The Bottom Line
Pros
- Sound quality excellent in both stereo and surround modes.
- Incorporation of an XM-Satellite Radio and iPod Control.
- SCENE function simplifies listening and viewing mode options.
- Dedicated Phono Turntable input provided.
- 1080p Signal Pass-Through Looks Good
Cons
- No on-board Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Decoding capability.
- No Sirius Satellite Radio connectivity.
- No front mounted HDMI or Component Video Inputs
- Speaker connections too close together.
- Needs more HDMI inputs.
Description
- 7.1 channel home theater receiver delivering 105 Watts into each of 7 channels at .06% THD. Subwoofer line output provided.
- Surround options: Dolby Prologic IIx, Dolby Digital 5.1/7.1 EX, DTS 5.1/7.1 ES, 96/24, Neo:6, XM Neural and XM-HD Surround.
- 6 additional input jacks for discrete multi-channel input. Can be used for accessing SACD, DVD-Audio, or external decoder.
- 8 Channel Preamp Outputs. Second zone preamp outputs. Silent Cinema headphone output.
- Audio inputs: 6 Stereo Analog, 4 Digital Optical, 2 Digital Coaxial. 1 Digital Optical Audio output.
- Video Inputs: 2 HDMI, 3 Component, 6 S-video, 6 Composite. One set of AV inputs mounted on front panel.
- YPAO automatic speaker setup function. SCENE function for preset or customized listening and viewing modes.
- XM-Satellite Radio Connectivity (antenna and subscription required). AM/FM Tuner with 40 presets.
- iPod connectivity, battery charging, and control via optional docking station. iPod functions viewable via onscreen display.
- Wireless remote control included - control via onscreen display.
Guide Review - Yamaha RX-V861 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI
Analog video sources, when converted to progressive scan via component video or HDMI, looked slightly better, but the component video connection option produced a slightly darker image than HDMI. Also, the fact that you didn't need to use several types of video connections just to see everything on one video display is a great convenience.
Although upconversion of video inputs signals to HDMI is limited to 1080i, the RX-V861 can pass a native 1080p source through to a 1080p television or monitor. The analog to digital video conversion and upscaling functions worked very well. This also simplifies connection of older components to today's digital televisions.
Several innovative features of the RX-V861 that also worked well, are the inclusion XM-Satellite Radio connectivity, (paid subscription required), both speaker connections or preamp outputs (your choice) provided for second zone operation, and Yamaha's preset SCENE modes.
This receiver also performs well in both stereo and surround modes. I found the audio quality of the RX-V861 in both stereo and surround modes to be very good, making it a good receiver for both extensive music listening as well as for home theater use.
For a more extensive review of the RX-V861, check out my Full Review. In addition, for more details and explanation of this receiver's connections and functions, also check out my Photo Gallery.
