Yamaha YSP-800 review

With only one box to deal with, it couldn’t be easier to set up this Yamaha speaker. The supplied mic and auto-calibration system quickly tailor the sound to your room – and the looks help it match your flatscreen TV. You’ll have to supply your own amplification and DVD player, though.

The auto set-up system is quick and painless, so you can get a decent sound in next to no time. The Yamaha uses rear and side walls to create convincing ambience from the 23 drivers in the box, and it works astonishingly well considering it’s such an unpromising premise.

If you don’t sit against a rear wall, and if your room isn’t an especially weird shape, the Yamaha spreads sound along and behind you like you wouldn’t believe. It can sound a bit hard, and we’d like more bass action, but it’s so discreet and effective you’ll overlook these minor failings.