Yamaha HTR-5860 (black)

CNET Editors' Rating 7.4/10 Very good Editorial policies >>
Average user rating from 5 users 8.8/10 Excellent Read user opinions >>

Product Summary

The good: Seven 110-watt channels; XM Satellite Radio ready; simple autosetup feature; extra front Presence channels; two component-video inputs; upconverts composite and S-Video signals to component; A-B speaker switching.

The bad: Generic styling and cheap feel; only two component-video inputs; no HDMI inputs.

The bottom line: Yamaha's midprice HTR-5860 A/V receiver loads up on useful features, and it sounds sweet.

Specs: Product type: AV receiver; Amplifier total output power: 630 Watt; Built-in decoders: DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, Dolby Pro Logic, DTS Neo:6, Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Digital, DTS-ES decoder, DTS 96/24, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1 See full specs >>

Price range: $334.99

See all products in the Yamaha HTR-5860 series

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
Edited by: David Rudden
Reviewed on: 02/02/2006
Released on: 03/15/2005

While the company's list of A/V receivers is a daunting 20 strong, Yamaha's HTR-5860 stands out as offering great bang for the buck, listing for $550 but available for much less online. It's packed with useful features, and it sounds sweet. While the look is pretty generic and the feel too plastic for our tastes, its overall build quality is competitive with that of other brands' midprice models.

The Yamaha HTR-5860 measures a standard 17.1 inches wide and 16.5 deep, and it's available in black or silver. If you're intimidated by the hassles associated with installing an A/V receiver, the HTR-5860 will put you at ease. It features Yamaha's Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) autosetup system. It's remarkably easy to use. Just place the included microphone in the listening position, bring up the setup menu, and press a few buttons--the HTR-5860 does the rest. Within a few minutes, the receiver will fine-tune the sound of your speakers for your room's acoustics.

The receiver delivers 110 watts to seven channels, but you can actually connect up to 11 speakers if you count the B set. Two of the extra channels can be used with Presence speakers placed outside and above the normal left- and right-front speakers. A/V inputs number five (including the front-panel set), two of which accept component-video sources. Audio connections include two more stereo inputs; a set of eight-channel/SACD/DVD-Audio inputs; eight-channel preamp outputs; four optical (three rear, one front) and two coaxial digital inputs; and one optical output. There's no HDMI input, which is to be expected in this price range--for now. The receiver will convert composite and S-Video sources such as VCRs to component video, which makes for easier connection duties to TVs. The HTR-5860 is also XM ready, which means it will act as an XM satellite receiver once you hook up a Connect-and-Play antenna (such as the $50 Audiovox CNP1000) and sign up for the $13-a-month service. The standard bevy of Dolby and DTS surround-processing modes is augmented by a selection of Yamaha's proprietary options.

The Yamaha HTR-5860 perfectly rendered the difficult-to-reproduce splashing water sounds in the Psycho-derivative shower scene on the What Lies Beneath DVD. The Cast Away DVD's plane crash scene yielded similarly impressive results; the roar of the jet engine, the pounding surf, and the wind were all terrifyingly real. Turning to music, the HTR-5860 punched out Metallica's St. Anger CD with impressive impact. The band's sledgehammer rhythm was crisp and clear, and Robert Trujillo's massive bass was rock solid.

If you like the HTR-5860 and don't already have a set of surround speakers, consider the Yamaha DTX-5100, which bundles the receiver with a Yamaha 5.1-speaker system and a CD/DVD changer for $1,100. If you're looking for alternatives to the HTR-5860, you can get the equally impressive Pioneer VSX-1015TX, which offers THX certification and an extra component input but sacrifices the built-in XM compatibility. But no matter how you slice it, the Yamaha HTR-5860 offers an impressive mixture of features and performance for its price.

See more CNET content tagged:: Yamaha Corp.,; receiver,; XM Satellite Radio,; speakers,; AV receiver

User opinions

8.8/10 Average user rating from 5 users Excellent

WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEW How would you rate this product?

9/10 Spectacular February 2, 2006

by mchris1x (see profile)

"Great receiver! Does everything very well!" Read more >>
9/10 Spectacular February 14, 2006

by sst1 (see profile)

"Great Receiver For the Price !" Read more >>
9/10 Spectacular March 16, 2006

by workout4fun (see profile)

"Best value out there" Read more >>
WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEW See all 5 user opinions >>