First impressions of my shiny new Yamahah 630

[zippo4]

Lurvely......

First impressions on opening the box were good, nice n heavy feel to the beast, seems well put together and the buttons reasonably 'clunky' in a VW type manner.

Stupidly I didn't realise that cables/interconnects are not included so it meant a couple of trips into town to get the correct cables. On my first trip I bought a co axial lead and managed to connect the coax output of my DVD player to the amp cd input. Much scratching of head later I realisied my mistake and duly trundled into Tunbridge Wells to buy an optical input, some cables for the 5.1 audio output and a lead to connect my Nokia Mediamaster thing. Not sure if I needed them all but what the heck, I can always find a use for them later.

Now heres my first question....
If I have connected my Sony DVD to the amp via both an optical connection and via the 5.1 audio out will the amp automatically work out which is the best to use? Or should I just use one or t'other?

So I finally get my two pairs of speakers connected and was all ready for a life defining moment....hmm, it wasn't to be I'm afraid. It maybe because the speakers I am using are, ahem...a bit crap, but I still thought it would be a bit better. I am using a pair of speakers from my sisters old stereo. Don't ask what they are I just know they are old! I'm using these are the two main front speakers, and I'm using the speakers that came with the TV as my two rears. I haven't got a centre speaker or a rear centre speaker so I accept that it's not the best set up. Still I expected there to be a greater sense of surround sound?

I played Taxi and I found the whole thing pretty flat with no sense of space? It maybe that Taxi's audio recording doesn't give this on other systems but I'm not sure. Gladiator was pretty cool in DTS mode tho...which leads on to my next question.

Sould the amp automatically detect that a DVD is DTS encoded or so I have to choose DTS from the DVD options ever time?

Does any with the same amp have any suggestions for settings ... the darn thing seems to clever for its own good and I spend hours fiddling with it and not actually be too sure what I'm doing


Also - whats the best setting to listen to music?....


Now if only I had some decent speakers to connect it too!

 

[James45]

i'd just use the optical for the dvd-amp connection, there's no point having it connected both ways and the decoding on your amp will no doubt be superior to that on your player. And in your amp set up you will need to 'tell' the amp which optical input your dvd is sending it's signal to.

also you will need to tell your dvd player to output all the relevant signals such as dd, dts and pcm. and switch on your optical (although this sounds like it's working on yours)

and you will need to select which soundtrack you want to listen to from the dvd disc menu before you start watching each film.

as for the disappointing sound, you know the weak link already don't you?! get some new ones.

tinkering with the delay settings on the amp may help with your lack of steering.

Now go out and get some new speakers!

 

[zippo4]

Thanks for the feedback.

Would love toget some new speakers but my budget is scuppered for the next month or so.

Can anyone suggest some stand mounted speakers in the £100-£150 range that are relatively small and unobtrusive? I would go for the egg liek KEFs but they would stick out like a sore thumb in our 200 year old timber framed cottage!

 

[paiger]

Check out the lower end Tannoy and Mission speakers. Both will give you great value for money. From personal experinece, avoid Kef Cretas. I bought two for some temporary rears and they are rubbish to be honest.

S

 

[Ian J]

Originally posted by James45
i'd just use the optical for the dvd-amp connection, there's no point having it connected both ways and the decoding on your amp will no doubt be superior to that on your player.

I agree with James but Zippo didn't say what kind of Sony DVD player he had. If it also plays SACD you will need the analogue 5.1 leads if you want to play SACD in multichannel as the amp won't decode that.

 

[zippo4]

I have the Sony ns700 which is SACD capable.....so I guess I'll keep the leads in then. Having said that I don't actually own any SACD's..anyone know a good site that sells em?

 

[wilber]

On my first trip I bought a co axial lead and managed to connect the coax output of my DVD player to the amp cd input.

Not a problem with the 630 as you can reconfigure the inputs so that your remote engages the coax connection when you choose dvd see p 46 of the manual (I know you've changed to optical but other people may read this thread)

If I have connected my Sony DVD to the amp via both an optical connection and via the 5.1 audio out will the amp automatically work out which is the best to use? Or should I just use one or t'other?

