Buena Park, Calif. – Five new audio/video receivers unveiled by Yamaha in its top-end Aventage line include two of the company’s first AVRs with Dolby Atmos surround decoding.
All five of the networked AVRs are also the first Aventage models with HDMI 2.0 to support 64fps 4K UHD passthrough, and all are the series’ first AVRs with built-in Wi-Fi.
The two Atmos receivers are the $1,699-suggested RX-A2040 and RX-A3040 at $2,199. They will be available in August, and Atmos firmware upgrades will be available later in the fall for the two components. Both are 9.2-channel models, but the top model can be upgraded to 11.2 channels by adding a two-channel amp.
The other three Aventage models, available in July, are the 7.2-channel RX-A1040, RX-A840 and RX-A740 models at $1,199, $899 and $699, respectively.
Earlier this year, Yamaha announced four new RX-V series AVRs, three of which were the company’s first AVRs with built-in Wi-Fi. Two were the first RX-V AVRs with HDMI 2.0. The four SKUs are priced from a suggested $449 to $849.
All new Aventage models feature 4K 60p video upconversion. They also support HDMI 2.0’s 4:4:4 chroma subsampling capability.
Network features in all model include Pandora, Spotify Connect, Rhapsody, SiriusXM Internet Radio and vTuner playback. The AVRs also feature AirPlay, DLNA, and HTC Connect.
The top model features proprietary Cinema DSP HD technology to produces higher and wider sound fields. It also features ESS 192kHz/32-bit ES9016 DAC on the seven main channels and ESS ES9006 Sabre premier DAC to power the presence, or front-height, channels.
The top two models also feature advanced HDMI multi-zone switching to enable all input sources to be output via HDMI to different areas of the home.
The top model also offers YPAO Reflected Sound Control with 3D, multipoint and angle measurement to corrects for room acoustics and less-than-ideal speaker placement. The RX-A2040, RX-A1040 and RX-A840 feature YPAO – RSC with multipoint measurement, and the RX-A740 offers YPAO with RSC.
For rooms that can’t accommodate surround speakers in optimum locations, the receivers feature Virtual Cinema Front technology. The technology delivers what Yamaha calls “convincing surround sound effects” when all speakers are placed at the front of the listening area.
