Review of Yamaha RX-V681BL A/V Receiver

Yamaha RX-V681BL A/V Receiver AV receivers are no less popular than HDTVs in home entertainment segment and with time, technology used in these devices keep getting better. Yamaha is known for making some of the most well performing and feature rich AV receivers. The Yamaha RX-V681 is one such model that offers a good blend of features and performance. This can be a worthy alternative to the models from stables of Sony and Marantz, for sure. Design: Classy & Elegant The 7.2 channel AV receiver is not very different looking from most competing models in the market, and the design is classy yet understated. The top of the front fascia is covered by a display panel and it is sleek. Below the display panel there is a large volume knob at right side. There are a few buttons and a USB port at the front as well. The back side is replete with all type of ports and inputs but you can find them easily for color coding and clear labeling. You may need some time getting used to the bundled remote controller. It looks identical to the RX-V683, as it is. Features: Everything is There- Almost! Yamaha has crammed the RXV681 with almost all types of features buyers can ask for. This 7.2 channel AV receiver is an audiophile’s dream- as far as features are concerned. The surround sound lovers will rejoice to know that it comes with support for formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.  Right now availability of compatible media is limited but with time that is set to change. Nowadays, most AV receiver buyers look for support for web streaming services. In this department, the Yamaha RXV681 scores very well and stumps most of its category rivals. The well known MusicCast system is present in this model. It can be used to stream services like Pandora and Spotify along with Rhapsody. Besides, it supports Apple AirPlay. So, you can stream music wirelessly from Macbook or iPod easily. Bluetooth works both ways and so you can use the device to stream audio to Bluetooth based headphones. If using the bundled remote controller is something you do not like, do not fret. The Yamaha AV Controller App is your alternative. Download the app on your tablet and Smartphone and use the device as a touch based remote unit. The Yamaha RXV681 can play back most popular audio formats without any issues. You can play back files in formats like MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC etc. The front USB port can be used to play back content from USB drives. Yamaha use a number of technologies and features in this AV receiver to improve media playback quality and most of them are meant to improve sound outputs. The good thing is that most of them actually produce desired result. The Compressed Music Enhancer for example does a nice job of making low bit rate MP3s sound better. The receiver comes with support for Gapless Playback. This is nice when you want to play back live and classical albums with zero gap between two tracks. This is compatible with file formats like WAV, FLAC and WAV. Yamaha also offers support for Virtual Surround Sound. This way you can enjoy immersive surround sound even without installing speakers at back side. You may not buy AV receivers with intention to save energy. But Yamaha packs in an Eco mode that as per the claims of the company consumes up to 20 percent less power than normal mode. The Auto Power Standby can be used to make the device off after a certain time. It offers two zone content...
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