The Yamaha RX-V483 is the most affordable AV receiver we reviewed, and you get a lot of power for the price. However, it doesn’t have 7.1-channel processing or the newest audio codecs for upmixing stereo to surround sound.
With just 5.1 channels, the RX-V483 can’t match the 7.1 surround sound of the best home theater AV receivers we reviewed. This is a significant drawback if you want a future-proof receiver. That said, most movies are still mixed to a 5.1 format using Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, which this receiver has decoders for, so the lack of a 7.1-channel amplifier is not a big deal – yet. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X add more overhead channels to the mix, and you can expect most movies to use these expanded surround sound formats in the near future.
The RX-V483’s best feature is its power output. It has the most powerful amplifiers of all the receivers we researched that cost less than $400. With 6-ohm speakers, the receiver is rated for 130 watts per channel, and with 8-ohm speakers, it outputs 110 watts per channel.
Though the RX-V483 has the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio decoders, it doesn’t have them for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, the premier formats. It’s also missing upmixing matrix decoders like Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Surround, DTS Neo:6 and DTS Neural:X. This means that you can’t upmix a stereo signal to surround sound.
For connectivity, the Yamaha RX-V483 includes all the common wireless formats: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay and DNLA. However, it only has four HDMI inputs, which is disappointing. Most AV receivers have at least six, which allows you to expand your system when new devices become available in the future. However, it does have legacy inputs for DVD players and gaming consoles that aren’t HDMI compatible. It also has a USB port in the front to charge your phone or tablet.
Yamaha offers a two-year warranty that covers problems due to workmanship or defective parts, which is average for the AV receivers we evaluated. You can contact the company’s helpful support staff by phone, email or live chat if you have questions about the setup process. Live chat is the fastest way to get answers to most questions.
The Yamaha RX-V483 is powerful compared to other AV receivers that cost around $500. Its 130-watt power output on 6-ohm speakers can make your entertainment room feel like a movie theater. However, it doesn’t have as many HDMI input and output channels as the best AV receivers we looked at. In addition, while it has the most important audio decoders – Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD – it doesn’t have ones that support expanded surround sound and stereo upmixing.
