Yamaha AVENTAGE CX-A5000 AV Processor and MX-A5000 Amplifier Review

Yamaha CX-A5000 and MX-A5000 Introduction

Many of us who have been in the audio world for a while never thought the big manufacturers would ever get back into separates. We thought they had abandoned the pre/pros for the more lucrative and much larger buying audience for receivers. Separates were left to the likes of budget online retailers and esoteric companies.

But we were wrong.

Yamaha's AVENTAGE series of receivers has consistently impressed us ever since they were released. They've been committed to making a receiver line that will push the boundaries and be at the forefront of technology. When they announced an AVENTAGE separates solution, we didn't know what to think. We knew they would be technologically advanced, but how would Yamaha market them? Would they create a line that had the very best technology simply to show that it can be done but price them out of the range of most users or would they try to put out a separates solution that enthusiasts could actually afford. Honestly, we would have been okay with them going either way.

But we were happy they went the affordable route.

The AVENTAGE separates aren't exactly cheep at $3000 apiece, but they are far more affordable than many esoteric offerings out there. Yes, you can put together a separates solution with a receiver and an amp that has much of what the CX-A5000 and MX-A5000 has for less - but not much. And you'll still be lacking some of the features that you simply can't get anywhere else. Marantz and Integra are the only other major manufacturers in this price class offering separates solutions but neither offer full 11 channel support in a two box solution like Yamaha.  Yamaha AVENTAGE separates are going to get a very good value rating. Let's face it - these products at these prices are a tour de force for the AV giant. This is like getting a Lamborghini at Honda prices. Like getting a yacht for the price of a canoe. Like...well, you get the picture.

Yamaha CX-A5000 & MX-A5000 AV Separates Video Review

First Impressions

The Yamaha CX-A5000 is an 11.2 channel pre/pro and the MX-A5000 is its high-powered standalone eleven channel amplifier companion. The Yamaha CX-A5000 and MX-A5000 came well-packed and free from any cloth bags or other trappings that esoteric offerings add to make you think your purchase is more special than it actually is. Yamaha likely didn't feel the need to do that and, frankly, I agree. The CX-A5000 processor is hefty at 30lbs but the MX-A5000 amplifier is a beast at 56lbs. While not coming anywhere near some of the weights we see some AV amps approach (over 100 pounds isn't unheard of), 56 pounds is still plenty unwieldy.

CX-A5000 (top) and MX-A5000 (bottom)

Rather than beat around the bush, I'm going to dive right into these products. The CX-A5000 has more connections than you're likely to ever need. As it is without amps, the space usually reserved for speaker terminals houses balanced (XLR) connections for eleven speakers. There are no balanced outputs for subwoofers, however there are a total of 13 (one for each speaker and one for each dedicated subwoofer output) RCA-style unbalanced connections for the main zone and a pair of RCA outputs for stereo sound to Zones 2 and 3. There are unbalanced 7.1 inputs for legacy gear as a pair of XLR balanced inputs for high-quality stereo sources.

Of course, HDMI is onboard with seven rear-mounted and one front-mounted input and two outputs. The HDMI outputs can be run in parallel (same output through both) or the second HDMI can route content to a fourth zone including any analog or digital source or streaming source. The GUI will be available in that zone as well - a nice feature. The HDMI connections are Audio Return Channel and Standby-through capable and support both 3D pass-through and 4k pass-through and upscaling. The front-mounted HDMI input is MHL (Mobile High-definition Link) compatible for use with mobile devices.

CX-A5000

There is a full suite of component, composite, and s-video inputs along with plenty of optical and coaxial digital audio inputs. We are actually surprised that s-video was included, as we don't know of anyone that actually used that connection when it was a slight improvement over composite. If we had to hazard a guess, all the boards with composite include s-video as well. Of course, there is a phono input for vinyl lovers with a grounding screw. Trigger outputs are on board for amps and other gear as are IR ins and outs and RS-232 for integrating with control systems. As with many high-end offerings these days, the CX-A5000 has an Ethernet connection for connecting to your home network and for network control.

