Yamaha Pitches Latest AV Receivers for 'New Era of Dynamic Displays'

Yamaha introduced a pair of AV receivers with support for 8K, HDMI 2.1 and HDR10+ to “usher in a new era of dynamic displays.” The RX-V4A ($439) will be available this month; the RX-V6A ($599) in September. Audio features of the Wi-Fi receivers include MusicCast and app control, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, built-in music streaming services, multi-room audio and voice control via Alexa, Google and Siri-enabled devices. MusicCast Surround allows optional wireless MusicCast speakers to be paired and used as surrounds in a 5.1-channel setup without the need for speaker wire to the AV receiver. The 7.2-channel V6A, rated at 100 watts per channel, has Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization. The 5.1-channel V4A is 80 watts per channel. Both have YPAO automatic room calibration. The company’s upcoming YH-E700A and EP-E70A (see 2008200022) headphones have Qualcomm’s AptX Adaptive audio codec, capable of 96 kHz sampling rates, noted a Yamaha spokesman on a Monday webinar. "Not a lot of phones" have the codec yet, he said, but the headphones are “ready and waiting” for next-gen smartphones with the feature.