Entered CNET Catalog: 06/18/2005
SKU: 0027108922348
Manufacturer: Yamaha Corp. of America
Manufacturer description
Yamaha has endeavored to produce products and services that satisfy the diverse needs and desires of people worldwide. Its products and services are recognized the world over for superior quality in acoustics, design, technology, craftsmanship, and customer oriented services. These products and services under the brand name of Yamaha are highly regarded by a large number of professionals, institutions, business people within the related industries, and consumers. PRODUCT FEATURES: 5 piece surround sound speaker package and a powered subwoofer; 5.1 channel A/V Home Theater receiver with built in Dolby Digital.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 01/30/2006
The matching subwoofer's glamour quotient is also low, but it isn't plastic--the baby boomer is constructed from MDF and weighs a solid 22 pounds. It's 12 inches wide by 12 deep and 14 high. The little sub is finished to a higher standard than the subs we see packed with other entry-level HTIBs.
The system's A/V receiver is also way ahead of typical HTIB electronics, and since it's just 12.5 inches deep, it will fit on standard shelves and inside cabinets. The front-panel-mounted bass and treble controls and button layout are nicely organized. Since the receiver lacks onscreen menus, navigating the setup routine via the receiver's display can be a little tricky. We strongly recommend making the effort, because the sound out of the box was subpar. After we cruised through the setup and balanced all the speaker volume levels, the audio quality perked up. As for the smallish, black remote, it won't win any awards for design or ease of use, but it's serviceable. The speakers of the Yamaha YHT-160 are standard issue. The little satellite speakers feature a single, 2.5-inch woofer while the center speaker uses two 2.5-inch woofers, but tweeters didn't make the cut. The speakers' spring-clip connectors are more robust and therefore more secure than the cheesy connectors many HTIB satellites sport. The 8-inch subwoofer has a built-in 50-watt amplifier.
The receiver included in the system is Yamaha's own HTR-5830, which is also available separately for about $200. It houses five 110-watt channels along with the standard assortment of Dolby and DTS surround modes; processing gets expedited with a set of 192kHz/24-bit digital converters. By $300 HTIB standards, the receiver's connectivity is exceptional: you get four composite A/V inputs and one output, plus two component-video inputs and one output. There are three digital audio inputs (two optical and one coaxial); analog connections include two stereo inputs and one out, plus a set of 5.1 SACD/DVD-Audio inputs. The front speakers' binding posts accept banana plugs, spades, or bare wire ends, while the B front speakers and other speaker channels offer the more rudimentary spring clips. Cream's Royal Albert Hall 2005 concert DVD sounded surprisingly credible over the Yamaha YHT-160, but the system couldn't quite master Metallica's St. Anger DVD when we upped the volume above background levels. Still, the fact that we even tried to rock out with Metallica over a set of 6.25-inch-tall satellite speakers says something about our respect for the little system. Also noteworthy, the tweeterless satellites had good treble detail.
Thanks in large part to the potent subwoofer, the alien baddies unleashing death and destruction on the War of the Worlds DVD proved the YHT-160's considerable home-theater skills. Sure, the Yamaha didn't have the gravitas of larger HTIB systems, such as the Onkyo HT-S580 ($299), but in small to midsize rooms, the Yamaha will deliver the goods.
CD sound was acceptable but nowhere as satisfying as its DVD sound. At this point we decided to replace the satellite speakers with higher-quality speakers (most HTIBs aren't flexible enough to be used with speakers other than their own). When we hooked up a set of Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers and continued to use the Yamaha receiver and subwoofer, the sound was dramatically improved. James Taylor CDs that sounded undernourished over the YHT-160's minispeakers were full bodied via the Wharfedale speakers. DVDs sonic gains were also considerable.