The MX-A5000 is rated 150 watts into 8 ohms. It has two very large (27,000μF) capacitor banks for high, instantaneous power. While we'll put the amp on the test bench later in this review, it is clear that the MX-A5000 is a beast. The amplifier has a very different layout compared to many amplifiers. There are 11 channels of amplification which is divided into a single channel (channel 1) and then Left and Right Channels 2 thru 6. Channel 2 (both sides) has A and B for switching between two speakers. The whole amp is laid out with bi-amping in mind, stacking channels so that they can be cloned with a flip of a switch. This makes for a confusing design but one that can be flexible for installers that have clients with challenging demands. For most users, however, they are going to hook their speakers to the amp and never think about it again.

MX-A5000 back - closeups on the next page

Yamaha CX-A5000 & MX-A5000 Setup, Room Correction, and Control

Like many people, I mostly used HDMI inputs with the CX-A5000 processor. The processor will do analog-to-analog conversion for sending analog video inputs from one type to another (limited by the type of input). Of course, it will convert any video signal up to HDMI and scale it to 4k if you wish. I don't have a 4k display (like just about everyone these days) so I was limited to 1080p. As the second HDMI output can be used as a fourth zone (or second), the other zones could be assigned component, s-video, or composite video output. Zone 2 can receive digital audio from HDMI or one of the digital audio inputs but Zone 3 is limited to analog sources (RCA) only. There are some limitations on these connections so you'll want to check the manual closely if you are going to run all four zones.

Since I didn't have 11 XLR cables lying around, I connected the CX-A5000 to the MX-A5000 with RCA unbalanced cables. The quality of the connectors on both units was top notch and you could tell that no expense was spared with these products. I found the amplifier layout to be overly confusing even after I started to understand how stacking the inputs visually made bi-amping easier. I wish that Yamaha had gone with a more traditional numbering system (1-11) rather than left/right with duplicated numbers. While in the end, it won't matter, it made hooking up my speakers a bit more challenging than it needed to be.

    

Left and Right speaker terminals on the MX-A5000

I connected the CX-A5000 to the MX-A5000 with the supplied 12-volt trigger cable. The CX-A5000 and the MX-A5000 always powered up together and there was no audible "thump" that some associate with external amplification. When left on (no signal running through) the amp ran a bit hot, heating up my home theater. It wasn't so hot that you couldn't touch it but it was warm enough that I made a new "always turn off the amp" rule for the kids. For those of you with enclosed racks, you'll want to give the MX-A5000 plenty of breathing room.

Having two of every channel except one is confusing? How?

The new GUI (Graphic User Interface) for the Yamaha CX-A5000 is both easy to understand and very powerful. The GUI overlays on all your content including 3D and 4k from the side at first and then from the bottom as you drill down. It dims your image but you can still see what is going on behind. The main options are Information, Setup, Sound Program, Input, and Scene. Information tells you about the audio/video/network status and about what is going on in the other zones. Inputs will let you rename, choose different icons, and more for each of your inputs. Scene allow you to set up to 12 different Scene options (the are four buttons on the remote dedicated to Scene). The easiest way to do this is to get to the input you want, set the DSP you want, and go to the Scene menu and hit "Save.” Now, when you hit the Scene button, the CX-A5000 will change all your settings for you. Four additional Scene settings can be assigned to each additional zone.

Just tons of control with the CX-A5000

Sound Program allows you to choose one of the many DSPs Yamaha has included with the CX-A5000 including such gems as "Hall in Munich A,” "Hall in Munich B,” and who could forget "Hall in Frankfurt.” Yamaha has developed ten for the Z11 receiver that have found their way into the CX-A5000. They have dialog lifters, compressed music enhancers, adaptive Dynamic Range Control, and more - all with the intent to tailor your music for your room and system. There is no way of knowing which of these will work in your room or system until you try them. While most of these will be ignored by many users, having them onboard gives you the flexibility to find the ones that work for you and your musical tastes.

