Yamaha YHT 299 - Request detailed user feedback

[Prakash Kumanan]

There are many FMs who have this HT from Yamaha, request the owners to share their feedback/experience with the product as it will be helpful to many other HT enthusiats who are also intrested in purchasing the product. Also info on date, price and location/store details of purchase will be helpful.

 

[skul82]

I just bought YHT 299 last weekend. The installation guy hasn't yet come so will post detailed review in few days. For starters, I went to buy YHT 196 but came out of store buying 299 instead. The difference in 196 and 299 was very noticeable, especially low frequency, deep bass sounds. That makes 299 much more clearer than 196.

I bought it from Vijay Sales Pune for 35K.

 

[sandeep.bommakanti]

Hi,

I have been using YHT-299 for about 1.5 months now. I must say that it is a very good value for money. Before going for this I have auditioned Onkyo and Pioneer systems. I use it primarily for watching movies and HD Channels.

Watching movies has been an absolute pleasure in this system. You will get an active sub woofer. So, that gives an option of setting it up. The surround affects are also very good. Even for normal 2 Ch sources, if you use Pro Logic 2 Surround Mode, the effects were good enough. But with an original Blu ray or a 5 Ch DVD, the experience is too good (Dark Knight Rises Blu ray is an absolute scream in this system).

I have a Videocon D2h HD Connection. Movies Now HD, Star Movies HD and Star Gold HD were pretty good. You can definitely feel the difference.

I have bought it @ Reliance Digital, Road No 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. The system was initially installed by the Reliance digital guy. But it was not professional at all. I mean, just imagine, the guy has connected Surround Left to Front Right and Front Right to Surround Right and so on. So, after installation for about 3 or 4 days or so I was thoroughly disappointed with my choice. Thankfully, I have noticed it later that installation was not done properly. After correcting the connections, the experience was just too good. So, recommend everyone to double check properly after the guy installs it. Also, it is strongly recommended to calibrate by using YPAO mic although I did not get a chance to do it.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Sandeep.

 

[skul82]

So finally the technician installed the system yesterday. Here is a day one feedback.
The installation was quiet smooth, it took about 1.5-2 hours to install setup the system. I mounted the speakers on brackets. After that he did some tests on the system with a Blu Ray he was carrying. With right kind of input material (Blue Ray discs, high quality DVD/CDs) this system will blow your mind. He played test tracks from XMen, LOTR and Blue Boys band and it was a cinema theatre experience. I could feel the waves all around me. And the system could reproduce a single tiny sound with a great accuracy. And it comes with a active sub.
Even when reproducing TV sound, the system does a gr8 job. I am playing it on 5.1 with Enhancer on. It fills the entire room and the dialogues are very clear.
I will be checking it for gaming now, with DD DTS, i am sure its gonna take the gaming to a next level. COD will be a treat with this.

P.S.: The greatest thing about this system is, its not loud, its crisp clear.

 

[Shrinivas]

Hi,

I have bought it @ Reliance Digital, Road No 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. The system was initially installed by the Reliance digital guy. But it was not professional at all. I mean, just imagine, the guy has connected Surround Left to Front Right and Front Right to Surround Right and so on. So, after installation for about 3 or 4 days or so I was thoroughly disappointed with my choice. Thankfully, I have noticed it later that installation was not done properly. After correcting the connections, the experience was just too good. So, recommend everyone to double check properly after the guy installs it. Also, it is strongly recommended to calibrate by using YPAO mic although I did not get a chance to do it.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Sandeep.

I agree to above point ... even here in Pune there were arranging Relience person for my Yamaha 196 which I denied and instead contacted Yamaha authorized dealer. The Yamaha person was saying that he has heard couple of similar instances when the relience person had done the installation and it was not to expectation of customer.

 

[skul82]

I agree to above point ... even here in Pune there were arranging Relience person for my Yamaha 196 which I denied and instead contacted Yamaha authorized dealer. The Yamaha person was saying that he has heard couple of similar instances when the relience person had done the installation and it was not to expectation of customer.

Isn't Reliance supposed to contact and arrange for Yamaha technician for installation? Vijay Sales did that for me.

 

[skul82]

Is it advisable to set the speaker distances on AVR to actual values or let the YPAO decide that? Cause probably it wont matter for Front, Surround and Center, but for sub there will a lag in processing and YPAO accounts for that when setting the distances. Any thoughts?

 

[Shrinivas]

Isn't Reliance supposed to contact and arrange for Yamaha technician for installation? Vijay Sales did that for me.

Yes, even I was under that impression but then, when I called them, got to know that they will be arranging their own person. For a moment I thought it was OK, but then I wanted to have speaker mounts too, for which they had no idea. Hence I thought to get the demo as well as installation done by Yamaha person. I have also got the stock speaker wire auto-sticked by the Yamaha person. Glad to know that Vijay sales arranged proper support person for you.

 

[skul82]

Does anyone know if there is a manual explaining different Functions/Modes/Settings on YHT 299? I could,'t find any such manual on Yamaha site, they only have connection manual.

 

[sandeep.bommakanti]

Does anyone know if there is a manual explaining different Functions/Modes/Settings on YHT 299? I could,'t find any such manual on Yamaha site, they only have connection manual.

