The Yamaha RX-V685 is a pretty powerful AV receiver and it comes built-in with loads of features, providing great value to its owners. The sonic performance is considered exceptional for an AV receiver at this price range and the rave reviews it has garnered since its debut further prove how remarkable the Yamaha RX-V685 is. Still, no matter how talented an AV receiver is, without matching speakers, it won’t be able to perform its very best.
This is where we come in, we are here to learn more about the sonic characteristics of the Yamaha RX-V685, including finding out its strengths and weaknesses. These are crucial information required to find the right speakers and match them with the RX-V685. We are also planning to list out the best speakers that you can go for and partner them with your Yamaha RX-V685 later on in the post.
Table of Contents
Sonic Characteristics and Important Specifications of Yamaha RX-V685
The Yamaha RX-V685 may not look as charming as other AV receivers or the current new line of Yamaha AVRs but it will still match nicely with most speakers’ aesthetic design, so this would not be an issue. What’s more important will be the sonic prowess of the RX-V685, for an AV receiver at this price point, it sure has plenty of muscles. The rated power output is 90 Watts into 8 Ohms (2 ch driven) with a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz and can go a bit higher when it needs to. The Dynamic Power feature also helps to temporarily boost more power into the front L/R channels. It is a 7.2 channel AVR and this allows you to connect up to 2 powered subwoofers. With these specs, the Yamaha RX-V385 should be able to drive most bookshelf speakers including floor-standers that are not difficult to drive. You will definitely need the support of at least one active subwoofer.
It is also a 4K UHD AV receiver that supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG, providing you with beautiful home cinematic visuals. Another notable feature will be the ability to process Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, the current latest 3D Audio formats. There are also other useful features that will further enhance your music and home theater experiences such as wireless music streaming, YPAO Sound Optimization which automatically optimizes the speakers to sound their best in your listening room, Pure Direct for higher sonic purity, four 32-bit/384kHz Burr-Brown DACs and many more.
More Details at Amazon – Yamaha RX-V685 7.2-Channel AV Receiver
The Pure Direct mode of the Yamaha RX-V685 provides a more detailed and cleaner sounding music presentation but to some listeners, it might sound a bit thin and cold. Still, the music delivery is very accurate, detailed, and faithful, the coloration of the sound is almost non-existent. The soundstage is quite wide and spacious as well. The home theater performance of the Yamaha RX-V685 is what this AV receiver really excels at though. The precision of how the AVR handles the sonic elements and sound is impressive. The overall sound reproduction is clean and clear, with plenty of details to boot.
The Yamaha RX-V685 is an entertainer and the low-end reproduction has plenty of kick to it. While you are immersed in the surround sound field, the bass is providing the presence and weight to every sound effect so that you not only hear the lasers shooting all over the place but also feel it. The low-frequency rumbling of the star fleet as it cruises through above you gives you that sense of awe and tingling excitement. The deep bass performance also provides plenty of tension when watching horror flicks as you nervously anticipate the inevitable scare out of the darkness.
We find that playing Yamaha RX-V685 at high volumes does make it more enjoyable to listen to. The connected subwoofers do play a major role as they need to be good and powerful enough to handle the bass dynamics of the RX-V685 so that you can have an exhilarating home cinematic experience. The music listening experience can be a hit or miss but we still find it is good enough especially for an AV receiver at this price point. We have all the important information we need to start listing out the best speakers to match with the Yamaha RX-V685 AVR.
Yamaha RX-V685 Specifications
- Power Outputs: 90 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms with 2 channels driven
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- DAC: Burr-Brown
- Wireless: Bluetooth (SBC / AAC), Apple Airplay (Airplay 2 via firmware update), WiFi, MusicCast Surround
- Inputs: 5 HDMI inputs, 1 USB input, 4 Analog inputs, 1 Phono input, 2 Optical inputs, 2 Coaxial inputs, Network port
- Outputs: Headphone output, 2 Subwoofer outputs, 1 HDMI eARC (via firmware update),1 HDMI output, 1 Preout
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 435mm x 171mm x 378mm (17.1″ × 6.7″ × 14.9″)
- Weight: 10.5kg (23.1lbs)
Best Speakers to pair with Yamaha RX-V685
The Klipsch Reference R-820F will be an amazing pair of floor-standing speakers to match your Yamaha RX-V685 as the front main left and right channel of your HT system. The high speaker sensitivity and efficiency of the R-820F make it a suitable floor-stander match as it can be driven to high volumes by your RX-V685 AVR with ease. The level of clarity is astonishing as well, not to mention, the crystal clear sound reproduction. You can match the Klipsch Reference R-820F with Klipsch R-51M as your surround channel speakers and Klipsch RP-450C as your center channel speaker. This is a bright-sounding speaker system and you might want to hear them out first before deciding. You will also need to integrate an active subwoofer into the mix.
