Yamaha RX-A2040 Receiver
Yamaha just released 5 new Aventage receivers into the market, including the RX-A740, RX-A840, RX-A1040 and RX-A3040. It’s the Yamaha RX-A2040 that really catches our eye. This is a 9.2 channel AV receiver with built-in Wi-Fi, 9 x 140W of amplification, HDMI 2.0, and 4K Ultra HD video upconversion. As is common with some of the higher-level Aventage receivers, these models also include the ability to send a discrete source to a second HDMI zone. Two front presence and a pair of rear presence channels also means you can use the new Cinema DSP HD3 mode to bring a new vertical dimension for a true 9.2-channel surround experience.
The Yamaha RX-A2040 looks just like the Yamaha RX-A2030 receiver except that the inside of the receiver features an H-shaped cross member to stiffen the frame and reduce vibrations. The RX-A2040 also separates both the left and right channels physically and electrically, delivering better channel separation and a higher signal to noise ratio.
Yamaha RX-A2040 Receiver Network Features
If you like to stream music, then the RX-A2040 may be your new best friend. It can stream Internet radio, SiriusXM, Pandora, Rhapsody, Spotify, and you can even use the free iOS/Android AV Controller App to stream anything Yamaha may have missed using your iOS or Android device. Wireless Direct mode lets you network to the receiver directly with just the WiFi connection. Of course, AirPlay, HTC connect and HDMI with MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) round out the features, making your options nearly limitless.
Spotify Connect is a neat feature where, when you get within range of the AV receiver while using Spotify, the system automatically picks up the stream and begins streaming your music. Spotify is also giving users of the new Yamaha RX-A2040 a free premium account for 30 days as a trial. Visit Spotify.com for more details.
Using the front panel USB port, you can charge or digitally connect any iOS device and use the RX-A2040’s remote control to operate your iPod/iPhone/iPad and access playback functions for streaming music. In addition to the expected Dolby True HD, and DTS-HD Master Audio support, the RX-A2040 supports FLAC, WAV, and Apple Lossless (ALAC). There’s even support for gapless playback.
Yamaha RX-A2040 Video Features
HDMI 2.0 support means the Yamaha RX-A2040 receiver can not only handle 4K Ultra HD video resolution, it can upconvert content to that resolution via HDMI. RGB, YCbCr 4:4:4, YCbCr 4:2:2 and YCbCr 4:2:0 video signals are also supported via a firmware update.
Edge adaptive deinterlacing is included in the Yamaha RX-A2040 to smooth out jaggy noise, and motion adaptive deinterlacing will detect either moving or still images for precise pixel-by-pixel processing. Multi-cadence detection includes excellent handling of the expected 3-2 pull-down. The Yamaha RX-A2040 receiver can also send an independent A/V source to Zone 2 where the on-screen graphical user interface (GUI) will let you browse and select your sources or content.
Yamaha RX-A2040 Audio Features
The Yamaha RX-A2040 uses a high drive, fully-discrete power amp technology, high quality preamplifiers, and independent pure power supplies for DACs. The RX-A2040 also employs dedicated power supplies for the analogue and digital circuitry to avoid cross contamination of the signals or noise.
Yamaha allows this new Aventage receiver to control low frequency during quieter listening with the Subwoofer Trim Control. This feature acts like a “loudness control” for your subwoofer. The Yamaha RX-A2040 features the ESS Technology ES9006 SABRE Premier Audio DAC. A high-bit high-sampling extension enables up to 96 kHz/24-bit or lossless 44.1/48 kHz content from CDs or FLAC files.
Yamaha’s RX-A2040 AV receiver can automatically assign amplifiers based on your particular setup. If Zone 2 is off, for example, all 9 amplifier channels would be configured for use in the Main Zone. Activate Zone 2, however, and the surround back channel amplifiers will be reassigned—so the Main Zone will retain a full 7.1 surround configuration. Of course, the really cool thing is that since the Yamaha RX-A2040 receiver has 11 pairs of speaker terminals for its 9 amplifiers, you don’t have to reroute speaker wires to periodically run a second Zone.
Yamaha RX-A2040 Receiver Features
- 140 W x 9-channels
- 4K Ultra HD video upconversion
- Support for HDMI 2.0 (4K Ultra HD 50/60p compatible)
- Wi-Fi network connectivity
- AirPlay, HTC Connect, Pandora, Spotify, SiriusXM Internet Radio, Rhapsody
- FLAC, WAV 192 kHz / 24-bit, Apple Lossless 96 kHz / 24-bit and gapless playback
- CINEMA DSP HD3
- Dual ESS Technology DACs
- YPAO – R.S.C. with 3D, multipoint and angle measurement
- Advanced HDMI zone switching
- Yamaha AV Controller App
The Yamaha RX-A2040 receiver will be available this month and will retail for $1699.95.
