Yamaha RX-V471 5.1 AV receiver

Yamaha’s RX-V471 is more than just a budget 5.1 AV receiver with 3D-friendly HDMIs. It represents something of a reboot for the celebrated hi-fi brand. Despite having a heritage with AV that can be traced back to the very first surround sound decoder, the past few years have seen the company floundering. For some reason it just …

[David Gosnell]

"5 x 105W, which strikes me as a tad optimistic"

With 280W rating for the unit as a whole, no kidding!

[Greg Eden]

You are confusing electricity usage with amplifier sound output. The 280w is the max power it draws when pushed.

[Steven Raith]

Happy coincidence....

I've just been looking at getting an AV amp for my bedroom, which will come with me when I eventually move out of my flatshare.

Might have to check this out then...

Oh Mighty El Reg, when my brother asks me why I spent the rent money on shiny tat, I shall name YOU as my inspiration.

Steven R

[Citizen Kaned]

ahh yammy...

2 years ago i replaced my beloved yammy with a denon 1910. i went with denon as yammy had dropped in quality but i have to say i miss it. it just sounded better than the denon. the DSP modes were much better, the 5.1 stereo sounded better than the denon. the Compressed Music Enhancer sounds better for MP3s. i just needed HDMI for blu-ray and trueHD sound etc

im now thinking of swapping back but im not sure the yammy now has enough inputs for my need

we tend to use the ps3 for streaming mp3s from NAS box as my son loves watching the globe screensaver it uses. its a shame there is no NAS ethernet/wireless capabilities :(

[Bob H]

I'm sorry, but can we stop using airy-fairy words like "polite" when talking about audio, as an engineer it depresses me when I see the use of audiophile phrasing instead of clear definitive descriptions like "distorted", "non-linear", "lacking bass response" and I will accept "clean" to mean undistorted, but not "tidy" to mean anything other than for functional elements.

[geekclick]

Yes but.....

Is it wife proof? I mean the missus has reasonable technical nouse but hates having to mess around with this stuff.

If so i maybe onto a winner!

[Citizen Kaned]

should be ok....

my mrs could use my old yammy.

admittedly my denon has 3 preset quick buttons that we use for ps3, audio and virgin. the bdr is clever enough to auto control the amp and it remembers its settings too.

[Anonymous Coward]

Make everything wife/mistress proof

... buy a Logitech Harmony, even a fluffy brained barbie can cope with pressing the big touch screen option for "Watch TV" or "Watch DVD"...

Made my life much easier and less filled with whinging!

[KjetilS]

Good value?

... Why should a receiver support FLAC? That's the job of the media player.

There are only a few thing a good receiver actually do need:

Good sound quality, enough power to drive your speakers, and support for the more common surround formats.

Anything else is usually just there for the checkbox bingo, and not because it makes a better product.

[Fred Dibnah]

Why? Because

you may have a Sonos or Squeezebox player connected to it. Both have digital outputs, so if you want to be digital until the AV receiver, it should be able to decode the format. If it can't you have to use the analogue outputs instead. FLAC is becoming common now so any new receiver worth its salt should support it (IMHO).

[AndrueC]

Eh? The Squeezebox decodes the FLAC and outputs PCM.

I don't think it makes any sense for a receiver to be able to decode different audio (or video) formats unless you also want it to be a media streamer. To my mind that's currently a step too far. Receivers should accept standard input streams. Let the device sending them that stream handle any format specific decoding.

[Tim Parker]

High rating...

Is there anything compelling here over something like, say, the Onkyo TX-NR509 (similar price and specs, but networked) - or a Pioneer VSX-521 (similar specs, quite a bit cheaper) ?

[Gordon861]

I was just about to post something similar, I bought a 509 a couple of months ago and it sounds like a much better buy due to more connections and the network link. And it's the same price as this one.

[Nick Galloway]

Radio

I may be nit picking here but this great unit makes no allowances for digital radio?

Is digital radio going to be no more than a fad and we all stick to the tried and tested analogue transmissions or did I miss something?

I still want one!!!

[MJI]

No idea what I want out of current crop

Not bothered by MP3 USB but NEED 5.1 input and would like phono.

Most importantly - sound quality

[batfastad]

Radio

This looks seriously good value.

I've got an old grunter Cambridge Audio Azur 540R which I've been looking to replace for a few years now. I was thinking I would end up having to spend >£500 even for a non-audio-tart receiver. Looks like we might have a winner here though!

Regarding DAB... I'm not so bothered any more. The future of radio is analogue (hopefully) co-existing with internet radio and Freeview radio, completely skipping DAB.

