Yamaha's treble and bass control bypass, called "Pure Direct" aims to take out any unwanted intrusions in the signal path. The Yamaha MCR-640 DAB micro system with iPod dock also features CD player. It's capable of reading WAV (PCM format only), MP3 and WMA audio files from a USB flash drive. An iPod slot is mounted in the top of the receiver unit, with a separate CD player underneath.

Its 2 x 65 Watts is enough for all but hardened metal fans. Proper binding post speaker terminals and a coaxial DAB/FM aerial connection are tucked away at the back. The tuner is capable of receiving both DAB and DAB+ broadcasts. A comprehensive remote control is included in the package.

The Yamaha MCR-640 centre unit's dimensions are 215 x 108 x 318mm and weighs in at 3.2kg, and is available to buy now at around GBP520.00.