Yamaha RX-Z9 First Look

[Krazykaj]

if you are still interested in the way my 'issue' with yamaha is going i posted at AVS forums and hometheaterforums.com with the reply i got.

AVS forums

i hope i wasn't blowing to much 'smoke out of my arse' this time, i tried to keep calm

please let me know of any comments, suggestions or rebukes again
they're most welcome

thanks

[EDIT] - oh yeah, and we're not to happy with the response either, though at least it's the second (i think) decent reply with a bit of info in it email we've gotten in three months, even if it didn't help much.
You might also be interensted in reading about the firmware update they'll be sending out! i'd be interested to hear your views.

 

[Krazykaj]

update on issue

Two new 'developments' have come about,

First

(Quoted from Yamaha's previous response which caused some to think Yamaha was in fact doing as they should be . . . )
We received Mr >>>>'s returned RX-Z9 unit back to our service centre. They performed basic testing (which they do to all returned stock) to verify it is working, and it was. Then we arranged to have it shipped to our head office for further testing. We believe the RX-Z9 was in the same condition as it was in Mr >>>>'s home.

Mr >>>>>'s returned RX-Z9 performed perfectly normally, both on the LPX-500 and the PDM-1. There was no distortion visible across the top of the test pattern at all. No unusual shimmering was evident.

Please advise Mr >>>>> that we have been constantly trying to solve his problem since we have been aware of it. He seems to think we have indifference to his problem, which is of course not true. There has been up to five Yamaha Australia staff working on this situation. The complexity of the product and the problem - combined with our inability to replicate the problem - has meant there has been nothing further we could tell Mr >>>>>> about this until now.


we just found out that the third unit which died, never left the store and Yamaha have not tested it or received it, and has still not left the store, and the second unit is still in our home!. Could someone please explain to me which Z9 they say they tested (especially which one of OUR units they tested!!!). I cannot be the first one as they, Yamaha, said it was a dud, and that's how this whole thing got started.
This new bit of info was quite some shock to us as it means this letter is . . . . Well I’ll let you be the judge of that.


And secondly, we today, took DVD's and went to test another Z9 in a completely different (highly regarded) store. They there had the Z9 set up COMPLETELY with Yamaha equipment, DVD and projector.
The problem was there, and in some cases worse than we were experiencing it ourselves at home!!!!

The manager even saw the problem himself, and it took us a whole of 15min to show him our run of tests, let's hope he goes to Yamaha about this as well.


Anyway, I said I’d keep you posted, and this post may then interest you, please give me you feedback, as I think you'll have to admit, it ain't looking good.

cheers

 

[Unregistered]

Hi
Im from Sweden and bought the z9 for a couple of weeks ago and i´m very happy with the unit so far.
I have a little something i was wondering about..

What will happen if i connect my digital cablebox with component to the z9?
Will the unit convert the picture to progressive or will it pass through like it does with dvd?
And if this is the case would it be better to connect the digitalbox with s-video?

best

johan

 

[Krazykaj]

I would leave the connection as component.

The Z9 will only pass the signal through and not process it if the signal is already in anything other than 480i/576i (to my understanding).
If your 'digital cablebox' does not output in progressive i.e it outputing in 480i/576i , still leave the connection as component and the Z9 will then process it and upscale it to what you have specified.

In either case, hook it up with component inputs/ouputs and have the Z9's video processing ON, set it up as you wish, and the Z9 will automatically switch itself (to bypass, or to process) depending on what signal it is receiving. It'll do it if it can, and if it can't, it won't, you should need to change anything or worry about it, that's the whole beauty.

hope it helped

cheers

 

[Yamahaluver]

Welcome to the nightmarish world of audio sales, spend many days like this while I worked at Rabsons NY. I can well relate to your predicament.

 

[Audioholics]

Hopefully that situation will get resolved. Please post all follow-ups in PM as I'd like to keep this thread on-topic...

 

[W4ZOO]

Hopefully that situation will get resolved. Please post all follow-ups in PM as I'd like to keep this thread on-topic...

Way to go Clint. I thought I was at AVS for a minuet.

 

[Chuckwgn]

Please help newbie bought RX-Z9 online

I just received my unit and hooked it up and it up with 5 speakers, no back speakers. When I turned the power on the display unit says "Mic In" So I guess I needed to plug in the mic and do set up. During the wiring test I get an message after I hear sounds out of right front speaker "E01: No Front SP: The speakers are all hooked up properly and the test noise was the db as the left front. Later in the test I got the message "E12 no speaker" and the at the end I got the message "E10: Internal Err". Then when I go out of set up the display still says "Mic In". And I have no sound. Please, any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[stick312]

mic in

Chugwgn:
The only time mine says mic in is when the mic is plugged in so I'm guessing you have one of 2 problems 1:something jammed into the mic in input or 2: an electronic signal tripping it thinking that there is a mic in. Either way you will never get sound oout of the reciever if it believes that the mic. is attached... You will most likely need to take that unit back If taking it back is difficult you could examine the mic input but I'd bet money it's an electronic issue and not a mechanical issue...


Good Luck

 

[Chuckwgn]

"Mic In" problem

Thanks for you opinion. I thought that did not look right and that make since that if it thinks the Mic is in that I will get no sound. United Parcel Service is coming out to inspect the unit and package to determin if it was damaged in transit.

