Yamaha BDX-610

All-In-One Home Cinema Kit Reviews

Well known for its amps, sound bars and musical instruments, Yamaha also includes a number of 5.1 kits in its catalogue and announced the BDX-610 at the last IFA. The BDX-610 design is very much in keeping with the standard codes of modern hi-fi equipment. The built-in amp, though smaller than standard models, mixes layers of matte and glossy black to give a nice elegant finish. The speakers are disappointing however. Their glossy plastic shell is of average quality and the material covering the speakers isn’t particularly smart either. The connectivity ticks most of the boxes but brings little new to the table. There’s only one HDMI out, which is ARC compatible, but you'll have to link other sources up to the television to enjoy it on this audio system, which isn’t necessarily all that practical. The line ins include a double RCA, an optical S/P DIF and coaxial and composite connectors. There’s a USB port at the front and the BDX-610 is iPhone/iPod compatible and has a headphones socket. The speaker wiring all has to be done by hand, meaning there aren't any particular connectors. Newbies will no doubt be a bit lost but at least the system is scalable.