★ Editor's Choice
Review · Updated July 2026
Review
I think the Yamaha RX-V385 is a solid budget AV receiver for TV, Bluetooth, and casual 5. 1 use, but only with one clear condition: your turntable needs a built-in preamp, or you need an external phono preamp.
Reviewed by Amber Mitchell
Senior Turntable Reviewer · Last updated July 7, 2026 · 11 min read
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Darkside Vinyl's verdict
I think the Yamaha RX-V385 is a solid budget AV receiver for TV, Bluetooth, and casual 5.
4.2
/ 5
4.2 out of 5
In our listening room
I think the Yamaha RX-V385 is a solid budget AV receiver for TV, Bluetooth, and casual 5.1 use, but only with one clear condition: your turntable needs a built-in preamp, or you need an external phono preamp.
If you want to plug a traditional turntable straight into the receiver with no extra box, this isn't the right pick.
Pros
- Powerful surround sound
- Bluetooth connectivity
- 4K Ultra HD support
- HDMI 2.1 compatibility
- user-friendly interface
Cons
- Limited number of HDMI outputs
- may require setup expertise
- older model compared to latest releases
At a glance
, by the numbers
The specs and scores that matter most when deciding if this product fits your setup.
Our score
4.2 / 5
Price
See retailer
Store
Amazon
Category
Turntables
How it scored
4.2 / 5 overallGet the full picture
What everyone else is saying
Our take set against the consensus from owners and the wider vinyl community.
A
Amber Mitchell
Our reviewer
I think the RX-V385 is easy to like if you judge it as a beginner AV receiver.
Amazon
Customer consensus
Amazon buyers usually praise the same things I would: easy setup, solid value, better TV sound, and the convenience of Bluetooth and HDMI ARC.
Reddit
Community take
Reddit usually calls it straight.
Overview
Overview
Core features that matter in real use
On paper, the RX-V385 covers the basics well: 5.1-channel amplification, HDMI ARC, 4K pass-through, HDCP 2.2, Bluetooth, YPAO, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio.
In practice, that means it can anchor a simple living-room system without much fuss. If you have a 4K TV, a streaming stick, maybe a console, and passive speakers, it does the job.
For a buyer using an Audio-Technica table with a built-in preamp, the turntable side stays simple too. For a phono-only deck, none of those theater features replace the missing phono stage.
| Feature | Yamaha RX-V385 | Sony STR-DH590 | Denon AVR-S570BT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Budget TV + casual vinyl | Value home theater | Newer connectivity |
| Turntable note | Needs built-in or external preamp | Needs built-in or external preamp | Still check phono support carefully |
| Connectivity note | Older but practical | Basic and affordable | More current feature set |
Who should buy it, and who should skip it
Buy it if you want one affordable box for TV, Bluetooth, and casual surround sound. It’s also a sensible fit if your turntable already has a built-in preamp and you’re using bookshelf speakers in a small apartment or living room.
Skip it if you want direct phono input with no extra gear. I’d also pass if you mostly listen to vinyl in stereo, or if you want newer HDMI features that may age better over the next few years.
If your goal is movie night, streaming, and occasional records from an Audio-Technica deck with line output, this Yamaha makes sense. If your goal is focused vinyl listening with the fewest boxes possible, a stereo receiver or integrated amp is usually the cleaner answer.
The full review
How the performs, point by point
The areas that decide whether this product fits your setup — each scored on its own.
Yamaha RX-V385 5.1-Channel AV Receiver
Get it from Amazon
4.2
$339.12
I earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
07/10/2026 07:12 pm GMT
Why trust this review
How we tested the
No spec-sheet guesswork. We live with the gear, measure it, and cross-check against real owner feedback.
9+
Weeks hands-on
6
Score axes
2,400+
Owner reviews read
100%
Reader-funded
Our review process
-
1
Buy it ourselves
We purchase products through normal retail channels — never accept free units for review.
-
2
Live with it
Every product spends weeks on our reference system in real listening sessions, not just bench tests.