As Ian J pointed out you need the phono connections for SACD. Your amp will use the digital connection if you select DVD and the 5.1 connections if you choose 6CH input.

I haven't got a centre speaker or a rear centre speaker so I accept that it's not the best set up. Still I expected there to be a greater sense of surround sound?

Have you set the speaker configuration to Center = None? Have you played with the Cinema-DSP? these may help until you can get a centre speaker.

You really should get a centre asap even if its only one of the £20 Eltax jobs from RS - way better than having nothing. Tannoy do (did) a great range of well priced speakers for Home Cinema - Mercury MX1 for fronts & rears (they do dedicated rears but they aren't much cheaper than the MX1s). The MX Centre is first rate. Peter Tyson stock them still - MX1 = £80 a pair MXC = £70

 

[Gomez]

Originally posted by wilber

You really should get a centre asap even if its only one of the £20 Eltax jobs from RS - way better than having nothing.

Sorry, but I really have to disagree with this one.
Better go and get a decent pair of stereo speakers and set the center to phantom mode.
This will sound much better than any cheap Eltax center.

No center is IMO preferable to a crap center. Of course, later on, you should upgrade to the matching center of the series.

 

[bob1]

watch out for the rear speakers they might be 16ohms if there off a prologic tv

 

[wilber]

Gomez - the £20 Eltax speaker is the HT-5 (formerly retailing for nearer £80) given 3 stars by what hi-fi, so it's not a disaster by any means - its just been overtaken. I had one with my first system and it was ok to my ears. It's ok for us with disposable income to think nothing of £500 for a dvd player £400 for an amo etc etc but there is some kit out there that even though it's cheap and cheerful will do a job as a stop gap. In Zippo4's position - short term lack of funds vs desire to hear how his system COULD sound NOW, my reaction is to find a way to get to 5 channel sound any way possible & upgrade from there even if you throw the cheap speaker way after a few months...

 

[Gomez]

Wilber,

OK, the center probably isn't that bad. But it surely won't match the Tannoys in terms of sound quality.

Anyways, where's the problem? Zippo said he was looking for stand mounters up to £150. The MX1 are £80 a pair, as you've said, and the MXC £70.
So the front speakers, where voice- matching is required the most, would already be complete. Using his older stereo speakers as rears, he would have a decent setup for the moment.

When his budget has recovered within the next months, he can go and get another pair of MX1s, or maybe even MX2s as front speakers.

This way, he wouldn't waste any money, and have a fine sounding, good looking speaker setup.

 

[wilber]

Agreed that the Tannoys are the best choice, My reading of the original post was that the speakers weren't affordable for the next few months - whereas £20 might be.

BTW I used my HT-5 last night as a centre rear to try out the Extended FOTR & it did ok. Ideally I want another Tannoy Revolution but until I get past Xmas, it'll have to do.

 

[fuzzybee]

We'll I had to purchase a new receiver as my Denon AVR 3802 died a couple of months ago(left surround speaker amp blew)
I had a demo of a few units but decided on the very good value for money Yamaha RX-V630RDS
When watching a dvd in DD or DTS it's stunning also PLII is superb and brings my import GC games to life the same with stereo broadcasts and video playback.

when listening to music just turn the effects off so the sound only comes from the two front speakers and the sub.
Music reproduction is very good not groundbraking but adequate and my Arcan Diva cd62 sounds superb with it.

Having had the Denon for about 14 months and paying £700 for it I can say the Yamaha is easily as good if not better.

My speakers are the Mirage AVS500 speakers and matching sub.

 

[GoldFish]

Ah ha, just interesting to know that I am not tone deaf afterall

I was recently in the market searching for a HC/Music amp and with £600 budget the Denon 3802 was just in the price range. Went for a dem at a local HiFi shop and was very surprised to have discovered that the Yamaha 430 were comparable to the almost twice the price denon. (they did not have the 630 nor the 730 set up in the home cinema dem ) I have agree that the build quality of the Denon was first rate but the sound quality department not as good as I ahve hoped. Finally I settled for the Yammy 730 which, to me was excellent value at £399 I wouldn't mind having it even if it were at full cost at £549 !.

My HC experiance has now been 100% transformed and the two channel stereo while well above average, but still way behind the old trusty Musical Fidelity A1....

T