Yamaha RX-V685
Pros
- Best-in Class Sound
- DTS:X & Dolby Atmos Enabled
- Wireless Streaming
Cons
- May Struggle in Oversized Rooms
The Yamaha RX-V685 has the pedigree. Yamaha manages to put out impressive audio gear year after year and the Yamaha RX-V685 fits right in with their previous offerings. Being one of Yamaha’s mid-tier receivers, the 685 doesn’t have the features or the unbridled power that the amps in Yamaha’s Aventage line have, however, it does offer a substantial upgrade over their entry-level amps like the Yamaha RX-V385.
Yamaha RX-V685 Design & Features
Let’s be honest, most AV receivers won’t be first in line for a design award and the Yamaha 685 is no different. The 685 is your basic black rectangular box with a few shiny buttons and knobs adorning the front. All-in-all it’s not much to look at, but you can say that about most AV receivers. On the other hand, when it comes to connectivity, the 7.2 channel Yamaha RX-V685 is well endowed.
It has the normal complement of outputs that you’d expect including a few analog, optical, and digital. The receiver also includes a dedicated phono output for use with a turntable. It turns out that the 685 is also pretty handy when it comes to dual room setups. The amp includes a 2nd HDMI output that lets you watch identical content on two separate TVs simultaneously. The 685 also has hook-ups for a dedicated zone 2 speaker setup which allows you to listen to stereo music in a second room. The biggest drawback to this is that you end up losing the use of your two surround speakers in the main room. Not a huge deal, but something you’ll want to be aware of.
Read Our Review of the Sony STR-DH790
While we’re discussing surround speakers, I want to talk about MusicCast a little. For those of you not in the know, MusicCast is Yamaha’s proprietary multi-room audio system. Sonos burst on the scene with multi-room audio and it hasn’t taken other tech companies long to catch-up. If you have a pair of MusicCast speakers such as the MusicCast 20 or MusicCast 50 you can blast music to any part of your house which basically gives you a whole-house audio system. Being the Yamaha RX-V685 is MusicCast compatible, the little amp can act as your MusicCast hub. The fun doesn’t end there. If you’re like me and you’re sick and tired of long wire runs to your surround speakers, you can use a pair of the MusicCast speakers as your surround speakers thereby, removing some of your wire clutter.
Speaking of wireless audio, the Yamaha RX-V685 includes built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. WiFi gives you the ability to stream audio wirelessly if you have a networked attached storage device. Bluetooth on the amp works both ways. You can not only send Bluetooth audio to the receiver, but you can also stream audio from the receiver to a compatible Bluetooth device such as a pair of headphones.
Since nearly every TV sold today touts 4K resolution it’s only natural that you have an AV receiver that matches. The Yamaha 685 checks off most, if not all, of the 4K boxes. Its 5 HDMIs support HDCP 2.2 copy protection, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma and BT.2020.
Dolby Atmos & DTS:X
Yamaha is often at the forefront of accepting new audio formats, so when Dolby Atmos and DTS:X went mainstream, they were one of the first AV makers to adopt the new formats. Initially both formats were relegated to top tier amps, however, in recent years it’s trickled down into mid-range receivers like the Yamaha RX-V685. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are designed to give an immersive “3D-like” audio experience. Both formats allow sound designers to orient audio in 3D space via the use of overhead speakers or specially designed speakers that bounce sound off your ceiling and down into your listening area. The Yamaha 685 supports both of these formats in a 5.2.2 speaker arrangement.
Yamaha 685 Setup
As is the case with most AV receivers, getting the 685 up and running doesn’t take too long. If you do run into an issue, Yamaha offers an AV setup guide that’s available on most tablets that you can use to get receiver up and running.
One of the first things you’ll want to do is calibrate your system. Built-in to nearly every current Yamaha amp is their proprietary YPAO calibration suite. The 685 comes bundled with a microphone that the system uses to take accurate measurements of your room and connected speakers. Based on the gathered data, the Yamaha 685 will set the correct speaker crossovers and distances. I always suggest that you double-check the results after you run the calibration routine. In my case YPAO set my fronts to full range. Knowing the true capabilities of my speakers I changed the crossover frequency to 80Hz.
Sound Quality
One of the first movies I wanted to task the Yamaha RX-V685 with was Godzilla: King of Monsters with its Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The 685 did not disappoint. As soon as the mighty lizard appeared on screen the 685 shocked my subwoofer to life. The Atmos track was both tall and wide with sound panning around the room treating me to a true 3D audio experience. When King Ghidorah and Rodan take flight the two titanic creatures seemingly zoom overhead with the aid of the Atmos soundtrack. Overall, I walked away very impressed.
Switching over to Avengers: Endgame, the 685 easily handled its action-packed soundtrack. The climactic final battle was intense both visually and sonically. While the on-screen action kept my attention front and center, the Yamaha 685 created a blanket of ambient sounds that surrounded me.
For music, the 685 is nearly as adept. The receiver’s ample treble and mid-range response meant vocals were clear and crisp. The receiver isn’t as adept as a dedicated stereo amp, however, it can definitely hold its own.
Conclusion
The Yamaha RX-V685 checks-off all the boxes, it has good connectivity, a great feature set and, most importantly, it has fantastic audio quality. It doesn’t have the brute strength of receivers in the Aventage line, however, it is an agile and accurate performer. The bottom line is that if you’re in the market for a new affordable AV receiver, then this amp should be on your radar.
