Amazon.com Product Description

Packed with connections and proprietary audio-enhancing technologies, Yamaha's HTR-5660 is your gateway to home-theater bliss. The receiver can power two rooms at once (one in surround sound, the other in stereo), and it offers the convenience of DVD-Audio/multichannel SACD-ready six-channel analog inputs alongside the latest 6.1-channel surround processing and premium Yamaha features.

When hooked up with the digital-audio output from a DVD-Video player or digital satellite receiver, the 85 watts-per-channel HTR-5660 (105 wpc peak) handles 5.1-channel surround decoding for both major formats, Dolby Digital and DTS. In addition, the HTR-5660 also processes Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES, which create an even more expansive soundfield through the use of a center-rear surround channel, totaling six discrete full-range channels in addition to the LFE (low-frequency effects) channel: left, center, right, and left, center, and right surround. Want even higher power? The receiver offers 6.1-channel preamp outputs for direct hookup with a six-channel power amplifier.

Exclusive Yamaha technologies include Quad-Field Cinema DSP (based on a wealth of measured data in real studios and halls, this processing is designed to highlight the full potential of movie sound mixes), Silent Cinema (which simulates 5.1-channel listening through a pair of ordinary stereo headphones, not included), and the company's YSS-938 32-bit DSP chip providing 25 unique surround algorithms with 44 variations to help you perfectly match your simulated acoustic space to your video program.

Non-Dolby Digital and DTS sources can benefit from surround processing, too--with enhanced directional steering over standard four-channel Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Pro Logic II provides five channels of surround processing from any stereo source--whether that's a TV broadcast, VHS tapes, or your favorite CDs, cassettes, and LPs. Pro Logic II delivers full-bandwidth stereo surround channels with 40 dB of left-right separation.

And, when you're listening to multichannel presentations late at night, you'll appreciate Silent Cinema, which simulates 5.1-channel listening through a pair of ordinary stereo headphones (not included). Silent Cinema uses unique parameters for each soundfield to ensure accurate headphone representations of each soundfield.

Then there's the six-channel DVD-Audio/SACD-ready inputs mentioned above. If these formats are so high-tech, you might wonder, why do you need analog inputs to appreciate them? Because, for reasons of content protection, DVD-Audio and SACD players perform their own digital-to-analog conversion, passing high-resolution analog, rather than digital, signals on to your amplifier. (And analog, after all, is what your amp feeds your speakers.)

The versatile unit offers 12 video input connections (with five S-video inputs and two high-resolution component-video inputs), five fixed and assignable digital-audio inputs (great for DVD, DSS, CD, laserdisc, gaming consoles, or minidisc), and front-panel input connections for your camcorder or other spontaneous hookup (including S-video and an optical digital-audio in). The HTR-5660 comes with a preset remote control.

Last, but certainly not least, the HTR-5660 benefits from Yamaha's Digital ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology) build philosophy. ToP-ART's goal is to maximize digital quality while minimizing analog circuitry. The culmination of the best digital engineering and design possible, it brings together several key elements to create the best-sounding, easiest-to-use A/V components available.

What's in the Box
Receiver, remote control, remote batteries, FM wire antenna, AM loop antenna, a user's manual, warranty information, and registration information. ... Read more

Features

• 6.1-channel digital receiver with 85 watts per channel (x 6)
• Decoding for DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, DTS Neo:6, Dolby Digital EX, and Dolby Pro Logic II
• 24 distinct sound programs with 44 variations meet every sound need
• 4 optical and 1 coaxial digital inputs; 5 S-Video inputs and 2 outputs; 2 component-video inputs; set of front-panel A/V inputs
• Measures 17-1/8 x 6-7/16 x 15-3/8 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 25 pounds

Reviews (5)

Great reciever for a great price
I was very impressed with this unit as I am not an audiophile but this is bringing me closer to being one. This is not one for the faint of heart of for those with no patience as it does take a bit of time and manual reading to set it up for your personal preferences. Once done it will be well worth the time and effort because the punch that it packs and the sound quality in my opinion are superb. The other reviews I agree with except the remote one. I highly recommend!!!

Class act all the way!
Most of what I have to say is covered in the other reviews, although I have to say that the reviewer who gave a 1 star rating just because of the remote was not doing this receiver any justice.

Setup was quite nice and simple. Now anyone who has never used a 5.1 or 6.1 receiver before might not find it that easy. But it's still quite straight forward if you read the manual. You can choose how many speakers you want to set up, anywhere from 2 to 6. Setting the volume for each speaker is also easy. The best part is that you can even change each speaker volume while listening to an audio input - makes it easier to choose a setting you really like.
Regarding the remote - yes, it can be a little intimidating at first. There's a LOT of functionality in the remote. And a lot of the buttons actually have double functionality (similar to a 'SHIFT' function on calculators). But after using it for a while, you'll get used to it. I certainly wouldn't condemn this receiver just because of the remote. In fact, it looks nice and even grows on you after a while.

As for sound - this receiver is absolutely awesome! I had a Denon AVR-2800 earlier that went bad. I loved the Denon. But this Yamaha receiver is even better - didn't think it possible. Of course, to be fair, I'm using the Yamaha in 6.1 mode while the Denon was only a 5.1 receiver. The extra 6th speaker (Rear Center) really sounds nice. Also, the simulation modes that this receiver has are fantastic. For those who are not aware, a simulation mode is needed to convert a 2 channel audio source (like broadcast TV, Tuner, etc.) or a 5.1 audio source into a 6.1 output. The extra channels are 'simulated'. I myself didn't understand the importance of simulation till I used this receiver. Typical simulation effects are 'Hall', 'Rock Concert', etc. and they're all fun to play with and sound great!

The only complaint I had at first was that the bass didn't seem to sound as deep as my previous Denon receiver (everything else like speakers and DVD player remained the same). The sound was (and still is) crystal clear, but only the bass seemed lacking. So at first I had to turn up the volume on my powered subwoofer. But then I played with some settings on the receiver - like making the bass come out of both subwoofer and all speakers and it sounded much better. In fact I had to end up turning down the volume on the subwoofer. But the point is that you have a LOT of control. There's even a graphic equalizer that lets you set 5 different frequencies, a bass and treble control, a LFE (Low Freqeuncy Effect) Level adjustment, etc.

As far as choosing from the Yamaha family of receivers, here are some tips you might find useful:
1) The HTR-5660 is the same as the RXV-640, the HTR-5650 is the same as the RXV-540 and the HTR-5640 is the same as the RXV-440. Apparently Yamaha changes the product code only for purposes of channel distribution, or something like that. So shop around for whichever one gives you a better deal. In my experience, the HTR series was less expensive than the RXV series.
2) When deciding between the HTR-5660 or the HTR-5650 or the HTR-5640, be careful. The sound quality of the HTR-5640 and the HTR-5650 should be identical, and I'm sure very good. But the HTR-5660 steps up in output power and it uses a more powerful amplifier section. Apparently, this new amplifier also improves a little on sound quality. As far as requiring a powerful receiver, I thought I wouldn't really need the output power of the HTR-5660. But I find that I usually turn it up to -30db (it goes from -60db to 0). It's always good not to have to stress your amplifier. So with a HTR-5650 or HTR-5640, I'd probably have to turn the volume up even more - and I don't really listen to anything that loud. My room dimensions may have something to do with this, but still - choosing a more powerful receiver may be more important than you think.
3) Yamaha (and perhaps other manufacturers too) come out with new models around the summer. So retailers may start to try and get these HTR or RXV series off their shelves, should result in a price drop.

