HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Due to my Onkyo AV amp coughing its last yesterday, I've now got one of these arriving on Tuesday.

Yamaha RX-V485

It's got loads of fun features and includes Alexa integration, which could be even more fun for me.

Sound-wise it's quite decently specced -

5.1 channel surround sound
Rated Output Power (1kHz, 1ch driven) = 115 W (6 ohms, 0.9% THD)
Rated Output Power (20Hz-20kHz, 2ch driven) = 80 W (6 ohms, 0.09% THD)

It's got three Burr-Brown 384 kHz / 32-bit DAC chips inside, with (so the bumph says) independent power supplies.

Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD® blah-blah-blah yadda-yadda-yadda...

It also features Yamaha's proprietary CINEMA DSP 3D which, it says...

[CINEMA DSP 3D] ...provides a wide, high and dense sound field, while HD Audio format decoding lets you enjoy HD Audio sources. Moreover, the Virtual Presence Speaker function delivers three-dimensional sound without the actual use of presence speakers — giving you a rich sound field virtually equivalent to 7.1-channel surround, even with a 5.1-speaker configuration.

Needless to say, it also handles 4K and 3D.

DTS:X comes as standard, and DTS:X is "an object-based audio codec, which aims to create a multi-dimensional sound that 'moves around you like it would in real life' and will work with "any speaker configuration within a hemispherical layout" In short, it's an attempt to replicate the sort of sound Dolby Atmos can provide, but without the need for every square-inch of your walls and ceiling covered in speakers. It's also made it possible for users to adjust the volume of just the voices on a soundtrack, making once hard-to-hear dialogue a lot easier to understand.

It's controllable using the remote, android or Apple app, and, it seems, Alexa.

There appears to be a firmware update that allows one to connect a FREE Spotify account, which might be handy for me.

Obviously, I'm quoting most of this stuff from the manufacturer's site, and from elsewhere for the explanation of DTS:X but the actual proof of the pudding will be in the first Blu-ray of that pudding that I play, so I'll let you know.

One thing I will say, not about this amp but in general, I could never go back to listening to the TV with just the TV's own speakers. I've got a decent LG 55" telly but the sound is awful by comparison to any AV setup I've had. Being without an amp has reminded me of that in no uncertain terms.

Very nice indeed Slinger, have fun, and remember to keep the wires tidy.

It is a very long time since I listened to a tv through the tv alone. I have heard soundbars, but they do not compare with a hifi system.

Jammy Dodger wrote: ↑Sat Aug 31, 2019 1:57 pm Very nice indeed Slinger, have fun, and remember to keep the wires tidy.

If I really wanted to spend stupid money, it has Yamaha's "MusicCast" system built-in, so you can set it up with all wireless speakers.

CN211276 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 31, 2019 2:04 pm It is a very long time since I listened to a tv through the tv alone. I have heard soundbars, but they do not compare with a hifi system.

Spot on. Amp + speakers and a sub trumps anything else

I'm staggered at what you can get in that box for £250 ... amazing.

Hemmo1969 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:18 pm I'm staggered at what you can get in that box for £250 ... amazing.

That's rather what I thought. It's only about £20 more expensive than the Onkyo I bought 2 years ago, and although the inputs and outputs are pretty much the same the extra features are what impressed me. I've also heard, from someone at HFS, that Yamaha's "virtual 3D DSP" is rather good.

"

Onkyo make the best av amps in my experience..went through many back in the day.
i have two 1000 quid onkyo av amps here and they sound amazing in stereo

Onkyo has had patchy representation over here over the years I gather but I remember the brand being a good well performing one. One thing about Yamaha... 'Audio' is but one of their many disciplines and I believe of all audio manufacturers these days, the amount of money Yamaha can put into R&D is huge and they still seem to care enough not to get it wrong. Not sure about Denon these days I'm afraid, but they also used to make top line gear of good sonic performance but you hardly saw any of it.

It looks as though Sony seem to have lost it in recent times as certainly compared to the classic properly designed flagship ES gear they made a decade or three back, the current stuff can be shite it seems compared to what went before (ASR have done one or two reviews).

Alright Dave.
tbh i gave up on surround sound years ago..was never happy with it..today i just use a soundbar and not even use any of me kit.
Back in the day when it was the in thing i home demoed lots of AV amps.denon were utter shite.
i got an old flagship pioneer ax10i here still working that cost me 3 grand back in the day..sounds good with stereo but not so with surround.
3d tv lol..that crap did well aye..utter joke trying to watch a film in 3d