The "Official" Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A1020, RX-A2020 and RX-A3020 Thread - Page 2

Can you clarify this please; I have the 671 with built-in Pandora, but no pre-outs. How exactly does one stream the internet content via Airplay with the new XXX20 line? Does that mean you're using a 2nd device to stream Pandora, instead of doing it directly with the AVR?

You'll need to use a second device to stream Pandora, though it many cases it would be more practical through an HDMI, SPDIF or analogue audio connection to the receiver than somehow using AirPlay.
Edited by Ross Ridge - 7/29/12 at 9:53am

The biggest feature that the RX-A2000 has over the RX-A1020 is the HQV video scaling chip, the same one in your RX-A3010. The upsaling quality of the RX-A1020 isn't going to be as good. The RX-A2000 should have a somewhat bigger power suppy and there are number of features that got dropped in the 2012 product line like Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius Internet Radio, Napster, the iPod dock port and the Sirius Satellite Radio port. The RX-A1020 instead has AirPlay and the ability to connect iPods and portable Apple devices directly to front USB port.

You can do a dialog lift with the RX-A2000 you just need to have presence speakers attached and enabled. However, since the RX-A2000 only has 7 channels of amplification it will disable the rear surrounds while the presence speakers are active.

I saw that they added airplay and removed the prior music service options with the xx20 line. That's a bummer, I'm all for more options/features these days. The funny thing about that is I've seen reviews criticizing Yamaha for not having Air Play with the prior models, which I admit was shortsighted although I'm not an Apple user. But then they do a complete 180 and remove everything else and have only Air Play? I realize that there are other devices that can provide those services, but having it all in one box and being able to use a single app to control it all with a smartphone is a nice option.

I also forgot about the HQV video chip. For some reason I was thinking it was on the 1XXX models and on up. So it'll be the 2000 for sure. I'll be leaving in a bit to pick it up.

Thanks for the input.

Actually I was referring to Dialog Level. This feature is new with the xx20 line. I was interested in trying this out, but really I couldn't pass on the deal on the 2000, especially after you mentioned the HQV chip (thanks again for that).

Ross Ridge, I had to come back in here and say THANKS one more time on the HQV reminder. I got the 2000 all hooked up, and the monitor I use in this setup has never looked so good! I have to say this is also out of the box with video processing enabled, though not yet calibrated.

Ummmm....ok.

Yamaha drops network music sources in the new model. They justify this because they have added AirPlay. Fair enough. AirPlay is a cool feature and with volume interlock, you don't have to switch apps to control the volume of the receiver. Of course, if you are using one of the network sources now, you don't have to leave the Yamaha app, and you still have access to all the other control features of what has to be one of the best iOS receiver apps out there.

One of my primary music sources is Sirius Internet Radio. I know there are a lot of people that like Pandora, both of which have been built in sources in the A3000 and the A3010, now deleted from the A3020.

I have two additional zones of music off of my current A3000. I can be listening to Sirius in the kitchen while the wife is watching satellite TV, or whatever, in the living room. I use my iPad for zone control. Works really, really well.

Page 95 of the owner's manual for the A3020..."AirPlay is available in zone 2 and zone 3 only when AirPlay playback is ongoing in the main zone".

Genius.

Yamaha touts a new feature that is useful to almost no one (4K upconversion), takes out features that can be useful to millions, and charges $200 more for it.

I'm sure that guy got a raise.

Ahem...

I just got an email from "a guy" I know that informs me all network streaming sources will be put back in the XX20 series with a firmware update in August. The new models that have already made it to the US were shipped before final software was ready.

In the words of the late, great Emily Litella...nevermind.

This is good to hear / Yamaha removing Pandora & Sirius from firmware in the first place made no sense.

Seems strange that Sirius etc. is not mentioned as a feature on the Yamaha website if they knew it was going to be added. The first 3D models shipped without support for 3D and needed a firmware update, but it was always listed as a feature.

I agree with your logic, and I will speculate.

Perhaps Yamaha didn't think through the design decision to remove these built-in sources. The first thought being, "now that we have AirPlay, we don't have to duplicate these features simce almost everyone has an iOS device". It would have been only later in development that someone noticed that the architecture of the receiver dictates that AirPlay cannot be a zone specific source. Then they would have to scrample to get a new firmware written to put those features back in, specifically for multizone operations, and also to accommodate the 3 or 4 guys that don't have AirPlay devices ;-).

Again, that is a guess. My source only said the features would be added back in in an update in August.

Personally I wouldn't buy any product based on a promised feature to come later. I've seen too many cases where companies have ended up reneging on promises like this. In this case Yamaha hasn't even publically promised to do this, so I would definitely wait until this firmware update actually exists before making any purchase decisions.

+1

Shouldn't be hard, depending on the receiver you are considering. In my case, the firmware would be out before the receiver (A3020).

So, no Dolby PL IIz or DTS Neo:X on these, huh? No dolby volume or audyssey dsx. Do they compensate only with the cinema-dsp? If so how does it compare to these new technologies?

I own an rx-v1400 & I remember when I bought it near launch the first shipments did not have dolby PL IIx and by the second round of shipments they had included it. You could even send it in for an firmware upgrade. I recieved one of the first to include the IIx.

