Anyone owns a Yamaha RX-Z9 yet?

[happy540i]

<font color='#000000'>A month or two ago I posted a question what receiver to buy, Denon 5803 or Yamaha Z9. I still haven't decided what to buy because I haven't heard/seen any reviews from the Z9 yet. Last weekend Yamaha had a demo of the Z9 at one of the Goodguys store in Orange county but I haven't had a chance to play with it because there were other people in there. So far the only advantage I can see is the video processing, YPAO and DSP modes.
Anybody out there owns a Z9 yet? Can you please give me your own review of the product?
Thanks.</font>

 

[JAB]

<font color='#000000'>Yes, I have one of the first dozen Z9's that were sent to Canada. I have set it up manually with an SPL meter (don't trust YPAO due to the cut-off at 63Hz and the feedback from owners of 2400's that have experienced false readings). I haven't had the time to really test drive the Z9 to assess the sound but, here is some initial conclusions :
(1) Excellent build quality and still one of the best looking faces of any A/V receiver.
(2) By far, one of the best rear lay-outs of inputs byYamaha yet (previously owned RXV 2095, RXV Z1). The speaker terminals are especially beefy (WBT's maybe??). It also has two subwoofer inputs that are in a true stereo mode if you wish to run two subs, important for classical music lovers. Two i-link inputs to support future direct digital data input transmission are also in the rear package.
(3) The set-up menu is very easy to navigate with excellent on screen graphics. A separate GUI remote is included for menu navigation.
(4) Most pass complaints regarding the lack of control over the subwoofer crossover, volume control for the main left and right speakers, etc. have been addressed. The only complaint I have is the option to turn the subs on or off in the pure direct mode (they are cut off, as well as all digital processing in the amp). You can go to the stereo direct or straight modes to activate the subs, but with a notable degradation in sound. The pure direct mode is like taking a pillow case off your speakers, a distinct improvement.
(5) I commend Yamaha for providing an MM phono input for us vinyl lovers, and providing adjustable gain for the L &amp; R inputs.
(6) I have never been a fan of the DSP music formats except for the Movie Spectacle, Sci-Fi, Adventure processing that operates the front DSP speakers. This is a great addition for those hyped movie soundtracks if you want a huge theatre-like soundfield. As far as I know, this is a Yamaha exclusive.
(7) The jury is still out on the video processing, but for the first time I have run my DVD and LD player throught the video inputs in the Z9. I cannot detect any faults or deterioration in the picture by going this route. I have yet to upgrade my 36&quot; monitor (Proscan) to a newer T.V. that has component inputs (only S video inputs on the Proscan) and my DVD player is not a progressive scan model, so I know I am not set-up properly to assess the video enhancements incorporated in the Z9. The manual does mention the Z9 will up or down convert the video source. Also, the manual is very vague with little information on the video processing - perhaps Gene and the boys will evaluate this in depth when they get their hands on a Z9.

All in all, I am pleased with the Z9 and will report to those interested in further results.

Incidently, I am running Totem speakers all around ( Mains: Mani 2's, Center: Model One Signature, Rears: Model Ones, DSP: Mites.) and they work well with Yamaha.

P.S.: If you looking for a packaged set of mini speakers with sub for a economical home theatre set-up, I highly recommend the Totem Dreamcatcher system. I set this system up in my daughters condo with a Yamaha RXV1000 and was astounded by the sound. The subwoofer puts out big time for it's size and the whole system is very musical for CD or vinyl use.

Al</font>

 

[gene]

<font color='#000000'>Al;

Thanks for the informative report. &nbsp;I should have my review sample by end of March. &nbsp;Its a shame to hear about no sub out in direct mode as this directly affects my speaker set-up when listening to DVD-A or SACD. &nbsp;Now I will likely have to route my subs to the mains out and lose sub level control from the receiver

&nbsp;We shall see.</font>

 

[RLA]

<font color='#000000'>Hi
I have installed 2 now &nbsp;one with a AT6200 system
and one with AT8200 system &nbsp; both sounded excellent
but do not trust YPAO &nbsp;a manual calibration and use of the
GEQ &nbsp;set with proper room analisis &nbsp;is the only way to go
The only other &nbsp;major complaint &nbsp; with both clients was the remote
I wish they still supplied the RAV or simular with the unit
The only other thing I can mention is that we installed one
with a DPX 1000 &nbsp;DLP when using the internal Faroudja scaler
with the DPX 1000 we were not able to obtain 6.75 MHz
on the Avia Burst window as soon as we by passed it
we were able to hit 6.75Mhz with no problems
Ray
RLA Home Theater &amp; Hi-Fi</font>

 

[JAB]

<font color='#000000'>Ray:
Thanks for your additional info regarding your experience with the excellent DPX 1000 projector not being able to pass a 6.75 MHz res pattern through the Z9 video processing. With my Sony DVD player (DVP S7700) lacking progressive scan, and my older Proscan monitor having only S video inputs, I have at this time the inability to detect lack of upper video bandwidth in the Z9 video processors.

Let's face it, we are playing in new territory here with video processing now being introduced into A/V receivers. I am sure Yamaha will remain at the front of the pack for a very short time as other manufacturers scramble to react to the Z9 introduction. It is going to make the reveiwers job much more complicated as he or she now has to deal with audio and video preformance capabilities.

