Yamaha RX-V2400 A/V Receiver Review

Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
Yamaha RX-V2400 A/V Receiver Review
By: Gene DellaSala (gds@audioholics.com)
Review Summary
Pros
• Excellent Sound For All
•
•
•
Operational Modes.
Component Video Up
Conversion.
Uncommon Value
Nifty Auto Set-Up & Room
Correction.
Cons
• Potentially Inaccurate Auto
Set-up.
• No Sub Out In 2CH Direct
Mode.
MSRP: $999
Introduction
It wasnít too long ago that I got my start in home theater with a Yamaha mid line receiver known as the
RXV-992. Compared to the new RX-V2400, the RXV-992 offered less power, only five channels of
amplification, no DTS, no PLII, no component video switching, and no room correction or auto set-up
features, yet both carried the same retail price of $999. At the time, the RXV-992 receiver was an
excellent value as few, if any, in its price class packed all of its features and performance. That was then
and this is now. The ever growing technological marketplace and continually increasing consumer
expectations places more and more demands on manufacturers to push the envelope in development,
performance, and value; at least as far as midfi goes. The high end audio industry is sometimes another
story however, which we shall not expand upon in this review.
THX on a Yamaha Receiver?
Thatís right! The RX-V2400 is THX Select
certified. Many of the newer Yamaha
receivers forthcoming will be carrying the
THX brand certification.
However, fear not, Yamaha still offers the
option to defeat THX post processing in
favor of its own infamous DSP processing
modes.
Another first for Yamaha is adjustable bass
management. Hurray at last!
Learn More About the Different Levels of THX Certification at:
http://www.audioholics.com/FAQs/THXHomeTheaterSelectvsUltra2.html
Page 1 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
The RX-V2400 is one feature packed receiver for its asking price. In fact, probably the most feature
oriented receiver in its class currently offered.
Yamaha RX-V2400
Back Panel
All speaker terminal posts sport
binding posts except the
presence channels.
Two component video inputs and
one output featuring video up
conversion with OSD.
Detachable power cord and two
switched outlets.
EXT 6CH Analog Inputs, Three
digital coaxial and five toslink
inputs and two toslink outputs
ensure all formats are covered.
The Yamaha RX-V2400 comes with all the fixings that until a couple of years ago weren't even
commonplace on any flagship offerings let alone a sub $1000 receiver. Some of these benchmark
features include:
• 120 watts RMS to each of the seven channels.
• Component Video Up Conversion with OSD.
• Nine Adjustable bass management settings (40Hz to 200Hz, 10Hz step sizes from 80-120Hz).
• 0.5dB channel trim adjustments.
• Subwoofer group delay adjustments.
• Independent channel trim settings for external inputs.
• Auto set up and YPAO 10 (7 user) band parametric equalizer for all channels.
To the RX-V2400's testament, there are still dedicated, so called high end processors selling for more
than three times its price that don't offer five out of six of the features listed in the above bullets.
Back by popular demand the
classic keypad with LCD
window indicator Yamaha
Universal remote debuted in the
day when RX-V1 held the
Flagship title. I really liked this
remote because of its ease of
use and flexibility and was
happy to see Yamaha integrate
it with their premier sub $1000
receiver.
Page 2 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
•
•
•
A massive 11.9 lbs 640VA Power supply
2 x 15,000uF 71V storage capacitors
Complimentary Class AB push pull BJT’s
These three attributes are responsible for the size and
weight (35lbs) of the RX-V2400 and its ability to satisfy
THX Select certification.
Given the size of the power supply, and the large
storage banks, the RX-V2400 has potentially added
headroom to better drive moderately difficult two
channel loads. However, be cautioned that this
receiver will NOT deliver anywhere near its rated power
with all channels driven (nor is it specified too) which is
not a realistic operational condition in any real world
listening environment anyway.
I would venture to say based on the 640VA power
supply rating and 71V caps, the RX-V2400 would easily
deliver 120wpc X 2 and about:
80 wpc (ref 1kHz) X 5 all channels driven
60 wpc (ref 1kHz) X 7 all channels driven
(assuming line voltage held constant, 8 ohm loads)
The Set-Up
The RX-V2400 was an unusual receiver to set up due to its auto set-up and YPAO integrated tools.