Hope this helps - if you ever see a good sale on this receiver, go for it. You'll be really glad you did!

TYTIGER
This receiver is 2nd to none for sound quaility and price...I have had Dennon and Kenwood receivers but none can compare!! For richness of sound and bass this is a great receiver..and if you have Bose speakers this is the way to go..in this other review the guy can't figure out the remote..he is not very smart! And it takes two seconds to adjust the volume of the speakers!! There is simply no other receiver under 1000.00 dollars that is better than this one.

Good Receiver, Bad Remote
This receiver must have spent a good deal of time on this product in 2 ways: 1) to make a very good stereo and 2) to make the worst remote and menu system ever devised. The other review spends time explaining the good features of the stereo, so I'll spend my time explaining what's wrong with the remote and menu system.

First, there are features to the stereo that can only be adjusted using the remote and not the buttons and knobs on the front. So drop your remote or run out of batteries and oh, well, I guess you'll just have to watch all the big games in Sci-Fi stereo mode. Second, it's not intuitive at all. I'm sure that the makers of the product might tell me to find a manual, but good remotes and good web browsers have one thing in common: they should be intuitive enough to use without refering to the manual. It took me 3 months before I figured out how to adjust the volume on individual speakers and now I seem to have gotten it into 6 ch mode and cannot get it back to normal. Arrgghhh!

So you're going to ask me - is it fair that I've downgraded this item all the way to one star, just because of a remote. Yes. Would you buy a luxury car if it didn't have a cupholder? I consider it a good lesson for Yamaha: your customers should determine the design of your product, not your engineers. No customer would ever design such a convoluted remote and menu system, but I can imagine a number of engineers that would.

Great Reciever at a great price
I'm not a hardcore audiophile, but I did a fair amount of research before buying this receiver. I found this unit has all of the features I was looking for, and at an exceptional price.

This receiver is basically the new version of the 5560. It adds 10 watts per channel for 85 watts each. It also now has digital audio inputs and s-video inputs for every video input including the front one. This receiver is also basically identical to the RX-V640 that Yamaha sells through it's retail channels. According the Yamaha website, the only difference is the coloring of the lettering on the front of the receiver.

There was a list of features I was looking for in a receiver and this met all my criteria. Support for both 6.1 channel Dolby Digital and DTS were a must. For my particular application 7.1 channel surround was overkill, and there currently aren't that many sources for it. Discrete circuitry for each speaker is a must. No spring clips for speaker connections. All support banana clips. I use a DVR and a VCR, so I wanted 2 AV in/out hookups. I have an oddly shaped room with less than optimal speaker placement, so I wanted the ability to adjust each speaker volume level independently. I don't have a HDTV compatible TV yet, but I wanted composite video support for when I get one. This receiver has 2 composite inputs and 1 output. Size was also a consideration for me as the receiver would have to fit into an entertainment center. The Onkyo I was looking at had similar features, but was just too massive to fit. The Yamaha was a more reasonable size.

Performance wise, I have been very impressed with the Yamaha. With the ability to adjust each speaker volume level independently, I was able to set it up to create impressive surround effects despite my less than optimal room. The Dolby Digital and DTS effects are impressive. When the receiver detects a DD or DTS source, it switches to those modes automatically. There are 40+ additional surround modes. Yamaha apparently went to a lot of trouble to develop them, but in my opinion they are mostly useless. I've settled on Dolby Surround II for most of my non-Dolby Digital AV viewing which is very impressive so far. 6 channel stereo is great for listening to music and really allows you to take advantage of your surround system. I've tried most of the other surround modes. Some are interesting, but I haven't found that I use them much. The included antennas for AM and FM reception are adequate and I found that my reception was much improved over my last receiver (Sony).

I found the remote and manual to be adequate and simple to use. I was able to adjust most of the settings on the receiver with minimal hassle. I was able to map all of the remote features to my Sony learning remote and it works fine.

If you are looking for a step above entry level receiver with many of the features and quality of the high end models, I highly recommend this model. I did a search on the internet and found many stores offering it at very attractive prices. I called J&R and they matched the lowest internet price and I had the receiver in 2 days. They also have a very reasonable return policy though I haven't had to test it yet. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Yamaha P-80 Digital Keyboard
Great digital keyboard for beginners or teachers. Weighted keys add a realistic feel and provide finger strengthening. Full sized, with 88 keys, from low A to high C. Control Panel allows adjustment of volume, metronome, demos, record & playback, voice/variation, effects and reverb. Keyboard can connected directly to MAC or IBM/PC compatible computers via the MIDI IN/OUT connectors and a MIDI interface... ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Whether you're setting up a professional home theater configuration or simply love the idea of system expandability, Yamaha's high-current HTR-5790 audio/video receiver delivers the connections and the quality to answer your call. With the THX Select-certified HTR-5790 you get the convenience of DVD-Audio/SACD-ready six-channel analog inputs alongside the latest 6.1- and 7.1-channel surround processing, multiroom control, and premium Yamaha sound technologies.

When hooked up with the digital-audio output from a DVD-Video player or digital satellite receiver, the 110 watts-per-channel HTR-5790 handles 5.1-channel surround decoding for both major formats, Dolby Digital and DTS. In addition, the receiver processes Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, DTS Neo:6, and DTS 96/24. The extended-surround formats create even more expansive soundfields through a center-rear surround channel, for which THX suggests using two separate speakers. The result is seven discrete full-range channels in addition to the LFE (low-frequency effects) channel: front left/right, surround left/right, front center channel, and a pair of rear-center channels.

A key benefit from a Yamaha receiver, of course, is Yamaha's proprietary signal processing, including Cinema DSP (digital soundfield processing), which creates aural "imaging" that not only makes your home sound like a theater, but also sounds better than most movie theaters. Based on a wealth of measured data in real studios and halls, Cinema DSP is designed to bring out the full potential of movie sound mixes, reproducing them the way directors and sound engineers intended.

And, when you're listening to multichannel presentations late at night, you'll appreciate Silent Cinema, which simulates 5.1-channel listening through a pair of ordinary 2-channel headphones (not included). Silent Cinema uses unique parameters for each soundfield to ensure accurate headphone representations of each soundfield.

The receiver comes outfitted with YPAO (Yamaha Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer) and a dedicated microphone to help you establish the best possible sound at your primary listening position. The optimizer uses the microphone to "listen" to the sound from the speakers and determine, based on its test-signals, how best to equalize the sound for your room. Corrections include speaker/subwoofer phase relationships, speaker/subwoofer distance measurements (corrects for differences down to 5 cm), frequency response (measures and optimizes each speaker's response using a parametric equalizer), and speaker level (measures and aligns the relative volume levels of all speakers).

Then there's the six-channel DVD-Audio/SACD-ready inputs mentioned above. Due to anti-piracy measures, DVD-Audio and SACD players perform their own digital-to-analog conversion, passing high-resolution analog signals on to your amplifier. (And analog, after all, is what your amp feeds your speakers.)

DVD-Audio and SACD can each deliver up to six channels of discrete, full-frequency sound at greater-than-CD resolution (in the case of DVD-A, that means 24 bits, 96 kHz sampling rate versus 16 bits, 44.1 kHz for CD). In stereo or surround, the sound from DVD-Audio and SACD is packed with detail, yet smoother and sweeter from than the sound from even the best standard CD players. The HTR-5790 accommodates decoded DVD-A/SACD signals and routes them to the appropriate speakers in your surround system.

