Yamaha BP-S1065 review

In its own right this is a great Blu-ray player, but we simply can't recommend it at such an exorbitant price Tested at £460.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

A fine player on its own terms, but it needs to be half this price to make any real-world sense

Pros

  • +

    Nicely made

  • +

    decent ergonomics

  • +

    good images from all sources and enjoyable movie sound

Cons

  • -

    ‘Optimistic’ doesn’t begin to describe Yamaha’s pricing

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.

All things being equal, the Yamaha BP-S1065 would be a front-running Blu-ray player.

It's built and finished to a standard that entry-level machines can't compete with, and it's got big, bold, thorough on-screen menus.

The remote control's hardly the last word in luxury, but it's logical and comprehensive and fairly easy to navigate in the dark even without the aid of backlighting.

On-board decoding of high-definition soundtracks to eight-channel analogue outputs will delight the owners of veteran multichannel amplifiers, and while there's no on-board memory for BD-Live content there's a USB socket on the rear for external memory.

Looks a treat with Blu-ray
Performance, too, is not to be sniffed at. Our Avatar Blu-ray looks a treat, combining a lustrous, nuanced colour palette with excellent contrasts and smooth, secure motion-tracking.

What's more, the Yamaha's a confident upscaler of DVDs, keeping picture noise to a minimum and retaining much of its poise where movement is concerned. If anything, high-def sound is even more impressive.

Subtle and substantial by turns, the BP-S1065 remains controlled at the height of the action but demonstrates a deft lightness of touch when required, and describes a big, solid soundstage.

It's all about the money
There's a ‘but' coming, of course, and the chances are you know what it is: £460 is a hair-raising amount of money for a Blu-ray player these days.

Machines costing a third of that can get close on sound and picture.

See all our Blu-ray player Best Buys

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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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