Yamaha RX-V471 5.1 AV receiver

Ridiculously good value?

On the front panel of the AVR are four Scene buttons: BD/DVD, TV, CD and radio. These presets not only select the required input, but plot in whatever post processing you assign. One stab at the radio button, for example, selects the correct input and, should you choose, applies five channel stereo processing – have speakers, will use them.

A calibration mic is supplied for use with the YPAO (Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer) set-up

Alternatively, hitting the TV button might take you to a satellite or cable feed where a Sci-Fi DSP post processing mode is applied for wide stereo separation. 

It’s in amongst these DSP presets that you’ll also find a Compressed Music Enhancer, which endeavours to restore tonal richness to squished MP3s and WMA files.

Yamaha continues to offers some of the best DSP post processing modes in the business, and they’re worth exploring. Included are some acoustic patterns taken from actual venues. You may not be able to drop everything to pop over to The Roxy Club in LA for a set from Motley Crüe, but hit this preset, dim the lights and pour yourself a Jack Daniels and it’s a pretty close approximation.

On the scene

Verdict


For a feature-laden home cinema receiver, the Yamaha RX-V471 can be considered ridiculously good value at £300. FLAC support may be conspicuous by its absence, but the fact that this AVR is so agreeable to live with seems reasonable compensation. ®

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