Yamaha 665 vs 663 Opinion Needed

[Fors*]

OK, I have read the specs between the 2 and they appear to be very similiar, except the 663 has a little bit more power and the 665 has 2 more HDMI inputs. I see that the 663 weighs about 8 lbs more than the 665, so does this imply that the 665 is not as "solid" a receiver as the 663? (Like the way many have compared the Onkyo 805's weight to the Onkyo 806?) I ask because I am looking into getting an amp, and I need an AVR with pre-outs first. I found a brand new 665 on this site for only $384.99 : as it is usually around $500 brand new.

http://powersellernyc.com/product/vi...ver-23809.html

I think this is a pretty good darn price point, but I am mostly familiar with Onkyo's only. The cheapest I can find the 663 is for around $500 brand new. So, based on the price difference of $116, would purchasing the 665 over the 663 qualify in your opinion as the superior purchase (this is assuming again that the 663 is superior in its build to the 665)?

Input anyone.....?

[DonRSD]

Onkyo 507 for $344

doesnt the new 507 have pre amp outputs?


by the way........i see we both are 'special members' (under our forum name......lol)

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by DonRSD

Onkyo 507 for $344

doesnt the new 507 have pre amp outputs?


by the way........i see we both are 'special members' (under our forum name......lol)

Nope, no pre-outs on the 507....

[tntkain]

We bought the 663 for our son, we considered the 665 but the 663 had a little more power, so we went with that. I have never heard it but he is very happy with it

[Audiophile_At_Birth]

Weight has to deal with a lot of factors. Your overall answer is, yes the 663 is a more 'solid' receiver. If you're talking build qaulity or power output is up to you. Weight can be a result of many things. Use of different metals. As technology has evolved, so have the size of components. Weight loss can be by smaller more efficient components being used. Thus taking up less mass within the receiver. And in the end, it could be a reduction in the power supply inturn for more features. Because more often than not with entry level equipment. People are all about what features and how many they can get at a low price. It happens.

[DonRSD]

Originally Posted by forsberg21

Nope, no pre-outs on the 507....

after a little investigation...i see you are correct
the 507/607 do NOT have pre amp outputs

have you tried looking for a USED/REFURBISHED 805/806?

new/used/refurb 806

[Fors*]

Forget it....I see now that the 665 appears to have NO pre-outs. The darn website didn't provide a pic, so not until I did some more snooping did I figure this out. I knew this was too good to be true.....I guess other than that it is a pretty good deal, but I need those pre-outs....darn you 605!

[Yeha-Noha]

Originally Posted by forsberg21

Forget it....I see now that the 665 appears to have NO pre-outs. The darn website didn't provide a pic, so not until I did some more snooping did I figure this out. I knew this was too good to be true.....I guess other than that it is a pretty good deal, but I need those pre-outs....darn you 605!

Better brush up on your snooping skills. It's listed right there on the Yamaha website:

Receiver Manager Software.................
Speaker A, B or A + B.........................
Selectable Subwoofer Crossover...........•
Multi-Channel Decoder Inputs...............8-Channel
Pre-Out All Channels........................•
Learning Remote Capability...................Preset

The black dot when present means the V665 has that feature.

The power output of the V663 is 95 W/channel while the V665 is 90 W/channel. The difference is insignificant and you won't hear any difference.

I have removed the cover to my V663 and the power supply is smaller than the power supply in my AudioSource AM 5.3A monoblock. LOL. I wouldn't expect the V665 to be any better or worse than the V663. Neither has the power you really need to drive 7 speakers with no audible distortion at or near reference level.

I suggest buying the V665 since it has 4 HDMI inputs. Later on, you can start adding some external power amplifiers to upgrade to better sound.

Edit:
Attachment 6179

[kailashu]

I have a 663 and a Denon AVR 1909. I would not recommend the 663 though it has some raving reviews. The 1909 beats the 663 in every section. If you really care about clean tight BASS, 1909 is the way to go. You'll not regret it. Beats the YAMMY hands down. I have not tested the 665 yet. So can't comment on that. Looking at the specs, not much of a difference between 663 and 665 except 665 has more HDMI inputs, I guess. Hopefully, they fixed the BASS issue in 665 that was prevalent in 663. Good luck!

