybd //


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

60Hz is hardly low enough to be used even for music, A good sub will fill out the lower frequencies and should go down below 20Hz for movies. You would be pushing the Bose 401s pretty hard if you want any usable low end below 60Hz Music digs down to 30Hz and in many cases even lower.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

That's exactly what I was thinking. What kind of sub did you try?


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## Chromejob (Feb 19, 2015)

I appreciate the technical expertise you guys are trying to wield, but at the end of the day personal taste and listening preferences trump specs or scientific data, every single time. I'm better informed that you may be presuming. 

For your amusement: I tested a mid-range, 150W IIRC powered Yamaha sub with actual music and films that had the lowest LFE I could think of (including a piece by a composer who told me he ended a specific composition with about 20 seconds of 30 hz tone IIRC; I specifically used that with the volume up in my A-B comparison). In some of the film tests, I found that the 401s reproduced tighter and more focused spontaneous LFE than a sub (remember that LFE is non-directional), I'm guessing partly due there being TWO of them. (Proper positioning of 401s have the tuned port aimed at a wall to use room structure to pick up the LFE.) To my ears, the sub added little that I didn't have, and in some cases sounded worse. I don't buy into the marketing blab that "Thou must have subwoofer to have satisfactory LFE." Again, personal taste and listening preferences trump marketing hype or laboratory results. 

This was years ago, with an older HTR or RX-V AVR, and DVD/CD material. IF someone would like to fund the experiment, I could try again. PM me to arrange the financials and models. I just bought a BD with a DTS-HD:MA track that reproduces some LFE in a film I haven't heard since the soundtrack LP release. 


Um. Hello. What's the topic of this thread? We were discussing Yamaha RX-Vxxx AVRs, not whether I should use a sub. Thanks for your interest but we're a) off-topic and b) educating/convincing no one. Sorry to be harsh, just saying.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Chromejob said:


> I appreciate the technical expertise you guys are trying to wield, but at the end of the day personal taste and listening preferences trump specs or scientific data, every single time. I'm better informed that you may be presuming.


Agreed, if your happy thats what counts. 


> For your amusement: I tested a mid-range, 150W IIRC powered Yamaha sub with actual music and films that had the lowest LFE I could think of (including a piece by a composer who told me he ended a specific composition with about 20 seconds of 30 hz tone IIRC; I specifically used that with the volume up in my A-B comparison). In some of the film tests, I found that the 401s reproduced tighter and more focused spontaneous LFE than a sub (remember that LFE is non-directional), I'm guessing partly due there being TWO of them. (Proper positioning of 401s have the tuned port aimed at a wall to use room structure to pick up the LFE.) To my ears, the sub added little that I didn't have, and in some cases sounded worse. I don't buy into the marketing blab that "Thou must have subwoofer to have satisfactory LFE." Again, personal taste and listening preferences trump marketing hype or laboratory results.


 but its not about scientific data or even marketing hype. Your speakers will in no way produce better lows than a good sub (the Yamaha you listed above is not) will sound so much better. There is a reason many of us have subs in our systems. You cant argue facts.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Couldn't agree more. Preference is king, and I'm glad you're happy with yours. However, I won't be trading my subs for any 401's, as I disagree that subs are marketing blab. Thanks for your anecdotal response. I'd love to fund your experiment, but that's enough of a problem in my own home. Lol. But if you're ever in my neighborhood I'd be happy to try and convince you. LFE over 100db is really something else. 

No harshness taken. I am the one who derailed this thread and offer my apologies,and will accept my lashings. Back on track. 
Love your avatar.


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## Chromejob (Feb 19, 2015)

willis7469 said:


> Couldn't agree more. Preference is king, and I'm glad you're happy with yours. However, I won't be trading my subs for any 401's, as I disagree that subs are marketing blab. Thanks for your anecdotal response. I'd love to fund your experiment, but that's enough of a problem in my own home. Lol. But if you're ever in my neighborhood I'd be happy to try and convince you. LFE over 100db is really something else.
> 
> No harshness taken. I am the one who derailed this thread and offer my apologies,and will accept my lashings. Back on track.
> Love your avatar.


Thank you, sir, I'm glad you're reading. :whistling: I'm not in a room where LFE needs to be much more than a poodle fart. Living room first, home theater viewing experience second. lddude: Subs definitely have a use, I might try adding one again someday. 

OP's statement that he is on a budget informed me that we talk about practical considerations, not objective standards of "must have home theater." The OP asked about an RX-V AVR, and one of that model's strengths IMHO is the ability to customize it to what you've got (what you can afford), not high flyin' standards of home theater bragging rights. :rolleyesno:


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## mjcmt (Aug 30, 2010)

I tried the various settings, and the sound wasn't convincing enough. Though the center channel was nice for dialogue, the overall presentation kept me wanting for more. I'll probably try it in the future, but with a separate multichannel amp with more omph. But for now I'm happy with 2 channel.


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## Chromejob (Feb 19, 2015)

Sound is as much a result of your speakers as the amp. To use a metaphore, the amp is just the engine, your car's performance depends upon the suspension and tires, too. What speakers are you using?

As you implied you're on a meager budget, I'm mystified at what you think you might have to buy for "convincing" sound.


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## mjcmt (Aug 30, 2010)

I have quality speakers left over from my audiophile days, and I'm getting satisfying sound with a Denon 2 channel receiver.


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## Chromejob (Feb 19, 2015)

I can't argue with that.  ... But if you find yourself tempted to get a newer Yamaha amp, please reach out for suggestions/info. I upgraded from a 663 to a 775 and am happier than a pig in s***.


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