Manufacturer: Yamaha Electronics Corporation, 6660 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620; 800/4-YAMAHA Price: $2000 Source: Manufacturer Loan Reviewer: Howard Ferstler

This is the fourth Yamaha product I have reviewed since I began writing for this magazine. The first was the DSP-A3090

I ended up purchasing the A3090, which I believed to be a borderline breakthrough component, but passed on the DSP-A1 at the time I was reviewing it, even though I liked it very much and considered it a top performer. Some time later, thanks to an advance on my allowance by my wife, I purchased a different sample of the A1 from a dealer during an end-of-model-run clearance sale. I passed on getting the DVD player, even though I considered it to be an exemplary device and somewhat superior to the various cheaper versions I had auditioned, because at that time I had all the DVD players on hand I could use.

The RX-V3000 is second from the top of Yamaha's current crop of audio-video receivers. The top slot is occupied by the RX-V1, which costs half again as much, and which offers some extra features that the lower-priced unit does not. (The RX-V1 is a kind of super-duper version of the DSP-A1 processor/amp that I reviewed previously, with the addition of a center-rear channel, a good-performing tuner, and a few additional, and likely worthwhile embellishments.) However, from a practical performance standpoint the RX-V3000 does not really give up a great deal that is important, as we shall see up ahead.

At its most basic, the V3000 is a hefty (48 pounds) surround-sound A/V receiver that has three main channels across the front (left, center, and right, with 100 watts of power available for each), three primary surround channels (left, center-rear, and right, also with 100 watts available for each), and two DSP-controlled, front-surround "effects" channels (with 25 watts each). There are also two subwoofer outputs, with a 90-Hz internal crossover, for driving an outboard powered unit. Both subwoofer jacks output identical, mono low-frequency signals, rather than the left and right channel, split subwoofer outputs that the DSP-A1 is able to deliver.

A seven-channel arrangement has been SOP for Yamaha's upscale processors and receivers for years, and you will find that the discontinued models I previously mentioned (as well as the also discontinued RX-V2095 receiver) all have this ambiance-simulating, seven-channel (plus subwoofer-out) orientation. Indeed, in terms of DSP ambiance-generating basics with music, all of these units perform along philosophically similar lines. Other than output-power differences, and assorted DSP refinements found in the latest models, all should exhibit a specific (and in my opinion very effective) Yamaha "sound" when they work to simulate certain musical environments. Consequently, you can consider my previous reviews of the DSP-A3090 and DSP-A1 amp/ processors to be formal introductions to just what the RX-V3000 will be able to do with a lot of source material. Of course, this is not to say that the older units could do everything the newer ones can. For example, the RX-V3000 (and, needless to say, the RX-V1) pull ahead of the previous Yamaha units when it comes to movie surround sound, primarily because of the inclusion of that eighth "center-rear" channel.

I have gone over how the DD and matrixed DTS center-rear systems work in some of my other receiver reviews, and so I will just note that in its most basic form the process takes the L+R part of the stereo surround signal found on appropriate DD and DTS program sources and derives a steered center-rear output from signals that would ordinarily form a phantom center image behind the listener. It can be very effective, particularly if that individual is not sitting dead center. Technologically, it functions in much the same way that Dolby Pro Logic steering does up front.

Assuming that the user opts to employ a center-rear speaker and sets the V3000 for automatic recognition of 6.1 source material when Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES program sources that are specifically flagged to turn on the center-rear channel are input to the receiver, the circuit is automatically activated and a properly balanced three-rear-channel surround field should result.

The nifty thing about the V3000 is that the center-rear feature (called 6.1 by Yamaha, even though it could also be considered an 8.1 option when the DSP front, "effect channels" ambiance embellishments are also turned on) can also be manually engaged easily by the push of a button on the remote control.

