Luxman RV-371 (1991–1998)

Luxman put out this black receiver in the early '90s. It brought home theater to high-end audio without giving up fidelity.

Overview

The Luxman RV-371 is a full five-channel A/V receiver from the years when surround sound was still finding its footing and Japanese manufacturers were putting everything they knew about hi-fi into the mix. At the time of its release it was marketed as “Luxman’s newest and most advanced audio/video (A/V) receiver.” It was built for someone who wanted reference-grade stereo performance and surround decoding that was cutting-edge for the time, all in one heavy chassis.

Despite being a product of the early 1990s surround boom, the RV-371 doesn’t feel like a compromise. It carries the weight—literally and sonically—of Luxman’s reputation for precision engineering. With five built-in amplifier channels, a high-quality AM/FM tuner, Dolby Pro Logic decoding, and a suite of acoustic simulation modes, it was designed to be the centerpiece of a serious audio-visual setup. And unlike many all-in-one receivers of the period that sacrificed sound quality for features, the RV-371 earned respect from reviewers for its clean signal path, flat frequency response, and exceptional tuner section.

The surround board is a double-sided SMD unit, which reflects the era's shift toward surface-mount technology. The five-way binding posts and the heavy internal construction point to Luxman's interest in lasting build quality. The receiver also manages the sound carefully at every input, output, and processing stage.

Specifications

Key Features

A Tuner That Outshines the Competition

Reviewers called the tuner “arguably the best we have seen as part of a complete receiver.” Frequency response is better than ±1 dB from 25 to 15,000 Hz, and stereo threshold sensitivity is down to 8 dBf (that's 0.7 microvolt). It could pull in weak stations with a clarity and stability that many standalone tuners of the era struggled to match. You can switch between 200-kHz and 25-kHz FM tuning intervals, so it handles both standard broadcast spacing and the tighter European channel grids. That makes it versatile for international use.

Dolby Pro Logic with Real Flexibility

The Dolby Pro Logic section comes with options. Center Mode can be set to Normal (bass redirected to front speakers), Phantom (no center channel), or Wide (full-bandwidth center output). This level of control was rare in receivers at any price, and it lets users tailor the sound to their speaker setup and listening preferences.

Simulated Acoustics Done Right

It offered four ambience-enhancement modes - Hall-1, Hall-2, and Stadium (a third is implied but not named) - with adjustable surround delay from 5 to 80 milliseconds. Reviewers found them “more than adequate.” The delay is useful for aligning surround effects with the front soundstage in serious installations.

Smart, User-Friendly Design Touches

A few features stand out in daily use. The Front Straight button bypasses all signal processing on the front channels. That gives pure stereo while still sending delayed signals to the surrounds, so the fronts stay clean with ambient reinforcement behind them. The phono inputs can be converted to a second high-level input (Aux 2) with a small slide switch. The preamp outputs are linked to the internal amps by removable jumpers, which allows for future bi-amping or external amplifier expansion.

Video That Kept Up

For its time, the video section was strong. All inputs and the monitor output handle both S-video and composite signals. With S-video sources like laserdisc players or early DVD prototypes, that gives a noticeably sharper picture than composite-only receivers.

Build Quality That Lasts

The RV-371 has a black chassis, was made in Japan, and weighs about 40 pounds. The speaker terminals are five-way binding posts spaced on 3/4-inch centers, which take everything from bare wire to banana plugs. Two of the four AC outlets are switched, handy for powering associated gear along with the receiver.

Collectibility & Value

The RV-371 sits in an odd spot in the vintage market. Those who have used it respect it, but it is not yet a mainstream collectible. A tested unit sold on eBay for $285 in July 2025, while another listing from January to November 2025 asked CA$770. Condition, location, and seller expectations account for the spread. That same listing also offered a “LEFT BANK AMPLIFIER UNIT” for CA$40, which suggests internal modules are sometimes parted out. That could complicate full restorations.

Owners generally speak well of it: “Receiver is an awesome piece of audio,” one noted, while another simply declared, “This one sounds great!” A few problems recur. The most commonly reported is failed memory for radio station presets, likely a dead backup battery, which is a typical failure point in 1990s electronics. More serious are faults requiring repair on the surround board, a double-sided SMD unit that may be hard on modern technicians. One owner reported a cold solder joint on the right A speaker output. It is fixable, and decades-old solder joints can fail, especially in high-current sections.

Service manuals are not common. Original physical copies are listed for $39.97, and some online vendors offer downloads. YouTube videos exist showing repair attempts, but there is no official, widely available repair guide. The ideal find is a working, complete unit with the original remote (System-Bus type) and intact jumpers.

eBay Listings

Luxman RV-371 5-Channel A/V Receiver Dolby Pro Logic AM/FM T

$100

Luxman Rv-371 A/V Surround Sound FM-AM Receiver - Black-TEST

$285

Original OEM Luxman RRV-371 Remote Control For RV-371 Receiv

$59.99

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