Entered CNET Catalog: 06/20/2006
SKU: 027108104669
Manufacturer: Yamaha Corp. of America
Manufacturer description
DVD Players equipped with CD Digital Video capabilities will be able to play video and sound media that has been compressed together and recorded onto a CD disc. Conventional multi channel audio reproduction systems base their sound on Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, using matrix and steering technologies to create surround sound effects. Yamaha CINEMA DSP is much more advanced; actually creating richly realized independent sound fields that envelop you in an unmatched surround sound experience. With dialog, music and effects from ideally located in these separate sound fields; you will hear sound with accurate placement, smooth movement, exceptional clarity and richness, and startlingly realistic presence. It will seem as if the walls of your room have disappeared and you are in the middle of your own immense theater! The decoding circuitry performs Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS Digital Surround, DTS-ES (DTS-ES Matrix 6.1 and DTS-ES Discrete 6.1), DTS Neo: 6 and DTS 96/24 decoding with extreme accuracy, as well as all digital sound field processing. A THX Select mode is provided as an extra listening option. High Quality 5-disc DVD changer and a powerful receiver, XM Satellite Radio Ready with XM HD Surround plus iPod Compatibility.Product summary
The good: Home theater in a box including component-grade A/V receiver with generous connectivity options, full-size DVD changer, wall-mountable minisatellite speakers and powered 8-inch subwoofer; XM Satellite Radio capability with HD Surround; optional iPod dock.
The bad: Curiously, you get only five satellites with this 6.1-channel A/V receiver, and the system lacks automatic setup (speaker calibration) and HDMI output. You also may need to use separate remotes--one for the receiver, one for the DVD player.
The bottom line: The compact speakers of Yamaha's YHT-670 home-theater-in-a-box not only mimic the sound of HTIBs with tower speakers, the sound can be upgraded down the road with better speakers.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 10/20/2006
The DVD changer's tray glides in and out with unusual smoothness, and the nearly silent disc-swapping operation takes 18 seconds. Measuring 17.1 inches wide, 3 high, and 16.5 deep, it's a little deeper than the receiver. It, too, is available separately, as the $200 DV-C6860.
The satellite speakers are petite--just 6.5-inches tall--so they can fit just about anywhere, and the matching 11.8-inch-wide center speaker is small enough to easily fit on a shelf below a TV. The speakers' molded, black-plastic cabinets look, well, like molded plastic. The black grilles are removable, though the silver-white woofers might be too garish for some tastes. The one-foot cube subwoofer is more impressive; its sturdy medium-density fiberboard cabinet is nicely finished in black ash, and its woofer is covered by a tasteful, black cloth grille.
During setup, we quickly discovered that the A/V receiver's factory presets sounded out of whack, but if you want to get going with the least amount of fuss, select the Basic Setup via the onscreen menu. It will put you in the ballpark of acceptable sound. We achieved the better results in the Manual Setup mode where we switched the speaker sizes to Small and determined the best crossover setting to be 120Hz, but Yamaha doesn't offer any info in that regard. Why the receiver doesn't come preset to sound its best with the YHT-670's speakers is one of life's little unsolved mysteries. The Yamaha YHT-670's A/V receiver boasts six 110-watt channels and the usual assortment of surround-processing modes from Dolby and DTS--along with Yamaha's proprietary Cinema DSP user-customizable surround field programs for movies and music sources.
Connectivity options are far ahead of the usual meager HTIB allotment. The receiver has a total of three rear-panel A/V inputs, which can accommodate composite, S-Video, or component-video connections. There are no HDMI connections on board, but the receiver performs component-video format conversion for your composite and S-Video sources, so you'll need only a single component-video connection from the receiver to your TV. You get four digital inputs (three optical, one coaxial), and one optical output. Owners of the ubiquitous Apple iPod can take advantage of the optional YDS-10 iPod dock ($100), which offers a single-cable connection to the receiver for both audio and video. The 5.1-channel analog inputs are useful for connecting to the corresponding outputs on SACD, DVD-Audio, Blu-ray and HD-DVD players. The speaker outputs for all channels accept banana plugs or bare wires, and there's a set of "B" stereo speaker outputs. (Interestingly, the receiver is a 6.1-channel model, despite the fact that Yamaha includes only five satellite speakers.) On the front panel, there's a composite-only A/V connection, plus a minijack input for portable audio players.
This YHT-670 is XM Satellite Radio-ready, including the ability to receive XM's two HD Surround formatted channels. To hear any XM programming, of course, you'll also need an XM Connect-and-Play or XM Mini-Tuner kit as well as an active XM subscription ($12.95 per month).
