A solid A/V receiver is one of the key parts of a home theater system, but as you’ve probably noticed if you’ve been shopping for one, prices go up fairly quickly. This is an issue that Yamaha is looking to address with its RX-V385 A/V receiver, which the company says is meant for aspiring A/V enthusiasts.
Building on last year’s RX-V383, the RX-V385 is a 5.1-channel receiver. This year’s model has an interesting addition: The front-speakers can be bi-amped in 2.1-channel and 3.1-channel setups, which uses independent amplifiers to drive the treble and bass ranges. This not only provides more power to the speakers, but also prevents interference between high and low frequencies.
The receiver features support for all the latest technologies, so you don’t need to worry about whether or not it is compatible with your new 4K UHD Blu-ray player or your TV. 4K UHD Video, high dynamic range (HDR), HDCP 2.2, and BT.2020 color are all supported. Playback of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio are supported as well, though since this is a entry-level receiver, you won’t find support for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X.
A key component of the RX-V385 is YPAO calibration, a Yamaha technology that analyzes the acoustics of your room and adjusts various audio settings for the best possible sound. The process is entirely automatic, and just takes a few minutes. If you’ve ever struggled with properly calibration an A/V receiver, this feature alone might be worth the price of the receiver.
“The RX-V385 offers budding home theater buyers cutting-edge technology at an accessible price point,” Yamaha Corporation of America A/V division general manager Robert Goedken said in a statement. “When you factor in YPAO automatic acoustic technology, 4K Ultra HD support, HDR and Dolby Vision, this receiver gives entry-level consumers uncompromising value with everything they need to get started to enjoy a full 4K sound experience at home.”
We don’t have an exact date, but the Yamaha RX-V385 will be available at the end of this month at a retail price of $300. For more information, see the company’s website, and be sure to check out our list of the best A/V receivers you can buy, as well as our receiver buying guide.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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