After 6 years my RXV1500 has given me its first problem. About an hour after I turned it on this morning (listening at low volume), it shut off. I tried to reset by unplugging the power cord for about 5 minutes, with no luck. I then disconnected everything and plugged reveiver into a different outlet (this took about 5 minutes as well). The lights came on for a few seconds then it shut off. BTW - the outlet it was originally plugged into is working correctly.
I have found a lot of information on this issue, but no confirmed solution. If anyone has experience with this specific issue, I would greatly appreciate your reply. Also, I would also be interested to find out the most likely cause of the problem. Is this an age issue, or is there some sort of external electrical problem. Basically, once fixed, is there anything I need to do to keep this from happening again.
New information. I unplugged the unit for more than 30 minutes. It came on and stayed on for several minutes. I put it in stand-by mode for a few minutes, but then it would not power up at all. Unplugged again for a few minutes and it came on and stayed on. Put in stand-by once again, but would not power up without unplugging for a few minutes.
"I have found a lot of information on this issue, but no confirmed solution. If anyone has experience with this specific issue, I would greatly appreciate your reply. Also, I would also be interested to find out the most likely cause of the problem. Is this an age issue, or is there some sort of external electrical problem. Basically, once fixed, is there anything I need to do to keep this from happening again."
The solution is to have the unit checked by a qualified technician. You can't fix the receiver yourself so have the tech tell you what problems are found. Ask for an estimate of repair costs before you agree to any repair work being performed. This should normally run less than $60 to just troubleshoot the unit and, if you want the receiver fixed, that money is applied to the total cost of the repair.
The problem is not strictly related to age but most HT receivers are good for about five years of use and then problems begin to appear. You can consider this to be planned obsolescence if you like. Most mass market manufacturers such as Yamaha begin to no longer support their older products with replacement parts after about five years of age. That would depend on how generic to the operation of the receiver the needed part might be. In your case, this could be a large scale integrated circuit which controls most of the functions of the receiver. Or it could be a simple bias resistor gone bad. The resistor is very generic, the LSIC - not so much.
The tech might advise you that it is money well spent to look for a new receiver as features and watts have increased over the last six years. If you're planning any audio/video purchases in the next few years, you'll probably find your old receiver is likely to not be the most up to date version of HDMI connectors and so forth. Not that the tech is in cahoots with the manufacturer but selling a new receiver is how HT manufacturers stay in business. After a few years it is normally cheaper and more convenient to replace a component than it is to repair the old component.
There is no way for you to prevent a similar occurence should you have the unit repaired. As I said, most HT receivers have a shelf life of about five years. Repairing a six year old unit provides no guarantee there won't be more problems in the near or distant future. Therefore, repairs are always a gamble in the mass market. Generally, I would say you're better off buying a new unit with a new warranty. If you can afford to step up out of the mass market lines, you're likely to find higher quality that can last more than a few years.
Thanks Jan, You hit the nail on the head. When I first started to research the issue, it looked like maybe, just maybe, there would be a simple inexpensive fix. I spoke with a Yamaha service center and they told me the issue could be caused by a number of issues, costing anywhere between $200 to $400. I can replace the unit for $400 to $600 and get more features to boot. I guess it is my chance to upgrade, although I did expect the receiver would last 20 years like my last Yamaha. Oh well, times have changed.
How is this for planned obsolesence - In December of 2004 my home was flooded and I replaced everything. In the last month, I have lost my washer, alarm clock (not a cheapie either), coffee maker, receiver and the TV started requiring a 5 minute warm-up for the vertical hold to work right. Six years, almost to the month. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
Just my opinion but I would be a bit wary of "features". Consider there is "X" amount of money available to spend on the cost of the product to the manufacturer. Now, granted, with a great deal of the "features" being contained on one large scale chip (and they would come with that chip selection no matter what), if nothing else lots of features on a chip cost are; 1) going to cost more money than those chips with fewer features, 2) going to be a cheaper chip to buy than would a higher quality and possibly more reliable chip. (Though chip driven amps aren't really that reliable for the most part anyway.) Possibly the higher feature set chip produces higher sound quality but it's more likely it only offers more features. Therefore, the manufacturer has decided it is easier to sell a high feature count product and "X" percentage of the available budget has been directed towards those features. Now, with "X" amount of the budget spent on a chip (features which may or may not be truly useful), what amount of the budget is left for other things such as sound quality and reliability?
