The Yamaha DSP-A5, is probably slightly outdated now, but it did in an award form ‘what hifi’ magazine.
This amplifier has all the great features you would want for using as a home cinema. To use this amp to its best you will need some good quality speakers. Two fronts, two ... Read review
Advantages: good value for money Disadvantages: doesn't serve popcorn
The Yamaha DSP-A5, is probably slightly outdated now, but it did in an award form ‘what hifi’ magazine.
This amplifier has all the great features you would want for using as a home cinema. To use this amp to its best you will need some good quality speakers. Two fronts, two rears, a centre and a sub woofer. Without these speakers there isn’t much point having the amplifier!! The price when I got the amp was £300. ... ...but there are probably better ones now. I would recommend this amp for the very top end of a low budget; it cost now is probably around £250.
For the money you are spending you are getting loads of features, and a great sound. The amp is purely an amplifier, so unlike a receiver it doesn’t include a radio, but that’s no problem, a radio can be easily used with this amp.
The Yamaha DSP-A5, is probably slightly outdated now, but it did in an award form ‘what hifi’ magazine.
This amplifier has all the great features you would want for using as a home cinema. To use this amp to its best you will need some good quality speakers. Two fronts, two rears, a centre and a sub woofer. Without these speakers there isn’t much point having the amplifier!! The price when I got the amp was £300. This at the time was really the better sort, but there are probably better ones now. I would recommend this amp for the very top end of a low budget; it cost now is probably around £250.
For the money you are spending you are getting loads of features, and a great sound. The amp is purely an amplifier, so unlike a receiver it doesn’t include a radio, but that’s no problem, a radio can be easily used with this amp.
So the features include- 5 channel power amplification (this gives the effect of all round ‘real’ sound). Multi mode digital sound field processing, the modes include DSP, Dolby pro Logic decoding, Dolby Digital decoding, DTS decoding (digital theatre system) AND Cinema DSP, this is a combination of Yamaha’s own DSP incorporated with any of the previous modes. The system has a 96kHz/24bit D/A (digital to analogue) converter, this basically changes the digital decoded sound into sound humans can hear. A test tone so you can easily adjust the speaker balance. S video signal input and output capabilities. The unit includes 3 optical (fibre optic for better sound) and 2 coaxial (analogue less sound quality), digital signal input terminals. It also has a full function remote control, which can be used to control other AV equipment as well, such as TV, Video, DVD player, hifi systems. Also it is future proof, unlike many things you buy, it has 6 channel external decoder inputs for future formats.
The amp is very simple to set up, and has about 10 different inputs. The user guide that comes supplied with the amp is very easy to understand, and is also very large!
I previously owned a Digitheatre DD5.1 as my first step into home cinema, and had always in time planned to but 'separates', and I'm glad i did.
The sound quality of the A5 is superb, DD decoding is great, stereo music also very good.... I've not been able to properly test DTS discs as I don't own any. It is also far louder than I require, in a room of 4m x 4.5m, I've yet to have the volume turned up more than 1/3.
The remote is fine once you get used to it, it controls my Sony DVD, Samsung DVD, Pace OnDigital box, + Sharp VCR. Some of the buttons glow in the dark.
It has a fantastic array of connections, including 5.1 channel input, and the full 5.1 preamp outs. The only problems on the back panel I feel are: the centre/rear speaker outputs are clips, and not binding posts.... also, there is no digital input for a CD ...
Advantages: Value for money. Sound quality Disadvantages: Fiddly to set up. Spaghetti! No dedicated digital input for a CD player.
I have recently taken delivery of a Yamaha RX-V596RDS Home Cinema receiver through Letsbuyit.com for £259 (list approx £400) – but that’s another story, see my opinion on Letsbuyit.com!
The receiver is almost the same as the YamahaDSP-A5 amplifier, with the addition of an AM/FM RDS tuner capable of remembering 40 pre-set stations. Hi-fi purists may frown upon receivers, preferring to buy separate tuners and amps but they haven’t seen the state of my hi-fi rack!
What else do you get for your money?
5 channels of 75 watts power each, plus a pre-amp output for a sub-woofer.
Twin Dolby Digital/DTS decoders built in, capable of handling both optical and co-axial digital input from a DVD player. It will also handle digital stereo from a set-top box like my ONDigital Nokia through the co-axial input. The rear ...
Fantastic sound Quality, affordable (without losing manufacturer quality), Very easy to use, can handle several speakers without the need for adding
None. My parents have bought the system, and have a technological knowledge of zero, therefore they find the use of the remote control a little confus (*)
