The growing demand for home-theaters-in-a-box (HTiB’s) has escalated the production of compact, convenient, flexible, stylish, and high-quality home theater sets that are light on the pocket and worth every penny spent on them. Appropriately, the Yamaha YHT-393BL combines quality and cost in one attractive multi-function system that will more than meet your expectations.
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Yamaha YHT-393BL 5.1 Channel HTiB System (Each, Black) List Price:  |
Amazing Quality with 3D-Ready HDMI Repeater
The Yamaha YHT-393 takes HDMI technology to greater heights with its HDMI switching capability made possible by not one, not two, but FOUR HDMI inputs and one HDMI output. Connect all your audio and video devices like a DVD player, cable/satellite box, Xbox, and PS3 to this system through HDMI cables and enjoy the wonder and awe of 1080p HD and 3D videos. All you’ll need for a 3D experience are a 3D-compatible HDTV and 3D-compatible Blu-ray, video games, or broadcast devices.
Billions of Colors with 30 and 36-bit Color Depth
With HDMI technology, video and audio data transmission is done without downgrading the data through conversion from digital to analog signals. This means that the original data retains its integrity and so you get clear, sharp, and magnificently detailed images all the way. In addition, the Yamaha YHT-393BL supports HDMI 30- and 36-bit color depths, an improvement from the older versions’ 24-bit depth, giving you literally billions of colors for color accuracy like no other.
500W 5.1 Channel Audio with a Punch to Match Splendid Video
The Yamaha 393BL carries 100 watts of power to each of its center, front, and surround speakers, giving you 500 watts of total power to hypnotize you in a truly spectacular surround sound experience. Its subwoofer carries an additional 100 watts that provides clear, full, deep, and unbelievably heart-thumping bass. With richness, clarity, and power, you’ll never fall short of having your own virtual movie theater at home.
Enter CINEMA DSP for Blow-You-Away Audio Magic
Yamaha takes surround sound to whole new levels with its Cinema DSP digital audio decoding that transcends Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Digital Audio. With the CINEMA DSP, different aspects of the output sound are streamed through the different channels independently of each other. This gives you a multi-directional source of sound where dialogue, sound effects, and music are heard from differently – ensuring a surround sound experience that offers surrealism.
This advanced technology enhances Dolby and DTS surround formats that other home theater systems do not thoroughly separate in their 5.1 channel systems. A complete surround system like what the Yamaha 393BL offers is one that sucks you into the movie you are watching and lets the sounds of every scene dance around and envelop you.
From the Customers’ Reviews of their Own Yamaha YHT-393BL
"When I saw this receiver in the store, and then looked at the price (when compared to other "comparable" systems), I assumed it was going to sound like a tin-can. I'm so glad I was wrong...!”
“I cannot believe I was able to buy a surround sound system with so many amazing features for this low price!”
“This system has great clarity. Thunderous bass capability. Good connectivity. And again for the price, we can't be more pleased.”
This product received 33 5-star ratings and 4 4-stars out of 39 reviews on Amazon.com. The main concern was the speaker wires that weren’t long enough. See all the reviews.
Extended Audio Magic with SILENT CINEMA and Virtual CINEMA DSP
We must admit that audiophiles will want to keep some audio experiences to themselves for the fullest and most saturated listening pleasures. For this preference, Yamaha introduces SILENT CINEMA, the feature that allows large-scale surround sound to be heard through headphones! Relish in the joys of entering your own private movie world as the crispest, most natural sounds penetrate your senses.
In addition, Virtual CINEMA DSP allows you to enjoy surround sound without the surround speaker setup for those rooms whose dimensions and orientations are not suitable for true 5.1. Using specialized digital signal processing (DSP), you can hear virtual surround with only the three or two front speakers. Everybody will get a taste of surround sound.
Never Hear Nothing with Adaptive Dynamic Range Control
Because our ability to hear is compromised with diminishing volume, it becomes more difficult for us to pick up and understand low and high sounds when the volume is low. The Yamaha YHT-393 and its Dynamic Range Control continually manipulates the frequency ranges of the varying sounds to ensure that we hear them at their best. Say goodbye to that irritating necessity to strain your ears when the volume suddenly shifts to extremes of low and high.
Listen to Smooth Music with Compressed Music Enhancer
When audio files are too large, they need to be compressed. With this compression they tend to lose some of the portions that are mostly inaudible to us. However, with Compressed Music Enhancer technology, sophisticated DSP allows compressed music to be recreated as close to the original uncompressed quality as it can get.
Gracing the Convenience Scene with SCENE
Remember that the Yamaha YHT-393BL allows HDMI switching with multiple input devices. In order to simplify this myriad of technologies, Yamaha incorporates SCENE to the YHT receiver. What SCENE does is make operation a breeze.
Four customizable buttons for key component functions of your HTiB (defaulted to BD/DVD viewing, CD listening, TV viewing, and radio listening) are installed on the receiver’s front end. With a single press of a SCENE button, you are granted access to a number of operations that deal with the device source controlled by that button. Gone are the multiple menus and sub-menus that you’ll have to search forests through just to get done what you want done.
Volume Control and Audio Delay Tweaks
This receiver sports a nifty Volume Control feature that allows you to preset a volume level that the system defaults to every time you turn your receiver on. Volume Trim is another feature that normalizes the volume levels of all the connected devices to your receiver. Finally, the triad volume feature is completed with Max Volume that lets you decide the maximum volume level – helpful to preventing blowing out smaller speakers.
Audio Delay is another nifty feature that corrects video lagging where audio is faster than video. The result of video lagging is that the dialogues are mismatched with the speaker or actor’s mouth movements. This Audio Delay feature compensates for this mismatch by adjusting the audio to the timing of the video output on the screen.
Expanded Connectivity for the Win
To keep with the times, the Yamaha 393BL home theater system can be connected with the optional and separately sold YDS-12 for iPod and iPhone connectivity as well as the YBA-10 Bluetooth adapter for linking with your smart phone, desktop, or laptop.
Important Things to Note
The bass is an active subwoofer system, meaning it has its own power and consequently its own power button. This may be a bit inconvenient to the more particular customers since they’d have to press two buttons to turn everything off or on. If this is the worst complaint, how little extra effort will you have to expend to push an extra button?
The wires to the surround speakers are too short and look functionally inexpensive. Most of the customers opted to purchasing a separate loop and cutting them to length depending on their setups. Depending the length needed this may cost $5 to $15.
Where to Buy
At the time I did this research Amazon.com was the lowest priced option. In my personal experience they offer the best customer service, some of the quickest shipping, and have always allowed things to be returned when I was not happy.
Disclaimer: This review is based on my research and not me owning it. Purchasing this item through the links above allows me to fund this site and to take the time to do honest research so you do not have to. Any comments please use our contact form. Thank You.