The five-disc changer plays all standard DVDs and CDs, including recordable DVDs (+R/RW and -R/RW) and home-burned CD-R/RWs (audio, MP3, and WMA, as well as JPEG photo discs).
The YHT-670's satellite speakers feature a single 2.5-inch woofer and 0.5-inch tweeter; the elongated center speaker uses the same drivers but with twin woofers. All of the speakers have spring-type connectors. The subwoofer has an 8-inch woofer powered by an onboard 50-watt amplifier. Its rear panel offers just a single RCA input and a volume control.
The YHT-670's features package is decent, but there are plenty of better deals out there. Consider the Samsung HT-TQ85. Widely available for less than $400, it offers a slick-looking combined receiver/DVD changer with an HDMI output and input, tallboy tower speakers, and the option--with a separately available accessory--to make the rear-channel speakers wireless. That said, the component design of the YHT-670 provides the opportunity to upgrade the speakers at a later date--you can hook up a superior set of speakers and subwoofer and really go to town. You won't find that option on the Samsung and its all-in-one ilk. The Yamaha YHT-670 is proof-positive of just how far the evolution of home-theater-in-a-box design has come. The little Yamaha speakers--remember, they're just 6.5-inches tall--can definitely conjure a room filling sound, although the subwoofer is admittedly a key element in providing the necessary muscle to do so. We fired up the X-Men: The Last Stand DVD, and as soon as we heard the richly toned voice of Professor X (Patrick Stewart), we were convinced about the YHT-670's abilities--the little center speaker sounded like a speaker twice its size. There's a great scene in a house where our heroes are sent crashing through walls and ceilings, and the YHT-670 conveyed the dynamic intensity of the effects. Was the YHT-670 the equal of a system with much larger speakers? No, and the sound wasn't as clear or detailed as it would be, but once we were caught up in the DVD, we weren't thinking about the speakers' size. The contents of the onscreen room were swirling all around us, testament to the system's enveloping surround sound.
The little subwoofer again made a strong impression when we played Bob Marley's Catch A Fire CD. The reggae pulse of the music surprised us with its power and its definition. But the satellites now sounded as small as they looked; we could sense them straining to keep up with the sub. That was even more obvious when we rocked out with Primal Scream's Riot City Blues CD. The treble sounded a trifle shrill. Even so, we consider the YHT-670's sound on CD to be perfectly acceptable, just not as rich and clear as you'll get from the larger speakers of Onkyo's home theater systems, such as the HT-S790.
Backing down the volume put the YHT-670's sound in a better light when we played the Jamie Saft Trio's jazz tribute to the music of Bob Dylan, Trouble. The sweet sounds of acoustic jazz didn't overtax the speakers, and our estimation of their musicality went up a couple of notches.
So, in effect, we're saying is the Yamaha YHT-670 is better suited to movies than to music--the same could be said of most HTIBs. But thanks to the YHT-670's component-quality A/V receiver and DVD changer, the sound we heard was just the starting point. If you upgrade to better speakers and maybe a subwoofer, the sound will definitely move up a couple of levels.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1out of 1 user reviews
Outstanding sound!
Pros: Great receiver, good subwoofer and speakers
Cons: Small front speakers
While the system sounds great, the front speakers lack in depth. So, I experimented with speaker size and crossover and ended up settling for what CNET recommended, small and 120 hz...the Yamaha came alive. I plan on eventually buying a set of Bose 301-V for the front, but will keep the small surround speakers. The 100 sub is perfect for me. It really pumps out the bass without any noticeable distortion or rumble. As an audiophile, I think that sub's should augment the sound, rather than try to control it with over hyped and over wattage 200-300 watt sub's.
The DVD player/changer works fine, no problems and the xchange works great! In short, I highly recommend this system for the most bang for the buck HTIB out there. Of course, if the Onkyo HT790 came with a DVD player, I might (just might) have reconsidered. But I don't regret my decision...this system rocks and puts Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Philips, and Sony to the beginners circle. Don't be afraid of a few cables, this system is worth it! If you demand HDMI, then just upgrade to the HTR5990 a/v receiver. About the only thing Yamaha did wrong was not pair this receiver with JBL's - WOW!
FYI, this is my old system:
Carver C-1 preamp, Carver M1.5T amplifier, DBX 10/20 auto equalizer, DBX III impact restoration amplifier, Nakamichi Dragon, and Denon 45DL turntable with a pair of Bose 901 Series IV speakers.
