Yamaha HTR-5860 XM-Ready 7.1-Channel A/V Surround Receiver (Black)
Yamaha HTR-5860 XM-Ready 7.1-Channel A/V Surround Receiver (Black)
Product Description
Amazon.com Hands-On Review
Yamaha's relatively affordable and amazingly high-quality HTR-5860 XM-ready surround receiver is a treat for both music lovers and movie buffs. As the nexus for either a two-channel/stereo listening system or a surround-equipped home theater, the 7.1-channel HTR-5860 is a virtually unqualified success. It underscores both the incredible convenience of having a central component to manage the audio and video signals from many other components and the profound importance of high-quality audio to the enjoyment of recorded music and home cinema.
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To take advantage of YPAO, you simply hold or mount a supplied microphone at your primary listening position and hit "start" on the remote. The receiver pumps a series of test signals through your speakers and "listens" via the mic, comparing what it hears from your speakers and your walls to what it already knows about the source signals. The resulting analysis is the basis for a complete and nearly instantaneous system calibration that encompasses everything from sophisticated equalizer settings for each channel to individual speaker-level adjustments for up to nine speakers (seven main channels plus two "presence" speakers and a subwoofer). You're free to manually modify any aspect of the settings, and you can reload previous settings at the touch of a button.
We heard the biggest improvement from YPAO in the quality, not to say quantity, of bass supplied by our test system. In fact, the post-YPAO bass output was lower, since the receiver's careful adjustments to the level, the crossover frequency (the point where low-frequency sound transitions from the front left/right speakers to the subwoofer), and low-frequency equalization resulted in greater clarity for both deep-bass sounds (drums, dino feet, etc.) and upper-bass sounds (bass guitar, cellos). Bottom line: speakers in living rooms behave differently than speakers in test rooms, and having an AV receiver capable of tailoring its output to your room accounts for a lot.
The receiver also performed commendably in all other areas. Its XM Satellite Radio readiness is as seamless as could be hoped for: plug in your XM antenna, hit the XM/FM toggle button, and lose yourself in the service's 150-plus news, entertainment, and commercial-free music channels. (Use of this feature requires a subscription to XM Satellite Radio--$12.95 per month, no contract required--and a compatible XM antenna, such as the Audiovox CNP-1000.) XM Radio offers the best satellite-radio sound quality, and we've never heard XM sounding better than it does through this receiver.
Notably, the receiver offers a whopping 40 XM station presets on top of its 40 AM/FM presets. XM presets are stored in five banks of eight (A1 to E8), which proves handy for grouping similar programming or for diplomatically allocating presets to different family members.
Component-video up conversion takes composite- and S-video signals and converts them to a component-video signal. This means you need only one connection to your high-definition or other compatible TV rather than a separate connection for each video format. When you switch from watching your VCR to watching your progressive-scan DVD player, one click of the receiver's remote is all it takes to call up the DVD player; you don't also have to select an alternate input on your TV.
Other sonic refinements come from Yamaha's Digital ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology) amplifier design (which ensures high signal purity) and the receiver's wide-range audio frequency response, specifically accommodating cutting-edge audio media like DVD-audio and SACD. The HTR-5860's digital-to-analog converters operate at an extremely high-resolution 192 kHz/24-bits. There's even a feature called Pure Direct, which bypasses all circuitry not essential to audio playback, including the display. --Michael Mikesell
Pros:
An amazingly high-value product
Great for stereo or surround listening
Terrific room and system calibration feature
Excellent sound quality via both analog and digital inputs
Extremely versatile hookup and listening options
XM Satellite Radio-ready (hookup, navigation, presets)
Abundant surround-processing options
Extensive user-adjustable parameters for bass management, sound fields
Well-designed universal remote control
Well-written user's manual
HD-capable video switching
Convenient front-panel AV inputs
Cons:
No phono input
Flimsy volume knob
Speaker terminals do not accept spade-lug-terminated cable
What's in the Box
HTR-5860 receiver, remote control, remote batteries, YPAO optimization microphone, FM and AM antennas, a user's manual, warranty/registration information.
Product Description:
This 7.1-channel receiver offers 665 Watts (110W x 7 RMS), and many exclusive Yamaha functions, including YPAO automatic optimization, quad-field CINEMA DSP, XM satellite radio ready and component video up conversion. XM satellite radio ready - allows you to hear over 150 digital satellite radio channels with the addition of the XM Connect-and-Play digital antenna accessory (sold separately). Subscription to XM satellite radio required. YPAO system uses a small microphone and a sophisticated equalizer to automatically set the best sound for any room, no matter where the speakers are On-screen display Surround back power-amp assignable (for presence channels) for ultimate surround sound system 8-channel external system Dialogue lift for enhanced dialogue sound output Quad-field CINEMA DSP and 14 surround programs Night listening enhancer (cinema/music) makes sure you don't miss sounds and quiet dialogue when you're listening at a low volume, and SILENT CINEMA accurately simulates surround sound through ordinary earphones Full component video up conversion ensures you will get the highest possible quality no matter what the source is Inputs (including front panel) - 6 Digital (4 optical and 2 coaxial), 5 A/V and audio, 2 component video inputs and 8 channel external decoder inputs Outputs - 1 optical digital, 2 A/V, 1 audio, 1 component video monitor, Front L/R, Center, Surround L/R and surround L/R Preout and subwoofer output, and S-Video and composite monitor outputs Dimensions - 17-1/8 x 6-3/4 x 16-9/16 Weight - 27.8 lbs. Black
Yamaha HTR-5860 XM-Ready 7.1-Channel A/V Surround Receiver (Black)
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