The receiver offers seven audio/video input connections (all with composite-/S-video), eight fixed and assignable digital-audio inputs (great for DSS, CD, laserdisc, gaming consoles, or minidisc), and front-panel input connections with digital-audio jacks for your camcorder or other spontaneous hookup. The receiver's video circuitry is high-definition ready, too (60 MHz bandwidth), and it will upconvert composite- and S-video signals to component-video to simplify TV hookup.

Custom-installation features include multi-sourced zone 2 and zone 3 audio outputs, an assignable +12V trigger output, main/zone 2/zone 3 independent power control command, an IR blaster port, extended IR code compatibility, and zone 2 speaker output.

Last, but certainly not least, the HTR-5790 benefits from Yamaha's Direct ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology) build philosophy. The culmination of the best digital engineering and design possible, it brings together several key elements to create the best-sounding, easiest-to-use A/V components available.

What's in the Box
Receiver, remote control, four AAA batteries, microphone for YPAO, an AM loop antenna, an indoor FM antenna, a warranty card, and a user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• 110 watts x 7 channels: front left/right, surround left/right, front center channel, and 2 rear-center channels
• Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, DTS Neo:6, and DTS 96/24 surround processing for rich, enveloping audio
• YPAO (Yamaha Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer) with supplied microphone optimizes your system for your room quickly and easily
• 7 A/V inputs, 8 digital-audio inputs, 2 digital outputs; offers THX Select certification, Yamaha Direct ToP-ART technology, 40-station AM/FM presets
• Measures 17.125 x 6.75 x 17.1 inches (W x H x D)

Reviews (1)

Music Hall/Theater in your house!
I've owned many good stereo/sound systems over the years, but I have never heard anything like what the Yamaha HTR-5790 with YPAO produces(Yamaha's RX-V1400 is virtually identical). In a room (350 square feet) of decent speakers (Infinity Alpha speakers: seven speakers and a powered sub-woofer), good cables and interconnects, and Yamaha's Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) executed, the HTR surpasses anything I have ever listened to in home systems. CD Music and DVD movies/music are redefined in the most awesome way!!!! Take time and read the manual, then set it up! Good listening! ... Read more

Features

• Starter kit for the aspiring guitarist
• Includes padded gig bag, and guitar cable
• Maple neck and rosewood fingerboard
• 2 single-coil pickups, 1 humbucking pickup, 5-position pickup switch
• Tremolo bar and chrome hardware

Reviews (4)

Good But Needs Work
I got this guitar for my son as a Christmas present and found it has both good and bad points.

The good: Looks new, came with all parts, no scratches or rust. Everything works very well on the guitar with the exceptions noted below.

Excellent price for a beginner guitar.

The bad: Slight fret buzz (strings sometimes hit the frets up by the neck of the guitar), so the guitar will have to be adjusted to eliminate that. In my opinion, that adjustment should have been done before reselling it;

No manual of any sort included, and could not find one on the Yamaha site, so adjustment may be tricky;

Lastly, I agree with one of the other reviewers that the single box packaging is not enough protection for shipping this guitar.

Great for me!
Ordered mine a few days before Xmas with free shipping and received it on the 23rd, bravo Amazon! Unfortunatly I did not receive my Rogue 2x12" 100w $150 amp from MusiciansFriend.com until yesterday. The guitar looks brand new and came with everything it was supposed to come with. One of the pickups has a small amount of rust but it is barely noticable. All and all it was a great price for what I was looking for and I didn't have to spend extra money on the small amp I didn't need. Instead I got a much bigger amp for almost the same price as the kit!

It's not bad
After purchasing this guitar, I was warned to never buy a used guitar online, so I was pretty apprehensive in waiting for it to come. When it got here, it didn't seem that bad. I'm sorry for PH_7 who never got a cable. But mine came with a 9 foot cable, a set of allen keys and the Tremolo arm, which you screw onto the guitar. Although I was a little dissapointed in the guitar's body condition. By refurbished, I guess it means that they replaced certain parts. But my guitar had scratches on the frount, one of the pickup is rusty and the strings are a little old. But hey, it is a used guitar.
All in all, I'm pretty satisfied. I think it's a good guitar for a beginner who doesn't need a $700 fender to start on.

Not Truly Refurbished
The Yamaha 112 has an excellent reputation as a beginner's guitar, and I looked to Amazon to pick one up. Amazon sells the full 112 beginner's kit, which is essentially the guitar, gig bag, guitar cable, amp, and pitch pipe. I already have an amp and tuner, so this refurbished model fit the bill -- a guitar, gig bag and cable for a reasonable price. I know repairing/refurbishing guitars in not really rocket science, as every pawn shop and music exchange manager can attest. I assumed that Yamaha was refurbishing customer returns and selling them through Amazon. Naturally I expected that Yamaha and Amazon would do the job right.

Well, I'm sad to report that the job was not done right on the guitar I received. A new Yamaha 112 comes with a chrome tremolo. The Amazon listing for the refurbished 112 confirms that the guitar comes with a tremolo. The guitar I received had NO tremolo. Instead, the guitar has a hole where the tremolo belongs. Nice and classy, huh? How did this get through quality control? I can imagine some teenager broke the tremelo off the guitar, returned it, and Yamaha (through Amazon) shipped it right back out -- to me!

The promised guitar cable was also missing. Just a gig bag and guitar with a missing tremolo. Also, although the package seemed to arrive in good shape, I was surprised to find the guitar has shipped without any outer packaging around the original box. Just 1/8" of cardboard and a few styrofoam spacers between the guitar and the harsh world of a UPS trailer.

Caveat emptor. Refurbished is subjective, it seems. Maybe you'll be lucky, and get all the parts Amazon says you will receive. I was not so fortunate. ... Read more

Features

• 16x read speed
• Flash ROM
• Rapidlinked packet writing
• 2 MB buffer
• Backup/archive

Reviews (7)

SLOW CD-Rw Drive
This drive was exceptionaly slow, it also had poor re-write quality, and was a hassle to install.

Helpin out the Rankin
I have this drive in the external scsi version and it is great. I make fast burns with never a problem. I have friends who have cheaper burners who sometimes get bad burns for no reason...

Good & bad!
This is SCSI RW drive. Will burn 650M in less than 10 min. Great for servers with SCSI drives to daisy chain.

Bought this drive. Worked for 3 months. It was great for first 3 months. Broke on the 4th month. Contacted Yamaha. After numourous run around, gave me non-working number for RMA #. When it works, it's great. Their service/support people suck! Once it breaks, you're on your own. But if it doesn't break, you're blessed with fortune.

Just my experience, your mileage may vary.

Second Yamaha recorder and love it!
After 2years with my previous Yamaha drive and quite happy with it I was determined to find a newer faster Yamaha. The main reason for me sticking with the Yamaha brand was the Yamaha customer service. During the initial installation of my 1st drive I found them to invaluable. I didn't have any trouble with this drive at all. I will say that the increased speed I picked up on my new drive was money well spent , especially considering I payed more for a slower drive that was not rewritable 2 years ago. I know there are less expensive drives on the market but nothing is worth the fustration of poor or no service department. That has been the main reason I shop at amazon.com! Thanks

Happy Customer
I just installed an internal version of the 6416S in an old Macintosh 7500. And it works great. So far. I also use a program from optimatech.com that doubles the capacity of the CDR & CDRW disks to 1.2GB. Great for backups of large data. ... Read more

Features

• Plays DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, and MP3 formats
• Includes 1.33x, 2x, and 4x zoom, shuffle play, and picture tuning
• Parental control denies play of specific DVDs and VCDs
• Composite video, S-Video, and component video outputs
• Optical and coaxial outputs for Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG, and PM sound with separate subwoofer outlet

Amazon.com Review

The Yamaha PSR170MS is a dream-come-true for piano students. It would be hard not to learn at least basic keyboard skills while using this model. The user-friendly LCD display shows permanent bass and treble clefs and has a small virtual keyboard. As a song played or we plunked at the keyboard, the notes were instantly displayed. At first we felt that this was a novelty feature, but as we moved into the lessons, we could see that it can be helpful to see the staff and notes.

