With so many budget 2.1 systems on the market, a £1000 set-up such as this really has its work cut out. Can such an expensive system really justify the price premium?
Yes it can. Within seconds of unpacking the Yamaha system it's clear that this is no budget offering. The speaker cabinets are curved and dressed in aluminium. Each one boasts an 11cm drive unit and 2.5cm tweeter.
The DVD receiver even uses high-quality Faroudja DCDi picture processing to achieve 1080p picture quality over HDMI.
Sound quality is excellent for a system of this type. The speakers and subwoofer form a superb partnership. The speakers bring a great deal of detail and insight while the sub delivers the required amount of grunt and heft. During Shooter's opening gun battle, the speakers and sub remain composed as bullets fly and mortars explode.
You can tinker with the sound modes to induce a greater feeling of surround sound and spread the effects wider, but it's not necessarily the best option.
Fine sound and a great picture
Even with CD playback, the Yamaha system sounds solid, composed and relatively rhythmic.
DVD playback is great too. The system dishes up deep, rich blacks and a detailed, well-defined image. Aliens versus Predator: Requiem has numerous tricky dark scenes yet the Yamaha never loses its way.
We do have a couple of gripes. The main unit has a display, but it's on the top of the DVD receiver and it isn't easy to read. Also, it would have been nice to have a couple more inputs on the DVD receiver, such as an HDMI.
If you're in the market for a 2.1 system, but want to distance yourself from the budget crowd, don't part with your cash before giving this Yamaha a blast.