The long and short of it is that while the Yamaha YHT-160 offers good bang for the buck on its own, if the upgrade urge strikes, its receiver and sub can continue to serve in your home theater. But an even better deal is the step-up model, the Yamaha YHT-360. That model adds more robust front speakers and an XM-ready receiver for quick and easy satellite hookup, and it's widely available for just $30 more than the YHT-160's $300 list price.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
2/10
I hate this system
Pros: Lots of inputs, relatively inexpensive
Cons: Poorly balanced sound, low-quality speakers
Review:
I am very unhappy with this system. I've owned this system for about a year and a half, and I regret ever making this purchase. First of all, one of the speakers was blown right out of the box. Another speaker blew about six months ago. But the worst part about it is the poorly balanced sound. I've had a hell of a time trying to figure out how to get the sound right, especially at higher volumes. The typical problem is sound effects and music being too loud, but voices and dialogue being too soft. Music CD's don't sound very good on this system, either. Prior to this system, I owned an old-school Technics system with only two front speakers and two rear speakers, and it was far better. I think I'll dig it back out of the closet.
User Rating: 
8/10
Perfect size for an apartment
Pros: Great sound and fantastic bass
Cons: many options that can take some time to tweak, but for the price it is perfect
Review:
For the price tag, this thing is excellent. It is a $250 system that is meant to be an entry level HTIB. I have had this for about 6-7 months now, and I love it even more now that I have my 37" sharp LCD and Sony upconvert player to go with it. I would like an HDMI compatible receiver, but at this price level not a con at all. Besides, my tv has 2 HDMI and digital optical out so no big deal. The sound is great once you take the time to set it up correctly (it does need some tweaking out of the box, but what doesn't). Even at high volume, this thing doesn't have noticable distortion to my ears and I haven't even upgraded the speaker wire. For the price, no complaints. I would like to see how it performs in a larger space, b/c it can shake the walls in my apartment!
User Rating: 
9/10
This system is great!!
Pros: Lots of hookups, excellent sound, priced right
Cons: Remote needs revamping, speaker wire is cheap
Review:
Don't listen to people whine about sound distortion at high volume. These people should suck it up and spend the money on high end systems. This system is just right for someone looking to spend around $200 - $300 on a HTIB. The sound is amaizing and the sub moves things hanging on the wall. I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean last night and after getting the settings all tuned in it was like watching it in a mini movie theater.
The only thing keeping my rating at a 9 is the lack of nice remote.
The only thing keeping my rating at a 9 is the lack of nice remote.
User Rating: 
7/10
Excellent Value for the Price
Pros: Great Sound . Easy to setup. Component Video Inputs for HDTV
Cons: Bad Remote. Speaker Wires are substandard
Review:
I have this system for a couple of months now. Got it for a steal at Fry's. Very much worth the money.
The speakers are small in size and sleek.
It is very easy to setup. The whole apartment rocks if I pump up the subwoofer volume.
The speaker wire which comes with it is very thin. I bought some 16 gauge wire from Radio Shack and then the sound was phenomenal.
The remote which comes with the receiver is not very user friendly. I use a OneForAll remote from Amazon.com (cost about 20$) and it works fine with the receiver for most functions .
It did not have an HDMI input/output. SO I have connected my HDMI DVD player directly to the TV and have the audio connected to the optical audio input using an optical cable and that works well.
However it does have component audio/video inputs so you can use a progressive scan player.
I have also connected my IPOD using a KEnsington Dock to the CD input of the receiver and it sounds phenomenal.
So overall a great buy.
The speakers are small in size and sleek.
It is very easy to setup. The whole apartment rocks if I pump up the subwoofer volume.
The speaker wire which comes with it is very thin. I bought some 16 gauge wire from Radio Shack and then the sound was phenomenal.
The remote which comes with the receiver is not very user friendly. I use a OneForAll remote from Amazon.com (cost about 20$) and it works fine with the receiver for most functions .
It did not have an HDMI input/output. SO I have connected my HDMI DVD player directly to the TV and have the audio connected to the optical audio input using an optical cable and that works well.
However it does have component audio/video inputs so you can use a progressive scan player.
I have also connected my IPOD using a KEnsington Dock to the CD input of the receiver and it sounds phenomenal.
So overall a great buy.
User Rating: 7/10
Great Features for the Money
Pros: Plenty of inputs
Cons: Impossible to program remote
Review:
User Rating: 9/10
Great Sound, Incredible bass, perfect companion for HDTV.
