Overview
There has been a lot of attention towards new AVENTAGE line of receivers from Yamaha. Yamaha A3010 is an elegant receiver having elegant decent looks with bare minimum of logos and buttons. Each control will operate with the expensively damped slickness youâd expect from a model of this class. The RX-A3010 will convert all your analogue video signals to HDMI and will even scale them to 1080p using its HQV Vida chip-set. The Yamaha RX-A3010 is a 9.2 channel receiver which supports 150 watts per channel. It has 11 pairs of binding posts, 11.2 channel analogue outputs and supports almost all the latest networking features.
Pricing and availability
It is available under $ 2000. A best bargain and online buying from sites like Amazon.com can even get you this receiver at around $1899.50.
Whatâs great
Itâs quite well equipped with higher-end designs, the RX-A3010 includes nine channels of power amplification. All channels of output are the same at a hefty 150W per channel in contrast to that of most earlier Yamaha flirtations.
As with most similarly endowed designs, amplifications can be configured to suit your needs without the delights of 9.1, with bi-amplification or Zone 2 listening also available if you prefer.
The video and digital audio circuitry is very impressive with Yamaha adopting HQVâs high-performance VHD1900 chip set for video up-conversion and scaling which also provides a comprehensive array of picture adjustment options.
Power rating are up by 10wpc in new RX-A3010 as compared to that of RX-A3000 likely due to the larger power supply needed to power the extra two channels. That’s right, the RX-A3010 has two more powered channels than the RX-A3000. You can now do a full 9.2 system using just one box or power a 7.2 system and feed a zone2 pair of speakers simultaneously. It also has sports ART (Anti-Resonance Technology) Wedge and symmetrical power amplifier layout. The ART is a fifth foot designed to dampen vibrations from the power transformer, power transistors and heat sinks as well as vibrations that might be caused by the connected loudspeakers.
The back of the RX-A3010 is quite busy too with just two extra pairs of five-way binding posts for easy configuration switching without rewiring. There are analogue outputs for 11.2 channels (front and back subs are specified, as are rear and front presence channels). Analogue inputs are also included for integrating legacy gear (7.1). The RX-A3010 supports up to four zones of audio (preouts for all except Zone 4 which is digital optical only). There is even video output to one zone (composite/S-video/component). A secondary remote is included for these zones.
Whatâs not so great
Thereâs no AirPlay in this receiver. Apple’s AirPlay is the only streaming feature that is really missing here. Yamaha prefers to promote its AirWired technology. It delivers fundamentally the same experience, but requires an optional transmitter/receiver unit, the YID-W10. Yamaha plans to bundle the relevant kit in with any RX-A3010 purchase for a set time. The rest of the RX-A3010âs offering is far too strong to allow such concern to distract you.
Things to watch out for
Is it network and digital media friendly? Yes, the Yamaha RX-A3010 has taken full care of networking which is practically mandatory these days. ‘Made for iPhone’ certified, it can be controlled from an app (an Android app is on the way and should be ready when this receiver ships in September). There is a front USB port (under the cover) for connecting your iDevice, USB drive or MP3 player. The RX-A3010 is also DLNA 1.5 and Windows 7 certified and can even stream Pandora, Rhapsody, SIRIUS Internet Radio, Napster and vTuner Internet Radio services and files off your networked devices.
Verdict
This is the sort of receiver that you can grow old with. Just like the RX-Z11, when you will buy this, you may be tempted to upgrade it in a few years, but certainly won’t need to. At under $2000, that’s pretty awesome.
