Ready or not, 3D technology will be a feature in every home in time to come. Major electronics manufacturers are doubling their efforts to jostle for first mover advantage in this 3D race to capture market share. Yamaha Electronics has joined the race by offering the Yamaha RX-V567, a 3D-capable 7.1 channel AV Receiver. You get plenty of options in terms of source connectivity and convenience features, 3D support for the Side-by-Side (Half) and Top-and-Bottom formats that broadcasters are adopting, as well as for current 3D Blu-ray content.
It comes with the latest HDMI ver1.4 inputs. HDMI 1.4 brings compatibility with the new 3D video format, as well as an ARC (Audio Return Channel) from your display back to the receiver.
Yamaha RX-V567
Design
The Yamaha RX-V567 retains much of the simple layout of the RX-V series. It sports a black brush metal finish in a basic metal chassis. The power button is now in a more convenient position at the top left corner while the large volume control knob sits on the opposite end. The subtle fluorescent display occupies the center portion and the rest of the controls and presets are laid out intuitively. The controls and presets are well laid out. Just below the display are four pre-set SCENE buttons (BD/DVD, TV, CD and Radio) which allows you to conveniently turn on the correct components and activate the intended input/surround mode combination with one touch.
Below is the back panel layout. Click on image to enlarge for a clearer view.
Yamaha RX-V567 Back Panel
Connectivity
Connectivity options are more than adequate for a mid-priced receiver. There are 4 HDMI inputs and one HDMI output are located at the top row for ease of connection. You also get 2 component video inputs, 5 sets of composite video inputs and 2 sets of optical and coaxial digital audio inputs. There’s a jack at the top left for connecting an optional Yamaha universal dock (such as the YDS-12) or a bluetooth receiver (YBA-10). A full complement of speaker terminals occupy the center portion. There are no multi channel analog inputs so you will have to use HDMI for your blu-ray and other hi-def sources, which is the best way to connect your components together to enjoy hi-definition video with the latest audio codecs. All output jacks are clearly marked in white to prevent connection errors.
Additional connectivity options available on the front panel include a mini jack for portable audio players, a set of A/V inputs, and a headphone jack.
Features
Yamaha has spent considerable effort in getting the new RX-V567 as future-proof as possible by including the latest industry standards and features.
Here’s a summary of the features:
- 7-channel 630W surround sound (90W x 7)
- HDMI 1.4 Support for 3-D Video and Audio Return Channel – HDMI has fast become the cable of choice for connecting today’s A/V components. The four HDMI 1.4 inputs on the RX-V567 let you simultaneously connect high-definition sources such as a Blu-ray player, a gaming console, and a cable/satellite tuner. As the latest standard, HDMI 1.4 adds 3D support and an Audio Return Channel. Audio content received directly by your HDTV’s tuner can be sent “upstream” to your A/V receiver, without the need for a separate S/PDIF audio cable.
- Yamaha’s proprietary Cinema DSP audio processing complements the new 3D TV technology and provides extra sonic dimension and presence to match the more involving 3D playback.
- Analog-to-HDMI 1080p video upscaling for improved picture quality, even from non-HD sources
- Intuitive on-screen display for navigating entertainment options
- Surround sound audio decoders for Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio, and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio.
- Deep Color (30/36 bit) technology, x.v.Color, 24Hz Refresh Rates, audio input assign capability for HDMI and component video inputs
- Auto Lip-Sync compensation which automatically eliminates audio/video sync issues
- Compressed Music Enhancer restores dynamics to music files ripped from CDs or downloaded from the Internet
- Adaptive Dynamic Range Control automatically increases the volume of softer dialog passages when overall system volume is turned down, and Adaptive DSP level
- Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) simplifies the setup process by automatically analyzing room acoustics and setting parameters for optimum sound quality at the touch of a button
- Silent Cinema technology makes it possible to hear large-scale surround sound through standard headphones – ideal for late-night home theater listening when the rest of the family is asleep
Update: Firmware update for 3D functionality is now available from Yamaha’s website. It can be done via computer download burned to CD and played through the receiver.
Setup & Performance
Installing the RX-V567 was pretty straightforward. The speaker terminals are not color coded like Onkyo’s, but they are well made and accepts 4mm banana plugs. This is much better than using bare wires. The RX-V567 has layers of settings in the Setup menu, an ‘advanced menu’ and an ‘option menu’, all accessed differently. The menu needs close study to find all that is available. Using The Nordic Sound, an excellent sounding Blu-ray music disc from 2L, showed that the RX-V567 was able to read and handle the 24/192 PCM stream, as well as Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio. To our surprise it also recognized the digital DSD stream of an SACD disc output from the Oppo BDP-83 and played it perfectly.
It is not easy getting a decent sound out of a budget AV receiver but Yamaha has made a good attempt at it with the RX-V567. It sounded smooth, mild mannered and easy on the ear. It did not induce hearing fatigue even on long listening sessions. Although it lacked force on lower frequencies, yet there wa enough energy to convey the feeling of weight. On movies, it provided a full sound with the aid of a single subwoofer in a medium sized room.
The video performance is no less impressive for a receiver in this price range. In the academy award-winning film The Hurt Locker, although it was actually filmed in the Middle East with scenes consisting mainly of dull grays and dusty plumes there was a striking amount of detail and clarity in the images that could easily have been washed away. Skin tones look excellent, the occasional bursts of color really pop, black levels are deep and inky.
Bottom Line
The Yamaha RX-V567 finds itself in a highly competitive sub $500 price point. But being one of few with 3D capability is a plus point for those who intend to explore 3D playback in the home. Coupled with good audio/video performance and the latest features the RX-V567 presents a solid offering from a reputable brand.