While the auto set-up feature sounds like a cool idea, and possibly the neophytes dream feature in a
receiver, there are no free lunches. I have discovered that great care must be taken in interpreting the
results in any auto set-up feature for any consumer electronics device, and the RX-V2400 was certainly
no exception.
Manual Set-Up
For those of you who are like me, and don’t trust a computer, or machine for that matter, to automatically
configure, Yamaha still entertains the old fashion way of doing things.
Page 3 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
This is a pretty quick and nifty approach for
manual set-up as it helps guide the user
through to determine what size and number of
speakers, as well as the room size, the
RX-V2400 will be operating in.
It essentially eliminates the speakers that are
not connected from the test tone and
calibration tests in proceeding menus.
I speculate the room size has something to do
with weighing the DSP parameter settings.
Impedance Selector Switch
I was pleased to find no impedance selector switch on the back panel common to all Yamaha A/V
receivers I have seen in the past. However, my satisfaction quickly diminished when in revealed itself in
the user menus.
Impedance Selector Switch
I recommend the “Minimum 8 ohms” setting
even for 4 ohm speakers of moderate
efficiency (>89dB SPL). Yamaha includes a
” 6 ohm” setting to satisfy UL as well as
easing consumer concerns about driving low
impedance loads. These switches step down
voltage feed to the power sections which can
limit dynamics and overall fidelity. My advice
is to keep the switch set to “Minimum 8
ohms”, regardless of the impedance of your
speakers and ensure proper ventilation of the
Receiver.
Auto Set-Up
I began as instructed in Yamaha’s rather lengthy, but easier than normal to read, Users Manual. I placed
the supplied microphone at the primary listening position of my home theater room and engaged the
“Auto Set-Up” feature.
Page 4 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
The auto set-up incorrect identified speakers
being out of phase when they weren’t as well as
actual speaker sizes.
The error screens were sometimes a bit
perplexing as to how to exit them and/or upon
exiting, I often wondered if the tests that did pass
get retained in memory?
Wiring Check
I was a bit concerned that right off the bat that the first auto test checking for wiring of my system
incorrectly identified my front main channels being wired out of phase. I double checked the wiring of my
speakers and audibly verified my front speakers were in deed in phase and that the RX-V2400 was in
error. Interestingly enough when I moved the RX-V2400 into my bedroom system, it correctly identified
the proper phase of all of my speakers. I could only speculate that somehow the more lively nature of my
living room, or perhaps the more complex crossover/driver arrangement of my main reference speakers,
was tricking the receivers phase test. As a side note, I checked with a colleague who recently purchased
an RXV-1400 with Boston Acoustics speaker package, and he too had problems with the internal phase
tester correctly identifying his systems phase. Yamaha also states in their user manual that the wiring
identification check may identify some speaker systems or configurations incorrectly. I recommend
interpreting the results of this test with a grain of salt. If it should report any of your speakers are out of
phase, first check the wiring and then use the Avia or equivalent home theater set-up disc, to audibly
confirm the proper phase of each channel. This is a good measure to practice on any home theater
install regardless if the device has the built in ability to check it for you or not.
Distance Check
The auto set-up did a pretty commendable job at verifying the distance of each speaker from my listening
th
position. In fact, Yamaha informed me that it is accurate within 1/10 of a foot, though the user
adjustments are limited to ½ ft step sizes. So, in reality its accuracy is limited to ½ ft, which is all that is
needed in home theater and certainly more precise then many higher priced exotic processors. After
proceeding through the entire set-up of this receiver, I did initially have problems with it correctly
identifying the distance of my subwoofer. When it ran though its series of clicks and pops to determine
distance, it did so with my sub at such a loud level that I feared it would blow the woofers out of the
cabinet. When it did this, it claimed my subwoofer was only 0.1ft away when in fact it was more like 14
feet. In any event after I powered the RX-V2400 down and unplugged it, it again correctly identified
subwoofer distance upon retest. This problem appeared to be an isolated incident and not worthy of
further investigation.