With some standard 5.1-channel movies the center-rear option might work very well (it did so with copies of both the standard and Criterion editions of The Rock that I had on hand to review for a movie web site), and so Yamaha makes it extremely easy for the user to give it a manually triggered try. Remember, however, that the 6.1 option will only work with Dolby Digital or DTS program sources. With standard stereo or standard Dolby-matrixed programs (these days, this generally means compact discs, video tapes, or regular TV programs), pushing this button will do nothing. You cannot get the center-rear option to contribute ambiance with that kind of conventional program material. However, given the, at-best, monophonic-surround of those sources, you would not want it to.

In my opinion, while the center-rear channel was not much help with classical music that was coded for 5.1-channel Dolby Digital or DTS playback, it could do some pretty interesting things with certain rock-music presentations. Often, DD and DTS rock releases put instruments and performers all around the room (I am finally getting used to this with pop music, even though for most classical it is just not the way to go) and the center-rear option sometimes helped to solidify certain of the surround "images" that the more adventurous mixing technicians installed in their new releases or surround-sound remixes of older recordings.

Interestingly, with some competing surround receivers it is possible for a 6.1 option to work against producing the best surround field possible. If, for example, a DD or DTS movie or musical release does not have the surround channels in stereo (in other words, if it is a discrete 4.1 mix, with a mono surround channel), the entire surround signal will be steered to the center-rear output if that feature is turned on. No sound will come from the left and right surround speakers at all.

I found this out with another brand of receiver when reviewing the otherwise outstanding special edition of the Civil War movie Glory. While this superb film has some great audio (it won the Academy Award for Sound in 1989), the surround track was actually done in mono. When I turned on the other-brand receiver's center-rear circuit, the entire surround part of the soundfield ended up coming from directly behind, rather than from all three surround channels.

On the other hand, with the RX-V3000 it was actually possible to do an end run around that problem. I discovered that if any of the "70 mm" or "Enhanced" options were turned on, a DD or DTS mono surround channel would be turned into simulated stereo and then the 6.1 option would effectively "extract" any L+R information from that blend and provide the listener with a more three-dimensional effect out in the room. The result was quite workable.

However, I again have to note that this cannot be done with conventional program sources. The 6.1 option can only be engaged when DD and DTS program material is being decoded by the receiver, whether or not that material has a stereo surround channel or mono surround channel.

The only genuine 6.1-channel program source I had on hand at the time I was checking out the V3000 was the DVD version of this year's Academy Award winner for sound, Gladiator. It has the DD tracks in 5.1 form, but the DTS tracks are done 6.1 style. (This is the matrixed version of DTS 6.1 and did not involve the more rare discrete-center-rear option.) With 6.1 (or in this case 8.1) engaged, the DTS tracks were indeed sometimes spectacular. However, the V3000's theater-ambiance simulation modes are already so effective that the center-rear enhancement was difficult to pinpoint at times.

Indeed, the only way you could even be aware of it for fleeting intervals would be if you were actually listening for center-rear "effects," and in my opinion that is not the way to enjoy a movie. Its limitations with some source material notwithstanding, I do believe that a movie with flyover effects from front to rear or rear to front (recall the opening sequence of Star Wars or some of the combat scenes in Independence Day) would benefit from the surround-rear option.

So, the ability of the center-rear feature to entertain is going to be dependent upon the source material (this would involve DD and DTS movies and some rock music), the need of the listener to have the center-rear experience, the layout of the room, and the way the speakers are set up in that room.

OK, now that we have discussed some of this product's embellishments and movie-sound abilities, we need to get down to brass tacks and discuss the way it is configured and what else it can do. As with all Yamaha upscale receivers, at first glance, the front panel is deceptively simple looking. There is a power switch on the left, a readout panel in the middle, and an input-mode button, a pair of input selector buttons, and a volume control on the right.