Again, Thanks

 

[Ricky]

Yamahaluver,

I admit that You never mentioned about how fomous the yamaha speakers are. I just wanted to let people know that yamaha speakers and power amps are not so fomous here in ASIA including JAPAN itself. I'll tell you, You can't find one out of hundred people using yamaha speakers in their setups here in JAPAN. Most Japanese and Asians tend to use European made speakers such as B&W,DYNAUDIO,JM LAB etc.
As far as I know, I never said any single word against YAMAHA. We Japanese admire every product which carries the words "MADE IN JAPAN".YAMAHA is such a great company which produces very high quality Products has no exception.My first reciever was a YAMAHA and for the past thirteen years it remained the same and with the addition of DSP- AZ1 it remains the same today. So,My occupation at the pioneer is a different matter.I can say I followed my father's steps. [He works for the pioneer too.]Everyone has the right to express their personal opinions. I just did mine. that's all.
Ricky

 

[Yamahaluver]

Ricky,

Dont take it personaly as I have nothing against the fact that you work for Pioneer. Yamaha doesnt have to be popular with Japanese to be considered great, as a matter of fact, few in the US know about their great amps and the legendary NS-1000 speakers but those who do, truly appreciate and the fact they are still being traded on eBay at prices close to original is a living testimony to that. In Germany and France as well as several other European countries, Yamaha speakers as well as amps have true loyal following, maybe Japanese have a complex about their own goods and have a low perception about them in general. When I visited Yamaha factory in Japan, I was truly impressed by the staff who were musicians as well as engineers, the fact Yamaha's musical division is actively involved with the audio is another unique aspect very few manufacturers can claim.

 

[Ricky]

Yamahaluver,


I am not taking anything serious. You have your own opinions about yamaha products, especialy about yamaha speakers and amps. you may have much more knowledge about them than I do.I really respect your experience with them.As a Japanese national, I just wrote what I know about their popularity in JAPAN and ASIA. As I said eairlier Japanese always prefer to use products made in Japan. I will be visiting the US in november for a conference scheduled to be held in Los Angeles. And then I might have a chance to explore about the popularity of yamaha speakers in the US.

Ricky

 

[O'Shag]

Z9 has the best headphone amp I've heard

Late in the evening I like to listen to music with headphones - one has to be fair to the neighbours. I have listened to many preamps/amps/receivers using the internal headphone amps over the years, and have always observed a limitation in terms of distortion at reasonably high listening levels. I use AKG headphones, exceptionally neutral and uncoloured - a reason AKG are used for a lot of studio work.

What was a pleasant surprise is that the headphone amp in the Z9 is more than just an afterthought. Recordings can vary in terms of DB level, but generally speaking, at between -9db and -3db (even higher for some recordings) the Z9 provides a rich sound with practically no audible distortion. Similar to really good speakers, the sound doesn't become unlistenable when pushed, there's just more presence. It remains smooth without any of the grainy harshness I've observed previously.

Bottom line, I find that the Z9 has the best built-in headphone amp I've heard.

 

[gene]

Agreed O'Shag. I was just listening to my headphones on the Z9 tonight and was impressed with the sonic performance. Silent Cinema is a winner. I will miss this piece when I send it back shortly Until the next Yamaha flagship graces my system I will also miss the DSP processing.

 

[Blondini]

Agreed O'Shag. I was just listening to my headphones on the Z9 tonight and was impressed with the sonic performance. Silent Cinema is a winner. I will miss this piece when I send it back shortly Until the next Yamaha flagship graces my system I will also miss the DSP processing.

Gene, it’s simple. Throw out the Denon and keep Yamaha.

 

[Yamahaluver]

Yamahaluver,


I am not taking anything serious. You have your own opinions about yamaha products, especialy about yamaha speakers and amps. you may have much more knowledge about them than I do.I really respect your experience with them.As a Japanese national, I just wrote what I know about their popularity in JAPAN and ASIA. As I said eairlier Japanese always prefer to use products made in Japan. I will be visiting the US in november for a conference scheduled to be held in Los Angeles. And then I might have a chance to explore about the popularity of yamaha speakers in the US.

Ricky

Nice to see a Japanese at the forum and it is sadly a rarity, it would be hard for you to find Yamaha speakers and you would have a better chance in Europe to find Yamaha high end components. eBay is your best bet.

If you enter MX-1000, MX-10000, NSX-2000 on Google, you will see links to quite a few of Japanese language pages of people with some really serious high end equipment in Japan and the Yamahas are included in their collection.

 

[Ricky]

Yamahaluver.

Thank you for your hints and appreciate your respect and knowledge of yamaha products.

Ricky

 

[Chuckwgn]

stick312: I just got a call from service center where I took the receiver and they said that it had been hit in the front and when that happened it pulled something on the inside from the Mic unit. Hopefully UPS will pay for the damages.
Thanks again

 

[M Lo]

...My understanding is a bit different(from what I've read on yamahas pages. Basically Upconversion only works on non copyrighted materials... You stated that you saw it work breifly? 1080i 720p?? I can switch my upconversion around but I can't really validate that it's working properly. I can tell you that 720p with my monitor messed up the display entirely(most likely do to the fact that it's an older Pioneer HD Monitor)

I'm not familiar with the 2200 but the denon 5900 and the pioneer 59avi do the upconversion for you ... then pass that data thru however upconversion on copyrighted materials can ONLY happen via HDMI/DVI inputs/outputs.

I have a question on the upconversion & upscalling feature of the RX-Z9:
Having in mind that the Z9 only upconverts DVD images to the resolution of 720p & 1080i of non copyrighted materials , what would happen if I used a Macrovision-free DVD player?
It is not my intention to unlock Macrovision for copy purposes, however it looks like that it is the only way to enjoy upscalled images through Component Video inteface.
Any thoughts?
Thanks for the feedback!!
M Lo.