|
Yamaha RX-V3900BL 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black) | 
| Brand: Yamaha
Category: CE
List Price: $1,899.95
Buy New: $995.06
as of 7/29/2010 15:07 CDT details
You Save: $904.89 (48%)
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  reviews
Sales Rank: 5047
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Batteries: 6
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 38.4
Dimensions (in): 17.3 x 17.1 x 7.1
MPN: RX-V3900BL
Model: RX-V3900BL
UPC: 027108932088
EAN: 0027108932088
ASIN: B001E5CDRS
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Features:
| • | 4 HDMI Input and 2 HDMI Simultaneous Output | | • | HDMI to HDMI Upscaling to 1080p | | • | Newly designed icon-based graphic user interface | | • | HD Radio with iTunes Tagging Function | | • | Network Receiver with Ethernet connector, Internet Radio, PC music streaming, USB port, Web Browser Control |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
This network AV receiver offers unsurpassed versatility with access to today's most popular music sources including Internet Radio, Rhapsody online music service, music streaming from PC, HD Radio with iTunes tagging, XM and SIRIUS Satellite Radio ready, USB, iPod and Bluetooth compatibility, as well as extensive multi-zone custom installation and convenience features, plus a Web Browser Control
|
| Customer Reviews:
 What great sound August 24, 2009
Daniel Pacheco Jr. (Lemon Grove, Ca)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I purchased this receiver a while ago and I have a few things to say about it. First, a word to the wise, read the manual first!
Pros:
+The sound is just beyond incredible (7.1) even with mismatched speakers. The automatic speaker setup is a must.
+The different sound choices are just unbelievable. Even "I Love Lucy" reruns sound great.
+Net radio has so many choices.
+FM sensitivity is amazing. I have an outdoor FM antenna and no matter where I point it, even distant, weak stations comes in clearly.
+FM HD Radio stations
+I can run my Sony HD TV, cable box, Sony Playstation 3 through it.
+Wireless, lighted, remote control
+USB set up
+You can control your internet music through your PC
+Great set up in back for hook-ups
+Front flip down panel with extra hook-ups and controls giving it a clean look
+Works with Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote Control
+Firmware updates available.
+Tons of extras.
CONS:
-FM HD radio. Stations here in the San Diego and Los Angeles, California area keep going in and out. Not enough transmitting power? Mountains? I don't know.
-Remote not friendly. Need the TV turned on to see which menu you are in.
-Receiver screen lettering too small. Slow to respond to menu change.
-Menu is convoluted. GUI menu tree on page 76 resembles a government bureaucracy.
-Manual can be a little bit more helpful.
-Setting up FM stations not fun.
-Way expensive
-Gets very warm
-Front flip down panel can get hit if you have a close cabinet door.
Other Thoughts:
*I wish that a direct, wired system can be made to use your PC for setups and upgrades. That would save a lot of squinting and tiny button pushing.
*Getting this for HD Radio is a disappointment but the sensitivity and station reception make up for it.
*Free internet radio is very nice. Maybe, some day, they can have an interacting interface with the internet to connect with your PC.
Now if I could only get my vinyl to download onto my flash drive. That would be a nice add on.
All in all, I love it, I would recommend it and I would do it over again in a heart beat. My wife and I use it constantly every day now for almost a year with hardly a problem. And believe me, when she is unhappy about something, she lets me know.
 Great Receiver August 7, 2009
S. Johnson (Arizona)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have long been a Denon Fan and when it came time to replace my Harmon-Kardon receiver I had every intention of picking up a Denon as I had been pleased with other Denon products in the past. When I did a head to head comparison between the V3900 and the Denon 3808, I just prefered the sound of the Yamaha better. I had already made up my mind and wanted to like the Denon more, but the Yamaha sound just had more presence.
I have had the V3900 for 3 months now. The sound is great paired with my Pardigm speakers. The dialog for movies seems clearer than with my Harmon-Kardon unit. I have my own sound meter and have been disappointed with the auto setups in the past, but Yamaha EQ was almost spot on. I had to tweak the base a bit, but that is more personal preference. I think the effectiveness of the setup is somewhat room dependent as I set up a room for my neighbors house and it just did not work well.
The onscreen menus are a breeze and fairly intuitive. Firmware Updates can be done either over the network or via a USB key. It is a very simple process and Updates at this time are free.
Video upscaling is unexpectedly terrific. My wife has an old collection of Disney VCRs and the upscaling was near DVD quality. The same thing happened when I played my Ipod Videos on my 50 inch plasma. I was expecting dismal image quality as Ipod videos just are not designed for the big screen. Instead I got very good video quality--not DVD Blueray quality but non-high def cable TV quality images. Apparently the Anchor Bay chip is capable of doing alot. How much of that power is accessible to the user depends on the software implementation used by unit in which it finds its home. In the V3900 Yamaha chose not to unleash the full power of the chip. Want more features from the same chip? Then you have to go up to higher Yamaha models.