I wonder if something like this may happen with the xx20's via firmware upgrade.

Yamaha has been doing height speakers and their equivalent of Dolby Volume, etc for longer than any other company I can think of, years before PLIIZ, NeoX, Dolby Volume or DSX came out. I think the others were playing catch up to Yamaha. They call their volume technologies Adaptive Dynamic Range Control and Adaptive DSP. They prefer to use their own algorithms instead of licensing the others. I doubt you will see them including these in a firmware update or in their future receivers. Their technologies do a good job but there will always be personal preference on which one people prefer.

I'd much prefer they threw everything in there and then we could compare technologies and pick the one we preferred. But I assume they save a bit of money by not licensing some of the new Dolby and DTS stuff.

Also I don't think Yamaha has any equivalent to Dolby Volume, which supposedly equallizes different input sources (or even different TV channels) automatically. Dolby Volume is not just a dynamic range adjustment that changes with the position of the volume knob, it considers the actual source volume. Mind you, it's not a feature I care about personally.
Edited by kriktsemaj99 - 8/2/12 at 8:15am

I am not farmiliar about the upcoming 3D audio codecs. Would someone kindly point me to some info about them?

another great feature for gamers added to this years lineup:

"For video game lovers that hate the delay that comes with video processing, all the Aventage receivers have a new Video Direct Mode with bypasses the processing chips to speed up video by two frames per second."

source: http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/yamaha-aventage-rx-2020-rx-3020-pre

I'm pretty sure the video delay was virtually zero anyway when processing was turned off (at least it was on the older Yamaha series, but maybe they broke that with the first Aventage models).

fwiw, I spoke to Yamaha today in between calling every authorized Yamaha online dealer and negotiating 2010/3010 prices.

Yamaha CS said Pandora/Sirius/Rhapsody enabling firmware upgrade is near final approval, imminent.

Surprisingly, a few dealers already OOS on 2010, and don't expect more 2010s. I heard these release dates:

RX-A1020 - August 22nd,
RX-A2020- September 18th
RX -A3020 - September 27th

Don't know how much lower to expect XX10 price drops thru year-end if Yamaha is managing inventory so tightly. Don't really need 3010's extra zones, but for prices I'm hearing, and a 3010 for $270 more than a 2010, not ruling it out.
Edited by willybguy - 8/15/12 at 8:26pm

Love the new 3020 Receiver specs. Have been an Onkyo guy forever but this thing tops Onkyo easily.. 4k passthrough and dual independent hdmi output! Might have to change teams unless Onkyo announce something soon

Anyone know if any of the xx10 or xx20 models EQ the sub? I have an older Yamaha and looking at either the 2010 or 2020. Thanks.

The 10x0 does not EQ the sub, the 20x0 and 30x0 do.

According to the RX-3020 user manual there is a way for manual sub eq ( p. 117 ), range 31.3Hz to 250Hz, fine.
But how many filters may we apply to the subwoofer ?
I would like to have at least four to kill the four major roommodes, I fight.

BR

Gary G.

There are four filters for the sub, but the frequency choices are only every 1/3 octave (31.3Hz, 39.4, 49.6, 62.5 etc.). If your room modes fall in between those frequencies, then the filters won't be very effective.

RX-A820 HDMI Control Question

So I just got the 820 yesterday after having a Sony DG720 that I was never really happy with. I feel like I just crawled out from under a rock. Sound is great, and the network stuff is awesome. So onto my question:

My TV is a Sony Bravia. Don't recall the model right now but it does support HDMI Control.
My previous setup routed only BD through my reciver, with my UVerse HDMI gong straight to the TV, with optical out for sound to the receiver. This is how I set up my 820 to start with.

In setting up my 820's TV Scene button, is it possible for HDMI Control to not only power on the TV, but to also change its input to another HDMI input, like the one coming from my UVerse box?

I realize that I probably should just route all my video signals to the 820 to simplify things, but I'd also like to understand if this is possible, in case I needed to be able to do this.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone.

I've just bought a new Aventage 2010 but I haven't gone through the whole owner's manual yet. Does anybody know whether this receiver decodes FLAC files or not?

Thanks a lot.

It does decode FLAC files from USB mass storage devices connected to the front panel or DLNA servers on the network. Note that in the later case your DLNA server needs to support FLAC files as well.

You should probably ask any future questions about your RX-A2010 on the RX-A1010/2010/3010 thread.

Does it also decode Apple ALAC files? How about the new 20 series? If none of these do, is there ANY receiver out there that does ALAC? I've been looking around to replace a mid-level Yamaha RX-V567 and am interested in taking advantage of some current blow-out pricing on either a Marantz 7005, Denon 4311, Onkyo 3009, or the Yamaha 3010. Strange as it might seem, my local Big Blue currently has all four units at fire sale pricing as we speak. Lack of AirPlay is weighing heavily against Yamaha (except the 20 series which aren't yet discounted and probably won't be for a long time) but a unit that would support native ALAC would probably clinch it for me. Or would I be better off just investing in an Apple TV box for the AirPlay and ALAC support and be done with it all?

Many thanks for any thoughts here as these good prices won't be around for long.