While we were playing random chords to see what they looked like on the bass clef, we noticed that the keys are not sensitive to touch. We could bang on the keys like Jerry Lee Lewis or caress them like Yanni and the volume never changed. While this may throw an experienced keyboardist for a loop, it might be useful to the novice, who won't have to worry about volume control.

The PSR170MS is equipped with the Yamaha Education Suite feature. This feature walks you through seven lessons at your own pace. The lessons are a blur at first, but the fact that the keyboard will repeat them as many times as you want allows you to run them over and over again until you become comfortable. The lessons can be done using the 100 voices and styles that come on the PSR170MS. This was particularly enjoyable, as we would have been bored while practicing without a little variety. It comes with 100 prerecorded songs--some we never heard before, some we can't forget. You can play along with any of them anytime.

Yamaha lets you have fun away from the lessons and learning with the DJ Mode. The DJ Mode has groovy voice and music samples you can use to play along with a prerecorded funky dance riff or to create your own. If you're like us, it may take you a while to get back to the serious side of the keyboard. As a MIDI compatible keyboard, the PSR170MS can connect to a sequencer or computer via MIDI cables (sold separately), both of which can record musical performances from the keyboard and then play them back using the instrument voices on the PSR170MS. This feature is great for adding the keyboard to an ensemble and using it to lay down tracks while recording.

Overall, this keyboard impressed us most by how well designed it was for the music student. It comes with just enough functions for learning the basics and not so many that you get bogged down in menus. The keyboard isn't all about learning, though. We plugged it in right out of the box and had a toe-tapping good time. --Brian VandiverNote: The Yamaha PSR170MS includes a keyboard stand. Pros:

• Very portable
• 61 full-size piano keys
• MIDI capable
• Great for learning

• The keys are not touch-sensitive

Features

• 61 Piano-sized Keys
• DJ button accesses special dance voices and songs
• Interactive Yamaha Education Suite and keyboard stand included
• Download songs off Internet to play on keyboard
• 100 authentic instrument voices with Advanced Wave Memory

Reviews (6)

very good deal
I purchased this keyboard based on the other reviews on Amazon, and they were very accurate. The keyboard has very good tone, and the lesson feature is quite helpful.

Best price for value keyboard I found.
This keyboard was purchased as a gift for my fiancee. SHe's ecstatic over it; the sound is MUCH better than expected. The lesson feature helped her get back into playing after a 20-year break within a matter of days. The MIDI interface capability means she'll be able to compose on it when combined with a MIDI composition program, which means she won't outgrow it quickly. And at the price, it comes out less expensive than the competing, lower-quality brands WITHOUT the stand and adapter...which adds another forty bucks to the value of the package. Two weeks of comparison shopping led me here...this is the one for a beginning or hobby player.

A goood Beginning
this is a good way for anyone to get started with piano lessons.

Overall a great product
This Yamaha keyboard is great. It just comes with so many fun and helpful features. Its great for a beginner to learn basic piano skills. AND, it comes with a stand and adapter to save money. Overall, this is a great product

great stand
The stand is great, it works for all three of my keyboards! ... Read more

Features

• Delivers 40x read speed, 20x write speed, and 10x rewrite speed
• Record a 74-minute audio CD in under 4 minutes
• Requires no additional time to control the rotation speed of its motor
• Removes buffer underrun with SafeBurn System
• 8 MB buffer

Reviews (12)

A 10-Star Product!
The most difficult/challenging part of installing this drive was getting the cover on my tower (IBM Aptiva) to securely close afterward.

Great instructions and flawless install. Just read over the instructions and lay out in front of/around you what you'll need (the washers and screws that come with the burner, as well as a Phillips screwdriver), and you'll install it in no time.

I've wanted CD-RW for some time, but had some *very* bad luck with USB burners about a year and a half ago (three locked up my computer or just didn't function, and I got a nasty virus from updating the drivers of one), so I was a bit wary. Fortunately, the CRW2200EZ works like a charm from the get-go.

Within ten minutes of completing the installation, I burned my first full music CD -- and did so in what seemed like warp speed.

The Nero software was a bit tricky at first (and the directions that were so helpful with the installation were a bit "fuzzy" on using Nero), but now that I got it down, it's SO easy.

So far, I've only burned two coasters and both were my fault -- and here's how to avoid the same fault:

*Make sure that the burn speed is not faster than the blank can handle. IOW, I wasted the two CDs by trying to burn at 16x on blanks that were labeled as 12x max.* Buy blanks that can handle high speeds and watch that the speed you select for burning isn't higher than that.

Top-notch Product!
This drive is excellent. You can rip a full length CD in about 5 minutes. The software package it comes with is great (Nero is far better than the Adaptec software most companies ship with). The overburn technology really works--I have yet to mess up a disc due to buffer underrun. Installation was a snap--Yamaha includes the cables you need, it runs under all popular operating systems. I don't have one bad thing to say about this drive; If I had to buy another one today, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Yamaha. Highly recommended.

Chinesse made Drive on a Japanesse Box!
I thought I was getting a quality product but after installed it made a rumbling noise. Call Yamaha and said it was defective, sent me a replacement; it worked fine for a week then it just Quit!
Yamaha CS refused to replace the second one. Even though they sent it directly!
Most upset, bought and HP cd burner and have not had a problem yet.
It was true what my frinds said, go with proven quality even if you pay a bit more.

Yamaha CRW2200EZ - Solid and reliable CD audio/data RW
After performing a moderate amount of research on CD Writers, the information I obtained pointed favorably in the direction of the Yamaha CRW2200EZ...True to the literature, the unit was easy to install (though I have do have some limited experience adding hardware to my aging Gateway 300). Though initially I experinced several computer freezes(probably because of my Gateway), I overcame these problems. The "Nero" audio software is great for CDR's. It is relatively easy to use and includes the ability to construct semi pro looking CD labels. I found the ability to transfer my business data files from my old computer to new one worked well using the Nero data transfer Wizard. However, while the "IN CD" software for drag & drop data transfer on to CDRW's appears to work, it will only transfer the data copied on the CDRW discs to computers which recognize this ("IN CD") software. My experience has shown that Windows XP does not as yet recognize the "IN CD" software. While "Reader" software is apparently available to overcome this problem, my experience with the offerings from the Nero web site (Tech downloads) as of early March 2002 failed to alleviate this problem. Presumably one must continue to check for "Updates". That problem aside, I recommend the Yamaha. By the way --- Tech support timely returned my weekend call with helpful advice. Yamaha missed 5 stars due to the "IN CD" software incompatibility with Windows XP. Other than that, a solid performer!