Size Check
Here is another auto set-up feature that failed for my particular set-up. The RX-V2400 incorrectly
identified my center and rear speakers as large despite their limited bass response. Most home theater
systems have one or two active subwoofers usually connected to the sub out/LFE of the
receiver/processor. Most center channel and surround speakers have limited bass extension by design,
and they are usually placed above floor level further de-emphasizing their bass capabilities. Usually the
best configuration for center and rear channels is to be set to small and subsequently allowing the bass to
be rerouted back to the dedicated subwoofer(s). This will increase amplifier headroom since those
channels set to small won’t be stressed with low frequencies that the particular speaker(s) cannot
reproduce well.
Page 5 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
Another benefit would be increased dynamic capabilities of the small speakers by bandwidth limiting them
to produce intended frequency range and lower driver excursions and stresses responsible for increasing
non-linear distortions. Since the RX-V2400 only identified my back channels as small (which have very
limited bass extension via their acoustic suspended 4” drivers), it set the crossover to 100Hz. This setting
was too high for my particular set-up. I manually reconfigured the crossover setting to 60Hz which was
optimal for proper bass integration of my speaker configuration in my listening room.
YPAO (Yamaha Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer)
Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the RX-V2400 is its inclusion of Yamaha’s YPAO parametric
active room correction equalizer. Unlike many of the first generation receivers implementing room
correction, the Yamaha YPAO system is comprised of a ten band (seven user) parametric equalizer (not
graphical) which adjusts level, frequency, and Q factor. Graphical equalizers adjust only amplitude
response at fixed frequency bands, thus are not an effective tool for room correction at all in my opinion.
Yamaha does offer a graphical equalizer as a programmable user option for every channel for additional
fine tuning of your systems response in case you wish to forgo the YPAO system. When I selected the
“Equalizing” portion of the “Auto Set-Up” feature of the receivers YPAO feature, it allowed for several
equalizing options:
Front -Applies equalization to all channels, except the mains, to attempt to achieve
closest tonal response to the main channels.
Flat – Applies equalization to all channels to attempt to achieve flat response.
Low - Applies equalization to all channels with emphasis on low frequencies.
Mid - Applies equalization to all channels with emphasis on mid frequencies.
High - Applies equalization to all channels with emphasis on high frequencies.
I initially engaged the YPAO with the “Flat” setting to equalize all of the speakers in my set-up.
It is interesting to see how the
YPAO altered the frequency
response of even the similar
speakers in my set-up, making one
realize just how much of a profound
impact the room acoustics have on
a speakers’ sonic signature.
Page 6 of 14
It almost makes you wonder if
using identical speakers for all
channels for alleged perfect
timber matching is really as
critical as acclaimed giving how
the room acoustics drastically
affects speaker performance
rendering identical speakers
positioned at different locations
to not sound so identical.
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
Note that the YPAO does not
operate on the subwoofer
channel, nor does it function
below 63 Hz.
This was a bit disappointing
(but understandable) since active
room correction is mostly needed
in the low frequencies where
simple room treatments (carpets,
bookcases, furniture, acoustic
paneling) have little to no effect.
YPAO Specifics
Q factor
05 to 10.1
Gain
-20 to +6dB,
0.5dB Step
Frequency
63Hz to 16kHz,
1/3 Octave
A Note About the YPAO Yamaha Room Correction System
The YPAO system uses pink noise sweeps to map the response of the room at the listening position for
each speaker. Pink noise delivers constant power per octave and the YPAO attempts to equalize the
magnitude response accordingly. However, in attempting to achieve a “Flat” frequency response, this
can have deleterious affects on impulse response and also reduce dynamic headroom in the amplifier if
certain frequencies are boosted as opposed to being attenuated. If for example, the YPAO equalizes a
+6dB gain centered around 3kHz, then the amplifier would be tasked to produce up to four times the
power for that frequency band, thus reducing headroom and potentially causing compression, and/or
distortion. Additionally, if the YPAO system attempts to compensate for a speaker deficiency by creating a
boost because of improper crossover design and/or some other speaker anomaly or strange impedance
characteristic, when coupled to an amplifier this can actually create a dangerous effect as it can
potentially drive some amplifiers into oscillation when boosting under these circumstances. However, if
the speaker is flat in performance and the amplifier is not taxed at the frequencies being boosted, then
the this scenario is unlikely to occur, with the only possible penalty of compensating for the direct sound
of the speakers as opposed to resolving a deficiency in ambient or reflected energy in the room. Ideally,
these mid and high frequency issues should be dealt with at the source, namely the room
(assuming the speaker and amplifiers are designed right).
