Re: listening to YPAO vs Audyssey... I am yet to find anyone who is installing the kit and seems to know where to place the microphone during a multi-point measurement! The guys in retail stores know (but only a few of them)... so to me many, many amps from all brands are not being installed to their full potential.
Of course, if the amp is in a rack 50 meters from the speakers the calibration microphones cable obviously won't reach the theatre... meaning it becomes a little academic and that some features of the AVR (Audyssey volume etc) can never be utilised by the end user. If you want better room EQ, go ARC (Anthem etc), if you want the next level, go Dirac Live (Arcam / NAD / Emotiva). These aren't tied back to the receiver so can come in handy... but theu most certainly don't control as well as the other brands out there.
Interestingly Yamaha have pushed 'English tuned' sound for 2017 AVR's, which historically will sound different to the Japanese tuned units.
This industry is not getting cheaper and cheaper, we're simply convincing ourselves that we have to push the cheapest option to customers. #makesonosgreatagain
