The Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A670 is a powerful AV receiver designed to be the hub of your home theater. It has one of the best power outputs in this price range and can easily power any size home theater speakers. It also features the latest and greatest audio decoders, so you’re sure to have the best surround sound possible. In addition, you can connect devices to it wirelessly via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to play hi-res music over your system. For these reasons, the Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A670 earns the Top Ten Reviews Silver Award for best AV receiver.
Power output isn’t everything, but it matters a lot, especially if you’ve upgraded your home theater speakers. If your receiver’s amplifiers are underpowered compared the speakers’, you won’t get much volume. You also risk damaging the speakers because of the lack of power. This is why the RX-A670 is one of the best stereo receivers for around $500. It has the second-highest power output per channel of the models we reviewed.
The RX-A670 is rated for 120 watts per channel for 8-ohm speakers – most receivers have an output rating around 80 watts. With 6-ohm speakers, it’s rated for 140 watts per channel, while most receivers have ratings around 100 watts. This is definitely enough power to project sound at theater-level volumes.
This receiver has two-zone audio, so you can separate two of the seven channels and play audio from a second source. For example, you can power two speakers in a separate room and have separate spaces for listening to music and watching movies.
Your home theater’s quality depends on your receiver’s ability to decode how audio is formatted on media like DVDs and Blu-rays. Each format mixes audio to specific channels to create the best surround sound. However, it’s missing some audio decoders that enhance stereo formats or upmix audio sources to surround sound.
The Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A670 has almost all the necessary audio decoders, including those for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, which are the two most popular formats directors use when mixing their soundtracks for the theater. This means you hear the dialogue, soundtrack and action just as the director intended.
It also comes with decoders for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which are the newest audio formats. They include overhead channels in their mix to add dimension to the sound and make you feel like you’re right in the middle of the action – especially when a plane flies overhead in a movie. This receiver also has the Dolby Digital Plus decoder, which is the most common format for services like Netflix and for streaming audio from mobile devices.
The RX-A670 is missing the Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo: 6 decoders, which convert a two-channel stereo signal to a surround mix. This format is most helpful if you watch older DVDs or VHS tapes, since they were mixed before the surround format became popular.
One of the most important things to consider when choosing a surround sound receiver is the number of HDMI inputs it has because this can either limit the number of components you can connect or allow you to grow your system in the future. The Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A670’s biggest drawback is that it only has four inputs.
Most users need an input for a streaming device, a Blu-ray player, a gaming console, and a cable or satellite receiver. While you may only need four inputs right now, most home theater experts recommend buying a receiver that has two more HDMI inputs than you need. Most models have six HDMI inputs, which provides room for expansion.
On the plus side, the HDMI inputs are compatible with 4K video and HDCP, an anti-piracy format that some Blu-rays and DVDs use. Without an HDCP-compatible HDMI input, you can’t watch movies with encrypted content.
As with the best home theater receivers, there are a few ways you can connect to the RX-A670 wirelessly – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and AirPlay. Using Wi-Fi, you can listen to internet radio stations and streaming apps like Pandora or Spotify. You can also stream music directly from your phone when you connect it to the receiver via Bluetooth or AirPlay. In addition, you can use Bluetooth to control the receiver with a smartphone app.
The receiver has two subwoofer pre-outs, so you can add huge bass to your movie nights. There are also legacy inputs for digital and analog audio and video, so you can connect devices like old DVD players and gaming consoles that aren’t compatible with HDMI inputs.
Yamaha covers the AVENTAGE RX-A670 with a two-year warranty, which is the industry standard for AV receivers. If you need help, the manufacturer provides support through phone or email. In addition, there are tutorials on the company’s website that teach you all the ins and outs of building your home theater system.
The Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A670 is one of the best AV receivers for less than $600 because it has great power output and all the important audio decoders. It also has ample wireless connectivity options and legacy inputs. Its one shortcoming is it only has four HDMI inputs, which is two short of most AV receivers. Still, with seven channels and two subwoofer pre-outs, you can enjoy theater-quality sound in your living room.