If you consider the basic relationship of sound and propagation through air given the following formula:
λ = v / f (where v = velocity (speed of sound =1140 ft/s STP and f = frequency (Hz) )
then we see the wavelength of sound for 63Hz = 18 ft and for 16kHz = .86 inches!
Thus altering high frequency room response will affect only a very small listening area above a couple of
hundred Hertz. High frequency harmonics are generally close together, if not overlapping, and their
corresponding intensities are far less than the fundamental, making them more dependent on listening
position. Another issue to consider with high frequency room correction is that the measuring microphone
cannot accurately measure direct to reflected sound. The goal of room correction is to correct for room
anomalies, not the loudspeakers (assuming the loudspeakers are of sound design). Altering the
frequency response of the loudspeakers in this fashion changes the direct sound to compensate for a
deficiency in the ambient or reflected soundfield caused by the room. This may in fact alter the direct to
reflected sound at the listening position further deteriorating imaging of the loudspeaker and corrupting
the critical first arrival of sound. Ideally active room correction would best be applied at frequencies
below 200Hz where sound is more difficult for the listener to localize. Utilizing a more precise parametric
equalizer may be applied to analyze room modes to construct notch filters to reduce the excessive room
decay times (RT60- # of milliseconds it takes for a sound to decay by 60dB).
Alternatively, a point to consider is that some room correction systems actually do address speaker nonlinearities as well as room interaction affects. The problem is that most systems are not able to distinguish
between the non-linearities of the speaker versus the non-linearities induced by the room. In some cases
in may not really matter. For instance, in the bass frequencies smoothing out the response may involve
changing phase and gain at certain frequencies. As long as the correction is made for the listening
position we probably don’t care how much of the problem is speaker or room related.
Page 7 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
For that matter, I can understand why the Yamaha YPAO system does not attempt correction at very low
frequencies. It would take much more reserve power than the receiver is capable of delivering. In this
respect limiting the correction to a moderately low frequency is understandable and in fact quite
necessary. Of course that doesn'
t change the fact that we would all like compensation down to the very
lowest frequencies. Practically speaking Yamaha could NOT put a correction filter on the LFE output
because the power necessary for correction would way overtax most subwoofers (amplifier and driver
excursion). It may however behoove Yamaha to introduce their own active servo subwoofer integrating
low frequency room correction with a system much like many of Velodyne’s latest product offerings.
A system that initially measures nearfield power response of the speaker as well as impulse response
and then takes into consideration a measurement which showed room decay time would probably make
for an even more accurate correction system. Now if only a manufacturer would build such a system
affordably
Level Check
The level check was the last auto test set-up feature that the RX-V2400 performed. This test absolutely
required a quite room to properly perform. My ceiling fan actually caused it to give me an error message
“Noisy”.
It'
s interesting to note that maxing
the master volume level (+9.0dB)
doesn'
t fill the bar completely. This is
due to range limiting when any of the
channel trims are set beyond 0dB.
When I returned all of the channel
trims to default 0dB, the master
volume level peaked at +13dB.
After the level checker was complete, I
measured each channel level using both
the Yamaha internal test tones and my
trusty Avia disc. I found the worst case
channel balance differences between
channels to be about 1.5dB off and
confirmed this with both test tone suites.
The good news here is that the auto setup did configure a reasonably accurate
channel balance between channels
automatically, and that the internal test
tones in the receiver were accurate. The
not so good news is I had to manually
tweak each channel trim for greater
accuracy.
However, since most receivers and processors don'
t yet incorporate auto level calibration, I would
normally have had to do this anyway, so to me it'
s no deal breaker. I believe the level discrepancies may
have been a result of the auto level checker using short tone bursts as opposed to continuous pink noise
traditionally used when manually calibrating a system using an SPL meter. The tone bursts in the auto
level set-up may emphasize the direct sound from the speakers while the pink noise in manual
configuration may be interpreting the ambient sound field in the room. Ideally, they'
d both should be the
same but that'
s seldom the case with real rooms and real speakers. However, given the peaky and
sometime steady state in sound, I would probably choose the latter for the most accurate speaker level
calibration.