Awesome Burner
I got this burner for Christmas, I used to have a 4x/2x/24x and this is like a dream. =) It runs perfect and the buffer underrun protecion is extremely useful. I recomment this burner to everyone. ... Read more

Features

• 40x read speed, 24x write speed
• Create your own audio CDs
• Copy files to CD-R/RW with drag-and-drop ease
• Rewrite to a single disc up to 999 times at 10x speeds
• Supports USB 2.0 (USB 1.1 compatible)

Reviews (3)

Great Selection for those new to CD-RW
The tool kit of software provided with the drive as well as the simple but fairly complete getting started guide make this a great choice for people just getting into creating their own audio CDs. It worked right out of the box for me with a Windows XP Home edition system and USB 1.1 ports. I am looking at getting a USB 2.0 PCS card and a hub to provide for all the devices that seem to be springing up on my computer.

Installation was easy. The software went in without a problem. From opening the box to having the first disc complete was less then three hours (and that included a lunch break)!

Yamaha CRW3200UXZ
This is a great drive with a huge buffer 8 MB, which means you will never suffer from buffer underburn with unusable CD. It is so reliable. I have purchased this one only to replace my old reliable 4x Yamaha External SCSI writer that I have had for over 3 years. It was still working but too slow. This drive works perfect for me.

Only caveat, you need to make sure your USB port is USB2.0. Otherwise, you will only get 4x write speed with older USB1.x.

Yahama CD RW
This unit is very noisy. For the price of the unit, one would think they could have paid a little more attention to user comfort. The performance is not what I thought it should be. having a 20x4x4x in my laptop which is almost as fast as the Yahama. I would advise to shop around before purchasing this one. ... Read more

Features

• 61-Key, Touch-sensitive Keyboard
• Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) input and output
• Music database with over 200 song styles
• Sequencer records up to 5 songs in 6 tracks
• Yamaha music tutor with lessons for beginners

Reviews (1)

Nice keyboard for its price
I bought this keyboard because I wanted to learn how to play the piano. The touch feels more like an electric plaything, rather than a real piano, but for the price it is fine. There is a built-in feature that helps you to learn how to play. First, you choose from a fairly extensive songlist. The first mode allows you to hit any key, but with the proper rhythm. The second modes allow you to practice one hand at a time. The nice thing about this, is that the keyboard will play the other hand for you, so you can still play the piece. Although this is fun, I don't think it's the best way to learn how to play. I bought some adult piano learning books and am plugging away at it. Overall, I'm happy with the keyboard and it will serve me well for learning piano basics. Someday I may upgrade, but I have to prove to my wife that I am serious about playing! ... Read more

Features

• 18 watts per channel with 63 to 27,000 Hz frequency range
• Module sits level on bookshelf, at 20- or 45-degree angle, or mounted on a wall
• Compatible with CD-R/RW formats and includes 1-bit D/A converter
• Minijack auxiliary input, optical digital CD output, and subwoofer output
• Measures 5 by 9 by 5-3/4 inches (width by height by depth)

Amazon.com Product Description

Skip the high ticket prices and stale popcorn: now you can enjoy high-quality home cinema in style, with Yamaha's all-in-one DVX-S120P CinemaStation. Featuring discrete, high-power 5.1-channel surround sound and progressive-scan DVD technology, the system delivers elite-level sound and video to successfully emulate--and even surpass--a movie-theater experience.

The DVX-S120P decodes both Dolby Digital and DTS formats, letting you complement most DVD movies with full, rich sound. You even get Dolby Pro Logic II, which generates discrete 5.1-channel surround from any stereo source. In addition, the CinemaStation offers Yamaha's Cinema DSP, which replicates the aural attributes of a theater, stadium, concert hall, or intimate club, and Silent Cinema, which delivers surround-sound-like multichannel audio to your stereo headphones. Whether you're watching movies, rooting for your favorite team, or listening to music, the CinemaStation DVX-S120P generates exciting sound that livens up your living room.

The system comes with four satellite speakers on stylish stands and a center-channel acoustic-suspension speaker, each with a two-inch woofer and .5-inch tweeter, along with a powered 120-watt subwoofer with an eight-inch woofer. The 395-watt system (55 watts x 5, plus the 120-watt sub) includes 19 distinct surround programs with 41 variations, and offers ultra-high-resolution 192 kHz/24-bit audio digital-to-analog conversion for premier sound quality. The receiver includes an integrated AM/FM tuner, and to further enrich your audio/video options, the DVD player is compatible with DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW, CD-DA, MP3, VCD, and SVCD formats.

The CinemaStation invites you to add additional components with its host of video and audio connections, including two video inputs and one output, an S-video output, a component-video output, two audio inputs and one output, an optical digital input and output, and a preamplifier output for the subwoofer. The system comes with an infrared remote control and carries a two-year warranty against defects.

What's in the Box
Integrated receiver/DVD player/tuner, center-channel speaker, four satellite speakers, a subwoofer, four speaker stands, a remote control, remote batteries, and a user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• 5.1-channel home theater receiver with integrated progressive-scan DVD player
• Plays DVD Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-R/RW, MP3, VCD, and SVCD formats
• 395 watts total system power; 55-watt x 5-channel digital amplifier and 120-watt subwoofer
• Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic II decoding
• Comes with five satellite speakers, powered subwoofer, and 4 speaker stands

Reviews (1)

WOW!!! BEST PURCHASE I HAVE EVER MADE!!!!
I just bought this thing from Amazon and all I can say is WOW!!!!

This is probably the best purchase I have ever made. This thing is everything I ever expected and more!! It's easy to use as well - even my wife can operate it!

I have to say, everyone out there who is thinking of buying this, stop thinking. I bought it and I am extremely happy with it the moment I powered this thing on. YOU ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS PURCHASE! I GUARANTEE IT!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Designed for uncompromising individuals willing to pay a few extra dollars for state-of-the-art performance, Yamaha's amazing new CRW-F1 CD-R/RW drive is quite simply one of the slickest internal CD burners currently on the market.

Apart from its striking blue/pink LED that changes color and blinks or glows steadily depending on the unit's operational mode, the CRW-F1 looks no different than any other internal CD drive. Inside, however, Yamaha's top-of-the-line burner packs a serious punch. Rated at 44x write, 24x rewrite, and 44x read, it posts sizzling numbers across the board, and especially during CD rewrites, where it outperforms virtually all its peers.

Yet the CRW-F1 is no mere speed demon. The unit features a variety of convenient amenities, including the latest edition of Yamaha's buffer underrun prevention utility, SafeBurn. We tested the system long and hard and not once created a useless CD "coaster." Of greater interest to those who regularly access and modify their data rewrites is the enclosed version of Ahead Software's packet-writing tool InCD, which now includes full Mt. Rainier support. By accessing InCD, you can format your CD-RWs and thereafter treat them as you would a regular diskette or hard drive--transferring, deleting, copying, and reading files and directories quickly and easily through Windows Explorer or any other file browser.

