Yamaha RX-Z9 First Look

[gene]

SACD has not yet been legally provisioned for firewire pass thru. So as far as I know, you shouldn't have SACD output via ilink on any player. I will be getting an upgraded DVD-5900 shortly to test ilink with the Z9 as well as some special software to beta test SACD via Dlink3 for Denon 5803A to 5900.

I haven't read the review at hometheatermag so I cannot comment if they tested SACD via ilink or not with the Pioneer player.

 

[Unregistered]

SACD has not yet been legally provisioned for firewire pass thru. So as far as I know, you shouldn't have SACD output via ilink on any player. I will be getting an upgraded DVD-5900 shortly to test ilink with the Z9 as well as some special software to beta test SACD via Dlink3 for Denon 5803A to 5900.

I haven't read the review at hometheatermag so I cannot comment if they tested SACD via ilink or not with the Pioneer player.

Thanks for the quick response.

Also, I just found this on Pioneer's site for the DV-47Ai:

"This one's a "no brainer". Its dual i-Link outputs pass both new and exciting multi-channel music formats (DVD-Audio, SACD) in the digital domain to a receiver (like our VSX-49TXi) with a single cable, for unprecedented purity and convenience."

 

[Z9er]

I am the happy owner of a Z9 and a 59AVi and I can absolutely confirm that the i-Link is FULLY operational and sounds grrrrreat. The Z9 and 59 "talk" to each other - it's actually pretty cool. SACD is transmitted in the DSD format and is processed by the Yamaha. The Z9 shows you which format is comming through, either DSD for SACD or PCM for DVD-A, DVD and CD.
Gene, if you're doing a review of this unit you HAVE to get you hands on an
i-Link enabled player. It's pretty freakin amazing.

(BTW I've posted previously as "canuckle" but was having problems logging on.)

 

[gene]

Guys thanks for the updates. I got my upgraded DVD-5900 today from Denon. However, according to them, it will not pass DSD via firewire just yet since it is not provisioned thru Sony. This is why I am at a loss regarding the Pioneer you guys are reporting is passing SACD. I suppose I will find out this weekend when I hook up the upgraded Denon.

As for digital transmission of DVD-A/SACD, I hear ya. I thoroughly enjoyed Dlink between the AVR-5803 and DVD-5900 for DVD-A. I long for the day of both formats over a digital link such as firewire,dlink or other. Sounds like that day is coming soon

 

[Unregistered]

I am the happy owner of a Z9 and a 59AVi and I can absolutely confirm that the i-Link is FULLY operational and sounds grrrrreat.

Confirmed. The Z9 shows DSD is being received (not dolby digital).

 

[gene]

I had an industry source confirm this as well. I will update the Z9 checklist to illustrate it is SACD ready.

 

[canuckle]

One other thing, Denon DVD-5900's with the last five serial numbers above 10000 have the activated i-Link (passing DSD) as well as DVI.

 

[Z9er]

I haven't read the review at hometheatermag so I cannot comment if they tested SACD via ilink or not with the Pioneer player.

I scanned he article this afternoon at the supermarket, they made mention of it, and they were very impressed. I don't know how credible of a source they are but I certainly agree. I don't think any review of the Z9 would be complete without checking out this feature. I hope your Denon is i-Link enabled, if not you should beg borrow or steal a player that is.

 

[gene]

Good news to report! Denon sent me the latest DVD-5900 with i-link enabled. I succesfully linked the 5900 to the Z9 and decoded:
DD, DTS
DVD-A
SACD
in all its glory with bass management, digital delay compensation, and excellent fidelity. My have we come a long way. IMO if you are serious about high res formats such as DVD-A/SACD, you owe it to yourself to consider hardware with enabled i-link or equivalent. Life just got a little bit easier, at least for me

 

[surveyor]

Rx-z9

I went to Ultimate Electronics yesterday. I compared the RX-Z1 to the RX-Z9. I would recommend buying the RX-Z1, unless you can afford a $10,000 or more dollar high definition TV.
The audio capabilities of the RX-Z1 are very nearly the same as the RX-Z9!
The MSRP for the RX-Z9 is $1,700 more than the RX-Z1.
The RX-Z9 is 4lbs heavier than the RX-Z1 (hot dang)!

If you are going to spend $4,500 dollars or more get seperate components.
Good seperate components always outperform recievers!!
A fool and his money will always choose spending that kind of money on a reciever, with at its best acceptible audio capabilities.

Cheers

 

[gene]

If you are going to spend $4,500 dollars or more get seperate components. Good seperate components always outperform recievers!!

I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement, especially since most separate processors at the price range of a flagship receiver lack the processing power, and configurability of most top notch flagship receivers. I think of todays super receivers as a superb processor with a free amp section. If you don't feel the amps are good enough for your application, you can always preamp out the receiver to a dedicated amp in time. I too used to be in the "Separates" camp until I started investigating many of the processors out there and how so many of them lacked the sophistication and bass management options of a great receiver. Now don't mistake my statements here that I am an "Anti Separatist", but you generally have to spend significantly more coin on Separates to outgun the best receivers out there and then even only in some areas of performance.

