RX-A3000 died - Asking for advice

@LuLushang yea return it or file a dispute if it really is a 1040. There are a LOT of good avrs under $1k, but the a3000 was top of the line back in 2010 so might be tough to find that exact sound unless you get a high end Yamaha again. Maybe a newer v2085 as they are often on sale, otherwise a few years old and discounted rx-a2060/2070 or 3060/3070?

What kind of speakers do you have?

Is this for HT or 2 channel music?

Assuming you only need 7.1 then here are some basic receivers to look at. None of these have near the same power or features of the a3000

Onkyo - tx-rz630, nr686/696/787/797
Pioneer - vsx-lx103/303/304
Yamaha - tsr-7850, rx-a770/780
Denon - x2500/2600


These all have preouts in case you want to add external power. These are mid-level receivers.

Onkyo - tx-rz730/740/830/840
Pioneer - vsx-lx503/504
Yamaha - tsr-7850/rx-a780
Denon - x3500


higher end gear around the top of your budget. These all can expand past 7 channels, have similar features to the a3000, but have preouts for external power

Onkyo - tx-rz840
Denon - x3600/4400/4500
Yamaha - rx-a2070 or v2085
Marantz - sr6012/6013

I'm a car audio nut; home audio I'm just a casual. I use Klipsch reference series dual 6" tower speakers and 12" subwoofer, purchased sometime between 2005-2010. Not amazing, but not trash. Good enough to tell the difference between this Sony's 96kHz/24-bit DAC and my Yamaha's 192kHz/24-bit Burr-Brown. People always say speakers are the most important component, but I say the source is just as important. Trash in, trash out. I use this setup for my computer and occasionally I play Hatsune Miku Future/Color Tone on PS4 & a 40" Sony Bravia from the 2000s. If I watch a movie, it's usually at my PC. The couch is directly behind my PC chair and my PC screen is 34" 21:9 so it works.

I do not use EQ/sound effects. I did not use YPAO. The seller of this Sony also forgot to include the accessories like the mic. I thought about trying to use my YPAO mic on the Sony, but I can't find it.

I think the A3000 is 140w/2ch? and I had plenty of headroom, usually stopping at -20/0. This Sony is 165w/2ch even more headroom still; I listen at about 26/74. It is powerful, just missing detail.

I don't make a lot of money. I just live as a no-life hermit in a small home which affords me the luxury of spending on something when I desire it. I can afford to pick up a A3080; I just don't want to spend full price on it knowing it sells for like 1/2 that on a Black Friday sale. The technical specifications of the new Yamaha DACs are better than the old, I'm assuming they are at least equally good sounding. I'd like to just find something that is as adequately good sounding as the A3000 was. I'm just not sure if "adequately good" is going to be a A2080 or a V585 or something inbetween. The V585 is Burr-Brown 384 kHz / 32-bit DAC, seems like it should be about what I'm used to, but the fact that Aventage uses ESS Sabre makes me curious if they sound better.

I'm not bent on Yamaha of course, I am just kinda leaning to sticking to what I know now that I was a little burnt by the Sony.

I will check it out, thanks for the suggestion!

For fun, I drew a little mspaint representation of my silly setup to share with you.