hi folks, I haven't posted here in a while.

I have the opportunity to pick up a massive old Yamaha RX-V995 receiver really cheap (which is good because I have no money). I'm kind of familiar with the unit because my Mom has one and I always found it really awesome - even though she refuses to do the necessary things to make her smoke and mirrors speaker system sound better. She refuses to take into consideration reflective surfaces, and speaker positioning, etc. Function follows form over there, but it still sounds very good for casual listening. And the receiver is just a "monstah", with lots of power.

It has a 7-channel stereo (or maybe it says 5 channel stereo) mode that sounds really nice with just regular sources (like CDs).

So I'm looking forward to using the Yamaha RX-V995 with my M50s as fronts, and my M3s as rear speakers. I have a choice of 2 different Infinity subs I could use, and the guy who's selling me the receiver is hooking me up with a Yamaha center channel speaker. Eventually I hope to get an Axiom center and sub.

So I REALLY look forward to hearing this! Even if it isn't true 5.1 with music, I still look forward to it.

Up until now I've had to split my Axioms into 2 different 2-channel systems crammed into one tiny room - a music only system and a 2.1 TV system in the other corner.

So I may be back with questions.

I know the best thing would be to buy a much more modern A/V receiver but as I mentioned, I have very little $$ and the big old Yamaha has a special place in my heart and head. (I am bent on having it, evidently)

So we shall see! I am hopeful!
Can't wait to hear my Axioms combined in one system.

Great! I'll bet you will really enjoy your revamped system. Have fun!

the important thing is that you enjoy your stuff. it's always exciting to get new, or new to you stuff... next, get an spl meter, or an spl meter app if you have a smart phone.


enjoy your new setup!

Em, to get a closer approach to true surround with CDs or other 2-channel source material, use a mode such as DPLII or Neo:6 rather than 5/7-channel stereo. Those modes extract sound that actually came from surround areas and was put into the front channels(there was no place else to put it)and sends it to the surrounds where it belongs. The 5/7-channel stereo simply duplicates the entire front channel content in the surrounds.

It's understood that price is crucial, but check if a slightly more up-to-date unit with those surround modes is available within your budget.

hi folks, thanks for the comments and good wishes. Let's see what happens - now I found out a guy is interested in buying my old Sansui G-7700, so if that happens I will have a few more pennies to spend. If the guy I'm buying the big ol Yamaha from doesn't transport it to the agreed upon place soon, then I may go another way with it - and then I'd look to get a new one with more surround options.
But it makes me suspicious when I see an inexpensive receiver with all these bells and whistles and the thing weighs 16 lbs vs near 30 lbs for the old big guy. I don't know.

We shall see, and I will report back.


thanks again for chiming in!

weight does not equal quality or power.
today, one can get amps that put out hundreds of Watts per channel and weight something like 10-12 pounds.
they have the same excellent sound quality and durability as other amps that weight much more.

gone are the days of 100 W/Ch. class A amps that weight 100 Kg.

thank you for telling me that.

it's like this for a lot of things;
as an example, the first microwave oven i bought in 1973 weighed around 50 lbs; compare that to those of today.

So, I had nearly decided not to get an AV receiver and stick with my decent 2.1 set-up, because I couldn't afford one with the features I wanted. Well, I spent a tad more than I'd wanted on a Yamaha RX-V1800. But for being on such a low budget, I think I did great! The seller threw in an iPhone dock, and it works great!

So far I only have my M3s hooked up to it and it sounds wonderful! Better than my 2-channel receiver. I need to rearrange the room and it's going to be a heck of a job because the room has no logical wall to put the TV and front speakers along.

Should be fun!

Upgrades are pretty much always fun!

Enjoy, Em!

Update: I got a Yamaha RX-V1800 in really beautiful condition. THe bad part is it came with no manual and it's also missing the little YPAO (sp?) mike that lets it auto adjust the individual speaker levels.

Spent the whole weekend clearing out a room for it, and putting together a TV and audio stand that I bought.

I had the hardest time getting it to work properly. Especially since a "known good" HDMI cable ceased to be good during the hook up process. It was hours of cursing and trying different things.

I'd really like all my input devices, inc. cable box to attach to the receiver via HDMI, and then just send the one HDMI "out" to the TV set. When I tried that, it didn't work - but then later I discovered that the HDMI cable I've used for years between TV and cable box had "gone bad". I practically snatched myself bald over this.

