Buena Park, Calif. – Yamaha
filled out the upper end of its RX-V series of A/V receivers (AVRs), expanding its
selection of AVRs with Apple AirPlay, 4K by 2K video passthrough over HDMI, and
iPad-certified front-panel USB.
The top-end $849-suggested
RX-V773WA and $649-suggested RX-V673 will also be the company’s first AVRs
announced to date with 4K by 2K HDMI up-scaling. They will be available in June
and May, respectively.
Both are 7.2-channel networked
models that follow the launches of three other RX-V models at a suggested $299,
$449 and $549. The $449 and $549 models were the company’s first AVRs announced
with AirPlay, 4K by 2K passthrough and iPad USB.
In the 2012 RX-V lineup,
networking starts at a suggested $399, down from last year’s suggested $549.
Networking features include DLNA 1.5 networking certification, Windows 7
certification and ability to stream Internet radio stations via vTuner.
All 2012 RX-V models are the
company’s first with a new Eco mode to reduce power consumption by 20 percent.
Eco mode reduces power consumption even when the AVRs are playing, not just
when they are in standby.
Compared with their lower priced
counterparts, the RX-V773WA and RX-V673 add a suite of multizone installation
and setup features usually found in higher-end models, the company said. Both
AVRs feature seven assignable amps to direct two output channels to surround
back, front-height, or Zone 2 speakers without changing speaker connections.
The two channels can alternately be used to biamplify the front left-right
channels or doubling the output to the front left-right channels.
Both AVRs feature a Video Direct
mode to bypass video processing chips to speed up video by 2 fps and eliminate
play-action delays. Both also feature DLNA 1.5 networking certification,
Windows 7 certification, ability to stream Internet radio stations via vTuner
and ability to stream FLAC 96kHz/24-bit audio.
The $849 flagship adds Zone B
dual-HDMI output and included Wi-Fi 802.11 adapter to stream music from the
Internet and a networked PC.
Both models have enhanced Yamaha
Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) room-calibration technology called
YPAO Reflected Sound Control, which automatically analyzes room acoustics and
calibrates system equalization to deliver best sound no matter where the
speakers are located. It also provides DSP Effect Normalization, which varies
the Cinema DSP parameters according to the reflected sounds.
The $849 flagship analyzes room
acoustics at multiple points in a room, whereas the $649 takes room-acoustics
measurements at one point.
Like the AVRs starting at $399,
the two new AVRs are compatible with the company’s free AV Controller app,
which turns Apple, Android and Kindle devices into a Wi-Fi remote that controls
such A/V receiver functions as source switching, AM/FM tuning, accessing
networked content, engaging DSP and modes, and adjusting volume and on/off. The
app also enables users to distribute music to multiple rooms.
Both models also feature virtual
presence function to deliver front-height channels without front-height
speakers, and they feature a dialog-lift function to raise the height of dialog
to match the TV screen’s height.
Both AVRs’ include Adaptive
Dynamic Range Control, which automatically adjusts the dynamic range of the
sound according to the volume level to ensure dialog and sound effects at
comfortable listening levels, the company said. It also reduces the level of
loud TV commercials.
For one-touch AVR startup, the
two models have four programmable Scene buttons (BD/DVD, TV, CD and radio),
which activate the receiver’s appropriate inputs and other settings, including
surround modes, for the selected source.
Other features common to both
include a subwoofer level
adjustment, which lets users increase bass without output without changing the
crossover point, and high-speed HDMI switching function, which remembers the
settings of all connected sources to eliminate the time it usually takes for
the HDMI port to adjust to the selected source.
Both also feature six HDMI 1.4a
inputs (one on the front panel). The single HDMI 1.4a output on the $649 model
and the dual HDMI 1.4a outputs on the $849 model have audio return channel.
All RX-V AVRs offer Dolby TrueHD,
DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio surround
decoding. All also offer 3D-capable HDMI 1.4a inputs, 1.4a outputs, Cinema DSP
with multiple DSP modes, Silent Cinema to play back surround sound through
ordinary headphones, and proprietary Compressed Music Enhancer technology,
which restores lost detail and high-frequency sounds in compressed music files.
All also feature Virtual Cinema DSP technology, which delivers surround sound
without setting up surround speakers.
The $649 model is rated at 7×90
watts into 8 ohms with 0.09 percent THD with two channels driven. The $849
model is rated at 7×95 watts into 8 ohms with 0.09 percent THD with two
channels driven.
