Yamaha YSP-1100 Features

review date
3.7.07
Introduction
I remember spying the YSP-1 at the 2005
CES Expo in Las Vegas. Audioholics is no
stranger to this technology, but I had never
personally gotten my hands on a Digital
Sound Projector to review. With that about
to change I readied a couple of reference
rooms and thought about different ways I'd
like to test such a progressive product. Many
companies have employed dual channel
virtual-surround systems using various
technologies (and even some gimmicks) but
I had never heard any systems that truly
worked well enough to satisfy
anyone who had previously
heard respected discrete
surround sound. It's one
thing for your Aunt Martha
to listen to two speakers
with DSP and phase delay
and be impressed with the
"surround" effects – it's
an entirely different thing
to impress a seasoned
listener. Well, I'm writing
this review in real time,
so I'll let you know when
I'm impressed – right now
there's a world of potential
given Yamaha's reputation
for understanding DSP and
I've resolved myself to be
"skeptimistic."
First Impressions
The YSP-1100 is a third-generation
product, so Yamaha has had plenty of time to
refine what was already a pretty impressive
looking package. One of the things that
attracted me about doing a review of
their newest Digital Sound Projector was
that Yamaha had added in the ability to
Yamaha YSP-1100
Digital Sound Projector:
Surround Without Boxes
Getting the 5.1 Surround Effect
Out of One Speaker Box
Review by Clint DeBoer of Audioholics.com
automatically set up the IntelliBeam using a
YPAO-like configuration process. Mark my
words, I'll do both a manual and automated
setup, but the presence of this "convenience"
feature takes this product and makes it
much more user-friendly for the intended
consumer and custom installer audience.