RX-V2700 Multi-Zone & Listening Tests

Multi-Zone / Multi-Source Audio

I was quite taken by the full multi zone / source audio features bestowed upon this receiver. Not only did it have the ability to serve three independent zones of audio, but it also had power amp assignability of four of the internal amps (SP1 and SP2) for either Zone 2 or 3 or two for both. Best of all, you don’t even have to power up the main zone to get music going to Zone 2 or Zone 3. I loved the fact that you could power up Zone 2 or 3 independently and adjust level control and input selection all accessible on the front panel of the receiver via Zone on/off and Zone control buttons.

In my setup, I configured all four of the Yamaha internal amps to Zone 2 and used two channels of my Emotiva MPS-1 to driver two sets of outdoor speakers for Zone 3. I then connected four amps from my Emotiva to the surround side and back channels of the RX-V2700. In this configuration, I was severing a total of four indoor speakers on zone 2 (dining room, guest room) and four outdoor speakers on Zone 3 (2 frontyard and 2 backyard). Thanks to the net streaming features of the RX-V2700, each zone had independent source control. The only negative was I was limited to 5.1 in the main zone when either Zone 2 or Zone 3 were engaged, despite I had enough amplifiers to run a full 7.1 theater with all Zones active. Perhaps in future models, Yamaha can open this option up for people having the available amplifier channels.

It’s important to note, I found a rather unusual issue I’ve never encountered before when connecting my Emotiva MPS-1 7CH power amp to the RX-V2700. When I used the “Music Mode” trigger of my Emotiva to auto turn on/off the amplifier upon detection of a music signal, I heard a bizarre momentary sound (a whining alien buzz) emanate from my speakers powered by the Emotiva shortly after I turned off the RX-V2700. It was likely a result of power supply discharge from the Yamaha that seeped through the RX-V2700’s preamp outputs as a result of poor isolation from the muting relays. My work around was to use the 12V trigger which cut power to my amplifier instantaneously after I turned off the RX-V2700. 12V triggers are preferred to music mode types to avoid audio dropouts when your amplifier turn off during quite passages of the movie and tries to instantaneously engage back on. I suggest using the 12V trigger to avoid these issues altogether.

Remote Control(s)

The RX-V2700 comes with two remote controls: one that operates the main zone (RAV362), and the other (RAV25) (which I refer to as "MiniMe") for Zone2/3 control. Not much has changed here since the last couple of generations. The RAV362 is a universal and learning type remote that is fairly intuitive to operate and program. All of the keys are backlit via a button located on the left side of the remote. A switch on the right side of the remote determines the functionality of buttons marked in orange while an LCD display window and up/down selection buttons allows the user to determine the function of the center navigation and play/stop functionality of the source currently being used. The remote has discrete keys for each input select and offers a hot key for channel trim adjustments, and DSP modes but unfortunately doesn’t do so for PLIIx modes. Overall, the remote has good tactile response and is easy to hold, but I recommend it as a support for the RX-V2700 and NOT the primary remote to operate your home theater. For that I suggest a Logitech Harmony or Universal Remote Control Inc type of product.

The RAV25 is a basic zone remote that allows you to select input, tuner presets, mute, volume and power on/off for each zone independently. You can toggle remote functions based on the remote ID# switch located at the bottom left of the remote. This is a handy little remote but the experienced installer would likely integrate an RF remote or touch pad at the zone location where audio is being fed.

Listening Tests

Ok, so the RX-V2700 is obviously one of the most feature-intensive receivers we’ve ever tested, but how does it sound? In one word – awesome! It’s clear to me that Yamaha is making progressive strides at improving the fidelity of their receivers, and not losing the focus of audio fidelity despite all the new features being brought on board. This is also perhaps one of the reasons their receivers are also getting progressively more expensive within each successive model.

This is the first time since my RX-V4600 review that I was able to connect high resolution DVD-Audio disc via a digital connection on a Yamaha receiver. This time of course it was done via HDMI and let me say it worked flawlessly. You’ll get a message saying “multi-channel PCM” on the display which essentially means the universal DVD player (in this case the Denon DVD-2930CI) is handling the multi-channel decoding, but the RX-V2700 is taking care of bass management, level control and digital delay compensation. I couldn’t test SACD via HDMI since my Denon DVD-2930CI is only HDMI ver 1.1, so I used analog cables for that function.

