Yamaha HTR-5740 6.1 Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I replaced my Sony str-dee 335 which was a 5.1 channel receiver and 100W per channel. The Yamaha 5740 has a much improved power output and a very clean sound. It easily fills a large room and powers my large floor model Klipsh speakers quite well. I believe the technical specifications above are wrong, and it is 100 W per channel. It is interesting to note that Sony reports power per channel but only when running one channel at a time. There is a sharp decline in power on the Sony product when all of the speakers are running. The Yamaha is much better in this regard. I don't particularly care for all of the different sound options (concert hall, jazz hall...), but they can add some new variety to old music. Thankfully, the receiver has a "straight" button which cuts out all of the different sound field options and just plays the media as intended. My only real complaint is that the receiver needs one more digital inputs for optional devices (such as an x-box), but I am able to hook up my TV, VCR, DVD and X-box without too much trouble, but I had to set it up slightly differently than the manual suggested (for instance I have to have my VCR on to get stereo TV broadcasts). The Yamaha compares very favorably with higher priced Dennon units. I find this to be a great buy, and would purchase it again.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha HTR-5740 6.1 Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver

For high-quality, future-ready home theater on a budget, look no further than Yamaha's HTR-5740 audio/video receiver. The HTR-5740 offers the convenience of DVD-Audio/SACD-ready analog inputs alongside the latest 6.1-channel surround processing and premium Yamaha sound technologies. Finished in traditional black, the receiver will disappear in your darkened living room during movies.When hooked up with the digital-audio output from a DVD-Video player or digital satellite receiver, the 85-watts-per-channel HTR-5740 handles 5.1-channel surround decoding for both major formats, Dolby Digital and DTS. In addition, the receiver processes Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS Neo:6, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, and DTS-EX Discrete 6.1. The extended-surround formats create even more expansive soundfields through a center-rear channel, resulting in six discrete, full-range signals in addition to the LFE (low-frequency effects) channel: front left/right, surround left/right, and front/rear center channels.A key benefit from a Yamaha receiver, of course, is Yamaha's proprietary signal processing, including Cinema DSP (digital soundfield processing), which creates aural "imaging" that not only makes your home sound like a theater, but also sounds better than most movie theaters. Based on a wealth of measured data in real studios and halls, Cinema DSP is designed to bring out the full potential of movie sound mixes, reproducing them the way directors and sound engineers intended.Non-Dolby Digital and DTS sources can benefit from surround processing, too. With enhanced directional steering over standard four-channel Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Pro Logic II provides 5.1 channels of surround processing from any stereo source--whether that's a TV broadcast, VHS tapes, or your favorite CDs, cassettes, and LPs.And, when you're listening to multichannel presentations late at night, you'll appreciate Silent Cinema, which simulates 5.1-channel listening through a pair of ordinary 2-channel headphones (not included). Silent Cinema uses unique parameters for each soundfield to ensure accurate headphone representations of each soundfield.Then there's the six-channel DVD-Audio/SACD-ready inputs mentioned above. Due to anti-piracy measures, DVD-Audio and SACD players perform their own digital-to-analog conversion, passing high-resolution analog signals on to your amplifier. (And analog, after all, is what your amp feeds your speakers.)DVD-Audio and SACD can each deliver up to six channels of discrete, full-frequency sound at greater-than-CD resolution (in the case of DVD-A, that means 24 bits, 96 kHz sampling rate versus 16 bits, 44.1 kHz for CD). In stereo or surround, the sound from DVD-Audio and SACD is packed with detail, yet smoother and sweeter from than the sound from even the best standard CD players. The HTR-5740 accommodates decoded DVD-A/SACD signals and routes them to the appropriate speakers in your surround system.The receiver offers four audio/video input connections (all with composite-/S-video, two with component-video), two fixed and assignable digital-audio inputs (great for DSS, CD, laserdisc, gaming consoles, or minidisc), and front-panel input connections for your camcorder or other spontaneous hookup. The receiver's video circuitry is high-definition ready, too (60 MHz bandwidth), and it will upconvert composite-video to an S-video signal to simplify TV hookup.Last, but certainly not least, the HTR-5740 benefits from Yamaha's Digital ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology) build philosophy. The culmination of the best digital engineering and design possible, it brings together several key elements to create the best-sounding, easiest-to-use A/V components available.What's in the Box Receiver, remote control, four AAA batteries, an AM loop antenna, an indoor FM antenna, a warranty card, and a user's manual.

Click here for more information about Yamaha HTR-5740 6.1 Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver