The 8 Best Yamaha Receivers
Editor's Notes
October 21, 2020:
Cross-referencing with Yamaha's current lineup, we made sure only to include models that are currently on offer from the company, including two new additions to their family of products in the RX-V6A 7.2 AV and the RX-V4A AV. Notably, the V6A took the place of the RX-V685BL AVR included in our previous ranking. That model is still available in the company's lineup, but it's nearly identical in cost to the V6A, and it's bested by the newcomer in power, passthrough functionality, and more.
We also added the CX-A5200 Aventage, which is among Yamaha's most expensive offerings, but that comes with just about everything their Aventage line is known for, including outstanding real-time acoustic equalization made possible by a microphone that actually listens to how its output bounces around your space. It also features a trio of optical inputs that will allow you to draw a surround sound picture from multiple sources.
July 12, 2019:
Yamaha is one of the most well-known names in consumer multimedia equipment, and for good reason. Their integrated amplifiers and AV receivers are of notably high quality, and they come in a variety of prices, so you should be able to find one that's right for you. If you're willing to shell out a bunch of cash, the Aventage line is worth a look; the 2080 and 3080 are both top-of-the-line devices that boast some of the most advanced features on the market. On the other end of the spectrum, the RX-V385 and RX-V485BL are no slouches when it comes to features like UHD pass-through and versatile music streaming capabilities. Users on a moderate budget who want plenty of bang for their buck should consider the RX-V685BL and RX-A880, which are only a few short steps away from the Aventage line.
If you're not concerned with HDMI pass-through, the A-S701BL, R-S202BL, and R-N803BL are three great models to choose from. They offer reasonable to impressive levels of amplification and are easy to use as well as highly reliable. Because they're focused solely on audio, they're less costly than their all-in-one counterparts.
One of the most interesting features in Yamaha's line is the MusicCast wireless technology. As long as you have compatible speakers, this protocol can make it remarkably easy to set up a multi-room sound system without having to run any wires. You'll have to commit to Yamaha speakers in order to take advantage of it, but as luck would have it, they're pretty good at making those, too.