I'll bet your old Yamaha receiver had fewer features than this one that lasted six years. Right?
Jan, I totally understand. So a little more money and less of those features I do not need should do the trick. After looking around within my budget, it appears the NAD T757 would do the trick. The reviews actually talk about how some features were intentionally left out in lieu of better sound reproduction. See review.
Should I automatically trust NAD to to build a better product than Yamaha? It seems Yamaha has a very mediocre reputation and NAD is well respected as a quality manufacturer.
All reviews of NAD state that the power rating is very conservative. Would 80 NAD watts be about 100 Yamaha watts as this is stated in more than one review.
It seems NAD is truely 7 x 80Watts, whereas, I get the impression that is not the case with my Yamaha RXV 1500. I do not understand how the amplifier(s) work in a multi-channel unit. Is there one amp or multiple amps?
Thanks for the information and your opinion on this matter.
Most HT receivers won't pass the 'all channels driven' test. Each amp is a discrete 'channel' and has a connection to a common power supply. IOW, some will be 100x2 but drop to 80x5 or less. A decent indicator is how much the darn thing weighs. Heavy means big transformer and heat sinks for the devices driving the speakers. You will need to look carefully at the spec sheet and how the ratings are arrived at. I would consider a 4 ohm power rating to be a Plus in rating an HT amplifier. Most HT receivers won't drive 4 ohm loads or will have a switch when running such loads to limit power in that case. Keep in mind that even 8ohm speakers (Nominal) can have low dips which may stress a HT amp.
If NAD HT receivers follows their stereo practice, they will have an RMS rating and a dynamic power rating, which is much higher. Since music IS dynamic, has many ups and downs in level, not to mention stuff like power hungry kick drums, the NAD practice makes sense.
I think NAD is 'contract' built. That is not a dis, but keeping an eye on quality is very important.
You may want to listen first.....the NAD house sound is not for everyone, but I sure prefer it to Yamaha.
My opinion would be to go with seperates. A 'pre pro' and a seperate amplifier. You can than update one without having to start over again. More money? For sure, but in the longer run, less trouble. You can locate the usually warm running amp in a cooler place. I'll bet your old Yamaha got pretty warm on occasion.
If you go the seperates route, do not tell your wife who made the suggestion.
Mass market HT receivers tend to get sold on the number of buttons, knobs and geegaws on the front, back and remote. When you have not much else to talk about, you point to the button and explain why someone would want it.
NAD, Rotel, Cambridge and most of the Marantz line have a good reputation for bringing to HT the quality they have in their two channel gear. NAD would be described by most as having a "warm" house sound while Rotel and Cambridge tend to the "cool" or somewhat "brighter" nature. Some would say "clear" but I think that's missing the point of what you'll have in the long run. Marantz tends to fall in between. That's generic and driven by personal taste in the end, they're all decent lines IMO. If your Yamaha made your system sound "top heavy", then maybe your speakers would prefer something with a bit less emphasis up there. Rooms are what you ultimately hear and the same system in three different rooms will sound three different ways.
NAD seems to have shaken their reputation from about six years back that they can't build a reliable receiver. But, you know, I can't truly predict what will be reliable and what will be less so. How the amp is used will play a part in reliability. Give it lots of ventilation rather than sticking it in a cabinet and have easy to drive speakers and you'll probably have a receiver that exceeds the average life span of the genre.
One thing about NAD would be they aren't truly a manufactuer. They do a design and then shop for a plant to assemble that design. To my knowledge, there isn't a single NAD factory, just factories which assemble NAD products. That can be OK. There aren't really any single factory companies out there any more than there are cars built only in the US with US parts. Everything is suncontracted to some extent and in the end everything is universal nowdays. A manufacturer must depend on the quality of their subcontractors. Hopefully, buying a better line means they too have made their purchases from the better manufacturers.
