Yamaha 5.1-Channel 4K Ultra HD AV Receiver with Bluetooth

This is my second, lower cost Yamaha receiver and they don't disappoint. With a good set of surround speakers and current-standard HDMI cables these things really kick out the volume with crystal clear sound, rich bass and a stunning picture. You can spend $6-800+ on higher end receivers and for some people maybe they're necessary, but honestly for the average TV, music, movie watcher I just don't see the need. Yamaha packs a lot of technology in at really decent price points. The only reason I upgraded to this receiver is because although my prior recvr. (RX-V477) did allow for 4k pass through, it did not have HDCP 2.2 HDMI connection ports which you need to enjoy 4k in HDR or Dolby Vision. The best I could get out of it was 4k SDR at 60 Hz which was still nice, but I wanted to take full advantage of the best 4k can offer. I have this unit paired with an LG 65" LED/LCD 4k tv and an Energy 5.1 home theater surround kit with subwoofer. Peripheral devices include a 4k Apple TV box, Amazon Fire Stick and a Sony BluRay player that barely get used anymore. The Dolby Vision coupled with DTS surround sound is stellar. My first 4k test movie was the latest Star Trek and let me tell you....WOW! It really pops. The unit comes with a brief set up guide which is good enough for the basics. The user manual comes on a CD ROM which is useless if you are a MAC household...you can find the full user manual online easy enough however. Once all the connections are made on the back, power it on and follow the guide. You will want to plug in the included YPAO sound tuner and follow the instructions to optimize sound for your room. Once that's done you're basically ready to go. You can fine tune in the settings if you like but the YPAO works quite well, and I was more than satisfied with the results. You will want to turn on the 4k upscale function if you have 4k devices. My LG smart remote and Apple tv remote both paired with the unit right away enhancing ease of use. If you have a smart tv with video apps like Netflix, AmazonPrimeTv, Vudu, Xomo, etc. make sure you plug the HDMI out cable into the ARC ready HDMI connector on the back of your TV. The recvr. will automatically recognize the ARC and output your sound accordingly (AV1 typically). If not, you will need to use a digital optical cable to get sound out of those apps. Tested the Bluetooth using iPhone X; connected and played no problem. Upper right corner of remote has Enhancer and Bass buttons. They recommend turning on the Enhanced setting for streaming music which I did. Sounded great with no issues. I just leave xtra bass on all the time 'cause I likes it! Couple points to note: there is no Ethernet port which is a little odd since there's no Wi-Fi card either. Updates are accomplished by downloading a zip file to USB stick on your computer and then load onto the recvr. Somewhat cumbersome and my only real complaint with this model. This is a 5.1 system so you'll need to spend a little more if you want 7.2. Make sure you have the latest up to date HDMI cables...HDMI 2.0, ARC, HDCP 2.2, 4k, UHD etc...these are the specs you want to be looking for. Out of the box the firmware needs to be updated using a USB stick-mentioned earlier. This update is required to get Dolby Vision 4k. Well as you can tell I really like these Yamaha receivers. Yamaha has been around forever manufacturing instruments and stereo equipment. They know what they are doing and they produce a quality product that you don't have to break the bank in owning. The unit being replaced is still in fine working order and will be relocated to the garage paired with bookshelf speakers so papa has tunes during those outside work days around the house!