YPAO Auto Room Correction

One thing that will work for nearly everyone is Yamaha's newest YPAO room correction system. The CX-A5000 has the latest and greatest from Yamaha with R.S.C (Reflected Sound Control) Sound Optimization with multi-point and Speaker Angle Measurement. While you can activate the YPAO from the Setup menu, just plugging in the mic will do it as well.

The CX-A5000 YPAO is completely different from what you normally see in room correction. While mics are often included even with budget offerings, the CX-A5000 has what looks like a Nerf boomerang. This is for holding the mic and it can be attached to a tripod. I did that, following the on-screen directions. You can take measurements from up to eight positions. The first measurement should be taken at your prime listening position as the YPAO will ask you to go back to that position for your angle measurements.

Don't let your kids see it or it'll end up on the roof

The YPAO was accurate in speaker distances and levels confirmed by my SPL meter and a tape measure. Even the subs were accurately placed in the room. I tested the CX-A5000 with the Aperion Audio Verus Grand speakers and a pair of SVS PC12-NSD subwoofers. I wired the rear speakers out of phase to see if the YPAO would catch it and it did. At the end, it used the three points on the mic holder to test out the angles of the speakers which it also seemed accurate.

After you finish the measurements, you have the option of changing any of the speaker settings manually. The only inconsistency with the YPAO was speaker sizes. I ran the YPAO a number of times and my center channel was often set to large as were the surrounds occasionally. When you run the YPAO, you'll want to check the configuration after.

The GUI makes using the CX-A5000 YPAO a joy

Through the same place in the Settings menu, you can access the various flavors of YPAO. There is Manual (where you can add your own parametric EQ settings for each speaker and subwoofer individually), Flat, Front, Natural, and Through. Flipping between Through and any of the other settings will let you know what YPAO is doing and, if you are like me, you'll find it to be universally beneficial. I played with speaker placement and found that the YPAO did many different things to the sound depending on where the speakers were placed. If you are finding that you don't like what YPAO has done to your system, try moving your speakers a bit. With proper speaker placement, I found that the Natural and Flat settings were the best for my room. YPAO generally tamed some of the reflections and distortion in the room while giving the bass much more authority and clarity. This resulted in an overall cleaner presentation that honestly did nothing but good for my system. In my opinion, Yamaha's new YPAO is one of the only room correction systems that actually works and should be on everyone's wish list.

Lastly, a word about the manual YPAO: Most room correction systems won't allow much user adjustment. With the YPAO you get seven bands of EQ per speaker including each of the subs. The adjustments range from +6dB to -20dB and you can set the Q as well. There is a graphic representation of the EQ for each band , which is quite helpful. While this type of control is really directed more to custom installers, putting the control in the user's hands is a nice touch on Yamaha's part.

Remote and App Control

Controlling the Yamaha CX-A5000 is done either through the remote or the dedicated app. The remote is fairly intuitive considering how much it has going on. The buttons are small and very uniform in shape for the most part but the ones that you'll use the most are larger, unique in shape and layout, and easy to access. The direction, menus (there is more than one), options, and volume controls are all easily at hand and simple to find in the dark. There is a small, almost impossible to see, button on the side that rests naturally under your fingers when you hold the remote. This activates the backlight for a few seconds.

Not the most ergonomic but certainly functional

The bottom of the remote flips down to reveal an additional bank of buttons including a numerical keypad and specific surround modes. This is an elegant solution for adding additional functionality without creating a remote the size of a laptop computer. The remote is constructed out of plastic but seems well-built and solid. Even the flip-down cover feels thick and the hinge is sturdy. The remote is large and a bit unwieldy but I believe Yamaha did a good job with the remote.

Of course, the app is where it is at for remote control. In this age of interconnected everything, having an app is practically a must. The Yamaha control app is fairly well done as these sorts of apps go and isn't too hard to figure out. It has access to all the zones, scenes, sources, and DSPs. You can easily switch between sources or zones with a couple of touches and you can control such things as volume and even make some minor level tone adjustments. One neat feature is that you can set the CX-A5000 to "Network Standby" which allows you to power on and off the unit with your portable device.

