Wow! What a bargain!

I bought my V659 on-line about a month ago from an authorized dealer. Including S&H, it was less than $300 for a B-stock unit. If it has any cosmetic defects, I can't find them. My unit is black, not silver as pictured.

I bought this unit for a very simple reason: it has four optical inputs. I had a Yamaha V890 for many years and loved it dearly, but I found that I was getting an unacceptable hum/buzz due to ground loops when I connected all my equipment (including a DirecTV receiver, D-Link DS-320 Media Lounge, and a couple DVD/CD/DAC/VCR units.) This was exacerbated when I added an external Audiosource power amplifier. I was able to eliminate most of the noise by inserting an Ebtech Hum Eliminator between the V890 and the amp, but the combination of other equipment was still a problem. Since several of the devices have optical (S/PDIF) outputs, I looked for a receiver that had most of the features of the V890 along with optical inputs.

Enter the V659. The power output is about the same as the V890, at 100 watts/ch for the front three channels. Unlike the V890, the V659 does not have a simple set of "pre-in/pre-out" jacks...you have a single set of pre-out jacks and you have to direct one of three sources to the jacks, depending on your needs. I don't run a 7.1 speaker system, so I can't comment on all of the surround speaker configurations, but the wide variety of 5.1 outputs more than meets my needs.

I do not like the remote control as well as the one for the V890, but it turns out that the older remote works the new receiver just fine (with some functions missing, of course.) The volume control buttons on the V659 remote are in the middle of the unit and the functions are not grouped very intuitively.

Strangely, the most irritating thing to me about the receiver is that you can't change the tone settings using the remote. Actually, you CAN change some settings, but you would think that the remote would allow you to touch up the bass or treble a bit by using just one or two buttons. You can't. You can touch a single button on the front of the receiver and then adjust the bass and treble, but you apparently can't do this using the remote. (If someone figures out how to do this, please let me know.) Changing the tone slightly is absolutely essential for listening at different volume levels. Since your perception of bass and treble changes with volume (sound pressure level), you need to be able to at least emphasize the bass at low volume and de-emphasize it at higher volumes.

Other than those minor issues, the V659 is outstanding as a preamplifier. It's not audiophile quality, but it does a great job. All of the optical inputs can be mapped to the different inputs as desired and most of the inputs can be renamed. The OSD (on-screen display) is informative and not too complex. (You really have to have this hooked up to a TV or monitor to be able to set it up and adjust it.) The receiver comes with a microphone and cable to allow you to set the speaker levels automatically...just place the mic where you normally sit and run it through the auto set-up process.

The many features of the V659 are way too varied to enumerate here. Go to the Yamaha website to download the spec sheets and manual.

One last feature that I want to note is that the receiver has TWO "direct sound" modes. In the "Straight" mode, the audio input(s) are fed directly to the amp section, bypassing the digital signal processing and providing a convenient way to use the receiver as a basic preamp. In the "Pure Direct" mode, the input(s) are fed directly to the amp section, bypassing virtually all the internal circuitry AND turning off the front panel display and the video signal switching. In this last mode, the unit at least comes close to being an audiophile-quality unit. The difference in sound quality is noticeable, as is the lower noise level.

In short, I spent $750 for the V890 and less than $300 (delivered) for the V659...I'm more than pleased with the upgrade.