[got rice]

I personally would go with the rx-v663. My experince with Yamaha has been very good. I've owned 2 yammy AVR's. The first was the RX-v863 which was a Dolby Pro Logic receiver that was connected to a Mitsubishi Hi Fi VCR. The second was a Yamaha RX-v3000 pre HDMI.

The only reason I replaced either was because they outlasted the technology on the market. This is my personal experience, not to knock any of the other brands.

With this in mind, the 663 offers pre-outs for a separate amp. There is always a thirst for more power and this is a safe way to eliminate having to buy another AVR and start all over.JMO

[Yeha-Noha]

Originally Posted by kailashu

I have a 663 and a Denon AVR 1909. I would not recommend the 663 though it has some raving reviews. The 1909 beats the 663 in every section. If you really care about clean tight BASS, 1909 is the way to go. You'll not regret it. Beats the YAMMY hands down. I have not tested the 665 yet. So can't comment on that. Looking at the specs, not much of a difference between 663 and 665 except 665 has more HDMI inputs, I guess. Hopefully, they fixed the BASS issue in 665 that was prevalent in 663. Good luck!

How did you test the V663 vs AVR 1909 to come to that conclusion? The differences in bass you mentioned here can be attributed to differences in signal processing, bass management, and calibration settings done by Audyssey and YPAO, and DRC. Yamaha has a pure direct mode that bypasses all that stuff. I suppose Denon has an equivalent feature. Did you compare their performance using a pure direct signal path?

[kailashu]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

How did you test the V663 vs AVR 1909 to come to that conclusion? The differences in bass you mentioned here can be attributed to differences in signal processing, bass management, and calibration settings done by Audyssey and YPAO, and DRC. Yamaha has a pure direct mode that bypasses all that stuff. I suppose Denon has an equivalent feature. Did you compare their performance using a pure direct signal path?

A true audiophile will never use the ridiculous YPAO calibration. It is a joke. I don't mean to be rude. I have always been a great fan of YAMMY receivers, but the 663 was such a let down. My non HDMI RXV 659 sounds much more cleaner and powerful than the RXV 663. I am not sure if it has something to do with my unit as I have googled and noticed very few folks complain about lack of bass in the 663's. The SUB level was set to +10. I have LFE set to SBWFR, and have tried BOTH, have tried Fronts on Large and small, and have played with the amp's crossover frequency also, trying 40hz to 160hz. Still nothing.

I tried the YPAO, tried the manual settings....no luck. The current settings on my Denon 1909 is comparable to YAMMY 663. My KEF 3005SE has now all the attitude you'll ever need from an HT system. It is just a pleasure listening to these babies now, blessed with a broad, richly detailed soundfield. The BASS is loud, tight and clean. Even the surrounds are sounding sensational with a tinge of more depth. It's just been a whole new experience altogether especially on Blu, SACD, and FLAC audio landscape. I am just loving every bit of it.

The 663, at least the one I have, was very weak in the bass section. Believe me I have played around with the 663 day and night trying to ascertain the issue. No luck. But i've to admit, things did get a little better, when I made the following changes: Changed from Subwoofer to Both, Connected the LFE preout to Front pre-outs on the receiver, but still no where close to 1909's.

The PURE DIRECT MODE in Denon is just a wonderful experience. It beats the 663 hands down. Just my honest opinion to folks who are contemplating on buying a 663.

My very first Denon product and it is indeed a quality product and lives up to its name. Money well spent.

[talstarone]

I have the Yamaha RX-V665 and am thrilled with its performance from top to bottom.
It DOES have Pre-Outs for All channels,so you were originally correct.

Yes there is a weight difference but according to the Yamaha website it uses some nice internal components for the price.It also features Yamahas ToP-ART amplifier technology(similar to Onkyo's WRAT)and the ToP-ART eliminates some components in the signal path.This may account for the some of the weight difference.