Two of the CRW-F1's most intriguing perks are geared strictly to the audio enthusiast. The first and arguably most innovative is Yamaha's new DiscT@2 system, which allows users to burn laser images directly onto the surface of their CDs. A futuristic alternative to traditional labeling, DiscT@2 delivers crisp, impressively professional images that unfortunately tend to be quite faint and can be etched only upon the unused portion of the disc. The second, Yamaha's advanced Audio Master Quality Recording (AMQR) system, burns larger "pits" and "lands" into the disc surface, theoretically resulting in a better-sounding, more durable CD. In our listening tests, we noticed slightly superior dynamics in the AMQR-recorded CD, but only by the slimmest of margins. In any case, we appreciate any technology that will extend the life of our discs. --Gordon Goble

Pros:

• Etches custom-designed laser images directly onto CD surface
• AMQR recording mode offers theoretically superior audio CDs
• Includes the latest version of Nero InCD
• Integrated Mt. Rainier support offers diskette-like CD-RW operation

• More expensive than most internal CD burners
• DiscT@2 images are quite faint

Features

• Delivers 44x read speed, 44x write speed, and 24x rewrite speed
• Records audio and data at the same, fast speed
• Record a 74-minute audio CD in under 3 minutes
• Unique DiscT@2 system burns graphics and text on any CD, eliminating the need for labels
• Record studio-quality audio and data with Yamaha's exclusive Advanced Audio Master recording system

Reviews (14)

This is an *awesome* piece of hardware!
I was in the market for a new CD-R/RW drive, and read some articles about Yamaha's latest "hot" drive. I was a little apprehensive about the higher-than-average price, but the reviews I read were so enthusiastic that I decided to give it a try.

To begin, Yamaha's documentation and installation materials are excellent! Other companies should take lessons from them. Physical installation was no different from any other CD-R/RW, and was accomplished without incident in about five minutes. Installation of accompanying software (the current, full version of Nero Burning ROM, and some drive-specific tools) was similarly quick and easy.

The drive's performance is truly stunning, especially upgrading from an older, slower drive. Yamaha chose to "top out" CD-R read & write speed at 44x -- an odd number, since most other drives either go 40x or 48x. Yamaha's explanation is that they chose to "split the difference" and certify at 44x -- but, in reality, burn speeds are often above 44x (as high as 52x, in my experience with the drive). Caution: if you're going to burn at higher speeds, use *quality* media; the cheap generic "bulk" brands may say 40x or 48x capable, but that's not been my experience. Burning a full 80-minute disc at 44x takes about 2.5-3 minutes (not including lead-in and lead-out).

Just as impressive is the CD-RW speed, certified at 24x. Remember the days of 1x (or even 4x) drag & write to CR-RW, where you drop the files and then go have lunch while the drive writes your data? No more: the 24x is no exaggeration, and file writing is as fast (or faster) than to a floppy drive.

Now, to one of the cooler features of the drive (and the one that'll make you slap your forehead and wonder "Why didn't *I* invent that?"), is Yamaha's proprietary (but probably-soon-to-be-licensed) Disc T@2 (pronounced "tattoo") technology. To summarize, Yamaha has partnered with Nero to integrate a feature into the software that allows you to burn text and graphics into the unused outer area of a finalized CD. Yamaha's claim is that their laser control technology is engineered to be so accurate as to make this possible -- "standard" CD-Rs wouldn't have the accuracy or power/speed control to reliably burn bitmapped images with sharpness and clarity. Well, however they do it, they *do* it, and it's incredibly cool! Since the available area to "T@2" depends on the amount of data burned on the disc, you may not always get to be as artistic as you'd like; however, even with just a narrow strip of unburned media, you can burn the disc title and some pertinent data around the edge. This feature is really great, though, for such things as "gift" or "memento" CDs, where you burn a smaller photo album or video to disc and then burn a message or image to make it more special for the recipient. A word of caution though: different CDs use different types of dyes in the media layer. Silver CDs are basically useless for T@2. Gold, light green, and light blue are OK, and give a watermark or hologram-like effect. Darker blue (azo) media offers the most posibilities, and allows more detail and contrast in text, and especialy images.

If you want a *fast* drive (and especially if you use CD-RW a lot), the Yamaha is fast. If you hate CD stick-on labels, and like to be an "early adopter" of technology, you'll appreciate the Disc T@2 functionality. And if you're concerned about quality (and who isn't?), Yamaha's reputation is excellent. I highly recommend this drive.

Unusually persistent "Wow" factor
To complain about the burned images that this drive can produce is like complaining that your Ferrari's sunroof opens a little too slow :-)

This drive's "Wow" factor will not wear out anytime soon. To geeks, it's incredible that this drive has finally made a consumer priced laser etching system! And to everyone, these images look sweet! If you view the T@2's like a Hologram (like the one on your Visa/Mastercard) you can see them just fine. Yamaha has rated the image quality at 250dpi, which for comparison sake is 3 times sharper than any image you find on the web. The images are faint, but not too faint, and it's totally worth the cost, in my opinion.

The best way to get the sharpest image is to use a CD with Azo dye (the data side looks blue). Yamaha sells these kind of CD's, again at a little higher price.

Even without the special features, this drive would be a winner. So for a few more dollars out of your pocket, you get all these incredible features, plus an unbeatable CD-RW drive.

Also look on Amazon for the Black colored drive, Yamaha CRW-F1ZEN. It's the same drive, it's just black to match black computers.

A decent CD Burner
Compared to my first CD burner this is a tremendous upgrade. While I haven't cranked out dozens of cd's, I like it's speed and reliability. I had to send it in for repair 3 months after receiving it, apparently the laser was faulty. Yamaha's tech support was helpful and fairly prompt. The next problem came shortly after the repair when I wanted to compile an audio disk. My computer kept crashing. Everthing else about the CD burner seemed to work fine. Obviously there was some sort of software incompatability. Long story made short, load the software onto your C: drive, don't use a secondary drive. The problem isn't so much with Nero Burning ROM as it is with a Windows driver that gets confused. Now I have the software on the C: drive, but I configured the cache memory on my slave drive to take advantage of it's greater speed and volume. Throughout, tech support was helpful on the phone and through email. Kudos to "Ron" at Yamaha.

Great Product, Poor Customer Service
I bought this drive a little bit less than a year ago. At first, it worked fine and I would've written a raving review just like all the other ones you read here.

About 4 months ago, the burner started acting up. The verification process showed errors after the burn and soon I couldn't burn any more. Blue screen of death whenever I burned a CD. You can imagine the rest.

I contacted Yamaha's customer support for support. Well, that's what they are there for, right? In total I contacted them 16 times. Everytime I contacted them, I had to explain to them again and again what the problem was. Clearly that never heard of Ticket or Issue #'s. The result was that the same suggestions were made to me on every call or email. Although under warranty they refused to give me an RMA until I have tried their suggestions again.

Unfortunately, some of the support personal wasn't much of help. 3 of them realized that they weren't able to help me and decided just to hang up. In the hope that I won't call back??? Indeed, I stopped bugging them and bought a Mitsumi, which is faster and costs only half of what you have to fork over for this drive.

In short, great product as long as it works. Don't count on Yamaha support to assist you.

I hope sharing my experience will help you. Good Luck!

At first leary, but won over quick
I bought this drive after two previous purchases left me high and dry. I don't know how many drives realistically implement the "underrun protection" feature, but I can honestly say that using it has saved me many dollars in unwasted media. I was so pleased that I bought a second one. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With seven touch-sensitive pads, tempo control, and a hand percussion mode, the Yamaha DD55AD Drum Machine allows for expressive playing and creative control, even for the beginner. It features stereo speakers with a bass port and 174 percussion voices, assignable to any pad. Two assignable foot pedals are included for kick, hi-hat, and other voices.

The Yamaha DD55AD includes 100 built-in rhythm styles to accompany playing, 50 programmed drum kits, and one user-programmable drum kit to store a favorite setup. Reverb and chorus DSP provide effects built into voices.The DD55AD is MIDI compatible for computer connectivity. If you need to practice in privacy, the DD55AD features a built-in headphone jack.