Things get a bit more exciting when you push the bottom of the flip-out panel (which then swings open under its own power) and get a look at the controls and features that are hidden behind it. Those include: a headphone jack, speaker A/B switches, a bass-extension button for smaller speakers (it boosts at 60 Hz, with a rapid rolloff below that frequency), standard bass and treble controls, a processor-direct button (that lets the signals bypass the bass and treble control, balance, and bass-extension circuits), a zone-2 control, the effects control (that allows one to scroll through the DSP options), a button to select the 6-channel inputs (for outboard decoders), inputs for a camcorder or portable audio source, and radio-tuning and set-up controls. All of the control functions are duplicated on the remote control. The remote itself is actually easier to work with than the panel controls, and I also believe that it is easier to operate, more versatile, and possibly more durable than the control that came with the earlier DSP-A1 and RX-V2095 models.

One thing that I like about the new version is the LCD display window that continually tells you which input you have selected. What's more, while each of the input buttons have fixed identifications, you can change the readout on the window to actually reflect the specific kind of component you have selected. You can do the same thing with the readout on the V3000's front panel. This is a feature that a typical spouse (my wife, for sure) will appreciate, because she will not have to decipher the terminology on the readouts.

For example, after installing the RX-V3000 in my middle system (temporarily replacing my trusty DSP-A3090 integrated amp) and hooking my laserdisc player to the D-TV/LD input, I changed the name of the remote-control LCD and V3000 front-panel readouts to simply read LD. I also changed the name of the Cable input to read TV, which I believe made it a bit easier for my wife to fire up the TV for program viewing, and finally, after hooking one of the two VCRs in that system to the VCR-1 input and the other to VCR-2/DVR input, I changed the latter to simply read VCR-2.

In addition to this name-changing feature, you can also designate the input for the component-video jacks and the digital input/output jacks so that they will tie in to any source buttons you want. This allows you to change the setting when there are not enough digital inputs jacks, depending on the source components you happen to be needing to hook into the receiver. This feature, combined with the name-change feature, allows for pretty thorough customizing of the unit's abilities to suit any particular input requirements and tastes.

The V3000 also has a program-memory feature that automatically sets the processor to the last DSP or surround-decoding mode that the user had selected for each input. For example, I normally use the "Classical/Opera" mode for the bulk of my CD listening and use the "35 mm Enhanced" mode for most regular TV, LD, DVD, and video-tape programs. So, when I switch to the CD input, the unit will automatically default to "Classical/Opera" processing, and when I select any of the movie modes, it changes to the "35 mm Enhanced" decoding mode. You can easily override these default settings, if you chose, and when you do so the new selection will become the default. The unit does what you tell it to do.

In addition, whichever specialized movie-decoding mode you select (there are quite a few, besides "35 mm Enhanced"), the unit will also automatically do Pro Logic matrix decoding with two-channel tape, LD, or cable TV source material, or employ Dolby Digital or DTS decoding with 5.1or 6.1-channel DVD inputs, depending on what you have your DVD player configured to route to the receiver. You can see what kind of decoding is being employed by simply looking at the front-panel readout. You can also override what the unit chooses, if you want.

Needless to say, the remote is able to operate other Yamaha components, and it is also a learning unit that allows you to program it to operate other brands. In addition, it has the ability to input macro commands, which will simplify many operational tasks. Just about anything you want to do with the RX-V3000 can be done via the remote, and so unless you want to plug in a set of headphones or camcorder it is just about unnecessary to touch the front panel of the receiver at all. In at least one way, this is a good thing, because the RX-V3000 has a volume-control knob that has a rather slippery feel to it. It is one of those continuously spinning jobs that has no limit stops, and when you turn it the front panel indicates the relative level, via both a bar graph and a digital-number readout. My wife, who is often repelled by remote controls, anyway, and instead prefers to fool with genuine knobs on front panels, did not particularly like the feel of that knob. She also did not its rather sluggish response, compared to the more conventional knobs on our older Yamaha units. The digital readout left her cold.

On the other hand, people who rarely touch the front panels of their components will have no problem whatsoever with this kind of volume knob. Moreover, a digital readout is extremely handy when you want to precisely reset the volume to a comfortable and proper level. Also, when the unit is turned off the fully electronic volume knob has no effect, and so people with children will not have to worry about a mischievous kid turning the knob all the way to the right when the unit is off and therefore jolting dad or mom aplenty when the unit is first turned on and the unit is in the tuner mode.

