To play music from your phone through a Yamaha RX-V685, press BLUETOOTH on the remote, then pick the receiver in your phone’s Bluetooth list and enter 0000 if it asks for a passkey. To send the receiver’s sound to wireless headphones, go to SETUP > Bluetooth > Audio Send, set “Transmitter” to “On,” run “Device Search,” and connect your headphones.
The RX-V685 handles Bluetooth in both directions, but only one at a time. When it’s sending audio to headphones, it can’t receive from a phone, and the reverse is true too. Also, your room speakers keep playing while headphones are connected. Keep that in mind if you were hoping for silent late-night TV.
Receiving vs. sending: what the RX-V685 supports
| Phone → receiver (receive) | Receiver → headphones or speaker (send) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where to start | BLUETOOTH input on the remote | SETUP > “Bluetooth” > “Audio Send” |
| Audio codecs | SBC and AAC | SBC only |
| What you hear | Your phone’s audio through the room speakers | The current input (TV, Blu-ray, radio and so on) in the headphones and the room speakers |
| Not supported | — | AirPlay and DSD audio can’t be sent on |
Yamaha lists Bluetooth version 4.2 (Class 2) with a range of up to 10 m (33 ft) when nothing interferes. Any device that supports the common A2DP audio profile should work, though Yamaha doesn’t guarantee every device.
Before you pair: two quick checks
- Stand the antennas up. The two antennas on the back of the receiver carry both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Raise them gently so they point straight up.
- Make sure Bluetooth is on. It’s on by default, but a previous owner could have turned it off. Press SETUP, go to “Bluetooth” > “Bluetooth,” and make sure it’s set to “On.”
Part 1: Play music from your phone or tablet
- Turn on the receiver.
- Press BLUETOOTH on the remote to switch the input to “Bluetooth.”
- On your phone, open the Bluetooth settings and turn Bluetooth on.
- In the list of devices, tap the receiver. It shows up under its network name, which you can see or change under SETUP > “Network” > “Network Name.”
- If the phone asks for a passkey, enter 0000.
- Start playing a song on the phone. A playback screen appears on the TV if it’s on the receiver’s input.
Next time, the receiver reconnects on its own. Once you choose the Bluetooth input, it looks for the last device it was paired with and connects automatically.
Switching to a different phone
Because the receiver reconnects to the last phone automatically, a second phone won’t be able to connect until you end that link. Do one of these first:
- Turn off Bluetooth on the first phone, or tap “disconnect” in its Bluetooth settings.
- On the receiver, press SETUP and choose “Bluetooth” > “Audio Receive” > “Disconnect,” then press ENTER. (This option only appears while a device is connected.)
- Switch the receiver to any input other than Bluetooth.
Then pair the second phone using the steps above.
Turn the receiver on from your phone (Bluetooth Standby)
With Bluetooth Standby on, the RX-V685 wakes up by itself when you connect to it from a paired phone. It’s on by default and lives under SETUP > “Bluetooth” > “Audio Receive” > “Bluetooth Standby.” It uses a bit more power in standby.
Bluetooth Standby depends on “Network Standby.” If Network Standby is set to “Off,” Bluetooth Standby turns off too and can’t be selected. Our RX-V685 Wi-Fi guide explains that setting.
Part 2: Send TV sound to Bluetooth headphones or a speaker
Before you start: Put your headphones in pairing mode. On most headphones you hold the power or Bluetooth button until a light flashes. Check your headphones’ manual for the exact method. Also make sure no phone is connected to the receiver over Bluetooth, since it can’t send and receive at the same time.
- Choose the source you want to hear, such as the TV or a Blu-ray player. Pick any input except Bluetooth.
- Press SETUP on the remote.
- Select “Bluetooth” and press ENTER.
- Select “Audio Send” and press ENTER.
- Select “Transmitter” and press ENTER.
- Select “On,” then press RETURN to go back.
- Select “Device Search” and press ENTER. After a moment, a list of nearby Bluetooth devices appears.
- Highlight your headphones and press ENTER to check them.
- Select “CONNECT” and press ENTER.
- When “Completed” appears, press ENTER. Audio from the receiver now plays in your headphones.
- Press SETUP to close the menu.
Things to know about headphone mode
- The speakers keep playing. Yamaha notes that sound also comes out of the speakers connected to the receiver.
- Pure Direct limits sources. With Pure Direct on, only network sources and USB can be sent to headphones. Turn Pure Direct off to hear TV or disc audio.
- SBC only. The receiver sends audio using the basic SBC codec. Headphones with aptX or LDAC will still work, just over SBC.
- Some delay is normal. Bluetooth adds a small delay, so lip sync may look slightly off with video. If it bothers you, wired headphones in the front PHONES jack avoid the problem.
Disconnecting the headphones
Turn the headphones off or disconnect them from their own controls. Or press SETUP, choose “Bluetooth,” and set “Transmitter” to “Off.” Turning the Transmitter off also lets phones connect to the receiver again.
Troubleshooting RX-V685 Bluetooth problems
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Phone can’t find the receiver | Bluetooth is off in the Setup menu, or the Transmitter is on | Set SETUP > “Bluetooth” > “Bluetooth” to “On” and “Transmitter” to “Off” |
| Phone finds it but won’t connect | Another device is already connected to the receiver | End the other connection (“Audio Receive” > “Disconnect”), then try again |
| Connected, but no sound | The receiver isn’t on the Bluetooth input | Press BLUETOOTH on the remote |
| Headphones don’t appear in “Device Search” | Headphones aren’t in pairing mode, or are connected to a phone | Disconnect them from the phone, put them in pairing mode, and run “Device Search” again |
| No TV sound in the headphones | Pure Direct is on, or the input is set to Bluetooth | Turn Pure Direct off and pick the TV’s input |
| Audio cuts out | Distance, obstacles, wireless interference or a low battery | Move closer (within 10 m / 33 ft), clear the path, and charge the device |
| Receiver won’t wake from the phone | Bluetooth Standby is off, or Network Standby is “Off” | Set Network Standby to “Auto” or “On,” then turn Bluetooth Standby on |
Still stuck? Restart the receiver by holding the front-panel MAIN ZONE power key for more than 15 seconds. As a last resort, a factory reset of the RX-V685 clears all Bluetooth settings so you can pair from scratch. Keeping the firmware up to date is also worth a check, since Yamaha’s updates include bug fixes.
Wired headphones: the simpler option for movies
If you mainly want private TV listening, plug wired headphones into the PHONES jack on the front panel. With the SILENT CINEMA feature, you can still hear surround effects through ordinary stereo headphones by choosing a sound program or surround decoder. That avoids the Bluetooth delay entirely.
Yamaha’s manual covers both directions in more detail: playing Bluetooth device music on the receiver and listening through Bluetooth speakers or headphones.