The Ipod interface is also good, but has a few quirks. When the Ipod is connected the menus for the Ipod don't come up automatically. You need to hit the display or menu button. The IPOD onscreen menus in my opinion work better than the Menus using just the unit itself. Perhaps future firmware updates will clean that up a bit.
The only real downside--and it is a minor annoyance is the slow switching. For example when I turn on the TV cable box and receiver, the receiver takes a noticible time to find the right inputs. I would have liked to see the dynamic volume implemented by Yamaha as well. I really hate having the volume cranked by commercials. It is a feature I really liked on the Denon. But the Yamaha sound pushed me over to the dark side.
Aesthetics: Well it's a big black box. My wife misses the sleek look of the Harmon-Kardon with its glowing blue dial. But this is a problem for Denon as well.
Overall Great Receiver.
 Cully June 13, 2009
Cully (Maryland United States)
26 out of 34 found this review helpful
I normally do not respond to these types of forums simply because I don't usually have anything to add, although I have used them extensively in the past when doing research for purchases. With the recent purchase of the Yamaha RX-V3900 I felt compelled to inform those considering the purchase of this, or possibly any zone-capable Yamaha video receiver, of the false advertising and blatant misrepresentation of its capabilities.
The 3900 is billed as having a "Built-in 7-channel power amplifier" available in combinations designated for the Main Zone, Zone 2 and Zone 3. Nowhere in the manual, or on Yamaha's web site, or in any of the professional or personal reviews is it stated the limitations of how these 7 Amplifiers may be used, or in what combinations. Having not seen any data to that effect my belief was that connecting speakers to Zone 2 and Zone 3 would allow either of these speaker sets to be turned on, along with the Main Zone, so long as no more than 7-channels were used at any one time. In my case, I have connected the Main Zone with a 5.1 speaker set, Zone 2 and Zone 3 each with stereo speakers. So, I believed that I should be able to have 5.1 surround sound playing in the Main Zone, and stereo sound in either Zone 2 or Zone 3 simultaneously.
What actually occurs, however, is that the Zone 2 amplifiers, speaker set 1 connections (SP1), are shared with the Surround Back/BiAmp amplifier, and Zone 3 amplifiers, speaker set 2 connections (SP2), are shared with the Surround Left and Right amplifiers. In my case, turning on Zone 2 speakers along with the Main Zone does indeed yield 2-channel stereo in Zone 2 and 5.1 surround sound in the Main Zone. But, keep in mind that I have no connections to the shared Surround Back/BiAmp connections. Turning on Zone 3 along with the Main Zone causes the two surround speakers in the Main Zone to turn off. The effect is basically a 3-channel system in the Main Zone, and 2-channels in Zone 3. The explanation from customer service was that since SP2 connections share the Surround Left and Right amplifier the system shuts off the two surround speakers in order to play the two Zone 3 speakers. Well, that's 5 channels, so where is my 7-amplifier system?
I know most of you will simply blow this off as being of little or no importance because the receiver has great sound and capabilities, but for those like me who wanted to use this receiver to spread music throughout multiple zones of the house, 3 in my case, this is a real disappointment, and, I believe, false and misleading advertising on the part of Yamaha. Before contacting customer service the first time I actually thought the system capable of 7.1+2+2 simultaneously.
The standard 800# customer service was no help with this, and referred me to a "level-2" customer service long-distance number where I spoke directly with an engineer. When speaking to this person I was led to believe that he too was not aware of this limitation, and even he had to seek assistance from another engineer to answer my problem. I am not familiar with the other manufactures' systems, but at least some of you may reconsider your purchase in light of the limitations I have discovered with Yamaha.
Great Receiver, High Price April 19, 2009
J. Weber (Texas)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Other people have gone into all the great details on this receiver. Overall I am very happy with it and have no problems. When I finally decided to upgrade, I knew I wanted to go with a networked receiver that also had HD radio and XM/Sirius and at least 4 HDMI inputs for all my equipment. I figure this should stay current for many years to come. To meet my needs, it meant spending $1,600. I also looked at the RXV-863 which is about half the price, but it didn't meet my needs. I also considered the RXV-1900, but you lose the networked capability. Once you're going to spend $1,200 on a receiver, you may as well spend the extra money and get this capability. Otherwise, years down the road you will wish that you had done it.
One thing that is not clear in the descriptions of this receiver is the XM and Sirius availability. Even Store salesmen didn't understand it. It comes with the capability to have XM and Sirius, but it is not built into the unit. You actually need to buy a separate unit from XM or Sirius that plugs into the Yamaha. Then the Yamaha can play them. Think of it as an XM dock just like the iPod dock that you need to purchase. It's only about $50, but they should make it clearer that you need to purchase this too.
Overall this is a 5 star receiver. Because it's so expensive, I only gave it 4 stars.
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.
 
| |
![AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters) [Supports 3D + Audio Return Channel]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B001TH8UUA.01._AA75_PU_PU-5_.jpg)
![AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters) [Supports 3D + Audio Return Channel]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B001T9NUJE.01._AA75_PU_PU-5_.jpg)