The back panel is loaded with analog audio and video inputs, as one might expect. In addition, there are a total of nine digital inputs: two coaxial-digital, as well as seven fiber-optic.

I should note that there is no coaxial-digital input for a DVD player, and so if yours does not have a fiber-optic output you will not be able to hook it up to the RX-V3000's fiber-optic DVD input. A player with a coaxial-only output can be hooked to the coaxial Cable input, however, and that input can be re-labeled on both the remote's LCD display and the V3000's front-panel display as the DVD input. Most competent DVD players will have both fiberoptic and coaxial-digital outputs, of course.

There is also a set of six-channel inputs for outboard decoders. As is typical for most processors or receivers that can handle such inputs, the six-channel array has no bass-management function. So, if you plug in most DVD-A players to those inputs you will have to have five full-range satellite speakers, plus a subwoofer, to get full-bandwidth enjoyment from that format.

The V3000 also has a dedicated input for the main amp, as well as preamp outputs for the left and right main channels. This allows the user to install an outboard equalizer on the main channels if they want. (The center channel has its own 5-band equalizer built in.) There are also line-level outputs from the other channels but there are no dedicated inputs for their respective amps. Therefore, one would have to use outboard amps if they wanted to, say, use outboard equalization with the surround channels.

The USA version of the V3000 does not come with an on-board RF demodulator for Dolby Digital laserdiscs, so if you have a collection of those you would have to use an outboard unit and plug its output into one of the digital inputs. The unit does come with a moving-magnet phono input for LP record playback.

Video inputs include the usual audio items, plus S-Video and composite. There are also two sets of inputs for component video. Video-monitor outputs include one each for composite, S-Video, and component.

All speaker hookups are done with five-way binding posts, which allow for my favorite hookup: double banana plugs. Curiously, the owner's manual only illustrates how to do a bare-wire hookup. Unlike the DSP-A1 and DSP-A3090 integrated amps, the RX-V3000 has both speaker A and speaker B hookups, although the latter only includes a stereo pair for remote-room use and not surround sound.

The RX-V3000 has quite a number of surround DSP modes to both enhance genuine surroundsound source material and to synthesize surround ambiance with two-channel source material. It does not have quite so many options as the RX-V1 or the older DSP-A1, but what it does have is more than adequate for just about any listening or software situation. Indeed, the lower number might prove to be less frustrating for those who have trouble deciding which DSP mode to select.

One other thing those more upscale models (including even the older DSP-A3090) have that it does not is an "effects trim" feature. This would normally allow the user to fine-tune the surround-channel levels in most of the surround or DSP modes, and do so independently of the global settings. However, the factory-preset balance of the assorted modes worked very well after the global settings were determined by the initial noise-calibration set-up procedure, at least in my middle system's listening room. The global-set levels appeared to be less aggressive, and therefore better balanced, than the factory-default settings available from the DSP-A3090 that the RX-V3000 temporarily replaced in that system. In that respect, it was similar to the DSP-A1.

When I first got the RX-V3000, I set it up in my main room, as a temporary replacement for the DSP-A1. After doing my initial set-up and calibration procedures, I ran some tests with assorted test material (mostly from the Delos Surround Spectacular compact disc and Avia DVD test disc) and came to the conclusion that the V3000 was easily as capable as the DSP-A1 when it came to proper imaging, steering, and spectral balance. It is in that class of processor/decoder, which means that it is outstanding. No other processors or receivers I have reviewed can surpass the Yamaha units when it comes to Dolby Pro Logic steering, and many otherwise very good brands are not comparable at all.

I tried a number of standard and surround-sound recordings with the RX-V3000 installed in both my main system, and later on more permanently installed in my smaller one. One standout was Composers in New York (Chandos 9848), a superior concert-hall recording featuring music by Aaron Copland, Morton Gould, William Schuman, and Samuel Barber, as performed by the I Musici de Montreal. The sound was terrific in the "Classical/ Opera" mode, but it was also spectacular with the "Hall B" setting, which managed to deal with the solo clarinet used in some of the pieces very effectively.

