Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is one truly impressive PC Receiver (External Sound Card). Although Yamaha's website does not mention XP, it does work under XP. Just plug the USB cable into the computer and XP automatically installs all the required drivers. Install the software on the CD and you can control the receiver from the computer. Unfortunately the Yamaha driver does not work under XP (only 98/me/2000), and as a result I cannot get the inputs to work with the computer. On the positive side, since the unit works out of the box with XP with no drivers needed, you can rest assured that it will very likely work with future version of Windows. (It also works with Mac out of the box I've heard).
So, with that out of the way, let's talk about the important stuff.
First, the receiver can function without a PC. In fact, almost all the features can be accessed. You can select the inputs, set DSP mode, select FM preset, and tuning to a particular station, all without using the PC. This is extremely important, as you would not want to buy something that will only work when the PC is on. I am glad Yamaha designed the unit with this in mind.
The sound from the receiver is simply incredible. The DAC on the unit appears to be quite good. If you are using the build-in sound card on the motherboard or a plain old sound blaster, you should immediately hear the difference. The sound is richer, has more resolution, and has more punch to it. The amp on the headphone jack is also quite good and delivers excellent sound quality on cheap and expensive headphones. It plays loud enough and reach the max my ear can handle way before maxing out.
Perhaps the best thing is the unit is a looker. It looks really cute, according to one female coworker. The construction is rock solid, it weights a hefty 12 pounds! I've used an external Sound Blaster Extigy and this unit feels much more like a real receiver.
I think "Blair from Chicago" missed the point of having this receiver. This receiver is all about sound quality. It's like buying a BMW and complains that the Corolla also takes you there at a much cheaper price. :)
The only shortcoming is the software. Even though I acquired this in Aug 2003 (at an extremely good price btw), the CD still contains software from 1999 and Yamaha's website offers no software update. The software works, but by 2003 standards it feels a little strange. I am not that bothered by it however, I'd rather have awesome hardware and wimpy software than the other way around. I know I will be enjoying this receiver for years to come, no matter what computer/OS I will use in the future.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RP-U100 CAVIT External Audio Soundboard
Yamaha Electronics has introduced the world's first audio receiver to consider the computer as an important audio source. Designated @ PET RP-U100, the new PC Home Theater Receiver ushers in a new product category by bringing high quality audio reproduction, surround sound technologies - such as Dolby Digital and Yamaha's Digital Sound Field Processing - and traditional audio receiver functions to the computer via USB connection. The receiver's computer interface is simple and provided by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable which allows it to bypass the sound card and stream digital audio directly from the computer, as well as support Plug-and-Play and hot plugging.
Click here for more information about Yamaha RP-U100 CAVIT External Audio Soundboard
No comments:
Post a Comment