Yamaha RX-V1400 AV-receiver

My dad can beat up your dad. That's a call which may be heard in a children's playground, and audio equipment makers also a call frequently make it as they try and convince consumers that their goods are better than their opponents at the cost. As with anything subjectivity plays with a lot whether you accept this point of view.

This wasn't a position that Yamaha has taken with their most recent range of receivers, but I believe they could, after having it in house for the previous couple of weeks.

The RX-V1400 is a middle of the road home theatre receiver using the typical set of goodies you'd anticipate to see including the typical digital home theatre styles, Dolby's latest Pro Logic II, DTS's Neo:6 (their solution to PL2) and Yamaha's standard 4000 or so environment styles for both music and films.

Is using the set up where Yamaha can stand ahead of other receivers I've reviewed. What this does is automobile calibrates itself using an enclosed mic to get volume amounts that are perfect and time for a great many surround channels at your listening area. In addition, it has an inbuilt graphical equaliser that correct frequencies, minimising the effects that the room may have on sound, making to get a flatter, more precise frequency range from loudspeakers.

I'd firmly urge when auditioning this receiver listeners make use of the straight mode. To my ears, when utilizing the stereo mode, the sound lacked dynamics and was veiled and it would have been a shame to be put off by this opinion.

Using the "straight" mode (avoiding all tone controls and video circuitry) promptly (and rather clearly) opened up the soundstage for music using a great range and dynamic sound. Highs were present although not peaky, the midrange was sound and bass had outstanding expansion - at times made me forget that I'd turned away my sub. The Yamaha failed to appear biased towards any specific music genre of music, quite only faithfully replicating the tone from my fairly wide ranging (if not little) set of CDs.

One great signal from a receiver is when you do not understand that it's loud after awakening the children more than once, and this was definitely true in this instance. But the RX-V1400 was equally skillful at low volume listening, not losing any quality of audio at night time degrees.

The Yamaha can also be a strong performer for home theatre. They may not be deep, but good old action movies consistently give a work out for parts and none were better in their time.

As with music, the sound in the Yamaha was thorough, open and full bodied. In the sound of bullets whizzing past your face the Yamaha had control and power on the sound. This receiver truly was not easy to fault.

Technology has really improved significantly lately to some stage where quality componentry is accessible more affordable than before.

Highly recommended.