Another compact disc that responded well to the unit's DSP modes was The Transcriber's Art (Gothic 49054). It is a large-scale recording of works by Sibelius, Delius, Rachmaninoff, Handel, Elgar, and others, transcribed to organ. The sound was handled very well indeed by the Yamaha's DPL decoding circuits, although the best results were again obtained with the receiver's "Classical/Opera" mode, provided the center level was temporarily backed off 3 dB below the standard set-up levels. This center-back-off trick works nicely with many two-channel recordings that are given a steered center channel treatment by any kind of processor or receiver, in order to solidify the central images.

I also got very good results with an excellently recorded selection of Mozart works, including the Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Orchestra (MD&G 301 1000-2). This work, which was recorded by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, had a bright, ultra-clear, and detailed sound that was perfectly reproduced by the stereo amps in the RX-V3000. Better yet was the application of some DSP via the "Classical/Opera" mode, which improved focus and soundstaging when listening away from the sweet spot, and also added just enough synthesized reverb to complement the already excellently recorded ambiance of the transcription. With this release, even the DPL decoding applied by the V3000 was terrific, with the material almost sounding like it was encoded for that kind of playback.

Still another was an excellent recording of both the Symphony Number 6 and Symphony Number 7 of Sibelius, performed by the Iceland Symphony orchestra (Naxos 81554387). I was again impressed by the V3000's "Classical/Opera" DSP mode when listening to this material, although it still required backing off the center level about -3 dB to get the lateral perspective balanced. The combination of a steered center and just the right blend of surround ambiance, really worked wonders with this already fine sounding release.

A disc that responded extremely well with the assorted "Hall" modes the V3000 offers was an absolutely marvelous recording of Johannes Ockeghem's Missa Au travail suis, done by The Clerks' Group (ASV GAU 215). While the "Classical/Opera" mode did tend to solidify the center when listening from off axis, the standard hall modes, which do not use the center feed, tended to work even better, provided the listener was decently close to the sweet spot. The amount of reverb applied will vary from hall-simulation to hall-simulation, and I found that the "Hall B" simulation worked to best effect in my smaller listening room. This was one of those situations where the simulated "Church" modes also worked well.

I tried my usual trio of Delos DVD, Dolby Digital music discs with the RX-V3000, and they all performed spectacularly. I did give the center-rear channel a try on some of the programs, and I found that it really did not enhance the material all that much. It did help out on the snippet from Berlioz's Te Deum, found on the D VD Music Breakthrough disc (DV-7002), because that item has a organ that was panned to the back of the church. Without the center-rear feature engaged, the organ sound tended to drift a bit if the listener was not in the sweet spot. With the center-rear feature engaged, the rear image was better stabilized.

I also tried out several DVD-A discs on the unit, but because it was integrated into one of my smaller systems at that time, and that installation did not have a DVD-A capable player plugged into it, I played the alternate Dolby Digital tracks. For the most part, the DD tracks had sounded as good as the DVD-A tracks when I auditioned the discs on my main system, and I consider them to be excellent references for surround-sound processor performance in general. The results were terrific, even in the smaller installation, and every time I fool around with stuff like this I am more convinced than ever that two-channel audio's days as an upscale format are numbered.

So, what do I think of the RX-V3000? Well, I consider it to be one of the most competent A/V receivers available. Of course, I have not reviewed them all, but I have reviewed a number of them, and have also reviewed some pretty good processor/amps and stand-alone processors such as the Lexicon DC-1 and Parasound AVC-2500.

In terms of basic movie decoding, be it standard Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital, or DTS, the unit can hold its own with the best, and of course it can also apply some interesting DSP emendations to the results that may significantly enhance the movie-theater experience. In terms of simulating live-music environments from two-channel source material, I believe that the RX-V3000 can hold its own with the really top Yamaha models, and since those top models can hold their own with the best, I think that the device is one championship-grade piece of equipment.