The RX-V2400 refreshingly had 0.5dB trim adjustments for all channels which is still uncommon in many
higher priced processors. As a side note, we have found some receivers / processors and DVD players
internal test tones to be somewhat out of whack, especially when calibrating at different reference levels.
The Yamaha test tones, however, identically tracked Avia’s when the master volume levels were set to
produce the same reference levels. In addition, I achieved accurate channel trim balances for all
reference levels I tested during the set-up phase. This didn’t surprise me since I have consistently found
Yamaha receivers to have incredibly accurate test tones and channel tracking.
Page 8 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
The Sound
What good is a feature packed receiver or any A/V gear for that matter if it cannot deliver the goods in
sonic performance? Our viewpoint is sound first, features second. With that here is my subjective
impression of the RX-V2400 for the gamut of playback modes I put it through.
Two Channel Audio
With all DSP processing and room correction features turned off (“Pure Direct” Mode), I began my two
channel critical listening tests on my reference mini monitor (Status Acoustic Decimo’s) in my bedroom
system. The Decimo’s are an 8 ohm, moderately efficient load and don’t require gobs of power to shine,
just quality clean power. Here is where the RX-V2400 really delivered quite admirably. The noise floor
(especially in “Pure Direct” mode) was commendably low (published spec of 100dBA, 250mV reference
translates to over 112dB @ 1V), comparable to what I recalled from the venerable RX-V1 and RX-Z1
flagship Yamaha receivers. The DAC section in the RX-V2400 was top notch. In fact, switching back
and forth between using my bedroom SACD changer DAC’s for CD playback vs the internal DAC’s in the
RX-V2400, I preferred the latter. When the RX-V2400 served as the DAC, it sounded more open, and
detailed in the high frequencies. The amp section proved to be quite dynamic, more so then my Harman
Kardon integrated amplifier that currently comprises my bedroom system. I felt that RX-V2400 again had
a more open and punchy presence than my integrated amp, but was a bit more analytical sounding. I
definitely felt that this was the best sounding sub $1000 receiver I have yet to hear Yamaha produce. My
old RXV-992 always seemed (dare I say) “bright” sounding with my speakers, and it wasn’t until my
eventual upgrade to the DSP-A1 that things smoothed out considerably. With the RX-V2400, I didn’t feel
like two channel playback was bright or stringent in this set-up. In fact, I threw a pair of Dynaudios and
Von Schweikert bookshelf speakers at it and was constantly pleased by how the Yammie was delivering
the sonic goods with no signs of distress or pungent sound character.
I was curious to see how the YPAO function would alter the sonic signature of my beloved Decimo’s so I
placed the mic at my primary listening position and let the RX-V2400 send out its series of sonar
sounding bat signals to optimize the system. With the YPAO feature engaged (flat setting), my speakers
had a definitively more forward tonal quality, especially in the midrange and highs and sounded louder
and more dynamic upon first listening. However, over time switching back and forth, I found the YPAO
seemed to focus the soundstage into a more delineated sweet spot, but at the sacrifice of imaging. My
speakers no longer seemed to have their infamous disappearing sound characteristic. Instead, they
sounded a bit boxier and closed in. This was particularly more noticeable on analog inputs that now had
to undergo and extra A/D and D/A conversion to incorporate the DSP processing of the YPAO feature. I
also gave the YPAO a crack at the Dynaudio’s I currently have in my listening room. In this case, the
YPAO dulled the sound of these already sonically warm speakers. Again, I preferred no room correction
for these speakers. The reader must be cautioned however, that the sonic attributes noticed here were
founded on speaker systems of incredibly high resolution that in a decently controlled acoustical
environment really didn’t require any room correction whatsoever. Some may actually prefer how the
YPAO system alters their speaker systems response, especially if there are inherent deficiencies in the
design and corresponding performance. Though I preferred no YPAO setting over defeat, I repeated the
YPAO calibration for the other offerings (IE. Low, Mid, High) and found the best blend was achieved in
the original “Flat” setting for my Decimo’s and the High setting for the Dynaudio’s. I recommend
determining how YPAO works in your system before ruling it out as a viable option for room correction or
speaker performance compensation.
