Yamaha RX-V581

FOR Large-scale performance; superb bass; exciting detail

AGAINST Midrange could be more subtle

Yamaha’s ₹55k AV receivers have had to bow down to superior rivals from Denon and Sony over the past couple of years, but 2016 could just be the year that the tide turns back in Yamaha’s favour. The company is due a comeback, and the Yamaha RX-V581, a beast of an amplifier, may be a harbinger.

The RX-V581 itself is the sturdy rectangular box we’ve come to expect of AV receivers. It’s a touch shallower and lighter than its Denon and Pioneer rivals, but the build quality is as solid as ever. It’s an easy amp to live with.

In deep

Fire up the John Wick Blu-ray and the Yamaha relishes every second of this action-packed film. The way it deals with bass is gorgeous. The low end goes impressively deep, more so than we’ve heard from any receiver at this price. It’s a powerful, muscular performance, but the Yamaha handles all that brawn in a mature way. The bass could easily overpower all other frequencies, but it doesn’t. It underpins the detail, resulting in a satisfyingly solid sound.

Gunshots are piercing, and there are layers of texture in the reverberations after a trigger is pulled. Every car crash is a raucous grinding of metal on metal, and the Yamaha makes you fully aware of the scale of, and destruction in, each impact.

The edges of notes are precise, and at no point does the low end start to go boomy or lose its shape. Yamaha keeps its thunderous approach on a tight leash. There is a touch of brashness at the top edge, when shattered glass and explosions make you wince. It doesn’t stop the Yamaha from being an exciting listen, though.