I am not sure of any manual as such. I was just following the forum threads :licklips: Just playing around with the settings a bit and I guess you can figure out the perfect one.

I always keep the Enhancer on. For 5.1 sources, I have never played it in Straight mode. Always went for Standard in Movie Mode. I am not sure if that is the right thing to do. But It is giving me good output. Can any one suggest any other mode for better output?

For 2 Channel sources, I use Pro Logic II Movie Surround Mode. It sort of gives you virtual 5.1. Although it is not the true 5.1 surround effect, it still works well. I guess we can also use Neo 6: Cinema surround mode too. I am not sure which is better out of Pro Logic II and Neo 6: Cinema. Any thoughts are welcome.

Thanks,
Sandeep.

 

[Shrinivas]

I always keep the Enhancer on. For 5.1 sources, I have never played it in Straight mode. Always went for Standard in Movie Mode. I am not sure if that is the right thing to do. But It is giving me good output. Can any one suggest any other mode for better output?
.

I personally think that one should use Straight mode if the source is 5.1 DD or DTS. I usually use mediainfo freeware to check the audio codec and have maintained my sources accordlingly.

 

[skul82]

I am not sure of any manual as such. I was just following the forum threads :licklips: Just playing around with the settings a bit and I guess you can figure out the perfect one.

I always keep the Enhancer on. For 5.1 sources, I have never played it in Straight mode. Always went for Standard in Movie Mode. I am not sure if that is the right thing to do. But It is giving me good output. Can any one suggest any other mode for better output?

For 2 Channel sources, I use Pro Logic II Movie Surround Mode. It sort of gives you virtual 5.1. Although it is not the true 5.1 surround effect, it still works well. I guess we can also use Neo 6: Cinema surround mode too. I am not sure which is better out of Pro Logic II and Neo 6: Cinema. Any thoughts are welcome.

Thanks,
Sandeep.

For, DTH I use 5.1 Enhancer. For HD channels which give DD, i prefer Straight mode. I feel with enhancer on, my fronts are a little dominating over surrounds and its more suitable where voice is more important. Blu Rays with DD/DTS, straight mode anytime. My Xbox output is set to DD 5.1 and I have put my blu ray player on Straight o/p. Still haven't used YPAO, current settings are done by YAMAHA person. I feel bass and surrounds are a little low at this point.

 

[skul82]

Does anyone know if there is a manual explaining different Functions/Modes/Settings on YHT 299? I could,'t find any such manual on Yamaha site, they only have connection manual.

found it right wherre i should have looked first, the CD that came with syste
explains most of the things

 

[kundanraj40]

hi guys, nice to see the review from the owners of Yamaha yht 299, m also planning to but a good htib and my budget is 40 k , so m about to finalise the yht 299, but I want to know dat is there any other option available which I should to consider ?

 

[skul82]

hi guys, nice to see the review from the owners of Yamaha yht 299, m also planning to but a good htib and my budget is 40 k , so m about to finalise the yht 299, but I want to know dat is there any other option available which I should to consider ?

Onkyo Denon and Pioneer are good options. I have also heard about Marantz. I personally didn't check any others, just went for YAMAHA.

 

[mario_123]

Hi,

Just lift any of the satellite speakers in your left hand and feel the weight.

As Light as a Feather, question is what type of quality magnet is used in this speaker system, you can judge the same by this.

For the price, it is SO - SO.

Mario.

P.S.: I would say that investing in Onkyo HTS 4505 is a better choice at similar mrp.

 

[skul82]

Hi,

Just lift any of the satellite speakers in your left hand and feel the weight.

As Light as a Feather, question is what type of quality magnet is used in this speaker system, you can judge the same by this.

For the price, it is SO - SO.

Mario.

P.S.: I would say that investing in Onkyo HTS 4505 is a better choice at similar mrp.

You should probably listen to the sound 299 produces. For 35K you wont get the audiophile quality sound but listen to any DD/DTH material and you will know what wonders these "Light as a Feather" speakers do. Oh and not to mention the powered sub thump.

 

[shailen82]

doesh yht 299 has dlna..

 

[onlydipan]

Re: Yamaha YHT 299 vs YHT 299

please give a comparable chert between YHT 299 Vs Pioneer 323 ...


please please please .......help me..

 

[PGY]

Re: Yamaha YHT 299 vs YHT 299

please give a comparable chert between YHT 299 Vs Pioneer 323 ...


please please please .......help me..

onlydipan,

I bought a HTP-323 a month back, after using the HT for a day, i realized that there is a popping sound is coming from the subwoofer. After research and with the help of the FM's i came to know that there is a problem in the S-31W subwoofer that comes with HTP-323. So i had a very tough time to exchange that HTP-323 and i spent 5K extra and now am using YHT-299, Its a pretty good system compared to HTP-323.

The following are the things which i feel advantages of YHT-299

- Sound clarity is very good - (Though the speakers are lighter than HTP-323)
- Lots of customizable options.
- Good Treble.
- Surround effects are good.
- CINEMA DSP otpions
- OSD ( works with out any additional Cable )

Thanks