Entered CNET Catalog: 01/10/2002
SKU: DVX-S100
Manufacturer: Yamaha Corp. of America
Manufacturer description
If you want something other than box-shaped components for your home theater - something with sleek, sophisticated styling - you'll want to take a good look at the DVX-S100. The slim, coolly professional center unit combines a high-performance DVD player with a receiver offering the superb quality that Yamaha is famous for. The speaker system includes main and rear speakers, a center speaker and a subwoofer, so you can experience the full impact of 5.1- and even 6.1-channel movie sound. Discover the joys of home theater by thinking out of the box - with the DVX-S100.Product summary
The good: Svelte A/V receiver/DVD player; progressive-scan video output; DVD-Audio compatible; two-way satellites and four-driver center speaker; powered subwoofer; superlative connectivity options.
The bad: Ergonomically challenging remote; limited power.
The bottom line: This cool-looking system is loaded with solid features, but its sonics didn't knock us out.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 02/19/2003
We weren't too happy with the remote, which has a cramped button layout that will frustrate fumble-fingered users. The remote also forces you to constantly switch between its amplifier and DVD controls. The S100's list of features goes further than that of most competing HTIBs. Surround-sound modes reach beyond the everyday Dolby and DTS to include Dolby Pro Logic II and a synthesized 6.1 Matrix option that promises to mimic the phantom rear-speaker image heard with 6.1-channel systems. Faroudja's DCDi video processing with 3:2 pull-down enhances DVD picture quality when the Yamaha is connected to a progressive-scan TV or an HDTV. The DVD player also decodes and plays back MP3 CDs.
Connectivity choices are unusually complete: You get a component-video output, two digital inputs (one coaxial and one optical), and one optical output. The S100 also packs a generous selection of A/V inputs and outputs with composite-video and S-Video switching. This is also one of the few kits that we've seen to feature preamp outs, allowing S100 owners to upgrade their system by adding a separate multichannel amplifier or a beefier powered subwoofer. We started our evaluations with the K-19 DVD, a fascinating Russian-submarine drama starring Harrison Ford. The S100 sounded swell at moderate levels and had a very nice sense of envelopment. The submarine's thunderous bass was clean though not terribly powerful or extended. This Yamaha doesn't have bass or treble controls, just a lonely bass-boost button that adds a muddy boom to the sound.
The S100's various Matrix 6.1 processing modes don't quite mimic the sound of a center-rear speaker, but they do enhance the system's wide-open spatiality. Pumping up the volume strained and squashed the sound, so we'd recommend the S100 for use in moderately sized rooms of less than 250 square feet.
We next sampled Neil Young's Harvest DVD-Audio (DVD-A) disc, and we were surprised to note that the S100's DVD-A player automatically defaulted to the lower-quality Dolby Digital tunes. In order to listen to the DVD-A tracks, you first have to hit the Disc Direct button on the receiver. Once that problem was solved, we discovered that the Young disc's easy-rolling sound was sweet--better than a normal CD. However, the hard-rocking Queens of the Stone Age disc Songs for the Deaf was too dynamically challenged to be much fun. The S100's power limitations may frustrate some folks, but its radio was unusually adept at pulling in tough-to-receive college stations.
All of our MP3 CDs played without a problem, but the S100 refused to display any file titles onscreen. On the plus side, the machine accommodated every type of recordable DVD, including DVD-Rs, DVD+Rs, DVD+RWs, and DVD-RWs.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12out of 12 user reviews
home theatre system! Never let me down!
Pros: I connectted Karoake mixer with microphones; also with my laptop for watching you tube, The wide range of sound volume never let me down and also while singing karoake, no high frequency noise from speaker, never! Good quality!
Cons: no .rm, mp4 format supportted.
out of 12 user reviews
Great system...Just read carefully
Pros: This is probably one of the best HTIB's out there that I have found. Even though there is not as much power as I would have liked it still gets the job done for a room that is smaller than 20 x 20. ALthough some say the buttons on the remote are small a
Cons: The two biggest problems with this unit is the lack of woofer power and the instruction manual. I like a little more kick when i watch Saving Private Ryan, but for the price and features it still gives the couch enough of a shimmy.
out of 12 user reviews
Decent product, great value for the money
Pros: Easy plug and play, slick contemporary design, very decent sound for master bedroom location.
Cons: I still need two remotes (the other for the cable box). Cannot mix S video out with analog in (from VRC), well I just need to get updated VCR.
out of 12 user reviews
Great sound and quality
Pros: Located this system at bestbuy.com for $400. Listened to similar priced Sony, etc. units and the Yamaha had a much clearer and better sound. Not a powerhouse unit but clear and powerful enough for small living rooms. This was my first DVD Home Theater
Cons: Utilizing the remote becomes a hair pulling experience and the user manual is poor if you can't figure something out. I am still having problems running on screen DVD menus via the remote.
out of 12 user reviews
Confusing
Pros: Sounds great- when it works.
Cons: The owners manual is total and complete gibberish- and note, this comment is coming from a man- me- that used to WRITE owner manuals. IF you can figure out the hundreds of exceptions and "do's and don'ts" etc, you MIGHT be able to actually use the FM rece
out of 12 user reviews
Value value value!
Pros: I got the system wehn they marked it down from 1.399 Euro to 599, b/c the product had to make place for newer models. Anyhow they gave me a demonstration of this system compared to Sony's and JVCs top of the line products. Though I like Sony and JVC for t
Cons: The remote control asumes you have several tentacles added to your body and a degree in non-ergonomic operations of difficult things
out of 12 user reviews
now this is what i'm talking about!
Pros: clear, crisp sound. Don't let the output power fool you. This system packs a punch! I can't even turn it up near as loud as it could go for fear of hearing loss! Amazing! Thanks Yamaha!
Cons: Only thing I can say at this point is the on some of the the subwoofer pitches you can hear a "flapping" of the internal speaker... I'm sure this will go away as I where it in tho
out of 12 user reviews
Greate system for value.
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out of 12 user reviews
great picture quality
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out of 12 user reviews
This time I got it right
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out of 12 user reviews
Awesome system
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out of 12 user reviews
Sony DAV-C770 v. DAV C990 v. Yamaha DVX-S100
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