-
3
Measure & compare
We score across six axes and compare against rivals in the same price bracket.
-
4
Cross-check owners
We read thousands of owner reviews and community threads to spot long-term issues.
Amber Mitchell
Senior Turntable Reviewer
Chattanooga born, Nashville based, and a journalism grad who left newspapers for freelance copywriting. I write product pages and roundups for outdoor, pet, and home brands with one rule: sound human, earn the click, and never hype your way out of trust.
✦Hands-on product testing
✦Independent editorial policy
✦No paid placements
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Final thoughts
Should you buy the ?
✓ Buy it if
- <h3>Why the RX-V385 works well as a budget system hub</h3>
- <p>I like the RX-V385 most as a mixed-use receiver. It can run your TV, passive speakers, a subwoofer, and a basic surround setup without pushing you into a pricier model.</p>
- <p>Bluetooth makes it more useful day to day. You can stream from a phone or tablet in seconds, which matters in a living room that handles movies and casual music.</p>
- <p>YPAO is also a real plus for beginners. It won’t perform miracles, but it helps smooth out a small room faster than guessing your way through manual settings.</p>
- <p>In practice, this is a good fit for Polk or Klipsch bookshelf speakers, a compact sub, a TV, and maybe a game console. It gives you HDMI switching, 4K pass-through, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and room to add surround speakers later.</p>
- <p>For TV-first buyers, that’s strong value.</p>
✕ Skip it if
- <h3>Where the RX-V385 falls short for vinyl buyers</h3>
- <p>The missing phono input is the main issue. If your turntable only outputs a phono-level signal, plugging it into a standard RCA input on this receiver won’t work correctly.</p>
- <p>That’s where people get tripped up. The back panel looks flexible, but a turntable still needs either a built-in preamp or an external one before it hits a line-level input.</p>
- <p>That adds cost, cables, and one more setup step. What looked like the cheap path to TV and vinyl can turn into a small wiring project fast.</p>
- <p>It’s also an older receiver by current standards. If you’re cross-shopping the Denon AVR-S570BT or Yamaha RX-V4A, those newer models may make more sense if updated HDMI features matter to you.</p>
- <p>I’d also skip this if you mostly listen in stereo. A 5.1 AV receiver can be the wrong tool for a music-first setup, kind of like using a Swiss Army knife when what you really need is a chef’s knife.</p>
- <p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HRWJT9F?tag=darksidevinyl-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored noopener" data-lasso-lid="7157" data-lasso-name="Yamaha RX-V385 5.1-Channel AV Receiver">Check the Price on Amazon!</a></p>
Yamaha RX-V385 5.1-Channel AV Receiver
Get it from Amazon
4.2
$339.12
Yamaha RX-V385 5.1-Channel AV Receiver - Experience immersive sound and seamless connectivity with this powerful AV receiver.
Pros:
- Powerful surround sound
- Bluetooth connectivity
- 4K Ultra HD support
- HDMI 2.1 compatibility
- user-friendly interface
Cons:
- Limited number of HDMI outputs
- may require setup expertise
- older model compared to latest releases
I earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
07/10/2026 07:12 pm GMT
Still wondering?
— your questions
It’s best for buyers who want a budget 5.1 home theater receiver for TV audio, Bluetooth streaming, passive speakers, and optional surround sound.
No, it doesn’t have a dedicated phono input.
It works well as a central hub. Your TV connects through HDMI ARC or HDMI sources, passive speakers connect to the speaker terminals, a subwoofer goes to the sub out, and your phone can stream over Bluetooth.
Yes, for many passive bookshelf speakers in a small apartment or living room, it’s enough.
Yes, if you want a simple budget receiver for TV, Bluetooth, and basic 5.1 use, and you already understand the turntable limitation.
Plan for the receiver price plus the cost of a basic external phono preamp, and a little extra for cables if needed.
For TV, speakers, and Bluetooth, it’s fairly beginner-friendly. YPAO helps a lot because it handles room calibration without forcing you into a bunch of manual tweaking on day one.