 

[surveyor]

Surveyor

I would have to agree with your statement about processors and todays super recievers and the bang for the buck! By the way both the RX-Z1 and RX-Z9 are better than my RX-V2200, and I would love to own either of them. I very much enjoy my reciever and realize that Yamaha is a very excellent product!!
I guess that I'm looking for a reciever that someday will sound as good in stereo as my seperate mono block amps and very fine pre-amp. My amps are mono blocks that are rated at 1000 Watts into an eight ohm load at a distortion level of 0.5%, god forbid what their output is at four ohms. The amps distortion level might be too much for some, but I have yet to hear any reciever that will touch them in two channel stereo! The pre-amp that I use for stereo has individual regulated power supplys for tape, cd, phono etc. Granted they cost more than five grand! My phono cartrige costs more than some recievers. I will say this that a lot of todays recievers sound fabulous, but they are voiced.
I did not intentionally mean to degrade todays super recievers! I can say this that I wished that I had never entered the high high end audio, as it turned me into a critical beast.

 

[W4ZOO]

Any Idea when the Z9 review will be finioshed.

Thanks

Ken

 

[gene]

My RX-Z9 review is turning into novel length! It will make Clint's AVR-3805 review look short Seriously, I am working some tech issues with Yamaha on some stuff and will hopefully be done by end of June. I am also building a test load to measure power, but not sure if it will make this review, perhaps in a review addendum. Stay tuned...

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Gene I whole heartedly agree with your stance on receivers vs seperates, l too am not against seperates, I fact I owned a 5.1 seperate setup prior to what I have now. I challenge anyone to find a seperate preamp/proccesor that is as good as and has the feature set of A Denon 2803 at twice the price?

Dolby Digital Surround EX, Pro Logic II decoding with Cinema and Music Modes*•*DTS Extended Surround Discrete 6.1 decoding*•*DTS Extended Surround Matrix 6.1 decoding*•*DTS Neo:6 Cinema & Music Surround decoding*•*DTS ES 96/24 5.1 decoding for DVD Video *•*Analog Devices Melody 100, 32 bit floating point DSP processor*•*16 Analog Devices 24 bit, 96 kHz high resolution DACs on all eight channels, in differential configuration*•*Real 24 bit, 96 kHz Digital Interface Receiver*•*Adjustable High and Low Pass Crossover (40/60/80/100/120Hz)*•*2 Assignable component video inputs (100MHz)*•*7 sets composite and "S" video inputs*•*7.1 external wide bandwidth (100 kHz) analog inputs for future multi-channel formats (such as DVD-Audio)*•*5/7 Channel Stereo*•*Personal Memory Plus*•*6 assignable digital inputs (4 Optical, 2 Coaxial)*•*2 Optical digital outputs*•*9 analog inputs including built-in AM/FM tuner*•*Multi-Zone 1 stereo pre-amp level audio outputs*•*Power Amplifier Assign function, lets you assign 2 of the 7 amp channels to drive second zone speakers directly

Plus the 7x90watts per channel

I paid $650.00 for mine. I doubt you will find a seperate at $1200 that will have all that and then you still have to get an amp or amps. At this time seperates are not the way to go, unless your funds are not an issue.

 

[W4ZOO]

My RX-Z9 review is turning into novel length! It will make Clint's AVR-3805 review look short Seriously, I am working some tech issues with Yamaha on some stuff and will hopefully be done by end of June. I am also building a test load to measure power, but not sure if it will make this review, perhaps in a review addendum. Stay tuned...

Thanks Gene,

I looks like it will will be worth it.

 

[O'Shag]

Rx-z9

I've also been checking on a daily basis. Wow, you guys have a lot of people waiting for this review!!

Cheers

 

[shlomore]

az-9

i have question for all of you guys in america.why do you all buy a recivers rather then amplifires,i mean you only speak about the rx-az9 of yamaha.
i own the dsp az-9 which is pure amplifire.any way who realy need tuner this days?dont you guys get it all from sat or cables?i can tell you that if you all like so much the rx az-9,you most likely prefer the real thing,the dsp az-9.
btw,any news about i link conection between az-9 and superb dvd a-11 by denon?if yes please inform us.
love this forum by the way....great place to learn !!!!


thanks !

 

[Unregistered]

Flagship

In Asia the new big mamma is known as the DSP-Z9, for obviuos reasons. Yamaha are proud of the digital to analog processing capabilities of the NEW flagship. Of the 2 models you mentioned one is the old flagship & one is the new flagship. As with any flagship cost is not much of a consideration. Rotel & NAD are out there for budget minded consumers.

 

[Unregistered]

flagship

I was responding to surveyor in post #30. Sorry