I found that the Yamaha software stopped working after a few months, i.e., one cannot control the unit from the PC anymore. This might be because I've plugged the USB cable into another port. So I guess the bottom line on this unit is that it makes home audio equipment just as unreliable and confusing as home PC equipment... (still this is the audiophile's way to convert MP3s and play them on a desktop)

It does work with Windows XP!! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I was unable to install the RP-U100 under XP, so I installed it on a windows 2000 pc, then copied the installed program, RP-100.exe to my windows XP pc. It all works fine, I can control all features of the RP-U100 including turning it on and off from the PC!

Incredible sound! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This is one truly impressive PC Receiver (External Sound Card). Although Yamaha's website does not mention XP, it does work under XP. Just plug the USB cable into the computer and XP automatically installs all the required drivers. Install the software on the CD and you can control the receiver from the computer. Unfortunately the Yamaha driver does not work under XP (only 98/me/2000), and as a result I cannot get the inputs to work with the computer. On the positive side, since the unit works out of the box with XP with no drivers needed, you can rest assured that it will very likely work with future version of Windows. (It also works with Mac out of the box I've heard).

So, with that out of the way, let's talk about the important stuff.

First, the receiver can function without a PC. In fact, almost all the features can be accessed. You can select the inputs, set DSP mode, select FM preset, and tuning to a particular station, all without using the PC. This is extremely important, as you would not want to buy something that will only work when the PC is on. I am glad Yamaha designed the unit with this in mind.

The sound from the receiver is simply incredible. The DAC on the unit appears to be quite good. If you are using the build-in sound card on the motherboard or a plain old sound blaster, you should immediately hear the difference. The sound is richer, has more resolution, and has more punch to it. The amp on the headphone jack is also quite good and delivers excellent sound quality on cheap and expensive headphones. It plays loud enough and reach the max my ear can handle way before maxing out.

Perhaps the best thing is the unit is a looker. It looks really cute, according to one female coworker. The construction is rock solid, it weights a hefty 12 pounds! I've used an external Sound Blaster Extigy and this unit feels much more like a real receiver.

I think "Blair from Chicago" missed the point of having this receiver. This receiver is all about sound quality. It's like buying a BMW and complains that the Corolla also takes you there at a much cheaper price. :)

The only shortcoming is the software. Even though I acquired this in Aug 2003 (at an extremely good price btw), the CD still contains software from 1999 and Yamaha's website offers no software update. The software works, but by 2003 standards it feels a little strange. I am not that bothered by it however, I'd rather have awesome hardware and wimpy software than the other way around. I know I will be enjoying this receiver for years to come, no matter what computer/OS I will use in the future.

Doesn't work with XP, at least not out of the box (Rating: 1.00)
Review : I don't know where Raymond Chi got his information but this product does NOT work with XP. I have this product and XP and they do NOT play well together. Even in his own reveiw he contradicts himself in his first paragraph. First he says it works with XP then he goes on to say it doesn't. I doubt if he's ever had this product. He probably just writes reveiws to see his own name on the Internet.

Software works fine on XP (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I can't add much to Raymond Chi's comments about the build and audio quality of the RP-U100 .... I'm not sure its really hi-fi with the NS-U50 speakers Yamaha designed to go with it, but its light years better than any sound card I've heard before, and its totally unfair to compare it to equipment that costs many times more. In a word, the sound is _fabulous_ for a computer.

My experience with the software and XP, however, was much better than Mr. Chi's. I installed the software before making the USB connection, as the manual suggests. Subsequent installation of the software went without a hitch. The interface is a little dated and counter-intuitive, but it works perfectly -- all the functionality described in the help files works well. You can really geek with some of the complex settings for reverb, equalization, etc. With just a USB connection to the PC, I can even pipe analog sources into the CAVIT and rip them in realtime on the PC. What a great toy!