This is a cool way to double your buttons without increasing the size too much

I was able to connect my phone to the CX-A5000 without much problem though using the remote was often an easier and quicker solution. For additional zone control, however, nothing beat the app as you could make adjustments without having to use the onscreen GUI. There were some omissions, however. You didn't have full access to all the settings (or even most of them) of the CX-A5000. The only way to access these controls is to switch the app to the remote mode and use the on-screen display. I would have liked to have the ability to adjust my speaker levels/size, YPAO settings, and video settings from the app without having to look at the screen. The app was basically good for changing inputs and DSPs and that was about it. Even when I connected to Pandora, it wouldn't allow me to use a full keypad and instead I had to use the remote to enter my email address and password.

Yamaha CX-A5000 & MX-A5000 Streaming, Video Measurements, and Listening Tests

The CX-A5000 is DLNA 1.5 certified, has Apple AirPlay, and can stream NetRadio, Pandora, Spotify connect, and Rhapsody. I tested the CX-A5000 streaming from my phone, an iPad, and Pandora. The first thing to note is that the streaming is audio only. Any videos you may have on your various devices or phones or pictures will have to find another way into your system. Even the USB connection doesn't support video. The CX-A5000 is compatible with bitrates up to 192kHz and can playback FLAC, WAV, MP3, WMA, and MPEG-4 ACC files. 

Pandora is a very low bitrate (high compression) streaming service that generally sounds okay on headphone or in your office. When streamed to larger speakers, the compression was blatantly obvious though Yamaha's compression enhancer DSP did help a bit. I found the lack of real bass to be disturbing. Files streamed from my phone or from the iPad sounded much better as they were stored in lossless. I don't have a Rhapsody account so I couldn't test that service and the NetRadio streaming was hit or miss. The thing to remember about streaming is that it can be streamed to any or all zones except zone 4.

CX-A5000 Front Panel control

Video Measurements

Perfect Score is 130
Yamaha CX-A5000 HQV Benchmark Score: 100

 

Discussion of HQV Results

I only ran the Standard Definition HQV tests using an Oppo DV-970HD feeding 480i over HDMI as I don't have a high quality Blu-ray source for the HD test disc. I disabled all the processing on my Epson PowerLIte Pro Cinema 1080 UB projector. I set the video processing to 1080p and the Aspect to "Through". There were no dedicated controls for noise reduction though there were edge enhancement options that were defaulted to zero. There were also controls for brightness, contrast, and saturation though no dedicated color controls. This will allow you to make some minor adjustments to your video feed though not full calibration from source to source.

The HQV score of 100 is pretty good and should help fine-tune the picture from your sources. If you have a Blu-ray player with good upscaling, you could test the two but we're betting you won't find much difference. While Yamaha claims that they have noise reduction and motion adaptive noise reduction, we found that it made little difference to the picture. The Flag test showed some stair stepping but it wasn't bad. The cadence and film detail tests were rock solid, though the Scrolling Horizontal text test did show a bit of distortion. Overall, these are fine results though not the "hit it out of the park" results we expected.

The smaller menu - the image is the CX-A5000 screen saver

Sound Quality Tests

The Yamaha CX-A5000 uses ESS Technology ES9016 SABRE32 Ultra DACs on all eleven channels ensuring the best possible sound. There is a Pure Direct mode for turning off all unneeded electronics. The MX-A5000 has a symmetrical design, 150 watts per channel, and 11 discrete channels of amplification. When the CX-A5000 is paired with the MX-A5000, you are looking at some of the purest and most powerful sound you could ever expect. This is a combination that should give you the very best performance at nearly any price. I turned off all the DSPs and any enhancements (other than YPAO) and settled in for some serious listening.

