Tried a differant receiver

[Lightning Steve]

When I got my new (used) speakers it came with a Yamaha HTR 5950 receiver. I've had the speakers hooked up to my Sony STR DG510 just to see the difference between the new and old speakers. There was a big difference in the speaker sound but nothing compared to when I switched the Sony for the Yamaha. If this is an indication of what everyone else is like compared to Sony I wont ever be going back. After hooking everything up and switching on I was astounded in the depth of the surround, clarity, and power of the Yamaha. After switching the speakers and using the Sony I had to turn up the Bass and Treble, the sound just wasn't sharp or as clear as I thought it should be. Not with the Yamaha, it could switch to 6ohm for the speakers and I don't know how much that had to do with the difference but it was night and day different. The Yamaha has a lot more adjustability and the owners book is just that a "book" with good information. The Yamaha receiver is a little smaller than the Sony buy yet weighs more. I guess there is a reason why Sony's are so cheap compared to others.

 

[Alex2507]

Sounds like that deal just gets sweeter and sweeter for you. Although I'm not familiar with either of those receivers, I have noticed that Sony gets pooh-poohed regularly for their rec'r and speaker offerings. Even with the likely bias/placebo effect caused by the sighted comparison, I believe you do have a real improvement with the Yamaha.

 

[Davemcc]

I'm glad to see that you found another great improvement. Next upgrade...???

 

[Midcow2]

Nice

When I got my new (used) speakers it came with a Yamaha HTR 5950 receiver. I've had the speakers hooked up to my Sony STR DG510 just to see the difference between the new and old speakers. There was a big difference in the speaker sound but nothing compared to when I switched the Sony for the Yamaha. If this is an indication of what everyone else is like compared to Sony I wont ever be going back. After hooking everything up and switching on I was astounded in the depth of the surround, clarity, and power of the Yamaha. After switching the speakers and using the Sony I had to turn up the Bass and Treble, the sound just wasn't sharp or as clear as I thought it should be. Not with the Yamaha, it could switch to 6ohm for the speakers and I don't know how much that had to do with the difference but it was night and day different. The Yamaha has a lot more adjustability and the owners book is just that a "book" with good information. The Yamaha receiver is a little smaller than the Sony buy yet weighs more. I guess there is a reason why Sony's are so cheap compared to others.

Sounds great, glad you saw improvement. Now just wait until you switch from Yamaha to Marantz Seriously though, I have been very pleased with Yamaha receivers and saxaphones and keyboards and digital pianos I have owned.

Product summary
The good:
The Yamaha HTR-5950 is an affordable, 110-watt-per-channel 6.1 A/V receiver that offers component-video conversion, front panel A/V and minijack inputs, an onscreen display, and compatibility with XM-ready satellite radio tuners as well as Yamaha's optional iPod dock.

The bad:
The HTR-5950 lacks automatic speaker calibration and HDMI connectivity. Its three rear-panel A/V inputs may be too limiting for many home theater setups, which often feature four or more A/V sources.

The bottom line:
Yamaha's midprice HTR-5950 A/V receiver might not have the most up-to-date features lineup, but it's a solid performer.

Specifications:
Product type: AV receiver; Sound output mode: Surround Sound; Amplifier total output power: 540 Watt


Concerning speaker calibration, get a $50 Radio Shck digital SPL meter. It works great!


Good luck!

MidCow2

P.S.- Sony makes good TVs

 

[highfigh]

When I got my new (used) speakers it came with a Yamaha HTR 5950 receiver. I've had the speakers hooked up to my Sony STR DG510 just to see the difference between the new and old speakers. There was a big difference in the speaker sound but nothing compared to when I switched the Sony for the Yamaha. If this is an indication of what everyone else is like compared to Sony I wont ever be going back. After hooking everything up and switching on I was astounded in the depth of the surround, clarity, and power of the Yamaha. After switching the speakers and using the Sony I had to turn up the Bass and Treble, the sound just wasn't sharp or as clear as I thought it should be. Not with the Yamaha, it could switch to 6ohm for the speakers and I don't know how much that had to do with the difference but it was night and day different. The Yamaha has a lot more adjustability and the owners book is just that a "book" with good information. The Yamaha receiver is a little smaller than the Sony buy yet weighs more. I guess there is a reason why Sony's are so cheap compared to others.

If they weren't the same price or basic specs, it's not a direct comparison. That Sony sells for half of what the yamaha does- why even think it should be as good? Not that this is just blanket support for Sony, but...

Try the ES models- they're a PITA to set up and I don't like their remotes but they sound better.

 

[Alex2507]

That Sony sells for half of what the yamaha does- why even think it should be as good?

I believe the Steve is just being a happy camper. He bought this stuff used and is diggin' it.

 

[Davemcc]

I believe the Steve is just being a happy camper. He bought this stuff used and is diggin' it.

Plus, the receiver was just thrown in for the heck of it. Not bad for a freebie.

 

[Alex2507]

Plus, the receiver was just thrown in for the heck of it. Not bad for a freebie.

Canadians ... they catch all the breaks.

 

[3db]

Canadians ... they catch all the breaks.

uuhh huh.. sure mac!! we get Denon for a dime a dozen and have spring break with all the chics running from the US to Canada

 

[highfigh]

uuhh huh.. sure mac!! we get Denon for a dime a dozen and have spring break with all the chics running from the US to Canada

You mean the travel brochures were all wrong? Bastiges!

 

[Lightning Steve]

If they weren't the same price or basic specs, it's not a direct comparison. That Sony sells for half of what the yamaha does- why even think it should be as good? Not that this is just blanket support for Sony, but...

Try the ES models- they're a PITA to set up and I don't like their remotes but they sound better.

No, wasn't trying to compare them as equals, or even saying the Sony was bad. The fact is I liked the Sony lots, I wanted a receiver that did Dolby Digital and the Sony was a great price (from the Sony store no less) and all I could get at the time.
You see I have very little HT expertise, this is my receiver history (Denon AVR 610, Sony STR DG 510, Yamaha HTR 5950). Other than physical things like audio connections, or software like DD, DTS, or how many watts they put out, I figured they all would sound the same more or less. The Sony was less than a year old and the Yamaha I got is about 5 years from what the guy told me, so I wasn't expecting them to be all that different as far as how they sounded or how the speakers would work with them. Even the 15 year old Denon could go louder than I could stand but the Yamaha even at low volume just seems to have so much more oomph, just didn't think 10 or 15 watts would be that noticeable, and that DD or DTS would sound any different no mater what the receiver is. Now I just can't imagine what one of those really high end machines would be like.

 

[Alex2507]

Hi Steve,

I'm not sure if I posted this before or not so here is a link to a cnet review on that rec'r:

http://reviews.cnet.com/av-receivers/yamaha-htr-5950-black/4505-6466_7-32064874.html

Right off the bat I noticed that it did not have an auto calibration. I just want to say that getting the speakers level matched has a huge impact on sound quality. Should you need advice on product availability in your area, I'm sure the Canadian members could provide you with tips on what to get and where to get it.

I was kind of slow to get on the calibration band wagon. For all I know you are already there but if you're not I am here to encourage you to do so.

Happy listening,
Alex