Analogue will keep winning for me until someone creates a pocket-sized DAB radio that can get Test Match Special and last an entire Australia Ashes test series on a single pair of AA batteries!

And Analogue keeps winning in my flat anyway because DAB just sounds like someone drowning.

But while I'm thinking about it, internet radios. Are there any that let you connect to streams on your wireless network?

What I'd quite like to do is be able to cue up a playlist on my HTPC, then just connect to that stream with a WiFi radio. I already stream music through VLC but to have a receiver that's not a full-on computer would be really ace.

I just wish there was a standard way of tuning in to internet radio and standard codecs. That might all exist already, never really looked into it. DNS SRV records would be perfect for this as you could just tune in to [e-mail], then the stream server is located through DNS.

[Fuzz]

"I just wish there was a standard way of tuning in to internet radio and standard codecs. That might all exist already, never really looked into it. DNS SRV records would be perfect for this as you could just tune in to [e-mail], then the stream server is located through DNS."

What about a .radio tld then the radio could scan for stations

[JeffyPooh]

Simply not enough I/O...

A good receiver shouldn't have that many square inches of empty panel space on the back. It should be at least 50% connectors (by area) on the back, preferrabley 75+%. I've seen some that were nearly 100%, but I can't afford them.

[Some Beggar]

But you can afford to have so many i/o devices that you're running out of connectors?

Balls.

[MJI]

My thoughts too

I have 4 digital (sound) in on my amp and that is not enough - and two of those are shared optical and coax for DVD.

With the rise of PVRs with surround sound such as all the Freesat and Freeview HD, games consoles with digital out, you need a LOT more.

Build quality

My old one is so much more solid than the newer ones - was a real annoyance.

As before no idea but want,

5 or 6 digital audio in

Phono stage

5.1 in for SACD and DVD-A

[Christian Berger]

Uhm, paid 399 Euro for a simmilar model...

But the 40 quid more expensive model is a 7.1 one with one 7.1 analog input (important if you want to connect a PC) as well as a phono input. So 300 quid for a considerably less useful model doesn't seem to be good value.

However the software seems to be the same, and I have to say, it actually works on my model. It's even able to communicate with my Turkish (Grundig) television set, so when I select its tuner, the receiver will automatically switch its input to it.

[Christian Berger]

And another point

The automatic alignment with that microphone only seems to detect level differences and the distance to the speakers. No attempt to measure the frequency response is made. However you have parametric equalisers so you can do that manually.

[Anonymous Coward]

Good beginner amp?

This is a bit rich for my tastes. I just want a surround system into which I can connect a PC, Sky box, Xbox 360 and maybe a Wii (though not too bothered about the last one). What's a good basic setup that won't be too expensive? I am not a discerning listener so amazing sound quality isn't a bother.

[karolbe]

I have better model - RX-V667...

...and a few days ago I bough a stereo amplifier based on Tripath 2020 chip for 50 euros. And all I can say that I will no longer be able to listen to music on that Yamaha. Tripath amp simply rocks, I couldn't believe that such difference is even possible between those amplifiers. The difference is HUGE, it is even more huge when you take into account that Yamaha is connected to much better speakers (Monitor Audio BX5) and Tripath is connected to cheap Eltax Universe (also floor speakers).

[JeffyPooh]

I/O sources = "Content is King"

Main System: Subscription satellite TV (dual tuner + PVR) two outputs, FTA Sat TV, PS3, PS2, Wii, DVD Recorder, WD TV, Internet Radio (x2), CD changer, XM Sat Radio, tape deck (obsolete), Receiver, Sony Dash, and probably several more I've forgotten. The system has an active switch box just to accept all the audio sources.

Content is king. Boredom is dead.

The receivers with ~16 inputs are also *over-the-top* 'Top Of The Line' and cost too many thousands. Even 'The Sum of All Gadgets' doesn't add up to that.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Tripath 2020

I see loads of variations of these on e-bay. Any tips on which one to get?

[Goldenbone]

xx67 range worth a look..

Honestly, if you search around, you'll see that the previous range, the xx67 models are on seriously deep discount. All of the higher end models (1067 and above) have improved design, better amplification and better quality components.

I picked up the 2067 for £600 - a model that originally sold for over £1000. It's got loads of network functions, including streaming from NAS or other DLNA sources and internet radio, and also an idevice app to control it. It's got 7 HDMI inputs, and 2 outputs, 7 channels of 130w output, and it just sounds much better than the rxv765 I replaced - From the bass to the high end, theres more detail and power.