It is powered by an included Yamaha PA5C power adapter or six optional D-cell batteries. The Yamaha DD55AD package contains two foot pedals and two drum sticks. Yamaha provides a one-year limited warranty on parts and labor. ... Read more

Features

• 7 touch-sensitive pads in authentic drum layout
• 100 built-in rhythm styles
• 174 assignable AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) percussion voices
• Digital reverb and chorus DSP effects built into voices
• MIDI compatibility

Reviews (7)

A lot of fun!
I bought this as a gift for my 12 year old son. I think I've had as much fun with it as he has! Neither of us are "drummers" and I'm guessing that a serious drummer would probably have little use for this. BUT...it's definitely more than a "toy" and it's a heck of a lot of fun for the rest of us!

Mixed Results
My 2 cents... First, the sampled sounds are really quite good. If a closet drummer out there is looking for fun way to explore the drumming experience, then I would rate it 4 stars. However, as an acoustic drummer, several aspects of this kit really frustrated me:

1) The Hi-hat sound is TOO soft. The sound of the stick hitting the rubber pad is as loud as the closed HH sound. It destroys the aesthetic. Of course, this is solved by running the system through an amp, but that defeats the notion of low volume jamming.

2) The triggers aren't that "touch-sensitive". I believe the claim is 6 levels of volume sensitivity. In practice, I could reliably produce maybe 2 with sticks. I had slightly more control playing with fingers. However, the bigger issue is reliably generating any sound at all when striking the rubber pad. Even if it catches 19/20 strikes, it doesn't take very many misses to drive you crazy. Thus, playing live with this as your entire kit is all but impossible.

3) As mentioned in another review, the foot triggers are tough to control with finesse.

In my opinion, the very best use for this is as a rhythm teacher and advanced practice metronome. It comes packed with preset rhythm styles and associated synth music. One can vary the tempo for each style and drop/add the music and each voice of the rhythm groove separately. I like to listen to the machine with headphones while playing real drums to learn new styles and to practice rock-solid timing and syncopation. For this use, I give it 5 stars.

GREAT! Plug into an amp or pa and stand back!
Almost everything about the dd55 is good. I wish they made these 30 years ago and I know I would be a better drummer. Any one who plays drums should have this machine, even if you own a huge set of acoustics. If your kid plays, you MUST have this machine, as he can learn more quickly, experience more diverse sounds, play with accompaniment, and play at a low volume level, which translates into more potential practice time, with less setup and hassle. Let's face it: acoustic drums are loud and obnoxious to most non drummers except when played along with other instruments. The dd55 snare sounds are great, the tom sounds are great, the kick sounds are great, hi hat great, ride and bell and other sounds are very good. Crash cymbals are weak, and too few. I would say with a few minor upgrades, this system could potentially become the "drums" of the future. I am in my 40's and played in bands years ago and know the "pain" of a huge set: set up, tuning, miking, sound check, tear down, hauling, cleaning, maintenance, and inconsistency of sound! (I always felt drummers should get bounus pay for all that!) My opinion for improvement: (1) better crash cymbal sounds. This is the only weakness I have found as the crash sounds are not rich and full, but rather sound short and a little "dirty".(2)at least 2 more "small" pads on the right side for bell and ride cymbal sounds. As it is now, if you want a 5 piece kit, you are limited to only 2 cymbal sounds other than hi hat. That means one crash, one ride, so what about a bell (cup), and a second crash, and even a cowbell, etc? To keep the unit small Yamaha could even make the cymbal pads a bit smaller if necessary. SUMMARY: I LOVE IT AND THINK THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF GREAT THINGS IN MODERN DRUMMING AND WILL MAKE DRUMMING A MORE ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE FOR FUTURE PERCUSSIONISTS!

o.k.
This thing is sweet but the sound is to quiet. I play my real drumset and think I will go deaf But this is just...

Lots of fun, but could be better. 3 1/2 stars is closer.
The DD-55AD digital drum kit has both advantages and disadvantages. I have to admit it's a lot of fun with reasonably authentic drum sounds, but with some exceptions. It's great that it's so portable, so you can just grab and go anywhere you like for a jam session.
Things that could be done to improve the kit:
1. The 2 ride cymbal settings that are provided sound pretty pathetic. The hi-hat open/close "shick-click" sound is not easy to make sound right.
2. Yamaha needs to make more accessories available that are compatible with this set.
3. The hand drum setting needs some work.
4. I would like to see some of the drum kit pre-sets to be more specific. For example, have a setting for a 1960's Ludwig kit, or 1970's Slingerland.
5. Although it's really neat that it comes with the two pseudo pedals for the hi-hat and bass, it would be great if you could also purchase more realistic pedals similar to the ones in the top of the line Yamaha electronic drum kits.
Although the information is not in the manual, and it's well hidden on Yamaha's site, I have the following info from them: For a more realistic drum pedal feel, a Yamaha KP60, KP80, KP80S or KP120 Electronic Kick Tower Pad may be used in place of Pedal 1, and a Yamaha HH80 Electronic Hi Hat Tower may be used in place of Pedal 2. These alternative foot pedals add the look, feel and durability of real drum pedals.
IMPORTANT: The newer Yamaha HH60 and HH80A Electronic Hi-Hat Towers will NOT work with the DD55.
6. I haven't quite figured out how to hook it up to an external amplifier, and am not sure that it is possible. If it is, I suspect you would need some sort of pre-amp. The manual is not clear on this at all.
7. On the plus side, I intend to use this with an additional real snare drum, plus genuine cymbals with stands. This will give you a pretty great sounding kit that is still extremely portable. Now if I could just get those pedals .... ... Read more

Features

• Dual Laser Optical Pickup ? Laser pick-up focuses independently to optimize performance in Audio and Video playback
• 96kHz / 24-bit Digital-to-Analog Conversion
• 10-bit Video D/A Conversion
• Composite, Component & S-Video Outputs
• Analog Audio Outputs with Tru-Surround 3D emulation

Reviews (1)

Outstanding stereo receiver.
Despite the current fad for multi-channel audio/video receivers, the majority of people still listen to music with two speakers and only need a two-channel stereo receiver to drive them. I'm one such person and -- as a fanatic audiophile -- this is the receiver I use. It is a superb receiver in all respects. Some people may think that they need more than this receiver's rated power of 80 watts per channel, but Yamaha's power ratings are extremely conservative and this receiver will drive virtually any speakers to deafening levels (which I don't recommend doing). More important than it's ample power is its very low distortion. It's difficult to find any brand of receiver with as low distortion as this Yamaha. In addition to robust power and ultra-low distortion the RX-596 has a full complement of controls, plus an easy to use remote. But as a fanatic audiophile the feature I particularly appreciate is a button which sends the signal from my CD player directly to the amplifier -- bypassing the preamp circuitry, which is not needed when playing CDs -- for the lowest distortion and best signal to noise ratio. There are plenty of less expensive stereo receivers available but none with the performance and quality of this quite reasonably priced Yamaha. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed for multimedia environments, Yamaha's MS201 three-piece poweredcomputer speaker system enhances audio for PCs, portable audio players,keyboards without integrated speakers, and games. Each slant-baffled satellitespeaker houses a 6-watt oval-cone diaphragm, delivering brilliant highs, whilethe 18-watt wooden subwoofer provides deep, powerful bass to 45 Hz. Yamaha'spatented Active Servo Technology optimizes the interaction of the amplifier,encloser, and speaker to generate a wide frequency range, and full magneticshielding prevents monitor distortion. A single input jack connects the speakersystem to a computer or portable audio player. A large volume control dialand power switch are conveniently located on one of thesatellites.