For kicks I wanted to see how the RX-V2400 would perform in my living room when connected to my
larger, moderately efficient 4 ohm (89dB SPL 1 watt/meter) reference speakers. It is unlikely that an end
user would mate a pair of $5500 speakers with a $1000 receiver, but I figured what the heck, might as
well try it. Again, I was mightily impressed with how the RX-V2400 handled itself. Though it wasn’t quite
as smooth or refined sounding as what I was accustomed to in a $4K+ receiver or dedicated amplifier, it
certainly was no slouch by any means. If one were to use this receiver in a very high performance
playback set-up with inefficient speakers in a moderately large sized living room, I would encourage
preamp outing at least the front three channels to a dedicated monster sized amp. This will help reserve
the power supply and amplifiers added headroom to better power the back and surround channels.
Page 9 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
Multichannel Audio
The remaining portion of this review was conducted in my medium sized living room environment with my
moderately efficient 4 ohm RBH Sound reference speakers. Again, this was a pretty demanding load for
a sub $1000 receiver to handle and certainly not representative of what most users would be doing.
However, here at Audioholics.com, we enjoy pushing products to their limits and being dazzled when they
deliver beyond expectations. The RX-V2400 certainly did exceed my expectations. I did not expect a
sub $1000 receiver to have the ability to power my entire 7.1 reference system with such clarity and
authority. Playback via the EXT multi channel inputs for sources such as DVD-A and SACD exhibited
extremely low noise floors typical of Yamaha higher end receivers.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find that Yamaha reserved independent level controls via its EXT
inputs, a feature not common even to many costlier separate pre/pro’s. Having independent level
settings for DVD-A and SACD is vital due to inherent format differences, especially for the subwoofer
output which could be 10-15dB lower in SACD / DVD-A than DD/DTS in some players for example.
Norah Jones –Come Away with Me
SACD Multi Channel
#1: Don’t Know Why
#2: Seven Years
#3: Cold Cold Heart
#4: Feelin’ The Same Way
#5: Come Away With Me
#6: Shoot The Moon
#7: Turn Me On
#8: Lonestar
#9: I’ve Got To See You Again
#10: Painter Song
#11: One Flight Down
#12: Nightingale
#13: The Long Day Is Over
#14: The Nearness Of You
I was excited to finally purchase my
first multi channel SACD. I have
heard so many good things about
Norah Jones and the fidelity of her
recordings so it made for a sensible
buying option. I started with
Track#1 “Don’t Know Why”,
although a good song, overplayed
for my tastes, thus I quickly passed
it over to Track#2, “Seven Years”
and was rewarded with a very
enveloping guitar gracefully panning
throughout the front three channels
without drawing distraction to the
rear channels by unnaturally over
emphasizing them like I have heard
on far too many DVD-A multi
channel recordings.
The percussion’s in this track surrounded very three dimensional and lifelike making me long for more of
what this disc had to offer. TracK#5 “Come Away With Me” put me right where I needed to be with the
very airy and smooth brushes of the cymbals and melodic relaxing, crystal clear vocals from Norah Jones.
Track#9 “I’ve Got To See You Again” surrounded me with Norah’s powerful vocal ballads urging me to
crank the volume even higher because it just sounded so good. By now it was clear to me that the
RX-V2400 was handling high resolution formats exemplary demonstrating that noise floor and distortion
were not limiting factors of reproducing the musical nature of this format as I have heard in some lower
priced receivers and moderately prices pre/pros.
Playing the wonderfully recorded multi channel DVD-A Graham Nash “Songs for the Survivors” gave the
RX-V2400 quite a work out. After about five minutes of blasting this disc, I muted the volume and noted
the RX-V2400 cooling fan was engaged and the receiver was warm to the touch. I strongly encourage
users to allow for good top and back ventilation for this receiver if you plan on playing it at high sustained
volume levels in medium to large sized rooms with moderately efficient speakers (< 89dB SPL @1meter).
