amplifier
November 2008 
Yamaha RX-V3800
Posted on Jul 21st, 2008
by 
Scott
Scott
As I mentioned a few days ago, I got my new A/V Receiver, and I've since had the chance to hook it up and use it a bit.
My first impressions: wow. Seriously, holy shit.
I've got it hooked up through my classic MB Quart 1000 mains, MB Quart One surround bookshelf speakers, and MB Quart subwoofer (MB Quart - it's how I roll). I have a Sony DVP-CX995V DVD/CD/SACD player hooked up through HDMI and 5.1 component audio for SACD. My cable box has HDMI out, now run into the Yamaha receiver as well, and my TiVo Series 2 is using good ol' S-Video and RCA cables for audio.
The sound is simply amazing. I didn't think this piece would be that much more live than my old DSP-A2070, described here as "almost universally regarded as the best Pro-Logic amp ever made," but it is. It's that much better.
I'm relieved to see that almost all of my favorite old sound fields are still here, like three different European concert halls for classical music, one U.S. chamber, the Roxy Theater in L.A., the Music Video setting, the Cellar Club and Village Vanguard. They've added some nice new ones, too, like the Bottom Line in NYC and specific fields for Sports and Action video games. The only one they dropped that I'm disappointed about is the old "Live Concert" setting that simulated a typical 20,000-seat indoor arena, like Madison Square Garden.
All of the major acronyms and logos are, of course, represented. Neural, True HD, all the latest Dolby (and the old Pro Logic stuff, of course), PCM 96/24. Full 7.1 speaker processing. More than enough power to drive my serious speakers. YPAO so I just hook up a microphone, push a button, and the entire system levels and equalizes itself.
The video processing seems pretty good, but I admit that I'm not a video geek. I don't yet have a Blu-Ray DVD player, so I can't comment on high-definition DVD performance, but the HD Cable channels look fine run through HDMI and out to my television.
It's all about the audio for me, and I'm just blown away. I haven't ever owned a 5.1 processor before, so experiencing the 5.1 tracks on the DVD's I own (mostly concert videos) is truly impressive. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Live in New York City sounds incredible, and the different sound fields let you really play with how it gets delivered. When you isolate and listen to the surround, the reverb coming off of the back of MSG is clear, just like it would be if you were there with a floor seat. Steve Vai's Live at the Astoria London has incredible, hand-tuned sound by the man himself, and it seems like every individual person applauding is captured and played back around you in perfect 3D sound.
I just didn't know that, even after all of these years, sound this live could come out of these speakers. It's another level of listening, and I'm excited to go through my collection and re-experience some of my favorite CD's through this amplifier.
The networking features are another source of great joy, and a little bit of disappointment. As I type, I'm sitting listening to Internet Radio through the Yamaha, Radio 1 from Budapest right now. Surfing through a full catalog of Internet Radio stations is built-in to the receiver... just plug an Ethernet cable into the back and you're good. I've got a wireless bridge here in my living room attached to a 5-port Ethernet switch that feeds my receiver, XBox 360, and Slingbox, all working perfectly. The disappointment is that while it will play WMA files (the only format worth ripping to, really) it doesn't have the codec to play WMA Lossless, which is what I keep on my computer in my office. Fortunately, I have a workaround... the XBox 360 plays them, so I do now have full access to my ripped CD's if I don't feel like walking the 10 feet to grab a CD from the shelf, but that's a minor thing all in all.
I now just switched to listening to my favorite radio station in the whole world... WXPN from the University of Pennsylvania. Obviously, the sound quality over the web isn't exactly CD-quality, but having these options built-in to my receiver, and available through my remote-control, is very cool, and will allow me to learn what new music is available from all around the world. Of course, the first song I'm hearing from them tonight is amazing, and I can't wait to see who it is (turns out it was the new song from The Verve). They went from there to Kings of Leon, and then to a Shaggy song. (People out here in Seattle go nuts for KEXP... all they play is unlistenable crap. WXPN is what KEXP wishes it would be when it grows up and has DJ's that know that you don't prove how cool you are by how obscure your song choices are.)
