Yamaha DSP-Z7 review

Anyone lucky enough to have two grand to spill on a multichannel amplifier needs to hear this Tested at £1960.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Anyone lucky enough to have two grand to spill on a multichannel amp needs to hear this

Pros

  • +

    Cast-iron control and authority

  • +

    communicative with movies and, to a lesser extent, music

  • +

    lengthy specification

  • +

    built to last

Cons

  • -

    Internet radio may not suit everybody

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.

As befits a £2000 home cinema amplifier, Yamaha's bruising DSP-Z7 is bristling with sockets and features.

The Z7 upconverts any input video signal to HDMI, and upscales the same signal to 1080p; it decodes all HD audio codecs; it can power as many as four zones; and it's packing five HDMI inputs and two outputs, in case you run a TV and a projector.

Add in wireless networking, unburstable build quality, accurate mic-driven auto-setup and a useful remote control and the Yamaha reads as if it should be worth the money.

More importantly, it sounds as if it's worth the money too. Playing the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack of The Dark Knight, the Yamaha extracts prodigious levels of detail, punches with implacable solidity and steers effects with alacrity.

Big dynamic shifts are handled dismissively, voices are well integrated, and the soundstage enjoys a rare uniformity and cohesion.

More than capable with every kind of audio
Lesser formats are treated with equal assurance – the Z7 has pitiless authority over the toughest soundtracks and the fussiest speakers.

It's also pretty musical by the standards of its peers. Ultimately it lacks outright subtlety and timing can be hit-and-miss, but there's no shortage of attack or attitude.

Using the aforementioned upconverter/upscaler, there's no that doubt standard-definition movies and TV are more watchable as a result.

The simple HDMI throughput, where audio is stripped from the incoming HDMI source and the pictures passed through to a display, has absolutely no impact on picture quality – whatever goes into the Yamaha comes out intact.

So it ain't cheap, but sometimes – like here, for instance – you get exactly what you pay for.

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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