Personally I think it is one heck of a receiver,but its a personal choice for you to make.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

Better brush up on your snooping skills. It's listed right there on the Yamaha website:

Receiver Manager Software.................
Speaker A, B or A + B.........................
Selectable Subwoofer Crossover...........•
Multi-Channel Decoder Inputs...............8-Channel
Pre-Out All Channels........................•
Learning Remote Capability...................Preset

The black dot when present means the V665 has that feature.

The power output of the V663 is 95 W/channel while the V665 is 90 W/channel. The difference is insignificant and you won't hear any difference.

I have removed the cover to my V663 and the power supply is smaller than the power supply in my AudioSource AM 5.3A monoblock. LOL. I wouldn't expect the V665 to be any better or worse than the V663. Neither has the power you really need to drive 7 speakers with no audible distortion at or near reference level.

I suggest buying the V665 since it has 4 HDMI inputs. Later on, you can start adding some external power amplifiers to upgrade to better sound.

Edit:
Attachment 6179

OK rwojtalewicz, but I need some additional info/convincing, and this has to do with me being relatively new to the world of pre-outs and AVR's. But looking at the back picture of the 665 above, exactly where are the pre-outs located? I'm not afraid to say I may be looking for something that is not there in he picture, but I could not tell where the pre-outs were as compared to the back diagram of the 663, which I could see. Could someone simply point out to me in this picture above where the pre-outs are?

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by forsberg21

OK rwojtalewicz, but I need some additional info/convincing, and this has to do with me being relatively new to the world of pre-outs and AVR's. But looking at the back picture of the 665 above, exactly where are the pre-outs located? I'm not afraid to say I may be looking for something that is not there in he picture, but I could not tell where the pre-outs were as compared to the back diagram of the 663, which I could see. Could someone simply point out to me in this picture above where the pre-outs are?

Bottom right side !!!!

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

Bottom right side !!!!

Thanks crazy, I'm not going to say what I thought I should be looking for, as I simply further validated my idiocy, however I missed the boat. The thing was only $384.99 yesterday, and now today it is already up to $449...not worth it now. I would be better served getting the 663 at that price point. I'll keep my eyes open though.....

[callas01]

Forsberg, I was looking at This and the 665 is not as powerful as the 663, according to them they are not the same with 2 extra HDMI inputs, go about 3/4 of the way down and they compare the 665 and the 663.

I am not saying the 663 is the end all- be all of AVRs but there are significant difference to the power and wattage outputs, according the the article.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by callas01

Forsberg, I was looking at This and the 665 is not as powerful as the 663, according to them they are not the same with 2 extra HDMI inputs, go about 3/4 of the way down and they compare the 665 and the 663.

I am not saying the 663 is the end all- be all of AVRs but there are significant difference to the power and wattage outputs, according the the article.

I totally agree, as it seems they sacrificed some of the power on the 665 for some additional features instead. Reminds me of the 805 vs 806 debate I've seen here. Especially because the weight difference for the 663 is 8 lbs heavier. In the end, power appears to be a big issue here since they think the internal op-amp doesn't have enough kick to power up an external amp properly before it starts clipping. I was looking at this for the pre-outs and getting an Emotiva or Outlaw amp. Finally, their calculation showing a significant drop in wattage per channel is what finally scared me off. I'm going to look around for the 663 or something like a Pioneer Elite, Denon or Marantz that has a good price point.

Thanks for the article!

[callas01]

yeah, no prob, the other thing that i saw was that they were talking about pre-outs on the cheaper receivers don't work as well typically either, so it may be worth it to get an elite or sony es or denon 2308/09 and then adding an external amp so that you don't run into the clipping and distortion issues within the AVR.

Just a thought, I think that is what I am gonna do down the road, get a better receiver then an amp...

[callas01]

Check out this deal of the week, could prolly hold off on an amp for a little while as this should power you pretty good to start?