DSP-AX1

Digital Home Theater Amplifier
The Worlds Finest Amplifier, with Unrivalled Performance and Amazing Capabilities.
44-Bit CINEMA DSP LSIs (Yamaha Original YSS-910 x 2) High-Performance D/A Converters for All 10 Channels Digitally Regulated Volume Control 54 Surround Programs with 31 CINEMA DSP and 18 HiFi DSP Programs Quad-Field CINEMA DSP for 6.1-Channel Digital Surround Processor Direct Switch SILENT CINEMA for Headphone Play Massive, Anti-Resonance, AluminumExtruded, Naturally Cooled Heat Sinks Copper-Plated Bottom Cover and Shielding Cases Custom Installation Compatibility with RS-232C Interface and Zone 2 Out Direct Access (Macro-Command, Learning-Capable and Preset) Remote Control Unit with LCD Display
8 A/V (with S-Video) and 5 Audio Inputs, and 2 A/V and 2 Audio Outputs Versatile Digital Inputs/Outputs: 7 Optical/3 Coaxial/ 1 RF (AC-3) Digital Inputs and 1 Optical Output
3 Component Video Inputs (fixed and assignable) and 1 Monitor Out with HDTV Compatibility

150W x 6 + 45W x 2

(MAX) 2-Way Binding-Post Speaker Terminals (banana-plug compatible, all terminals)
6-Channel External Decoder Input for Future Sound Formats
Custom Installation Capability with RS-232C Interface and Zone 2 Out
Premain and Center Couplers, and Preout Terminals for Rear Effect, Rear Center and Front Effect Channels, and 2 Sprit/Mono Subwoofer Out
This system is also offered with a cherry finish.
DSP-AX1 Oil-Damped Hidden Control Panel

Black finish available

Recommended Speaker Combination Main Speakers NS-300 Center Speaker NS-C300 Rear Effect Speakers NS-100 Rear Center Speaker NS-100S Front Effect Speakers NS-100 Subwoofers YST-SW800 x 2
Sept., Issue, 2000 DSP-AX1 Surround Programs HiFi DSP Programs Matrix 6.1 Decoder Off Hall A in Europe HALL 1 Hall B in Europe Hall C in Europe Hall D in U.S.A. HALL 2 Hall E in Europe Live Concert Tokyo CHURCH Freiburg Royaumont Village Gate JAZZ CLUB Village Vanguard The Bottom Line The Roxy Theatre ROCK CONCERT Warehouse Loft Arena Disco ENTERTAINMENT Party Game/Amusement Programs 18 Programs Surround Programs Matrix Decoder Off Dolby Pro-Logic Normal Dolby Digital Normal DTS Digital Sur. Normal Programs 3 Programs Remarks : HiFi DSP Programs
Matrix 6.1 Decoder On < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < Matrix Decoder On < Dolby Digital/Matrix 6.1 DTS-ES 2 Programs : A/V Programs
CINEMA DSP Programs CONCERT VIDEO 1 CONCERT VIDEO 2 TV THEATER MOVIE THEATER 1

MOVIE THEATER 2

DOLBY/DTS SURROUND Programs Program Total Grand Total : CINEMA DSP
Matrix 6.1 Decoder Off Pop/Rock DJ Classical/Opera Pavilion Mono Movie Variety/Sports 70mm Spectacle Dolby Digital Spectacle DTS Digital Sur. Spectacle 70mm Sci-Fi Dolby Digital Sci-Fi DTS Digital Sur. Sci-Fi 70mm Adventure Dolby Digital Adventure DTS Digital Sur. Adventure 70mm General Dolby Digital General DTS Digital Sur. General Dolby Pro-Logic Enhanced Dolby Digital Enhanced DTS Digital Sur. Enhanced 21 Programs 42 Programs 54 Programs : Tri-Field CINEMA DSP

Fixed and Assignable Terminals Only Yamaha offers terminals that can be either independently assigned to channels or defaulted to fixed settings. HDTV Compatible Component Video Monitor Out Frequency response of Component Video Monitor Out signal is DC 100MHz, making it compatible with HDTV monitors.

