★★★★★ 5
Love my Yamahas
Set name: 5.1 Receiver
RX 385 replaces my much-loved 10 year old RX 375, which I inadvertently fried while experimenting.
The 385 has some newer features, including bluetooth. The old model and this both use the handy YPAO function to tune the audio speakers' depth of field to the listening environment. It's a broadcast mic that you just plug into the front of the receiver for a few seconds to determine each speakers' distance from viewer. Kind of a sonic echo measurement of seating to speaker. It's a foolproof, remarkably clever, timesaving gizmo. The YPAO mic is absolutely included with this unit, looks like a little plastic cone.
Also important to me, Yamaha has replaced the old spring clips for rear/side speakers, which are now the better screw and cap posts, as they have always been for the two front speakers.
I recommend rocketfish HDMI 4k/8k cables to connect this receiver to your tv and to whatever other components you want, such as a bluray. Sound quality is excellent if your speakers are good. (I like KEFs.)
Of course you may prefer wireless speakers, but I'm already committed to wired ones. I used rocktfish banana plugs to connect my speaker wires to the RX 385 receiver's speaker posts. Neat and clean.
With a choice of 2 front, 2 rear, 1 center speaker, plus one coaxial plug in for a subwoofer, your movies and programs are going to sound far more detailed and staged than you'd get from the tv or a sound bar. It's a more immersive and compelling experience. (I use only 2 fronts and 2 rears and don't feel I'm missing anything.)
Yamaha receivers and other components are my favorites: relatively inexpensive, well designed, solidly built, and not fussy to install. If you find yourself in a pickle there are a couple of helpful youtube videos.
I find with the RX385 again that Yamaha does not disappoint me.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2023
