YAMAHARXV673Black AV Receiver

"After an almighty tussle, four amps are left licking their wounds - but the Yamaha RX-V673 is left standing with the trophy." What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision magazine.

Following on from its award-winning predecessor, the Yamaha RXV673 is better equipped than ever to provide first class home cinema.

NOW WITH 4K VIDEO SCALING

Going one stage further than conventional 1080p upscaling, this processor has the power to upscale to twice that level! Known as 4K because of the horizontal pixel count of 1080p TV increasing from 1920 to around 4000 (there are several formats all offering slight variations). Currently 4k TVs and monitors are specialist items but, watch this space; prices are coming down all the time. At the moment there are already 4K videos available over the internet but with the RXV673 the upscaling ensures, whatever the format, you're all set for the future of 4K. In the meantime you can also upscale signals to 1080p for the best image quality with Full HD TVs and projectors. The HDMI sockets also allow 4K pass through, for hassle free switching and viewing without the receiver needing to be turned on.

HIGH QUALITY AMPLIFICATION AND DECODING

The Yamaha RX-V673 features a discrete amplifier and Pure Direct for higher quality audio, that's especially noticeable with music. Discrete rather than chip-based amplification offers a wide range of benefits including the potential for a more dynamic and powerful sound. The 7.2 amplifier also delivers 90 watts per channel which is ample for all but the most demanding of rooms and speaker loads. As you'd expect from Yamaha, the digital processing is also first rate. In addition to full HD Audio decoding of both Dolby and DTS formats, the RXV673 features Yamaha's famous DSP Surround programs. With 17 modes from The Roxy Theatre to a concert Hall in Munich, the RXV673 gives a variety of acoustic settings simply not available on rivals. Added to this, SCENE selections ensure that you always have the correct setting when watching films or listening to music - at the touch of a button.

ADVANCED NETWORKING INCLUDING APPLE'S AIRPLAY

Built-in Apple AirPlay means that you can stream music from your Apple iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad or other compatible Apple device, wirelessly! Furthermore, you can view data such as song title, artist name as well as album art* via the AV receiver's on-screen display. *Some models don't support album art display.

With a DLNA certified LAN connection, it's easy to hook up to your home network hub. From here you can access your stored music from PC, laptop or NAS drive and also listen to Internet radio stations and music services. Another great feature is the downloadable Apple or Android app that lets you control many of the receiver's functions from your smartphone, iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad or tablet.

A WIDE RANGE OF CONVENTIONAL CONNECTIONS FOR A BETTER CONNECTED RECEIVER

New to this year's model is the addition of a second subwoofer output - hence the term 7.2. Twin subwoofer outputs let you connect two subs in the room for a more balanced bass response and also the opportunity to use smaller but faster sounding subs without sacrificing the ultimate bass depth. The HDMI sockets are compatible with the latest 3D formats, letting you use a 3D compatible Blu-ray player via the receiver. They're also ARC (Audio Return Channel) compatible, allowing you to receive sound back from your TV as well as send video to it. In terms of the numbers, the RXV673 has five HDMI sockets at the back combined with a sixth socket at the front - perfect for occasionally connected items such as an HD camcorder or PS3. The RXV673 has all the other bases covered too, including two component video inputs and twin coaxial and optical digital inputs. If you have an iPod or MP3 player, you'll appreciate the front panel mounted USB, too. By connecting to the USB, you'll benefit from a digital connection. This gives a direct signal and, hence, purer sound quality than using a conventional dock or analogue input. Plus it also charges your iPod/iPhone, too! If you don't have an iPod or iPhone, the USB socket will also accept music signals from other MP3 players or multi-media devices. When this is combined with the Compressed Music Enhancer you have a home system that will make the most of your iPod or MP3's music content. Finally, the RX-V673 comes with Zone 2 control. Use active or passive outputs to power a second pair of speakers in another room.

SETTING UP AND USING THE YAMAHA RXV673 IS EASY THANKS TO YPAO-RSC

YPAO-RSC (Reflected Sound Control) is an Automatic System Calibration that uses sophisticated equalisation to set the best sound for your room where ever your speakers are placed. It employs Reflected Sound Control to correct early reflections for studio-quality sound. It also provides DSP Effect Normalization, which varies the CINEMA DSP parameters according to the reflected sounds. There's also an advanced GUI (Graphical User Interface) display that makes it easy to adjust settings using an onscreen display.

Top quality audio, video and networking all come together to make the Yamaha RXV673 a serious contender in the mid-range AV receiver market.