Yamaha RX-A3010 9.2 AVENTAGE Receiver Preview

The new AVENTAGE line of receivers from Yamaha have been getting a lot of attention of late. Sure, new lines always grab attention but, in the case of the AVENTAGE line, it is well deserved. We're seeing some very exciting features at some pretty remarkable price points. The new RX-A3010 adds only $100 to the MSRP of the RX-A3000 (check out our video review) but you get some significant upgrades. In fact, if you look at the (now getting long in the tooth) RX-Z11 receiver, aside from a couple of amps, the RX-A3010 has almost the same features. Of course, the RX-Z11 retails for $5500 (rather than the $2000 of the RX-A3010). What a difference a couple of years make, huh?

First, let's start off with the basics. The Yamaha RX-A3010 is a 9.2 channel receiver sporting 150 watts 20Hz-20kHz (2ch driven).   The RX-A3010 power rating is up 10wpc compared to the RX-A3000 likely due to the larger power supply needed to power the extra two channels.  That's right, The RX-A3010 has two more powered channels than the RX-A3000 and, most would agree, the extra amps alone justify the price increase. This is especially true since you can now do a full 9.2 system using just one box or power a 7.2 system and feed a zone2 pair of speakers simultaneously.  The Yamaha sports A.R.T. (Anti-Resonance Technology) Wedge and symmetrical power amplifier layout. The A.R.T. is a fifth foot designed to dampen vibrations from the power transformer, power transistors, and heat sinks as well as vibrations that might be caused by the connected loudspeakers. The symmetrical power amp layout places the amp boards and heat sinks on the sides of the receiver case with the transformer in the center. This both physically and electrically separates the left and right channels. Perhaps it would make sense to also put the center amp between the two as well, but that isn't the case. The RX-A3010 has eight HDMI 1.4a inputs and two (simultaneous) outputs (only one supports Audio Return Channel, both support 3D). One of those inputs is front-mounted for easy integration of transient gear (like your buddy's HD camcorder or your kid's friend's Xbox). 

As you can see, the back of the RX-A3010 is quite busy. There are two extra pairs of five-way binding posts for easy configuration switching without rewiring. There are analogue outputs for 11.2 channels (front and back subs are specified, as are rear and front presence channels). Analogue inputs are also included for integrating legacy gear (7.1). The RX-A3010 supports up to four zones of audio (preouts for all except Zone 4 which is digital optical only). There is even video output to one zone (composite/S-video/component). A secondary remote is included for these zones. There are a slew of composite/S-video and four component video inputs along with tons of digital and analogue audio inputs.

The RX-A3010 will upconvert all your analogue video signals to HDMI, plus it will scale them to 1080p using its HQV Vida chipset. This chipset supports not only SD scaling but also HD (HDMI to HDMI) allowing you to take the less-than-stellar picture from your less-than-stellar cable box and make it look as good as possible. All the latest HD audio codecs are supported, though you won't see the height/width speaker solutions that other receivers might have. That's because Yamaha has been doing "Presence" speakers (and doing them well) long before any one else. Their proprietary solution now supports both front and rear presence channels.

Networking is practically mandatory these days and the Yamaha RX-A3010 has it in spades. It is 'Made for iPhone' certified and can be controlled from an app (an Android app is on the way and should be ready when this receiver ships in September). There is a front USB port (under the cover) for connecting your iDevice, USB drive, or MP3 player. The RX-A3010 is DLNA 1.5 and Window 7 certified and can stream Pandora, Rhapsody, SIRIUS Internet Radio, Napster and vTuner Internet Radio services, and files off your networked devices. The only streaming feature that is really missing here is Apple's AirPlay. It does, however, have an HD radio tuner with iTunes tagging.

For room correction, Yamaha has included their proprietary YPAO solution with the new R.S.C. upgrade. R.S.C. (Reflected Sound Control) is obviously a byproduct of their hugely successful surround-bar products. It allows the room correction to control reflected sound and even measure speaker angle. In this way, you can correct for speakers that aren't lined up parallel with each other along side and rear walls. The RX-A3010 weighs in at 40.1 lbs (2.6 lbs heavier than the RX-A3000) and measures 17-1/8" x 7-1/2" x 18-3/8" (about the same size as the former model except about 1.5" deeper). It has a industry-leading low stand-by power consumption (<0.3W) and only consumes 2W in HDMI Standby Pass-through mode (which allows you to switch HDMI inputs and pass audio/video while the receiver's amplifiers are off). It has an Auto Power Down function with 4, 6, 8, or 12 hours settings.

Conclusion

Is this the receiver to beat all receivers? That's unclear at this point. We won't know until we do our next receiver comparison article. If Yamaha had included Apple's AirPlay, we probably couldn't have thought of a feature that they could have included that they should have (excluding stuff like Audyssey and ProLogic IIz which they'll never use). This is the sort of receiver that you can grow old with. Just like the RX-Z11, when you buy this, you may be tempted to upgrade in a few years, but you certainly won't need to. At under $2000, that's pretty awesome bang for your buck in our opinion.

For more information, please visit www.yamaha.com.

You can pre-order the Yamaha RX-A3010 at the Audioholics Store among other places.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.