Yamaha Home Theater
Entered CNET Catalog: 06/19/2003
SKU: RXV740
Manufacturer: Yamaha Corp. of America
Manufacturer description
The RX-V740 is a full-featured home theater receiver ready for all formats and for custom installation. Major features include 6-channel discrete amplification (90W x6), Yamaha's Digital ToP-ART design concept, Quad-Field CINEMA DSP, 24 surround program, SILENT CINEMA, and a preset remote control. It delivers high power to six channels and provides DTS ES Discrete 6.1, Neo: 6, and DTS ES Matrix 6.1 decoding as well as Dolby Digital EX and Dolby Pro Logic II decoding.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 07/18/2003
There's no doubt about it--the deeply extruded aluminum faceplate and volume knob give the V740 a dramatic high-end flair. This 28.6-pound component is really built.
Home-theater beginners will appreciate the logical menus. Also nicely organized is the button contingent on the remote, which features an illuminated LCD.
Oh, there's something the V740 doesn't have: a cooling fan. The unit instead relies on an internal finned heat sink. We like that design decision because we never got distracted by fan noise.
The V740's conservative 90-watt-per-channel power rating deserves a closer look. Most competing models' power ratings are based on the use of speakers with the most-benign load: 8 ohms of electrical resistance. Some receiver user manuals even recommend steering clear of 4-ohm speakers. The problem is that in real life, no speaker--not even one rated at 8 ohms--offers steady resistance. It dips and rises. The V740 addresses that reality by producing higher-than-average current output. So the V740 isn't afraid of drops to 6 ohms or even 4 ohms--it can deliver short-term 190-watt peaks into 4-ohm speakers. That's impressive performance for a $599 receiver.
A 15-band center-channel equalizer, uncommon among receivers, can help the main and center speakers blend more seamlessly. The front panel also has bass and treble controls for the main speakers.
The usual surround formats--Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, and DTS Neo:6--are augmented with 24 proprietary synthesized-surround programs.
Connectivity looks awfully complete, including HDTV-compatible component-video switching, a 5.1 SACD/DVD-Audio input, 6.1 preamp outputs that can feed an outboard power amplifier, A/B speaker connections, stereo outputs for a two-zone system, lots of A/V and digital-audio ins and outs, and a full set of front-panel-mounted audio/video/digital inputs. Hey, the designers even remembered to accommodate a turntable with a phono input--cool!
Yamaha's two-year warranty is twice as long as the usual offering.
Our home-theater auditions ably demonstrated the V740's sonic skill set. The Pianist DVD opens in a radio studio in World War II Warsaw. As Adrien Brody performs a stately recital, distant explosions shake the building, ominously moving closer and closer. We were chilled by the sound of a bomb hitting the studio, crumbling plaster and shattering glass. The audio effects in this film don't bear any resemblance to the typical overdone Hollywood bombast; rather, they're more realistic and, therefore, more frightening. The V740 put us in the middle of the action.
We next teamed up the V740 with Yamaha's DVD-S2300 universal player. Beck's Sea Change SACD has a wonderfully enveloping surround mix, and the mellifluous mist enhanced the tunes. "Lonesome Tears" features a Beatles-esque string accompaniment that wrapped around the room and swept us away. The sound was just beautiful.
We also compared the V740 with the Denon AVR-2803 receiver. To cut to the chase, the Denon's sound was richer and plusher. Its CD playback was more three-dimensional, and the bass was pleasantly ripe--but we go for that sort of sound. Just listening to the V740 on its own, we were always happy with its very detailed sound. Ah, and the V740's list price is a couple of hundred dollars less than the 2803's.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 User Rating: 
7/10
Good yamaha receiver but not great
Pros: plenty of digital connections good options for the price
Cons: lacks power, this receiver replaced my THX Pioneer Elite receiver and it blew the Yamaha away in terms of sound through the same speakers and both receivers had similar power ratings.
User Rating: 
10/10
Sounds incredible and is affordable
Pros: I am a newbie to the home audio hobby. This was the perfect receiver to start off with and it will last a lifetime.
Cons: There is no backlight on the remote.
User Rating: 
8/10
Sound is the Thing
Pros: The unparrelled ability to handle the mismatched impedendece in my ad hoc speaker array of 37 drivers is phenomenal. Previous Sony, Pioneer and Kenwood Revievers were overmatched and not able to perform. some by self-destructing.
Cons: The setup is cranky and remote best used to control only the receiver.