So I will try it again this way soon.

The only speakers I have connected are my M50s as fronts, and then I also hooked up some little Polks wired to the surround speaker outs - but for now I've just got them sitting on top of the M50s. This weekend I should be able to position them correctly and attach my M3v3s, also.

On the front panel, playing stereo CD's through my DVD player via HDMI to to TV and then digital coaxial cable direct to receiver, it only shows "L" and "R" as being active.

I need to research why that is. I'm guessing it's because it recognizes that the signal going in is only 2 channel. I really don't know - but it does concern me. In the stereo modes both sets of speakers do play - but only L and R are displayed.

I have one of my subs hooked up, too. Oddly enough, it doesn't automatically shut itself off when the receiver is off. With my Harman Kardon stereo, it would shut down when no sound was present.

Anyway, I just HAVE to read the manual. Kind of hard to read on my 13" laptop at home. Maybe I can get a hard copy of it on eBay or something.

I ADORE the sound though! Lush but not sloppy. In the 7 channel stereo enhanced mode my ancient CD copy of "Honky Chateau" sounded fantastic. I can only imagine how it would be with an SACD, and all the speakers hooked up.

Anyway, that's where it's at!

When I read my manuals on the small screen of my iPad, I can make what I'm reading in larger print by zooming in. Surely, there's a zoom feature you can use. If it's a PDF file, you can zoom to make the words larger by clicking on a plus sign.

yeah, I can zoom. A paper manual is easier to use. (for me)

Had fun listening to both music and the sound from TV on the new surround system.
So far I have M50s as fronts, one little Polk as center (have a "real" center coming soon though) an Infinity sub and my M3s as the surround speakers. They are still not mounted on the wall though, and are positioned more "behind" me than they should be.
But still. it's all shaping up.

Once I get the real center, I will have this extra pair of the speakers - the little Polks.

Question: for those of you who put music first (i.e. need good sound for music rather than for TV or games) would you rather have a pair of REAR speakers as part of your system, or a pair of presence speakers?

My receiver will only play out through one or the other, unless either the rears or the presence pair are powered by an outboard amp.

Due to space constrictions, my M50s have to be very close to each other. Thinking maybe I could mount the presence speakers on the wall behind the TV but spread them out pretty far.

Anybody else have to make the choice to go with rear speakers or presence?

thx!
Em

My mains are fairly close together as well. I have the side surrounds mounted fairly close to the front wall. This helps give the impression of width. Then I also have a single QS8 mounted in the middle of the back wall, with the volume turned up louder than the system set it as, when I have the furniture arranged so that one loveseat is close to the screen. (The beauty of MCACC's multiple calibration storage capability.)

I'm getting the feeling that experimentation plays a part in all this!

Over the weekend I had an awesome experience using one of the Yamaha settings that mimics the acoustics of a particular room. Typically I haven't cared much for those settings, because they just sound really echo-ey.

I watched the documentary/concert movie "Hail Hail Rock and Roll" about Chuck Berry (and so many others in the cast of characters)

When they were speaking the voices sometimes souded really echoey - and then I looked where they were standing and , duh, they are in a cavernous space - so naturally it would sound echoey. So I waited until the music started up, and I'm really REALLY glad I did - it just plain ripped and jumped and sounded fantastic! No feeling of hollowness or echo, just in your face music.

So that was fun.

Thinking maybe I'll pick up another similar set of the Polks and leave a rear set and a presence set hooked up and switch between them according to what's on.

I have an extra other set of speakers I suppose I could use, but they are 6 ohm speakers, and I don't want to throw anything into the mix that could strain the receiver.

Em, there's no good reason not to try out those other speakers as back surrounds. A rated impedance of 6 ohms(with much of the frequency range likely well above that)causes no problem with any modern HT receiver.

The surround modes I suggest are DPLII(which I always use)and Neo:6.

thanks for the info JohnK. I will go ahead and try them then. It's a smallish early 90's pair of JBLs. I like them enough to not get rid of them.
Also, so far I've used Neo:6 pretty much. Some sounds better in the Neo:6 Music and some in the Neo:6 Cinema.

thx again.

Enjoy! Sourrounds make a huge difference to the listening experience in my opinion.