Yamaha RX-V565BL

Editors' note: The Yamaha RX-V565BL is virtually identical to the Yamaha HTR-6250BL, therefore the reviews are essentially the same. For an explanation of why Yamaha has two model names for each receiver, read the company's FAQ.

Yamaha is unique among home audio manufacturers in that its prepackaged home theater systems include the same AV receivers that are offered as standalone units. We received the Yamaha YHT-791BL home theater system for review and were impressed with the included RX-V565BL AV receiver (the included receiver is technically called the HTR-6250BL, but it's identical to the RX-V565BL) compared to other home-theater-in-a-box systems, but we also wanted to see how it compared to other standalone AV receivers.

On its own, the Yamaha RX-V565BL wasn't as impressive. Yes, it has four HDMI inputs and plenty of analog video connections, but the RX-V565BL lacks the ability to assign inputs, which limits its flexibility. It also has the ability to upconvert analog video signals to 1080p over its HDMI output, but the quality of the video is poor enough that you're better off running a separate cable. Finally, the RX-V565BL's sound quality was acceptable, but we've certainly heard better at this price level. While the RX-V565BL offers a solid value as part of the larger YHT-791BL system, the receiver doesn't stack up as well when compared to other standalone receivers in its price range.

Design
The exterior design and dimensions of the Yamaha RX-V565BL are nearly identical to the step-up RX-V665BL; therefore, much of this section is the same.

The RX-V565BL has the typical boxy look of an AV receiver, but it's a little shorter than most, coming in at 17.2 inches wide by 6 inches high and 14.3 inches deep. The front panel features a large volume knob and a few additional front-panel controls, but otherwise it's relatively sparse compared with some competing models. The LCD display is a bluish white, compared with the orange of 2008's Yamaha RX-V563BL, which we preferred and found a little easier to read from far away.

Yamaha's "Scene" buttons are right on the front of the receiver, but we didn't find ourselves using that functionality often.

The four buttons across the front of the receiver control Yamaha's "Scene" functions, which allow you to pick a preferred DSP (digital-sound processing) mode for specific listening scenarios--like always using the "Hall" effect when watching DVDs. Since we generally prefer to leave the DSP modes off, we didn't find this helpful, but those who like the different sound modes may find it useful. We'd prefer if the Scene functions also let us set a default volume level for each scenario; we did appreciate that Yamaha lets you set a specific volume for each time the receiver turns on in the setup menu.

The RX-V565BL's included remote is jam-packed full of tiny buttons, making it difficult to use, especially for home theater novices. Thankfully, important buttons like volume and the main directional pad are separated enough to be easily differentiated, but input buttons and playback controls are a confusing mess. It's definitely not as bad as the remote included on last year's midrange Denon AVR-1909, but we prefer the simpler remotes found on the Onkyo TX-SR607.

The RX-V565BL's onscreen display is text-based, and it looks primitive compared with other receivers in this price range; it's a strictly white-text-on-black-background look that you're used to seeing on an old VCR, and it doesn't help that the entire image shakes as if the RX-V565BL is struggling to keep it on the screen. Making matters worse, its simplicity didn't carry over to ease-of-use, as options such as output resolution are under the "HDMI" menu instead of "Display," which instead controls the front-panel LCD. We also spent quite a bit of time trying to find the input assignment menu, only to realize the RX-V565BL doesn't have the capability to assign inputs (more on that later).

Setup
The RX-V565BL receiver features Yamaha's Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) automatic speaker calibration system, that sets speaker and subwoofer volume levels, determines the speaker/subwoofer crossover point, measures the distances from the speakers to the listener, confirms that all of the speaker cables are correctly hooked up, and uses equalization to balance the frequency response of all the speakers.

Plug in the included mic, and the RX-V565BL's autosetup prompt immediately comes up.

Plugging in the (supplied) Optimizer microphone brought up the Auto Setup menu on our display, which offers a choice of "EQ Type," of which there are three: Natural, Flat, or Front. Then we selected "Start" and the YPAO initiated a series of tones that sequenced through all seven speakers and the subwoofer. We liked that all of the measurements are taken from just one mic position, and that the calibration takes just a couple of minutes to complete.

The results of the calibration were mixed, first because the subwoofer volume was a little too loud, and the RX-V565BL mistakenly set the satellite/subwoofer crossover too high (200 Hertz) for the center channel and surround speakers (we would have preferred 80 or 100 Hz). That's why it's a good idea to always confirm results after running any receiver's auto calibration. In this case it's easy enough to bring up the manual speaker setup menu and correct the RX-V565BL's errors. We experimented listening with the three "EQ Types," Natural, Flat, and Front, and heard little difference between them. Natural is the default option, so that's what we used.

Features

Key features
Dolby TrueHD + DTS-HD MA	Yes		Onscreen display	Text-based
Analog upconversion	1080p		Source renaming	Yes
Selectable output resolution	Yes		Satellite radio	None

The RX-V565BL is a step down from the traditional midrange receiver price level, but it maintains most of the same key features as the step-up RX-V665BL. There's onboard decoding for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, so you'll be able to connect an older Blu-ray player and still decode high resolution audio soundtracks. It can also upconvert your analog signals all the way up to 1080p, but don't put too much stock in that spec, as we weren't thrilled about the receiver's actual performance (more on that in the performance section). One surprise is that the RX-V565BL lacks any built-in support for satellite radio, so you'll need a separate outboard tuner if you are a subscriber.