Blue Man Group: How to be a Rock Megastar Blu-ray

This is one of my all time favorite test discs. Partially it is because I love the Blue Man Group but mostly it is because it is something everyone in the family can enjoy. Movie night suddenly becomes me multitasking family time and work. The CX-A5000 didn't disappoint with the audio processing presenting an absolutely stunning soundstage, with impressive depth and width. Even without the optional presence speakers, it felt like I was actually at the concert. Having two independent subwoofer outputs that are independently calibrated made a huge difference. You can tell the CX-A5000 that the subs are either on the sides or on the front and back walls. With the dual PC12-NSD subs, the bass was thunderous but even. Reaching depths never before reached in my home theater, I had to add damping material around the doors to keep them from rattling during some of the lowest notes. Now that is bass I can get behind!

YPAO control screen - easy to A/B the different settings

Diana Krall: Live in Rio Blu-ray

Having high-quality Blu-ray music for tests is imperative and Diana Krall has been a fan favorite for most audiophiles. First, her voice is gorgeous but, even more importantly, the attention to detail during the recording process makes her CDs and records the go-to material when testing speakers. The CX-A5000 sent every whisper, every scratch in her voice though untainted. The MX-A5000 pushed those signals through to the Aperion Verus Grand speakers without a hint of effort or strain. No distortion or noise made its way into my system from these electronics. Simply put, the CX-A5000 and MX-A5000 got out of the way and let the music play. It was easy to tell that these two could do pretty much anything.

RCA plugs to install when using XLR Connections

Pacific Rim Blu-ray

I got Pacific Rim for my birthday in hopes of breaking my home theater. The amount of bass in general, and the overall amount of sound that is pushed out by the disc is staggering. The CX-A5000 never missed a step but, more impressively, the MX-A5000 kept all the sound well-anchored in each of the speakers. There was no moment when I thought the MX-A5000 might be coming to the end of its power reserves and, frankly, I can't imagine any normal home theater that would be a match for its power. Heck, if it can make Jaggers and Kaiju come to life, what can't it do?

Various Two Channel Sources

I listened to a lot of music through the CX-A5000 and MX-A5000 and it all sounded great. But there was something missing that I couldn't put my finger on at first. I discovered it later as I was finishing up this review. The CX-A5000 will engage both subs during playback of native DTS or Dolby sources but almost all the DSPs disengaged the second sub. Only 11-channel stereo, DTS Neo 6, Dolby Game mode, and the Game and Roleplaying DSPs kept the second sub in the mix. This completely changes the bass profile for the room and I can't imagine why Yamaha did this. With some experimentation (and help from Gene), I discovered that it was the front/back subwoofer setting that created this problem. Setting the sub configuration to monaural engaged the subs in all DSP modes. Hopefully Yamaha will alter this function with a firmware update as we see no use for the front/back setting as it’s currently implemented.

Also note that many of the DSPs also disengaged the center channel which seemed an odd choice as well. If you prefer to engage the center channel all of the time, we recommend your default matrixing codec to one of the ones mentioned above.

Yamaha dreaded Impedance Selector Switch - ALWAYS use 8-ohm or more setting!

Yamaha CX-A5000 AV Preamp and MX-A5000 Power Amp Measurements

All measurements were conducted using our Audio Precision APx585 8 Channel HDMI Audio Analyzer following our rigid Amplifier Measurement Test Protocol.  Unless otherwise stated, all measurements were conducted unbalanced.

CX-A5000 11.2 AV Processor

The CX-A5000 preamp output is certainly more robust than the typical Yamaha AV receiver many of which clip below 2Vrms output.  This was not the case with the CX-A5000 as it was able to deliver a clean and unclipped 4Vrms output via unbalanced and about 8Vrms via the balanced output connections.

Frequency Response

 

Yamaha CX-A5000 Frequency Response

With an 8CH 192kHz/24 bit input signal feeding the CX-A5000’s HDMI input, I measured a ruler-flat frequency response from 10Hz all the way to 30kHz with a -3dB point above the 80kHz bandwidth limit of my test gear.  It was nice to see the Yamaha decode a full 192kHz/24 bit signal without truncating it the way some processors do.  I also checked analog pure direct mode and found a ruler flat response all the way to 80kHz.

Bass Management

While Yamaha gives you the ability to adjust crossover settings for each channel grouping, they don’t give you adjustability of the subwoofer channel crossover.