The MS201 speaker system comes with a one-year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• 3-piece multimedia system for PCs, portable audio players, games, and keyboards
• Patented Active Servo Technology (YST) produces deep, powerful bass
• Slant-baffle satellite speakers guarantee optimum listening position
• Full magnetic shielding prevents monitor distortion
• Convenient large volume control and power switch on 1 satellite

Reviews (30)

Very good sound for that price...
I purchased it at a local store just for the brand. I've never read a review nor heard a word about that speakers. But I got surprised about how good it sounds.
Well balanced, nice highs and good bass considering the relatively small subwofer dimension. A little weak in medium range, but it makes no harm to general sonic performance.

Value
I recently purchased the Yamaha's YST-MS201 speaker set for a secondary computer. At the same time, I bought some more expensive JBL's. Guess what? The JBL's sound better. And yet I heartily recommend the Yamahas. The reason is value. For under $40 the Yamahas give you very good sound. Not "superior" sound. Not sound for an audio-snob. But very good sound nonetheless.

I still have the JBL's on my primary computer, but when I finish this review, the next thing I'll do is order another set of Yamaha's YST-MS201's for my brother.

totally ok
I have had these for a while, and they sound just ok. The bass can be turned up so that it can shake the floor or you can turn it totally down. The speakers don't exactly distort at high levels, they just sound weird and the subwoofer get's messed up. I eventually got a program to manage each speakers volume level, so I turned the volume all the way up then turned all the other speakers off except the subwoofer. That's the part they try to hide, you can't hear it while the other speakers are running, but the subwoofer sounds like there's a peice of loose plastic inside, but for the price these are great speakers

Overrated
Based on the rave reviews and Yamaha's reputation I decided to purchase these speakers. After listening to them I can say that the sound quality reminds me of cheap computer speaker that come free when you buy a computer system. The subwoofer does sound as good as other reviewers have mentioned but that's the only good thing I can say. The satellites produce sounds come out muffled and weak.

I bought these thinking I was upgrading from my 2 piece Advent AV180 speakers. I was wrong. The Advents have a clearer sound coming out of it that sound similar to speakers from a home stereo system. The Yamahas satellites are 6 watts while the Advents are 7.5 watts. So the power is similar but the sound quality of the Advent speakers are sooo much better.

Yamaha usually has excellent sound systems, this is NOT one of them. If you're thinking "but there are so many good reviews", then you better think twice.

worth every penny, and more
I have been using these speakers, on my computer for more than two years. They sound great! I got them when they first were on the market, for the same price AMAZON is charging now. YAMAHA is tops in audio equipment,and even though these speakers are still going strong, I am looking to upgrade to the YAMAHA 35-watt set, which is being sold at a terrific discount price. NEVER give up the subwoofer, it makes all the difference! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

These factory-refurbished digital drums feature 4 touch sensitive drum pads, 54 assignable voices for customizing your drum sound, plus nine preset drum kits. The kit comes with built-in speakers and everything you need to get started right away.

What's in the Box:
DD20 drums, drum sticks, AC power adapter ... Read more

Features

• 4 touch-sensitive drum pads, 4 effects pads
• 10 assignable percussion sets
• 3 types of auto roll
• Tempo control and tap start
• Includes built-in speakers, drumsticks, and headphone jack

Amazon.com Product Description

Get dynamic, full-bodied surround sound from a stylish, compact, and high-quality system with Yamaha's YHT-900. The system consists of a high-performance Yamaha HTR-5560 Dolby Pro Logic II/DTS 6.1-channel audio/video receiver coupled with a DV-C6480 five-disc progressive-scan DVD-Video/DVD-Audio changer, the NS-AP580 6.1-channel speaker package, and a YST-SW205 150-watt Advanced YST powered subwoofer.

Receiver
With the HTR-5560 AV receiver you'll get the convenience of DVD-Audio-ready six-channel analog inputs alongside the latest 6.1-channel surround processing and premium Yamaha sound technologies. Also included are five video inputs (four S-video) and a combination of five fixed and assignable digital-audio inputs, as well as a front-panel AV input and a preset remote control.

DVD player
The DV-C6480 offers everything from premium progressive-scan processing to ultra-refined DVD-Audio playback for multichannel music magic. The player's impressive list of compatible disc formats includes CD-R, CD-RW, MP3-CD, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW.

Speaker package
The speaker package included with the YHT-900 features sturdy, black-finished wood cabinets, dual 3.5-inch drivers and 1-inch dome tweeters in each speaker, 100-watt maximum power handling, gold-plated binding posts, and removable grills.

Subwoofer
The 150-watt powered Advanced YST subwoofer features an 8-inch spruce cone driver, phase control, variable crossover, an auto on/off power switch, and binding post speaker terminals, and includes an RCA-tipped line-level interconnect. ... Read more

Features

• Includes the HTR-5560 surround receiver, DV-C6480 5-disc DVD-Video/DVD-Audio player, the NS-AP580 speaker package, and a YST-SW205 150-watt powered subwoofer
• Receiver offers 75 watts x 5 channels, Yamaha Digital ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology), Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, 5 video inputs and 2 outputs, 5 digital-audio inputs and 1 output, and 40-station AM/FM presets
• DVD player reads high-resolution DVD-Audio discs as well as CD-Rs and MP3-encoded discs and offers progressive-scan outputs for film-like images on HD-ready TVs, Dolby Digital/DTS decoding, DCDi processing by Faroudja, and 3:2 pulldown detection
• Speaker package consists of 6 magnetically shielded, 2-way, acoustic-suspension speakers built to handle high-bandwidth DVD-Audio signals (80 to 32,000 Hz, +/- 3 dB)
• Subwoofer uses Advanced-YST Active Servo for expanded bass response, an 8-inch spruce cone driver, and offers a continuously variable crossover (50 to 150 Hz); frequency response: 23 to 170 Hz

Reviews (1)

Great Home Theater in a Box
I purchased this in 2002, so it's a year old, however it's stil a great bargain with some nice features. I'm not an audiofile, just someone who likes to watch movies/tv and listen to music on a great home theater/stereo system.

The receive works great, has many hookups and the 6.1 sounds excellent (espcecially with a DTS 6.1 DVD movie like Blade 2). there are 2 optical digital inputs, and the sound is awesome using those connections. I have the 5 disc DVD player in one, and my DirectTV sattelite receiver in the other. There are also coax digital inputs, component video inputs, s-video, and more.

Sound wise, I had to tweak the default settings some, but it's easy once you get used to the menu system. The remote was an little confusing at first, but now I use it exclusively. Just have to remember to hit the AMP button when you want to change the receive settings and the DVD button when you want to use it to control the DVD player. Sounds simple, but they buttons aren't next to each other, and it's not that intuitive.

Again, the sound is great. I have a medium size room, and these speakers fill it up nice. The subwoofer is great, and is nice and crisp. I'm sure compared to some Klipsh or Bose $800 subwoofers it's not the best, but to my ears, it sounds excellent.

It's pretty traditional looking, meaning that it doesn't have any fancy towers or flashing lights. It's a nice understated black, and the front panels aren't overly cluttered, which I like. It fits nicely in my entertainment center and blends in with the room well.

As far as reliability, I've never had a problem with it, and still sounds great after a year of regular use.

I'm giving it 4 stars, as it's a bit expensive. If this unit were under $1,000 I would give it 5. ... Read more