Don’t panic, the fan was very quite and only audibly noticeable when I turned down the volume and stood
within a few feet from the receiver. When playing at these sustained volume levels I noted the RX-V2400
maintained good composure, but took on a slightly forward tonal nature in the midrange with a bit of
edginess in the highs. However, I don’t know of any receiver at the $1000 price point that would fair
better under such circumstances. At slightly less than insane listening levels, the RX-V2400 always
sounded well focused, and fluid. At low volume levels, all resolution was preserved, as I have been
accustomed too on my reference system.
Page 10 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
Home Theater
As I have noted in previous Yamaha receivers, home theater is truly where their RXV series excel.
Yamaha has always been unequalled in their DSP processing to enhance the movie watching experience
and the RX-V2400 proved to be no exception. While I found the DSP modes to be too numerous and
over emphasizing in most applications, I did manage to find a few favorites and tweak them to more
subtle settings that worked better in my system. I was happy to see Yamaha include their proprietary
dedicated front effects channels, or in their new nomenclature “Presence” channels. However, if you opt
for back channels, you are left with no “Presence” channels. I would have liked to see Yamaha offer the
ability to preamp out say the front channels, and reroute those unused channels to the “Presence”
channels for a full blown 9.1 channel playback system. This would be the ultimate solution for the
audiophile who desires a dedicated external power amp for their main channels, but wants the ability for a
9.1 speaker configuration, basically allowing them to have their cake and eat it too. However, I suppose
Currently Yamaha reserves this speaker configuration for their RX-Z9 flagship receiver.
Most of my home theater evaluation of the
RX-V2400 was done in the traditional 7.1
configuration (back surrounds, no presence
channels). I started with the discrete DTS ES
DVD of Gladiator. The opening scenes of this
movie are both visually and audibly
impressive. I really did enjoy having the back
channels in this instance and felt it did expand
the surround field and smooth out panning
between channels. Switching between THX
and Yamaha DSP cinema modes, I preferred
the latter. The THX mode in my setup did
seem to expand the rear soundfield, but at the
expense of dulling out the front channels,
most likely do to the REQ feature of THX.
However, some listeners may prefer this in
their set-ups so by all means choose what is
right for you.
I found the better DSP modes in my set-up were “Spectacle and Adventure”. I have always been a fan of
the “Adventure” mode, but only after toning down some of the parameters. To me this soundfield really
does enhance the movie watching experience, especially if you can take advantage of the dedicated front
effects channels.
The RX-V2400 didn’t disappoint. The bloodbath battle scenes were well conveyed with all the sense of
detail and conviction I was accustomed too, only this time I had a little DSP enhancement to make things
sound a bit BIGGER in scope that ordinary processing.
For the record, there are only two instances when I prefer a Yamaha DSP mode over conventional
processing (IE. DD/DTS, DPLII,DTS Neo,etc):
• Old music concert videos
• Some action based movies
other than that, I usually stick to the regulars, especially DPLII for older music CD’s.
See the Comparison Matrix of RX-V2400 Operational Modes
http://www.audioholics.com/FAQs/YamahaRXV-2400.html
Page 11 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
Summary
It may seem that I am being overly critical of this receiver to some readers, but please understand I do
this to set a precedent for manufacturers future product advancements. The Yamaha RX-V2400 is an
extraordinarily good product and value, and in my opinion, fills a marketplace that no other product in its
price class currently does. It offers a quick auto set-up for the neophyte that will at least achieve a
reasonably good sounding configuration some users ordinarily wouldn’t be able to achieve manually, and
allows for user tweakable adjustments to improve those settings. It even has a bi-directional RS-232
interface and a receiver editor feature allowing the user, or more commonly, the custom installer to setup, configure, and retain programmable settings on a computer incase of the event of memory failure or
accidental user erasure/modification of settings. Two multi zone settings (one with power amp
assignability, the other passive with triggered outputs) allows for the receiver to serve as the demarcation
point for house wide entertainment with minimal components required.
While YPAO is not perfect, it does demonstrate a step in the right direction and the manufacturers
willingness to increase product performance and ease of use for the average user in the not so ideal
room environment. If you abandon all of the auto set-up and room equalizing features, you are left with a
7.1 multi channel receiver that delivers solid performance and features that were uncommon in a product
of this price class only one year ago.