Music Listening

Before breaking out the multi-channel recordings, I ran some exhaustive 2CH listening tests in my primary acoustically treated theater room (courtesy of Auralex Acoustics). I connected the RX-V2700 to my reference speakers – the RBH T-30LSE’s and ran them full range. I level-matched and squared off the sonic chops of the RX-V2700 along side the more costly Marantz PM-11S1 integrated amplifier we currently have in for review. This is obviously an unfair comparison since both machines are designed with an emphasis on different functions, but I wanted to gauge just how well the RX-V2700 could hold its own next to an audio reference piece such as the Marantz.

Suffice it to say, the Yamaha sounded excellent. I felt it gave up a notch in stereo separation and low end bass control to the Marantz, but at the same time it subjectively felt like it had a warmer sonic signature. Yes, warmer. The Yamaha had excellent bass extension and a very lush top end. It never sounded metallic or analytical despite the fact I was torturing it with my 4-ohm reference speakers in a nearly 6,000ft^3 room. The decay in wood and bass instruments weren’t quite up to the level of the Marantz, but without doing an A/B real time comparison, you’d likely never notice. Not bad for a does everything multi-channel A/V receiver costing well under $2,000.

DVD-Audio: Beatles Love
The Beatles Love DVD-A disc has become one of my primary multi-channel reference recordings for good reasons – it sounds great and it's great content. “Because” sounded very open when engaged in PLIIx Music Mode, much like I heard at the Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas. Switching between 5.1 and 7.1 really showed off the benefit of PLIIx post processing on a 5.1 audio signal. “Tommorrow Never Dies” sounded as dynamic and enveloping as I’ve heard in my primary theater room but the bass wasn’t as well extended since my family room system only employs a single sub in a large open room. Regardless, the Yammie was able to belt out LOUD dynamics with no trouble at all. Next to the RX-Z9, I’d say this is the most powerful amp section currently employed in a Yamaha A/V receiver.

Movie Listening

Now it was time to see how the RX-V2700 shined in its most widely used application among home theater aficionados – movie watching. I began with some HD content via my new Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player

HD DVD: Polar Express
This was a first for me – getting to experience HD and DD+ in all of its glory via one HDMI connection. The audio was simply awesome! Gone were the compressed artifacts during loud dynamic scenes I’ve so commonly experienced via standard Dolby Digital. This HD DVD sounded as good as some of the best DTS multi-channel recordings I’ve heard.

The tactile response of the opening scene where the train comes to the boy's house was so real it startled our soon to be born baby in my wife’s belly. The surround envelopment was right on par with some of the best multi-channel recordings I’ve heard. The scene where the conductor played by Tom Hanks was singing the Hot Chocolate song was bold, dynamic and musical more so that I ever recalled when I saw this movie at my local Cineplex. The RX-V2700 engaged in PLIIx Movie Mode filled my room with realism that only the best recordings on a primed playback system can do. There was true magic in this experience and I am pretty sure it wasn’t coming from the North Pole. If DD+ was this good, I could only imagine how a disc authored with TrueHD sounds.

I experimented with Yamaha’s DSP post processing modes and found most of the time they weren’t needed unless I engaged in an older not so pristine recording. The Jazz and Rock modes were useful for such events as old concerts on VHS or mixed in 2.0 on DVD. In fact, I popped in the Fleetwood Mac – The Dance DVD and enjoyed hearing the more expansive effects that the Jazz DSP modes offered while Lindsey Buckingham whaled away in “I’m So Afraid”. For movie playback, I mostly used PLIIx Movie Mode and occasionally used the Adventure DSP mode.

Suggestions for Improvement

Although the RX-V2700 is jam packed with features and has it where it counts sonically, there are some operational things I’d like to see improvement upon to make the next generation receiver even better:

• Single button toggle ability to engage/disengage PEQ

• More accurate and consistent auto speaker size, crossover configuration and equalization

• Ability to engage both the Presence channels and Surround Backs via use of an external 2CH amplifier

• Ability to engage 7.1 with extra amplifiers while Zone 2 or 3 are engaged

• Hot key for PLIIx Music and Movie Mode on the remote

• Ability to scale through component video (currently limited to just I/P)

The biggest operational nuisance to me that plagues each generation of Yamaha receiver is the difficulty of choosing PLIIx Music or Movie mode. The RX-V2700 retains the last setting per source type (ie. 2CH or 5.1) but NOT per input. It’s a three step process available only via the remote control (Sur Decode > Extd Sur > scroll left/right) in order to toggle between them when in fact it should only take a hot key / toggle function to switch between Music/Movie/Game modes.

I would have also liked Yamaha to provision up to 1080i scaling via component video (just like the RX-Z9 does) instead of simple I/P for those instances like I experienced via my Karaoke and VHS players that didn’t maintain a stable image via HDMI upconversion.