Watts are relative and all watts are not the same. In a mass market HT receiver, they might test their receiver's wattage output with only two of the five or seven available channels running the test. Amplifiers are modulated power supplies and when you have fewer channels modulating the one single power supply in the reciever, the higher the wattage output you'll have. So "NAD watts" and "Yamaha watts" shouldn't technically be different but they probably are. Don't go overboard on watts though. You only need enough so the amplifier doesn't clip - distort - on peak levels. If you have a powered sub, then a good bit of the stress has been taken off the receiver. If you have speakers with a higher "electrical sensitivity" (above 87dB), then you have lesss stress on the amp. If you have speakers with a low impedance dip beneath about six Ohms, then you'll need better quality watts but not necessarily more watts. I would warn against any HT receiver with a switch for low impedance speakers. That's basically telling you they didn't want to spend the money on a good power supply or other parts. If your Yamaha was OK on peak levels and didn't distort, you could get away with fewer watts in a better quality amp.
For normal listening levels most peple use less than five watts. It's those peaks that matter and someone who says they want their system to play louder will need about ten times the wattage if they intend to accomplish that all through the amplifier.
HT receivers have individual discrete amplifier channels which all take their voltage and current from one common power supply. So its the quality of the power supply that matters. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell you which receiver has the best power supply. I always wished there was when I was selling audio. You can sort of go by the heaviest unit having the best power supply because that's where the majority of the weight of an amp exists, in the power supply transformers. But even that's sort of like saying buy the car with the longest wheelbase if you want the smoothest ride. There are just too many variables that require too much time to discuss on a forum.
If it makes any sense, buy enough watts but don't buy more than you need - which usually isn't all that many.
In the price range you're likely to be shopping in, the manufacturers build in groups. The two or three bottom receivers will share a common chassis and then the next two or three will have a different chassis. The common chassis boards are mostly the same and jumpers are used to take the place of the parts that go on the more expensive receivers. Since 50 watts and 75 watts will sound about the same when it comes to loudness, there's no real benefit in buying more watts unless they willl actually benefit you. If there are features you want on the higher powered amp, then that's a reason to spend more. Otherwise, buying toward the bottom of the common chassis line will get the job done. Normally, you can tell which chassis group is which simply by looking at the face panel of the receiver.
Yep! separates are the way to go if you can afford them. Head to the "Outlaw Audio" site to look at what they have to offer. It's good stuff - again not usually built by Outlaw - at direct to buyer pricing. And, if you have a local dealer for any of the brands mentioned, give them your money before you buy from some guy working out of his garage in Arkansas.
I generally don't recommend brands. My listening experience with them is limited. However, the 'other' brand which you may consider is Emotiva. This brand gets little respect around here due to some difficulties with shipping, if I remember correctly. They have a fairly complete line of electronics at what would appear to be bargain prices. Too good to be true? The pre-pro which is currently not available will be 1500$. Quite a lot unless you believe the claims and connectivity. Perhaps worth a look.
If you are in the mood for a true universal player, the OPPO would appear to be the way to go.
Thanks to both Jan and Leo for the great information.
Decisions, decisions. Unlike my last purchase, I have more time to do my homework. I think separates are in my future. I do have a question though, but will post on the Pre/Pro forum.
I had a similar frustrating problem, the RX V1500 would simply turn off within a couple of seconds. Unplugged it for a full day, tried disconnecting all cables & inputs. Nothing made any difference. Just as I had resigned to write off this AVR with a heavy heart, I came across this site:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/689793/help-yamaha-rx-v1500-avr-shuts-down-after-on-fo r-3-seconds (Wish to deeply thank Daniel Campbell who has discovered this CPR remedy)
The solution given here has worked spot on for me. Like a new lease of life, almost a miraculous resurrection !! Do try it before sending your set for repairs or dumping it, hope it might work for you too.
Sometimes less can be more. My stereo stuff....even my First Generation CD player lasted about 20 years. My speakers were repaired at the factory that made 'em......and they were over 20 years old at the time.
The incentive is NOT to make long lasting HT gear. The standards change so quickly that, as you've seen, you can get more bells / whistles cheaper today than yesterdays top of the line 'thing'.
I still have a laptop that I've kept running specifically because it has a serial port. Some stuff that can be software updated need the serial port and null modem cable. But if I just needed a laptop? A new something with USB3 would probably be on the list.