Occasionally Im hit by the fact I’ve never gotten around to trying out certain units that have been receiving universally positive reviews and no end of plaudits from the hifi community, the Yamaha RX-V667 Receiver is one of those pieces. Its been hovering in the back of my mind since its release but Ive never managed to get my hands on it until now. So with no further ado let me proceed to my feelings on the Yamaha RX-V667.

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On pulling the Yamaha rxv667 from its box one is not greeted with anything too amazing in terms of styling or visual flair, the build quality of the Yamaha rxv667 is decent but not exactly anything to write home about, stylistically the front panel design is pretty standard with a fairly simple and modern layout including zone control, scene tuning and program buttons and a single HDMI in, along with a largish and pretty solid volume knob. The front panel display is done in the quite common pseudo digital style which is one of the fairly standard choices a lot of manufacturers are making these days. The supplied remote is as you would expect on a unit with this specification quite cluttered and probably the least appealing part of the package, if I were to keep the rxv667 for a long time I’d probably replace this.

The back panel is very well appointed sporting amongst other things 5 HDMI 1.4 ins and a single out, a large number of component av outputs (See image below for full details) an antenna in section, iPod dock connector and adequate speaker outputs for both available zones. The back panel is well laid out and I found it easy to attach my devices and speakers without it becoming too spaghetti like. Initial setup is easy enough using the built in mic assisted system and streight out of the box didnt need much in the way of manual adjustment, the menuing system is easy to use and well thought out with a nicely modern and sharp look.

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So how does the Yamaha rxv667 actually sound? In a word “excellent”, the rxv667 manages to provide power (90W x 7) and subtlety at the same time while always keeping a very good soundstage. The imaging produced by the Yamaha rxv667 is extremely good, with instrument and sound effects placement being handled with finesse. The bass is well controlled and rounded without any sense of boominess you can sometime hear in more budget receivers. In fact during testing it became apparent that the louder we played back heavy and action packed passages the more in control the Yamaha rxv667 seemed to be of the low ends if you like a defined sound that keeps subtleties very evident even at high volumes you will find the Yamaha rxv667 to be extremely satisfying to listen to. Overall the characteristics I would use to describe the Yamaha rxv667s sound are crisp, controlled and subtle.

The nice thing about the rxv667 is that it is one of those units that seems to keep on giving, it sports some great extra features that not everyone will use but are still nice to have. For example the phono input may not be on everyones “must have” list these days but it is quite nice that Yamaha have not only thought of it but it actually sounds very decent. In fact stereo music in general on the Yamaha rxv667 has not been given short shrift, Yamahas engineers have obviously worked long and hard to assure very solid stereo performance. Another nice aspect is the fact that the video upscaling is amongst the best I’ve seen on a unit in this price range, DVDs look sharper than they have any right to, this unit definitely keeps things crisp and bright when it comes to making your legacy media look good.

So overall I have to say Im glad I (eventually) got around to testing the Yamaha rx-v667 out, I have been extremely happy with it the results I’ve experienced it is an extremely well specified machine with an amazing sonic profile for a unit at this kind of price. If you are in the market for a sub $500 7.2-Channel Home Theater Receiver you should definitely but the Yamaha rx-v667 on your “Must listen” list. You will not be disappointed.

Manufacturers Specifications
Output Power: 630W (90W x 7)
Dynamic Power/Channel (Front L/R, 8/6/4/2 ohms): 125/160/190/230 W
Frequency Response (AV5, Front L/R, Sp Out): 10Hz – 100kHz +0,-3dB
Total Harmonic Distortion (AV5, Pure Direct, Front Sp Out): 0.06% (20Hz – 20kHz, 5W/ 8 ohms)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (AV5, Pure Direct, Input Shorted, Sp Out): 100dB (250mV)
HDMI (Audio Input Assignable/ Output): 6/ 1
SIRIUS: 1
Analog Audio (Input/ Output): 5/ 2
Component Video (Audio Input Assignable): 2
Zone 2 Audio Out: 1
+12V/0.1A Trigger Out: 1
Dimensions (WxHxD): 17-1/8″ x 6″ x 14-3/8″
Weight: 23.1 lbs
RRP: $599.95 (Check Amazon for Current Pricing)

Every once in a while I read a review Ive written and I have to re-edit it because it seems to be too “fanboyish” or sycophantic in tone. The first draft of my review for the Marantz SR7005 receiver was such a document. Hopefully this rewrite will be a little more professional in tone, but don’t be surprised if the fact that I’m utterly in love with this receiver shines through 

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On initial inspection the Marantz SR7005 appears to be almost retro styled, with a very simple looking front panel with an on button a rotary input selector and a volume knob being the only visible controls (there are far more options hidden under a slide down fascia), the thing that stands out on the front panel though is the circular blue lit display which somehow manages to be both understated and extremely visually appealing. The SR7005s controls all have a well built appeal and a satisfying glide and solidity to them. Of the larger receivers I’ve seen in the last year the Marantz SR7005 is the most attractive Ive seen, while it is substantial in size and extremely solidly built it still manages to remain sleek and most definitely not “brick like” which is something you could unfortunately say of several other receivers in this category.

