Yamaha RX-V3900 Receiver Preview

The Yamaha RX-V3900 140W x 7.1 channel receiver costs $1799 and features extensive networking features, allowing you to stream music from your PC, Internet Radio, or Rhapsody online music service. A web browser interface allows you to control the receiver via a PC or PDA web browser over a home network. The RX-V3900 also boasts HD Radio with iTunes tagging, four HDMI v1.3a inputs and two outputs, with HDMI up-conversion and scaling to 1080p and extensive multi-zone custom installation compatibilities. It supports the latest HD Audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio (192kHz). The RX-V3900 also features a USB input and Bluetooth support, allowing you to stream music from your PC or Bluetooth wireless device.

We got to see and hear this beauty up close an personal atr the 2008 Audioholic sExpo in Orlando this year. It was powering a suite of brand new EMP speakers that have yet to hit the market. We were impressed with its capabilities and couldn't believe the (Anchor Bay Technologies) video processing capability and prowess this AV receiver possessed. In particular the Progressive Re-interlacing feature (PReP) is out of this world (more on that later).

This receiver has more logos on it than a NASCAR running the Daytona 500. Rhapsody support and their new Network Receiver designation ensure that this product can plug into the Internet and deliver endless hours of music from any source imaginable, be it streaming or via the included USB port. Got an iPod? The RX-V3900 can hook up and control your Apple digital media player via the optional universal iPod dock or even handle audio from Bluetooth sources with its optional YBA-10 Wireless Audio Receiver.

Taking a look at the back panel, the Yamaha RX-V3900 features the same 5-way binding posts for speakers that are found on its lower-end models - just a hole lot more of them. These are perfectly up to the task, but not the high-end posts found in its Z-series AV receivers. The RX-V3900 has 4 HDMI 1.3a inputs and can support two HDMI outputs simultaneously (must be identical resolution and bitrate). The new GUI is superimposed on the video beneath and can even display album art from compatible streaming network software. Three component video inputs and a single output also grace the rea of the receiver and both XM and Sirius satellite radio connections are available. Unlike the x03 series of receivers, the RX-V3900 only has a single subwoofer preamp output.

One of the most advanced features of this new AV receiver is ABT's Progressive Reprocessing (PReP). This tech allows the RX-V3900 to take standard and high definition progressive signals, de-interlace them and the re-interlace them and add proper edge and motion adaptive enhancement for a better overall picture. This does wonders for cableTV signals, which are frequently processed poorly and, as a result, are chock full of artifacts. The chip Yamaha uses in this receiver is the ABT 2010 and it's a phenomenal video processor.

The front of the unit has a panel which tilts down to reveal controls for DSP programs, the YPAO room optimizer microphone, tuner controls, multi-zone controls and A/V inputs (though no HDMI). This is also where the USB input is located and the unit does not have a duplicate rear USB input.

The RX-V3900 comes with two remote controls, one backlit unit for the main receiver and a second simpler remote for multi-zone use (remote IR receiver required). The remote is loosely based on prior models except for several key differences. Among them are color and the presence of a 4-way control pad (prior models had individual buttons for navigation controls). The transport controls have moved from the bottom of the remote to just underneath the navigation and menu controls. This is an excellent change and means that Yamaha is taking feedback from consumers on how to develop more ergonomic and logical layouts for its remotes. The main remote still possesses a simple single-line monochrome LCD display which indicates the current source, but also adds indicators for which Zone is being controlled.

For just under $1800 the RX-V3900 promises to be a primary contender in this price bracket, competing aggressively with the other major manufacturers for most capable and feature-rich product at this price point. Yamaha seems to have nailed this one out of the park.  This is a nice receiver!

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