68 YAMAHA DSP-AX233166 www.yamaha.co.uk

Made for Britain

Richard Stevenson trains his lugholes on Yamahas 700 UK-tuned DSP-AX861, which attempts to balance feature frugality with sonic quality
ccording to a quick search for 861 on Yamahas website, this amplier has a warm, deep sound with an abundance of tonal colours and excellent intonation that represents the pinnacle of the Art of the Tuba. Tuba? Okay, I quickly realised I was looking at Yamahas YC-861 tuba rather than the DSP-AX861 amplier featured here but with so many models in Yamahas autumn range they have probably run out of new numbers from 001 to 999 and are having to recycle.
Strangely such a range-a-thon has become the norm in 2007s AV amplier market, and Yamahas 12-strong line-up nudges it just ahead of Onkyos range of 10 muscle-amps, but is a mere bagatelle compared to Denons 16-strong amp arsenal. You can look at this level of choice in two ways; either something for everyone or downright confusing. Still, Im quite happy for these brands to chase market-share. An endless supply of only vaguely different products keeps me in review-work; Im all for the more the merrier. Bring em on.
Seven of twelve: Yamahas swish-looking DSP-AX861SE is just one of a veritable army of lookalike receivers

Middle earth

So what I have before me is a 700 amplier somewhere in the upper-middle area of the telephonedirectory-sized Yamaha range brochure, and it comes to market with an all-important UK-tuned badge. Teams of Yamahas
UK bofns have apparently staked their aural reputation on its sound,
making several mods and tweaks over the generic European model to appeal to us British folk not to mention reduce demand for those
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The DSP-AX861 has been UK-tuned for our ears
non-UK tuned grey imports that used to bedevil the companys ofcial UK dealer base. Coincidentally the average UK lughole prefers a warmer, deeper sound with an abundance of tonal colours so that tuba is not off the auditioning list just yet. UK netuning aside, the key spec-sheet eye candy comprises the seven channels of 100W muscle (more on which later), analogue conversion and/or upscaling to 1080i via HDMI, and Yamahas YPAO RoomEQ system. Okay, compared to some other manufacturers latest offerings that is nearly naked features wise and lack of 1080p scaling, network connectivity or any Dolby/DTS HD format decoding is somewhat remiss if you are playing AV-trumps. Then again, it looks twice the price of equivalently-specied Onkyos, is built like a tank and, unlike its new main-rivals, doesnt run so hot you can use the case as a wafe toaster. On the downside the standard Yamaha remote has never been my favourite and my opinion on the companys orange uorescent displays is both well-documented and subject of the Japanese equivalent of a fatwa. Seriously, I have

Product: UK-tuned 7.1channel receiver Positioning: Mid-range amongst Yamahas plethora of AVRs Peers: Cambridge Audio 640R Denon AVR-2307 Onkyo TX-SR705
seen groups of Ninjas at Watford Gap services with copies of HCC open at my photograph. Clearly the UK-tuning cost a few Yen as well, because the DSP-AX861 is sadly bereft of Yamahas latest and rather fetching GUI. What you get is a basic block text onscreen menu set against a blood-red background with all the visual splendour of mould. The auto-set-up routine insists you go the whole nine yards and implement the YPAO RoomEQ as well, meaning one has to dive into the manual setting menus to switch it of for comparisons. On the operational plus side, Yamahas new Scene function gives direct access to one of four customisable set-ups allied to a particular source or penchant. Out of the crate with nothing but speaker distances and level balance set up manually, the DSP-AX861SE has all the hallmarks of Yamahas current crop. Given a handful of volume with Pirates. Worlds End on Blu-ray is enough to get you looking on eBay for second hand parrots. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix through the coaxial hook-up is full-scale and rich with deep down bass and sparkling effects balancing muscle and delicacy better than most amps at the price.
Ships creak convincingly, immersing you in the nautical atmosphere, and dialogue is smooth and articulate allowing you to
catch about 90 per cent of Depps mumbled Keith Richards-esque dialogue and nearly 30 per cent of Mr Richards words himself. A new record. The only down side of this dialogue focus is that the overall soundstage is a little drawn to in to it and lacks the really open, hall-sized soundstage some rivals at the price can muster. Of course, hook up the player to the Yamahas slightly confusing analogue multi-channel input on the back-panel and you can enjoy the full Dolby TrueHD and/or DTS HD Master Audio experience and that, my friends, is something to behold. Remember the rst time you heard Dolby ProLogic over mere two-channel stereo, or Dolby Digital over Pro-Logic? Yeah, same effect. DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby True HD are just awesome and the Yamaha laps em up, amplifying the analogue output from a Blu-ray/HD DVD player (with matching analogue phono outputs) with ease peaking with the spectacular explosion of the ship in the dock.