Yamaha CX-A5000 Frequency Response with Bass Management Engaged

With a standard “small” 80Hz setting for all channels, the HPF for the satellite speakers maintained the correct 80Hz -3dB pt with a 12 dB/oct slope.  The sub out was -6dB a bit above 80Hz with a slightly less shallow slope of the THX recommended 24 dB/oct.  This is a characteristic I've been seeing with all recent AV receiver and Blu-ray products implementing the ESS SABRE DAC's.  I believe they calculate LPF crossover slope based on the 2nd and 3rd octave after the crossover frequency rather than the difference between the passband and 2nd octave like we've traditionally seen with THX certified products.

With all channel groupings set “small” to 80Hz but the main channels set to 40Hz and the surround back channels set to 120Hz, the sub out channel shifted -3dB point accordingly and properly summed the small channel bass response without causing any anomalies like some processors with multi-crossover settings often do.

With all speakers set to “large” the sub out -6dB pt was 100Hz with a less shallow slope than the standard 24 dB/oct setting.  Too bad Yamaha didn’t provide for more control over this for people wanting a more optimal blend between large main towers and simultaneous subwoofer playback.  A workaround for this would be to set a different speaker memory for two-channel mode if you prefer a different crossover point when listening to stereo sources with the subwoofer engaged. 

The subwoofer output had plenty of headroom as it was able to output 6Vrms unclipped which is important when summing bass from all channels set to “small.”

Signal to Noise Ratio

 

Yamaha CX-A5000 SNR (20kHz LPF engaged)

The SNR of the CX-A5000 was among the best I’ve ever measured.  > 100db is quiet enough to hear a tree fall in a forest even if nobody is there to see it.  The channel 3 test result is to be ignored as its the sub channel.

Frequency Response vs. Distortion

 

Yamaha CX-A5000 Frequency Response vs Distortion

With all channels driven @ 2Vrms, distortion was virtually non-existent over the entire audio band.  This is a clean measurement!

FFT Distortion Analysis

 

Yamaha CX-A5000 FFT Distortion

As you can see, the CX-A5000 FFT distortion analysis illustrated a very clean response with the 3^rd order product being > -100dB below the fundamental. 

Max Output vs. Distortion

 

Yamaha CX-A5000 Max Output vs Distortion

The CX-A5000 produced 4.3Vrms output at 0.1% THD + N and 4.45Vrms at 1% THD + N via unbalanced outputs.  It produced roughly 2X this output via the balanced connections.

Channel to Channel Crosstalk

 

Yamaha CX-A5000 Crosstalk Test (One Channel Undriven) 

Please note that in each case 6 channels were being driven at a time while the test channel was measured.  This produced worst case results (typically 10dB worse) than when simply doing channel-channel crosstalk measurements.  The CX-A5000 excelled in this test with -90dB at 1kHz for the worse channels and better than -78dB at 20kHz. 

MX-A5000 11-Channel Amplifier

I did some quick spot-checking on the Yamaha MX-A5000 amplifier gain structure to ensure it could be properly driven with a wide assortment of preamps or receivers.  The MX-A5000 reached clipping via the unbalanced inputs with only 1.45V which is less than the 2Vrms max that I’d like to see.

I measured the voltage gain of the MX-A5000 via balanced and unbalanced inputs and found the following:

• Unbalanced: AV = 29dB (THX standard)
• Balanced: AV = 23dB (6 dB lower than unbalanced)

This is a standard practice in most consumer and pro audio. The preamp therefore usually has a +6dB boost via the balanced outputs to compensate.

Signal to Noise Ratio

 

Yamaha MX-A5000 SNR (A-wt)

The MX-A5000 exhibited a superbly low noise floor.  At 1 watt, I measured 91.6dB un-weighted (20kHz LPF engaged) and about 3 dB better A-weighted filter engaged with no 20kHz filter.  This translates to over 112dB (115dB A-wt) at full rated power.  Retesting with balanced connections, the noise floor dropped an additional 3dB.  This is right within Yamaha spec of their full power SNR of 116dB A-wt.