I plan to wait for the video projector format wars to settle down with some of the shortcomings of each format to be engineered out, before I take the plunge for new video projection equipment. I will also wait until the DVI connection scrap is ironed out, as from what I read there is a vast inprovement in picture quality with this system. I am also waiting for i-link to be a universal output from a DVD, DVD A, SACD players before I buy new DVD hardware. (Yamaha claims up to 30 hardware units can be daisy-chained with i-link without any signal deterioration. I remain to be convinced!) I am sure I will not have to wait to long, as the audio/video industry is very quick to react to new technology, providing they can keep the government and software companies happy.

When I purchase a new projection/screen system, I will likely go direct into the projector, as a lot of these units now have the Faroudja processing built-in anyway.

I am also disappointed with Yamaha not giving an on/off option for the subwoofer output in the
Pure Direct mode. Main speakers with a low frequency response would help, but if you are running small front mains you won't be happy with an idle subwoofer in the this mode. Well, maybe in the Z10!!
However, to Yamaha's credit, they do give detailed instructions on how to bi-amp your main speakers by using the A &amp; B sides of the main speaker outputs and engaging both &nbsp;A &amp; B outputs at once. This, of course, can cause difficulties if you plan to run a second system off the B side.

I am looking forward to Gene's full audio/video review to compare notes. In my issue of the January/February The Perfect Vision, there is a note under &quot;In the Next Issue&quot; heading that there is to be a review of &quot;Yamaha's Radical New A/V Receiver&quot;. Whether this will be a 2400 or Z9 is not indicated. I respect the reviewers in this magazine, and you might want to check their website (www.theperfectvision.com), as they offer a download for $5 on most of their reviews.

Sorry for digesting so much of your bandwidth! Good night to all,

Al</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>&quot;However, to Yamaha's credit, they do give detailed instructions on how to bi-amp your main speakers by using the A &amp; B sides of the main speaker outputs and engaging both &nbsp;A &amp; B outputs at once. This, of course, can cause difficulties if you plan to run a second system off the B side.&quot;

I believe you meant to say &quot;bi-wire&quot; and not bi-amp. &nbsp;There is a huge difference between the two. &nbsp;In this situation, I believe the only advantage would be that one doesn't have to cram in a bunch of copper into only one set of speaker terminals. &nbsp;Aside from the whole &quot;Does bi-wire make a difference?&quot; debate, at least if you do decide to do this, you'll have a cleaner install. &nbsp;

best,</font>

 

[JAB]

<font color='#000000'>Yes, Ross you are correct regarding the Z9, bi-wired is what it should have read. For bi-amping you require two separate amps, a situation that doesn't occur by running the A &amp; B sides together. &nbsp;Sorry for any confusion, but I still hand it to Yamaha for even mentioning it.

If anyone chooses to go this route, don't forget to remove the bridge between your speaker terminals, providing your speakers have the four terminals required for this operation. This eliminates any sound degradation that the cross-over circuits in your speakers may contribute.</font>

 

[gene]

<font color='#000000'>Jab;

I don't see how the crossover will degrage performance in a single wire vs biwire scenario. &nbsp;There really is little to no benefit of biwiring other than reducing cable impedance (namely resistance, and possibly inductance). &nbsp;However, if you start out with a good cable (say 10AWG twin feeder) cable impedance should already be low enough to not be a problem for reasonable cable lengths.

Bi-amping a receiver to a speaker such as I did with the Denon aVR-5803 (see review) can help since you now have a dedicated amp running the bass module and a dedicated amp running the mids/his. &nbsp;It also provides an easier impedance for the amplifier and in the case of a receiver (limited output devices and power supply) this is a good thing.

Of course the true benefits of biamping can only be realized in fully active systems where the passive crossovers are eliminated in favor of active line level ones.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Well said Gene!

I didn't want to get into the whole bi-wire debate, but I do beleive you are dead on in your analysis.

&quot;Of course the true benefits of biamping can only be realized in fully active systems where the passive crossovers are eliminated in favor of active line level ones.&quot;

That is the gospel truth buddy!

best,</font>

 

[Guest]

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happy540i : <font color='#000000'>A month or two ago I posted a question what receiver to buy, Denon 5803 or Yamaha Z9. I still haven't decided what to buy because I haven't heard/seen any reviews from the Z9 yet. Last weekend Yamaha had a demo of the Z9 at one of the Goodguys store in Orange county but I haven't had a chance to play with it because there were other people in there. So far the only advantage I can see is the video processing, YPAO and DSP modes.
Anybody out there owns a Z9 yet? Can you please give me your own review of the product?
Thanks.</font>

<font color='#000000'>It's funny that I haven't seen any american review of the Yamaha rx-z9 so far as well cause they are most of the times first with audio reviews. I live in the Netherlands and I have the UK What-hifi review of the Z9 and they say is awesome in every way and possibly the best one-box amp ever, so far...And not only cause of the specs, I'm talking aboyt sound quality too.

</font>

 

[JAB]

<font color='#000000'>I haven't found any Yamaha Z9 reviews yet in North America audio rags, either. Gene's March review could be one of the first ones we will see. I believe there was a production delay for some reason or another, as I had ordered mine in September 2003, promised delivery at the end of November, and never received it until the end of January 2004. The one I received was actually meant as a demo model for the dealer I bought it from. We are personal friends, so he was kind enough to have it drop shipped it to me direct from Yamaha, Canada when it arrived from Japan. When I opened the box, the finish on the gigantic footpads still smelled of fresh finish - talk about hot off the press!!
Usually the mags get them to review a couple of months before the release to the marketplace so the publication delay and model availability coincide.

I can verify that the sound is fabulous, although the jury is still out on all the picture processing as my video sourced equipment is not state of the art.

Al</font>