Yamaha BD-S681 and AVENTAGE BD-A1060 Blu-ray Player Preview

Yamaha enthusiasts and audiophiles rejoice! Yamaha introduced its new high performance Blu-ray players this month with their BD-S681 and AVENTAGE BD-A1060. Both models are built with the goal of reproducing sound, music and video with the quality for which Yamaha is known. Although they don’t support the new Ultra HD video format, they do employ advanced 4K Ultra HD upscaling technology to turn high-definition source material into crystal clear images for your premium big-screen 4K HDTV. Moreover, both Blu-ray Disc players offer support for full HD Blu-ray Discs, 3D Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, SACDs and standard audio CDs.

“Yamaha Blu-ray Disc players have always delivered the most immersive experiences in picture quality and music fidelity and our latest models continue that tradition. The Yamaha BD-S681 and AVENTAGE BD-A1060 seamlessly and effortlessly deliver the highest quality playback of multiple audio and video formats and provide 4K video upscaling with the precision and reliability our customers expect.”

Bob Goedken, general manager, AV division, Yamaha Corporation of America.

Features

Built-in Wi-Fi capability allows wireless connection with your household wireless router, greatly simplifying system connections and allowing you to enjoy network audio and music streaming services. If no Wi-Fi router is available, the Wi-Fi Direct feature not only allows you to stream music and movies directly from your mobile device, but also control your receiver using the AV Controller app or MusicCast Controller app. The built-in Wi-Fi networking gives the players the ability to access BD Live extra features on supporting Blu-ray Discs, but the really cool feature of the built in Wi-Fi is the Wi-Fi Direct feature which also allows the streaming of music directly from a mobile device to the player.

An addition, both players are Miracast compatible.  If your smartphone or tablet is Miracast compatible, you can mirror your smartphone to your DVD player to easily show your videos and photos from your device on your TV.  

To improve CD music playback, a CD Mode has been added on both models that disables HDMI video output and reduce disc revolution by 30 percent to reduce unwanted disc vibrations and improve data reading sensitivity which Yamaha claims leads to better audio fidelity.

Yamaha BD-S681

If you're already immersed into the Yamaha universe and you've been looking at upgrading to an upscaling Blu-ray player the hardest choice might be which one to chose. The Yamaha BD-S681 is designed to complement the Yamaha RX-V 81 line of AV receivers in styling and operation. Fans of high-res audio will appreciate the player’s USB port and integrated 192 kHz / 24-bit DAC that supports DSD streams up to 5.6 MHz, FLAC and Apple Lossless (ALAC) music files.

AVENTAGE BD-A1060

The AVENTAGE BD-A1060 includes a 192 kHz / 32-bit DAC  and independent circuit boards with a magnetic shield between them.  Offering a front panel made of high-grade aluminum and internal steel dampening plates for rigidity, the AVENTAGE BD-A1060 is designed to minimize signal degradation and errors due to disc vibration. 

Audiophiles and enthusiasts looking to provide clear and powerful music presentations on a large scale will appreciate the two channels of professional-grade XLR audio terminals on the AVENTAGE BD-A1060. The secure and clean connection should allow for long cable runs while relaying a balanced signal from the DAC to the next XLR-ready component in the system.

Pricing and Availability

With new 4K Ultra HD upscaling Blu-ray players coming out almost every week from audio manufacturers Yamaha has a good shot at cornering the market for a good priced upscaling Blu-ray player with just their standard features, but with the addition of high quality DACs on these models Yamaha has created a niche for hifi sound quality minded audiophiles.

The Yamaha BD-S681 ($329.95)  and the AVENTAGE BD-A1060 ($499.95) are both available now.  Let us know in the forum if you own one of these units or plan on buying one.  Please share your experiences.

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