Frequency Response

 

Yamaha MX-A5000 Frequency Response @ 1 Watt 

The frequency response of the MX-A5000 was ruler flat in the audio passband and only -1.5dB down at 80kHz.  Channel to Channel deviation was a mere +-0.07dB across the entire bandwidth.

Power Measurements

The MX-A5000 was tested on a dedicated 120V / 20A line. 

We tested power using three methods all of which were taken at < 0.1% THD + N:

• Continuous Full Power Bandwidth (CFP-BW) from 20Hz to 20Khz into 8 and 4-ohm loads
• 1kHz Power Sweep vs. Distortion (1kHz PSweep)—popularized by the print magazines, this is an instantaneous power vs. distortion test at 1kHz. The problem with this test is it often masks slew-related and or frequency response problems some amplifiers exhibit at the frequency extremes, and thus inflates the measured power results. It does provide an instant gratification number for consumers to argue over on the forums, so we are now incorporating this test to please the masses.
• Dynamic PWR - 1kHz CEA-2006 Burst Method testing. This is a dynamic power measurement adopted from the car industry similar to IHF method, only a bit more difficult for an amplifier and more representative of real musical content.

Keep in mind most review publications don't do continuous power measurements and they usually publish power measurements into clipping at 1% THD + N. Our measurements are very conservative since we use a dedicated 20A line with no Variac to regulate line voltage.  We constantly monitor the line to ensure it never drops more than 2Vrms from nominal, which in our case was 120Vrms. 

For more info on amplifier measurements, see:  The All Channels Driven (ACD) Test

 

Yamaha MX-A5000 Full Power Bandwidth Continuous Sweep (250wpc, 4 ohms)

The MX-A5000 easily exceeded its 150 watt/ch rating with two channels driven producing 177 watts/ch into 8 ohms and 250 watts/ch into 4 ohm loads at 0.1% THD + N.

 

Yamaha MX-A5000 1kHz Power Sweep Test

Top Pic: 8 ohm load, 5CH;  Bottom Pic:  4 ohm load, 2CH

The power sweep tests produced some interesting results with the MX-A5000.  With 2 or 5 channels driven, the MX-A5000 did exceedingly well pumping out 177 watts (2CH, .1% THD + N) and 138 watts (5CH, .1% THD + N) respectively.  However once 7 channels were tested, the MX-A5000 went into current protection mode delivering only 78 watts at .1% THD + N.  This was a bit odd since 138 x 5 = 690 watts is greater than 78 x 7 = 546 watts.  The MX-A5000 was clearly current limiting once it detected 7 channels driving at high power.

 

Yamaha MX-A5000 1kHz Power Sweep Test – Low Impedance Mode

NEVER USE THIS SETTING!

With the impedance switch set low aka the 4 ohm setting, the MX-A5000 only delivered 63 watts at .1% THD +N with 5 channels driven.  We ALWAYS recommend leaving the impedance switch set in the default high (8 ohms or more) mode regardless of the speaker load you will be using.  

For more information on this topic, see:  Setting the AV Receiver Impedance Selector Switch

Before people scoff at the current limiting of the MX-A5000 it’s important to note that Yamaha tends to be very overly protective with their amplifiers.  The chance of the MX-A5000 going into current limiting mode in real world usage is very low since we don’t listen to simultaneous correlated continuous test tones. 

 

Yamaha MX-A5000 Dynamic Power Test (1kHz)

Top Pic: 8 ohm load, 7CH;  Bottom Pic: 4 ohm load, 2CH

The CEA-2006 burst tests simulate musical program material.  The MX-A5000 produced some excellent results with over 1.2 dB of dynamic headroom for 8 ohm loads with 7 channels driven, and 1.7dB with only 2 channels driven. I was particularly impressed that the MX-A5000 was able to muster a whopping 400 watts into 4 ohms.  A large power supply and a robust design pays off in tangible dividends. 