Pros: Features, ample ports, pleasing appearance, great sound/range
Cons: Sometimes confusing interface, odd speaker mount size
Review:
After upgrading to a 37 inch lcd, I wanted to upgrade my sound as well. I knew the name Yamaha, but had not thought of them for home theater. The salesman at BB recommended this system, and it seemed to fit the bill. After gettng it home and setting it up...WOW!!! Incredible sound, deep bass, and wide range of tone. I can hear everything now. Little things like being able to hear soft spoken dialogue or silverware scratching/glasses clinking in a restaurant scene are amazing.
Integrating it into my home theater set up was relatively simple, but the sometimes confusing input labels were something I thought needed improvement. The remote seems a little quirky too, not always switching sound profiles for example. Not a huge issue as now I'm using a Harmony remote.
Overall, the price, features and amazing sound combine to make this HTIB a great value and an excellent companion to an HDTV.
Integrating it into my home theater set up was relatively simple, but the sometimes confusing input labels were something I thought needed improvement. The remote seems a little quirky too, not always switching sound profiles for example. Not a huge issue as now I'm using a Harmony remote.
Overall, the price, features and amazing sound combine to make this HTIB a great value and an excellent companion to an HDTV.
User Rating: 
6/10
Good System for the Money
Pros: Quality sound, looks good, easy to set up
Cons: no DVD player, surround speakers not very strong
Review:
Overall, if you want surround sound but don't want a big price-tag, this is a good set. It gets the job done but won't blow anybody away. The surround speakers leave some to be desired but a good surround movie (terminator 2 or twister) will still sound really cool. Lack of DVD/CD player hurts but if you plug an MP3 player into it..sounds great for parties, etc.
I know that I didnt' get the top shelf system but for the money I spent...I am satisfied.
I know that I didnt' get the top shelf system but for the money I spent...I am satisfied.
User Rating: 
3/10
If you like volume without distortion, keep looking
Pros: Reputable brand, real receiver, sounds decent at low volume
Cons: Satellites AND sub distort badly at higher volumes
Review:
I did much research before buying this system - I was looking for an inexpensive HTIB that would sound great & have tiny speakers that would blend into the room. I was psyched to find that Yamaha made a setup for $300 - I mean, it's YAMAHA, so it has to be good stuff, right?
Wrong.
Got it home, set it up & threw in a Collective Soul CD - at low volumes it sounded promising, but as it approached -15db the satellites couldn't handle the guitar & the sub couldn't handle the bass. Had plenty of volume knob left too, but I think we all know what would've happened if I used it.
Packaged the system back up & returned it in favor of a cheaper Samsung HTIB that included a 5-disc DVD changer...now THAT unit sounds great, all the way up to MAX volume.
Would NOT recommend the YHT-160 to anyone who listens to anything above elevator-music level.
Wrong.
Got it home, set it up & threw in a Collective Soul CD - at low volumes it sounded promising, but as it approached -15db the satellites couldn't handle the guitar & the sub couldn't handle the bass. Had plenty of volume knob left too, but I think we all know what would've happened if I used it.
Packaged the system back up & returned it in favor of a cheaper Samsung HTIB that included a 5-disc DVD changer...now THAT unit sounds great, all the way up to MAX volume.
Would NOT recommend the YHT-160 to anyone who listens to anything above elevator-music level.
User Rating: 9/10
Really Nice System
Pros: This system sounds good and has lots of features.
Cons: The Remote Control is hard to use.
Review:
I recently purchased the Yamaha YHT 160 and I can not believe how good it sounds. The features this unit has are above other units that are in this price range, and the performance is great. You can't go wrong with this system.
User Rating: 9/10
Best Bang for the Buck
Pros: Great sound effects, easy set up,
Cons: Remote Control really diffucult to use.
Review:
After having the panasonic SC-ht05 for a couple of months I switched to this system and I was just thrown off-board with the sound effects and the options which are available for modifying the sounds. If you need anything for a small room and dont want too spend much on HT system, this is the best bang for the buck.
Remote Control operation is pretty difficult but for all the cheap HTiBs thats always there.
Remote Control operation is pretty difficult but for all the cheap HTiBs thats always there.
