Yamaha BD-S1900 review

We don't want to be too hard on this budget Yamaha, but cheaper rivals offer more features and greater prowess Tested at £550.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

We can’t be too downbeat on the Yamaha, but cheaper rivals offer much greater value

Pros

  • +

    Solid design

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    detailed images

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    deep blacks

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    vibrant colours

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    meaty, full-bodied sound

Cons

  • -

    Threadbare feature-count

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    no integrated wi-fi

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    picture and sound quality can be trumped by cheaper units

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

If a new Blu-ray player is on the cards, you're currently spoilt for choice.

Class-leading, feature-packed, budget machines can be picked up for Scrooge-friendly sums, so more expensive players have to work even harder to prove their worth. The Yamaha 'S1900 is one such.

The player – a basic Profile 2.0-enabled machine with an ethernet socket and USB input for connecting external memory – has been styled to match Yamaha's home cinema amps.

The remote control is uncluttered and simple to look at, but it feels cheap and main control buttons don't even glow in the dark.

Slow loading times
Disappointingly, loading times fall short of cheaper machines too. The biggest feature is the Pure Direct button, claimed to improve CD playback over stereo analogue outputs (and it does promote cleaner, more detailed sound).

In essence, the Yamaha serves up a perfectly watchable picture. During Up, colours are vibrant and well rendered.

Edge definition is solid and the player keeps a firm grasp on the images. Switch to the grittier action of The Taking of Pelham 123 and it keeps up the good work, picking out detail and producing natural skin tones.

Full-bodied sonics
Sonically, the Yamaha favours a weighty approach. Spin Prince's I Would Die 4 You and the player stomps its approval, but could do with greater agility and insight.

The bottom line is that while this is a perfectly decent player there's no real reason why you'd choose it over more affordable ones such as the Sony BDP-S760.

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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