More Details at Amazon – Klipsch Reference R-820F Floorstanding Speaker
The Jamo S 809 5.1 Home Cinema Pack is a budget option for listeners who do not want to invest much in speakers. The Jamo S 809 5.1 has a stylish and modern design that doesn’t look like an entry-level HT speaker system and will look good with your Yamaha RX-V685. It consists of two S 809 Floorstanding Dolby Atmos ready speakers, along with a pair of Jamo S 801 bookshelf speakers and a Jamo S 83 CEN as the center channel speaker. The Jamo home cinema pack also includes a Jamo J 10 SUB 10″ powered subwoofer. The affordable price is just one of its main attractions, the Jamo Studio Series S809 are highly rated floor-standers and are well-received by their owners.
More Details at Amazon – Jamo S 809 5.1 Home Cinema Pack
If a lively and bright sounding home theater system is not to your liking then perhaps you might want to go with speakers that have warm-sounding characteristics such as the Wharfedale Diamond series. The Wharfedale Diamond 225 will be the bookshelf speakers that you can go for to match with the Yamaha RX-V685 AV receiver as the smooth delivery and ear-pleasing sound quality helps to add some warmth into the overall sound reproduction. The warm sonic characteristic also enhances your music listening experience when playing back vinyl sources. You’ll just need to get a matching center channel speaker from the Wharfedale Diamond series and mix in 1 or 2 high-quality subwoofers.
More Information at Amazon – Wharfedale Diamond 225
The Q Acoustics 3020i will be a terrific all-rounder speaker choice for your Yamaha RX-V685 AV receiver and will be great as your main front channel speakers (L/R). The speakers’ sonic characteristic is a suitable match with your RX-V685 AVR due to their warm and rich sound quality. The 3020i does not sound harsh when pushed to high volumes which allows you to listen to these speakers for hours on end. The bass performance and large-scale sound complement the AVR really well too. For the surround channels, we would suggest going for Q Acoustics 3010i which is equally remarkable, and the 3090ci as center channel speaker. You can either choose to go for a similar brand subwoofer or brands that specialize in making subwoofers.
More Info at Amazon – Q Acoustics 3020i Bookshelf Speaker
More Info at Amazon – Q Acoustics 3010i Compact Bookshelf Speaker
For listeners who are planning to set up a 5.1.2 speaker system so to watch movies using Dolby Atmos as the audio format. You can go for Dolby Atmos speakers such as Klipsch RP-140SA instead of an in-ceiling speaker as it is a lot easier to set up/install. If possible, you should stick with the same speaker brand as they usually share a similar sound signature. For instance, with the Jamo S 809 5.1 system, you should go with Jamo S 8 ATM and for Wharfedale speakers, you have the D300 3D which is a very versatile surround speaker. Still, in-ceiling speakers such as the Q Acoustics Q Install QI65P may provide slightly better sound quality and accuracy, as they can directly project the sound towards you instead of bouncing off the ceiling.
More Information at Amazon – Klipsch RP-140SA Dolby Atmos Speaker
More Information at Amazon – Jamo S 8 ATM
There are 2 types of subwoofers to go for, one is ported and the other is a sealed cabinet. For movies, the ported cabinet such as the SVS PB-2000 Pro subwoofer will be a better choice due to the higher efficiency in bass output and higher max SPL. For music and for listeners who want more accurate bass rendering and tighter control, a sealed cabinet such as the SVS SB-2000 Pro will be a better choice. Some listeners even prefer using sealed subwoofers for their home theater system. You might want to do a side-by-side comparison and see which type you will prefer.
More Info at Amazon – SVS PB-2000 Pro (Ported Cabinet)
SVS SB-2000 Pro (Sealed Cabinet)
To Conclude
You should shortlist some of the recommended speakers listed here and arrange an audition to have a listen. From there, you can better understand the sound quality that these speakers possess and either do a final round of audition to confirm which of them best suit your taste or use it as a comparison when searching for other speaker brands/models. When searching for other speakers not listed here, you need to make sure that the Yamaha RX-V685 is capable of driving them.