The RX-V565BL has full onboard decoding for the high-resolution Blu-ray audio soundtracks.

Connectivity
HDMI inputs	4		Optical audio inputs	2
Component video inputs	2		Coaxial audio inputs	2
Max connected HD devices	6		Stereo analog audio inputs	2
Composite AV inputs	5		Analog multichannel inputs	None
Max connected video devices	8		Phono input	No

The strongest part of the RX-V565BL's connectivity is its four HDMI inputs, which should be enough for most home theaters. Aside from HDMI, the RX-V565BL starts to feel a little skimpy. There's no analog multichannel input, so anyone with some legacy gear may be out of luck; it's worth pointing out that the similarly-priced Pioneer VSX-919AH-K has a 5.1 analog input.

There's no ability to assign inputs on the RX-V565BL, so each audio input is linked with each video input--an annoying limitation.

The RX-V565BL also lacks the capability to assign audio inputs to any video input you'd like. So, while there are two component video inputs and two optical digital audio inputs, it's not possible to use two component video sources accompanied with both optical digital audio inputs, because one of the component video inputs is permanently assigned to a coaxial-digital-audio input. In the real world, this will probably be an issue only if you have many analog video sources, but it's an annoying drawback that isn't present on other receivers in this price range.

Multiroom features
Line level 2nd zone outputs	No		Line level 3rd zone outputs	No
Speaker-level 2nd zone outputs	No		Speaker-level 3rd zone outputs	No
2nd zone video output	No		2nd zone remote	No

We were surprised to find that the RX-V565BL lacks multizone capabilities, as competitors, such as the Pioneer VSX-919AH-K and Onkyo TX-SR507, both offer at least basic Zone 2 functionality. Of course, if you only plan to use the RX-V565BL in a single room, this doesn't matter, but other manufacturers don't charge extra for this functionality.

Audio performance
We used our reference Aperion Intimus 4T Hybrid SD speaker/subwoofer system for all of our RX-V565BL listening tests.

The "Journey to the Center of the Earth" Blu-ray pushed the RX-V565BL to the limit. The subterranean travels of a geologist (Brendan Fraser) and his nephew (Josh Hutcherson) were sometimes accompanied by low, feel-it-in-your-guts earth tremors. We especially liked the scenes in underground caves where there were water-dripping sounds coming from every direction. The actors' voices echoing in the caves had a nice sense of depth.

Bassist Marcus Miller, keyboard wiz George Duke, and guitarist Lee Ritenour shined on the "Legends of Jazz" Blu-ray. When Miller pops his bass strings, we felt it, and the bass was precise, clear and clean. But when we compared the RX-V565BL with our Denon AVR-3808CI receiver, the clarity and soundstage dimensionality jumped up a few notches. The Denon was more relaxed, and there was even greater detail and treble sparkle. Miller's bass was fleshed out, and it seemed more dynamic. But the AVR-3808CI is nearly three times as expensive as the RX-V565BL, so sure, it was no surprise it sounded better. We also had Pioneer's VSX-1019AH-K on hand, which only costs a little more than the RX-V565BL, and it edged out the Yamaha in terms of transparency and overall oomph.

Video performance
In our tests, the Yamaha RX-V565BL offered identical video performance to the step-up RX-V665BL; therefore, this section of the review is nearly the same.

The RX-V565BL is capable of upconverting analog signals to its HDMI output, so we put it through our video-testing suite. We connected the Oppo DV-983H via component video to the RX-V565BL, with the DV-983H set to 480i output. The RX-V565BL was set to output at 1080p over its HDMI output, connected to the Samsung LN52B750.

Our video testing started with Silicon Optix's HQV test suite, and the RX-V565BL did not pass the first resolution test. Areas where we should have seen detail were instead just a solid color, and we could see image instability and strobelike effects elsewhere on the image. Next up were a couple of jaggies test patterns, and again the RX-V565BL came up short, showing as many jaggies as some of the worst Blu-ray and DVD players to which we've administered this test. The RX-V565BL didn't pull through on the 2:3 pull-down processing test either, as there was plenty of moire in the grandstands of a clip with a race car. From test patterns, the RX-V565BL's performance was not promising.

We put the test patterns away and switched to actual program material, but the RX-V565BL's performance didn't improve. The introduction to "Seabiscuit" is a torture test for video processors, and the RX-V565BL's processor was sufficiently pained, as the image was obviously soft and, at times, jaggies marred nearly the entire screen. The opening sequence of "Star Trek: Insurrection" wasn't any better, with jaggies all over curved lines like the boat hulls and roofs of the huts. Even those not particularly sensitive to image quality will most likely notice these quality issues.

To be clear, the problems we saw were only on 480i analog signals upconverted to 1080p over the HDMI output. If you're only planning on using the RX-V565BL for HDMI sources, you won't run into these issues at all. It's also worth pointing out that the RX-V565BL can pass through analog signals to the HDMI output at their original resolution, leaving your HDTV to do the converting. In our experience, this produced a better image on the Samsung LN52B750, and we imagine it would on almost all HDTVs. The bottom line is: don't expect the RX-V565BL to offer pristine quality on upconverted analog signals.

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