Yamaha RX-V467 Receiver Preview

Yamaha's new line of receivers have hit the ground and they are pushing 3-D. It wasn't a month or two ago and HDMI 1.4 connections were practically unheard of. If you want all the latest and greatest that HDMI has to offer, you're going to need HDMI 1.4. While all of you early adopters (and that includes just about everyone with an HDMI connection) won't necessarily have to upgrade your receivers to enjoy 3-D, the new spec does have other things to offer. First, you can enjoy Audio Return Channel. This allows you to send audio not only up to the display, but back down again for those that use their display for more than just showing pretty pictures. HDMI 1.4 allows CEC functionality (that's been around for a while) as wel as Stand by-through which allows you to change inputs in standby mode. While the spec also allows for Ethernet functionality, there is no mention on any of the new Yamahas that they support this.

Yamaha RX-V467 AV Receiver Video Review from Audioholics on Vimeo.

The Yamaha RX-V367 receiver was the first in the new line from Yamaha and it was fairly spartan except for its HDMI 1.4 inputs/outputs. The RX-V467 adds a few extra features that the former was sorely lacking. First, it natively decodes HD audio. This gives the user support for all of the audio codecs including the high definition Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. For users that care at all about native audio decoding, the RX-V467 is really the first Yamaha receiver they'd even consider. One caveat that Yamaha has put on all these receivers is that the HDMI 1.4 inputs/outputs will require a firmware update for full 3-D capability. We're not sure exactly what that will require but we can see no way that the user could update the firmware on their own. We imagine this will require some sort of service call or perhaps sending the unit in to a qualified technician. This will be done via computer download burned to CD and played through the receiver by the user.

Glancing at the back of the Yamaha RX-V467, you'll notice that it has the same number of HDMI inputs/outputs as the RX-V367 - four in and one out. This is pretty standard at this price point. Yamaha has upgraded their binding posts to all five-way which steps up the quality of the unit and allows for the much preferable banana plug connection on all channels. For those that have struggled with bare wire, we encourage you to spend the nominal sum for banana plugs and give them a shot. You won't regret it.

There are, again, two component inputs and one output, for digital audio inputs (two each coaxial and optical) which are assignable and a mix of analogue audio and composite video. While the Yamaha RX-V467 only sports five internal amps, it does have pre-outs for surround back speakers if you have either powered speakers or a few amps lying around. Unfortunately, these pre-outs can't be used for a Zone 2, bi-amping, or one of the new DSPs that adds height or width channels.

Yamaha, like some other manufacturers, has put out a number of peripherals for their receivers. This allows them to leave out functionality to reduce costs while their marketing department still gets to claim the functionality with an asterisk. Yamaha as been doing this for a while with their iPod dock and Bluetooth streaming. You'll need to buy the dock, but technically the RX-V467 has the ability to receive music over Bluetooth and will interface with your iPod or iPhone. With the latter you won't get any video (you'll need the RX-V567 for that) but you will get the music.

One thing we do appreciate from Yamaha with these new receivers is that they have included a 3.5mm jack on the front panel. This allows you to connect your iPod or MP3 player without buying the dock. You'll have to control your player from the device and not through your receiver's remote, but that's a small price to pay to not have to buy a dock.

All of the features from the RX-V367 are included in the RX-V467 including four preset SCENE buttons, front AV inputs, 192 kHz/24-bit Burr Brown DACs, 17 DSPs, and Compressed Music Enhancer. You are also still missing an On Screen Display and any sort of signal upconversion (meaning if you have HDMI and component video going in to the receiver you'll need both going to the TV as well).  If you are looking for additional functionality, the big one is the inclusion of Yamaha's YPAO. Yamaha's YPAO is their speaker setup/room correction system. This uses an included mic to calibrate your speakers (which provides level matching and setting distances & delays) as well as making adjustments to the frequency response based on room anomalies. At this price point you might think that Yamaha would stop with just speaker setup but they also included a 7-band Parametric Equalizer function for room correction. While the effectiveness of such a system is highly dependent on how bad your room is and the quality of your speakers, something is better than nothing. 

Conclusion

From a pure user standpoint, the RX-V467 is light years better than then RX-V367. For $379 (a $120 premium) you'd expect as much. The native decoding of HD audio and YPAO room correction are welcome additions and should make the RX-V467 very user friendly. While we still think that the new line of Yamaha receivers are lacking a bit in comparison to the competition, this one at least is offering what consumers want - top of the line HDMI connectivity with enough ease of use and functionality to allow them to grow. With four HDMI inputs, two component video inputs, and four digital audio inputs, even the most hardcore of Audioholics will have plenty of connections for all of their gear.

Click here for more information on the Yamaha RX-V467.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.