If you go one step further and abandon the internal amp sections for the five main channels in favor of a
dedicated multi channel amp, you are left with a pre/pro that rivals many costlier dedicated pre/pros in
performance and function with amps to power the proprietary DSP modes in a traditional 5.1 set-up, or to
power multi room / multi source applications. Any way you look at it, the Yamaha RX-V2400 is a terrific
bargain and a definite trendsetter for receiver manufacturers to follow suit.
Suggestions for Improvement
It is really difficult to fault a $1000 mass market receiver that does so many things so extraordinarily well
that many higher dollar exotics dare not challenge. However, being the Audioholic I am , and the very
nature of this website, I do have some critiques aimed in making this product and all forwarding Yamaha
products even better.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
th
Parametric room correction (1/12 octave resolution or better) for low frequencies (where it is needed
most) with bandwidth limiting application say 20Hz to 200Hz for all channels, including the subwoofer.
Ability to limit room correction amplitude increments to within a specific +/- range.
Manually adjustable PEQ settings.
Multiple equalization settings to accommodate different listening positions.
Subwoofer output in two channel “Direct” mode by paralleling the incoming audio signal via a relay to
the DSP for processing to the subwoofer.
On the fly non-retained channel trim adjustment capability.
Independent subwoofer level and crossover settings for two channel and multi channel modes of
operation.
Ability to reroute main channels to “Presence” channels for a 9.1 set-up with external power amps for
the main channels.
This is a long laundry list, and certainly not meant to suggest the RX-V2400 is lacking for its price point.
See how the RX-V2400 Faired Against other Receivers/Processors reviewed in 2003
http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/AVProcessorReceiverChecklistp3.html
Page 12 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
The Score Card
The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers
are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating equal to:
Performance x Price Factor/Value = Rating
Audioholics Ratings Scale:
– Outstanding (reserved for features or areas that exceed market norms)
– Above Average
– Average
– Below Average
– Very Poor
Yamaha RX-V2400 Home Theater Receiver
Metric
Rating
Build Quality
Ergonomics
User Interface
Remote
Features
DSP Modes
5.1 Channel Pro Logic II / DTS Neo Performance
7.1 / 5.1 Channel DD / DTS Performance
Macro Dynamics
Micro Dynamics
Two Channel Performance
Multi Channel Music
Overall
Value
Yamaha RX-V2400 A/V Receiver MSRP $999
Yamaha Electronics
(800) 292-2982
http://www.yamaha.com
Page 13 of 14
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.
Audioholics.com Review of Yamaha RXV-2400 A/V Receiver
Associated Test Gear
Hardware
Denon AVR-5803
R.E. Designs Audio LNPA-150
Harman Kardon AVI-200mkii
RBH 1266-LSE with Status Drivers
RBH 661-LSE with Status Drivers
RBH 44-SEB (modified for back channel speakers)
RBH 61-LSE with Status Drivers
Status Acoustics Decimos
RBH 1010-SEP
Dynaudio Audience 52-SE
Von Schweikert VR-1
JBL Pro III
Sony SCD-CE775
Denon DVD-2900
Sony KP51-WS510
Acoustic Research
DIY Belden Cables
Cobalt Cables
Monstercable
R.E. Designs
Monstercable HTS-3500
EchoBusters
Page 14 of 14
Description
7CH A/V Receiver
150 wpc mono block power amplifiers
Integrated prologic amplifier
Reference Main Channels
Reference Center Channel
Reference Back Channels
Reference Rear Channels
Reference Bookshelf Speakers
Reference 400 watt Dual 10” Subwoofer
Special Edition Bookshelf Speakers
Bookshelf Speakers
Front Effects Channel
SACD Changer
Universal DVD Video Reference Player
51” Widescreen HD RPTV
Video Coax Cables
Interconnects (twister pair, shielded)
10 AWG wiring
Digital / Analog / Video Interconnects
Analog Interconnects
Power Center
2'x 4'Sound Panels
Copyright ©2003 Audioholics.com. All Rights Reserved.