# of CH	Test Type	Power	Load	THD + N
2	CFP-BW	177 watts	8 ohms	0.1%
2	CFP-BW	250 watts	4 ohms	0.1%
2	1kHz Psweep	177 watts	8 ohms	0.1%
2	1kHz Psweep	186 watts	8 ohms	1%
2	1kHz Psweep	236 watts	4 ohms	0.1%
2	1kHz Psweep	280 watts	4 ohms	1%
5	1kHz Psweep	138 watts	8 ohms	0.1%
5	1kHz Psweep	144 watts	8 ohms	1%
*5	1kHz Psweep	64 watts	8 ohms	1%
7	1kHz Psweep	78 watts	8 ohms	0.1%
7	1kHz Psweep	85 watts	8 ohms	1%
2	Dynamic PWR	225 watts	8 ohms	1%
5	Dynamic PWR	205 watts	8 ohms	1%
7	Dynamic PWR	197 watts	8 ohms	1%
2	Dynamic PWR	396 watts	4 ohms	1%

Yamaha MX-A5000 Power Measurement Table 

* Impedance switch was set to low (4 ohm setting) for this particular tests.

Yamaha rates the MX-A5000 as follows:

• 170 watts  < 0.9% ; 1 kHz 8 ohm load, 2CH Driven
• 150 watts  < 0.06% ; Full Bandwidth, 8 ohm load, 2CH Driven

Our test results validate Yamaha’s power specifications. However Yamaha doesn’t specify power ratings into 4 ohm loads or any power ratings with more than 2 channels driven but we provided these measurements so the reader can better understand the power capabilities of this product. 

FFT Distortion Analysis

Yamaha MX-A5000 FFT Distortion Analysis

(Top pic: @ 1 watt ; Bottom pic: @ full power)

 

I ran FFT distortion plots at 1 watt (top pic) and at near full rated power (bottom pic) to determine how clean this amplifier really is. 

At 1 watt, the spectral distortion plot revealed dominant odd-order harmonic distortion products but they were still -90dB below the fundamental.  The high power FFT revealed dominant 2^nd and 3^rd order distortion products but were still down -80dB below the fundamental.

Using balanced connections lowered the distortion products an additional -3dB.  It is recommended to use balanced connections whenever possible.

Channel-to-Channel Crosstalk

 

Yamaha MX-A5000 Crosstalk Tests (One Channel Undriven)

The crosstalk sweep tests I ran on the MX-A5000 produced very good results. The MX-A5000 produced consistent results no matter which channel was under test.  At 1kHz the channel-to-channel isolation was -80dB and – 50dB at 20kHz. I consider anything less than -40dB @ 10kHz acceptable and the MX-A5000 beat that minimum requirement by 10dB.

Yamaha CX-A5000 & MX-A5000 Conclusion and Ratings

Let's not beat around the bush - $6000 will get you the Yamaha CX-A5000 and MX-A5000 separates. If you have ever wanted separates but didn't want to sacrifice features, it is a good time to be alive. While the CX-A5000 isn't without a few oddities, for the most part it is a fantastic pre-pro. The MX-A5000 is a beast of an amp with enough channels of amplification to power yours and your neighbor's systems with a channel to spare. We love the new trend in high quality separates from the likes of Yamaha and if the CX-A5000 and MX-A5000 is what is in store for us, we can't wait to see what else they can come out with next. Highly Recommended!

Yamaha CX-A5000 & MX-A5000 AV Separates Video Review

Yamaha CX-A5000 Pre/Pro and MX-A5000 Amplifier

$2999.95/each

Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA
6660 Orangethorpe Avenue
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 522-9105
www.yamaha.com

The Score Card

The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:

Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating

Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.

Audioholics Rating Scale

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Metric	Rating
Frequency Response Linearity
Measured Power (8-ohms)
Measured Power (4-ohms)
Multi-channel Audio Performance
Two-channel Audio Performance
Network Features
Video Processing
Bass Management
Build Quality
Fit and Finish
Ergonomics & Usability
Ease of Setup
Features
Remote Control
Performance
Value