Yamaha RX-A830 AVENTAGE 7.2 Channel Network AV Receiver Preview

Even for people that have the money, spending $2000+ on a receiver can be a lot to swallow. Once you look at the features, compare them to your needs, and figure out how much other gear you'd need to buy to do the same thing, maybe it makes sense. But for most of us, the price point of a receiver is a major sticking point. That's why manufacturers try to give us as many options as possible.

Yamaha's AVENTAGE receivers have really taken off and they are not letting up. The newest to the line is the RX-A830. This receiver represents the top-end of the budget side of their AVENTAGE line. There will certainly be more expensive (and feature-full) AVENTAGE receivers announced soon. But for now, the RX-A830 is the newest.

With 7.2 channels and 100 W per discrete channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.09% THD, 2 ch driven), the 23.2 pound RX-A830 is no slouch. It features eight HDMI inputs (one of the front) and two outputs with 3D, ARC (Audio Return Channel), and standby pass-through. The second HDMI output can output to Zone B (mirrors the content of the main HDMI output).

Glancing at the back, we find nine pairs of speaker terminals. The seven internal amps can power a 7.2 system or 5.2 system with the last two amps powering presence speakers or Zone 2. They can also be used to bi-amp the front speakers. There are two component video inputs, five composite video (one on the front) inputs, and one output for each. The RX-A830 can upcovert and scale all video to HDMI to 4K resolution.

The RX-A830 has a MHL HDMI port on the front for connecting your mobile devices. This allows for full HD video and audio from mobile phones and portable devices. The RX-A830 has an Ethernet port on the back for connecting to your home network. It supports Apple's AirPlay, Pandora, Rhapsody, and vTuner. The RX-A830 is DLNA 1.5 certified for streaming local content and can be controlled by Yamaha's remote app with your compatible iOS or Android device. 

For ease of setup, Yamaha has included their upgraded YPAO with R.S.C. (Reflected Sound Control) that includes multi-point measurements. There is a GUI overlayed over the HDMI output (2D and 3D). The RX-A830 supports two zones of audio either by the internal amps or through the included pre-outs. The RX-A830 has 7.2 channel pre-outs for adding additional amps. There are no pre-ins for adding legacy gear.

The front of the RX-A830 has a USB port on the front that is iDevice certified allowing for a direct digital connection. This bypasses the DACs in your phone/pod/pad in favor of the ones in the Yamaha. It supports MP3, WMA, AAC up to 48 kHz / 16-bit, FLAC/WAV up to 192 kHz / 24-bit. While connected, iDevices will charge even if the receiver is in standby mode. When in use, iDevices song titles displayed in English and Western European languages on the front panel. 

Conclusion

The most exciting thing about the new Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A830 is the price. At under $900, it has enough features to please even the most ardent audiophile and feature-phile. A full suite of networking, iDevice compatibility, MHL, 7.2 inputs, 100 watts per channel, Burr-Brown 192 kHz/24-bit DACs for all channels, Pure Direct mode for bypassing any unnecessary circuitry, YPAO with multi-point measurements, 4k upconversion...the list goes on. At this price point, it is hard to believe that there is much more that could be offered. Anyone needing a new receiver would do well to keep the RX-A830 in mind.

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

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