Looks aren't everything
The first thing we noticed was that dialogue sounded distant and small on familiar DVDs such as The Thin Red Line. Bass was present but indistinct at more than moderately loud levels, and the sub wasn't quite deep and rumbly enough to belt out the sound of speed on The Fast and the Furious DVD. A quick face-off with our Energy Take 8.2 sub confirmed the P610's deficient low-end prowess. More gripes: Surround effects weren't well integrated with the front soundstage. We were always aware of the Yamaha's surround speakers as separate sound sources, which is not a good thing.
CDs sounded a little better, though the P610 couldn't rock out with any sort of conviction. This package was at its best at low to moderate levels. Jazz pianist George Shearing's Back to Birdland CD sounded sweet. On that disc, the sub started off sounding reasonably tight but turned thick and droney as we cranked the volume.
We hooked up the Yamaha posse to a receiver, and the sound quality was on a par with only that of a small shelf system. Well, the Yamaha could play louder than that, but it's not as refined as, say, the or the overachieving . The P610 looks wonderful, but the sound is only barely adequate.
What You'll Pay
- Set Price Alert