Anyway, if you have around $1,600 to invest in a new receiver, you definitely want to put it down on this one... I still can't believe how low the price is for this level of performance and features.
My first impressions: wow. Seriously, holy shit.
I've got it hooked up through my classic MB Quart 1000 mains, MB Quart One surround bookshelf speakers, and MB Quart subwoofer (MB Quart - it's how I roll). I have a Sony DVP-CX995V DVD/CD/SACD player hooked up through HDMI and 5.1 component audio for SACD. My cable box has HDMI out, now run into the Yamaha receiver as well, and my TiVo Series 2 is using good ol' S-Video and RCA cables for audio.
The sound is simply amazing. I didn't think this piece would be that much more live than my old DSP-A2070, described here as "almost universally regarded as the best Pro-Logic amp ever made," but it is. It's that much better.
I'm relieved to see that almost all of my favorite old sound fields are still here, like three different European concert halls for classical music, one U.S. chamber, the Roxy Theater in L.A., the Music Video setting, the Cellar Club and Village Vanguard. They've added some nice new ones, too, like the Bottom Line in NYC and specific fields for Sports and Action video games. The only one they dropped that I'm disappointed about is the old "Live Concert" setting that simulated a typical 20,000-seat indoor arena, like Madison Square Garden.
All of the major acronyms and logos are, of course, represented. Neural, True HD, all the latest Dolby (and the old Pro Logic stuff, of course), PCM 96/24. Full 7.1 speaker processing. More than enough power to drive my serious speakers. YPAO so I just hook up a microphone, push a button, and the entire system levels and equalizes itself.
The video processing seems pretty good, but I admit that I'm not a video geek. I don't yet have a Blu-Ray DVD player, so I can't comment on high-definition DVD performance, but the HD Cable channels look fine run through HDMI and out to my television.
It's all about the audio for me, and I'm just blown away. I haven't ever owned a 5.1 processor before, so experiencing the 5.1 tracks on the DVD's I own (mostly concert videos) is truly impressive. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Live in New York City sounds incredible, and the different sound fields let you really play with how it gets delivered. When you isolate and listen to the surround, the reverb coming off of the back of MSG is clear, just like it would be if you were there with a floor seat. Steve Vai's Live at the Astoria London has incredible, hand-tuned sound by the man himself, and it seems like every individual person applauding is captured and played back around you in perfect 3D sound.
I just didn't know that, even after all of these years, sound this live could come out of these speakers. It's another level of listening, and I'm excited to go through my collection and re-experience some of my favorite CD's through this amplifier.
The networking features are another source of great joy, and a little bit of disappointment. As I type, I'm sitting listening to Internet Radio through the Yamaha, Radio 1 from Budapest right now. Surfing through a full catalog of Internet Radio stations is built-in to the receiver... just plug an Ethernet cable into the back and you're good. I've got a wireless bridge here in my living room attached to a 5-port Ethernet switch that feeds my receiver, XBox 360, and Slingbox, all working perfectly. The disappointment is that while it will play WMA files (the only format worth ripping to, really) it doesn't have the codec to play WMA Lossless, which is what I keep on my computer in my office. Fortunately, I have a workaround... the XBox 360 plays them, so I do now have full access to my ripped CD's if I don't feel like walking the 10 feet to grab a CD from the shelf, but that's a minor thing all in all.
I now just switched to listening to my favorite radio station in the whole world... WXPN from the University of Pennsylvania. Obviously, the sound quality over the web isn't exactly CD-quality, but having these options built-in to my receiver, and available through my remote-control, is very cool, and will allow me to learn what new music is available from all around the world. Of course, the first song I'm hearing from them tonight is amazing, and I can't wait to see who it is (turns out it was the new song from The Verve). They went from there to Kings of Leon, and then to a Shaggy song. (People out here in Seattle go nuts for KEXP... all they play is unlistenable crap. WXPN is what KEXP wishes it would be when it grows up and has DJ's that know that you don't prove how cool you are by how obscure your song choices are.)
Anyway, if you have around $1,600 to invest in a new receiver, you definitely want to put it down on this one... I still can't believe how low the price is for this level of performance and features.
Access: Public
