plusONE:
Hey Rick,
Thanks for the advice on the Yamaha, I've done some calling around and everyone is recommend them. Seems like the Z7 is the top pick, but over budget. I had a look on the yamaha website, i cant seem to find and much difference with the Z7 and V3900 to warrent the premium price of the Z7.
Only the Z7 is 4 zones, has extra video adjustment functions and memory. and Stable chassis design with cross-shaped frames and double-box construction.
Appart for that, they seem like they almost identical. Almost the same weight even. Assuming they also share the same power supply. I suspect the ZY is the V3900 with a few bells and whistles in the Z box.
How do they differ sonically? Both are 140w 7ch.
Seems like the obvious choice is to save a few bux and grab the V3900 at a run out price
Hi plusONE
Thanks for your post.
I have been tied up with others matters so i am sorry not not having replied earlier on.
There is not a big difference in specification between the RX-V3900 and the DSP-Z7. However the DSP-Z7's styling (similar to the DSP-Z11's) which i prefer, the build quality and the performance are all better.
I too was keen to hear if there was a performance advantage and to what extent it was between the RX-V3900 and the DSP-Z7. So the easiest way to test this was to firstly connect the RX-V3900 and than the DSP-Z7 to a pair of some (very tasty and expensive) ATC Active Studio Control Monitors and an ATC Active Sub. This was done to show up the pre amp/processing potential of both units.
Secondly the RX-V3900 and than the DSP-Z7 were connected to ATC passive monitors to test the power delivery of both units.
In both cases the DSP-Z7 won hands down. The RX-V3900's performance was/is superb (just like it's predecessor the RX-V3800) however the DSP-Z7 is fuller, even more detailed, less distorted, has better separation, better soundfield placement, is more potent, offers better grip and offers an even tighter and deeper bass response.
After a week of testing the DSP-Z7 was than connected permanently for nearly two months solid to SCM19's (front), C3 (cente), SCM7 (rears) and C2 (sub) and it worked just fine!
If the DSP-Z7 can happily get on with the ATC's without missing a beat than it will also happily get with the Silver RX speakers and help bring the finest out of them.
There is a £500 difference at retail price (£1.5k and £2k) however imo (and the majority of my customers opinion) it is worth the premium to get a foot on Yamaha's Z series ladder (especially if this likely to be a one off purchase for some time). I have been saying it for quite a while now that i consider the DSP-Z7 to currently be the finest VFM AV amp on the market irrespective of price (even at an RRP of £1960).
Thanks
Rick @ Musicraft