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70 REVIEWS

While RoomEQ systems have proved something of an enigma to me in the past, promising much but infrequently delivering the goods, Yamahas YPAO has been one of the most consistently successful at the Stevenson ranch. In this case, a new version of YPAO with EQ down to a subterranean 31.5Hz continues the run in a remarkably subtle way. There isnt much in the way of tweaking or tuning available, but the standard setup tidies up some of the rooms bass anomalies nicely. The effect is a cleaner, less-congested sound that manages to keep the excellent dialogue and add a few feet to the soundstage. Explosions and bass effects seem more pronounced, sharper with more impact, and the underlying LFE just rocks the sofa. Clearly my ears hail from an AngloSaxon descent because UK-tuning is ticking the right boxes down here in rural East Sussex. There is a distinct bias towards a more fulsome

Specifications

Dolby Digital: YES 5.1, Pro-Logic IIx, EX DTS: YES DTS 5.1, ES, 96/24, Neo 6 THX: NO No certification here AV Inputs: YES 5 inputs (composite, S-video, audio) Audio Inputs: YES 1 audio-only input Component Inputs: YES 3 inputs HDcompatible Tape loop: YES 1 loop, labelled MD/CD-R AV monitor out: YES 1 output (video/Svideo and HDMI) Component output: YES 1 output HDcompatible Video up conversion: YES everything to HDMI out at 1080i HDMI: YES 2 inputs v1.1, only 1 output Multi-channel out: YES 7.1 pre-output Multi-channel input: YES 7.1 line level input Subwoofer output: YES 1 output Digital audio input: YES 3 optical, 2 electrical Digital audio output: YES 1 optical Phono input stage: YES Blimey, retro trendy Speaker output: YES 7-channel binding posts (banana) + Front presence Headphone: YES 1 output, front-mounted Amplification: 7 x 105W (claimed into 8) Dimensions: 435(w) x 171(h) x 421mm(d)mm Weight: 13.1kg Features: iPod dock control; remote control out; bi-amp from main speakers; 4 customisable DSP modes; 1080p pass-through on HDMI; UK-tuned
and richer sound that gets a thumbs up with rock and pop music as well as all-action movies. The
YPAO then cleans up any excesses and ne-tunes the dialogue making for impressive sound all round. There isnt quite the mid-range clarity or ber-spacious sound staging of big-ticket receivers, but the DSP-AX861 does offer an awful lot of UK-tuned bang for your buck. In terms of muscle, its a lightweight. Fine in stereo form (we measured a grunty 140W per channels), it falls away quickly when all channels are driven. In 5.1, power output slides to 55W per channel (which is pretty typical, to be honest).

Connections

A HDMI connectivity
With two inputs and one out, we predict youll soon be in the market for an HDMI switcher

Conclusion

What keeps this Yamaha from a Best Buy endorsement is simply its rather frugal features count. While its more potent and robust-sounding than Onkyos cracking TX-SR605 for example, the budget Oinker pips the Yamaha for features and comes in at 300 cheaper to boot. The DSPAX861 is damn good, but without 1080p scaling or HD audio decoding I suspect it wont hit all the buttons for todays most demanding AV enthusiasts and in todays fast-moving AV market you have got to have at least one eye on the next big thing

B iPod dock

Hook you beloved Apple music player into your system via Yamahas optional proprietary iPod dock

Tech Labs

Manufacturers specification: 105W per channel Measured power @ 1kHz: 140W, 2 channels driven, 8: 0.5% THD 205W, 2 channels driven, 4: 0.5% THD 55W, 5 channels driven, 8: 0.5% THD 105W, 5 channels driven, 4: 0.5% THD Fidelity firewall: 135W (0.04% THD, 8, 1kHz) THD @ 50W: 0.005% THD (1kHz, 8) Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz +/- 0.1dB

C Copious component

Get over the HDMI drought with three HD-capable component connections

D Multi-channel input

Connect the audio ouput from your Blu-ray, HD DVD, SACD or DVDAudio player to these to enjoy superior audio

VERDICT

Yamaha DSP-AX861SE 700 Approx Highs: Excellent dialogue performance, good room EQ technology Lows: Limited feature set, no multichannel muscle amp Performance: Design: Features:

Overall:

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