As you would expect of a receiver in this price bracket the Marantz SR7005 is not just a pretty face, the specifications on the unit are pretty incredible and cover pretty much any eventuality I can think of, I wont list every input, output bell or whistle or this review could quite quickly become a boring list of port names and numbers but needless to say it has all bases covered in spades, including 6 HDMI ins & 2 HDMI outs all 1.4 3D compatible spec, the HDMI on this unit can also do passive HDMI pass-through so the unit doesn’t need to be turned on if you wish to use it as a HDMI switch. The tuner if the unit has a lot of options form AM, FM and HD Radio through to internet stations & sites (via the integrated RJ45 port). The front of the SR7005 also sports a USB input for media streaming from iPods and USB memory sticks, giving high quality results. There is also an Ethernet connection allows for firmware updates, and streaming of media from your PC. If you want to have a look at the full compliment of ports available click on the photo of the SR7005s rear panel below for a close up.

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So as one would expect on a unit at this price point the setup is an automatic and internal microphone assisted affair, its pretty easy in my humble opinion but then Ive been doing this kind of set-up for quite some time, the menuing system is not exactly child’s play but neither is it the minefield Ive seen on some less user friendly devices. The results achieved in the end with the auto setup system were in the end very good though and so Im giving the Marantz SR7005 a B+ as regards ease of setup.

Enough with the potatoes, now on to the meat of the subject. How does the Marantz SR7005 sound? In a word “Incredible”, in two words “Fraking incredible” (and yes I am a BSG nut). The Marantz SR7005 is such a highly capable unit in terms of its amplification qualities that I am on the verge of losing it and decaying into a froth of superlatives, but the SR7005 is truly excellent. Sonically Id rate it as the number one receiver I’ve had the pleasure to try out over the last 12 months, the SR7005 sports seven discreet amplifiers each rated at 125 Watts per channel for the kind of power output that means you are never likely to want for more. This is without doubt the best Marantz product Ive heard in a long time (perhaps ever), it has a slickness and clarity of sound in the speech range that keeps everything very easy to understand even within the context of loud action sequences or loud orchestral music swells.

The bass of the unit is punchy and tight and the top ends can only be described as sizzling, the mid range is perhaps more pedestrian and with some material ever so slightly boomy but not to the point of annoyance. The power handling of the amplifier section is very capable and quite configurable if you are not a fan of bass heavy mixes and want to keep your sub under control that is something that is easy to manage. The sound staging is very accurate and you definitely feel like you are in the environmental “bubble” of a movie when you are watching it. If I were to describe the characteristic sound of the Marantz SR7005 as a whole Id say “Accurate, Under control and natural” it doesn’t display some of the over the top surround sweeps you get with some systems but to my mind this is a very definite advantage of the Marantz SR7005.

So to summarise, I really fell in love with this unit to the point that Im seriously thinking of a trade in in the nearish future (wife permitting). The Marantz SR7005 is a truly great receiver. Its really pretty, has a great overall sound an amazing level of I/O options (including optional bluetooth streaming with the RX101 receiver add-on). With the two minor caveats firstly that the set up may be a little technical for beginners and secondly that some users may need to slightly adjust the mid range if they find it slightly boomy for their tastes. But all in all I want one!

Product Specifications

• Six HDMI1.4a inputs and 2 HDMIv1.4a outputs for digital audio and video including Deep Colour support
• High grade components. HDAMs and oversized low impedance transformer
• Multiroom video on component video to one room with multiroom audio to two rooms
• USB input for music playback with iPhone/iPod and USB memory
• Bluetooth capability with option RX10
• Network functionality including the ability to stream Internet radio, vTuner, Napster, Last.FM
• Network player function for music/photo streaming, Compatible with Windows7 and with DNLA1.5 support
• IP control or control using Apple iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad with appropriate app
• Audyssey Dynamic Volume, Dyamic EQ, DSX and MultEQ XT room accoustic calibration
• power output: 125W/channel
• Size: H: 7.4 in, W: 17.3 in, D: 16 in
• Weight: 28.7 pounds
• RRP: $1,599.99 (Check Amazon for Current Pricing)