Are YAMAHA Home Theater Receivers Still KING? Yamaha A8A Review

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

📍 *GET IT HERE: **bit.ly/3l1dk7V**, **amzn.to/3DjDZTi* ★ *QOTD: What would make you purchase the A8A NOW?* ★ *CLICK 🔝 “SHOW MORE” in the description for answers to many of your questions* ★ *RULES: Please be respectful. NO OUTSIDE LINKS, URLs, email addresses, etc.*

[@michelfagan4891]

I don't think I would buy the A8A @ 4200$ in Canada instead I'd go for the A6A @ 3000$ can. And in saying that I would wait for the full firmware updates to come out!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

@@michelfagan4891 I think waiting until Yamaha issues the "big update" is likely smart. Make sure they're going to follow through before you shell out your hard earned $$$

[@movie_av_impulse]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews another great video I wouldn't buy this receiver for that kind of money. Also there is a movie filmed in 4K@60 is Gemini man which I love the way it was filmed.. not the greatest will Smith movie but the 4k blu-ray is awesome.. I know you don't use players anymore because you stream everything but I love the look of the film you guys should give it a shot. P.s. I'm still happy with my denon receiver which does play 4K@120 with the box they sent me.. I have confirmed this with the ps5.

[@SeanVedell]

Nothing. Sorry, I’m a Yamaha guy through and through but, as a wise woman once said… “don’t sell it until it’s finished”! Oh ya, c’mon Yamaha, those menus are the same as the last three Yamahas I’ve owned. It’s embarrassing. This is a $4,200 CDN fail.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

@@SeanVedell Same menus really gets to me too.

[@WillieBloom]

Future me. I purchased this receiver after two years with Marantz SR8015 connected to an Emotiva three-channel amp for the FLR’s, 11 M&K Loudspeakers and two SVS subs in an Atmos configuration. The Yamaha blows the doors off of the Marantz and my house. The SR8015 is so anemic by comparison. I had to dial the subs way back compared to the Marantz and now I can hear what my THX M&K Loudspeakers can do. Marantz charged me for Auro 3D, Yamaha didn’t. The firmware updates have addressed all the issues mentioned (Auro 3D is included, no popping sounds etc). This thing is a beast even 2+ years on. And if you want to use headphones such as the Sennheiser HD800S for simulated surround sound then this receiver has you covered. It’s great. And yeah, working flawlessly with my Xbox Series X and LG OLED too.

[@davidrivera2165]

I love the fact that you deliver to us consumers/ AV enthusiasts a completely honest unbiased review, and you hold the manufacturer accountable for the shortcomings of the product. Thank you both for your great FREE service you provide to us, subscribers. Now is up to us, buyers, to hold the 'manufacturer's feet the fire' by flooding a/v forums and social media postings with punishing comments. Kristie & Andrew are truly fully realized High End A/V reviewers. My evaluation is supported by 236k subscribers and counting.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I don't think enthusiasts need to flood or worse harass the manufacturer or brand and I don't want to encourage trolling of that kind if we can help it, but I appreciate your support and thank you for watching.

[@prasanthgn]

Yamaha has kept their promise, all features updated via firmware update

[@Predarian]

Not all. HDMI QMS is missing due specs

[@Lensman864]

I've had an A8A for several weeks and it's been wonderful. No shutdowns. No build issues. No setup issues. No phase alert. Excellent audio.

[@MrJustmitch]

And no VRR

[@AI-xq7pf]

I've installed A8A!!! What I can say right now is that A8A is great AVR worth getting. Sound quality is really better than I expected. Just wait for upcoming firmware.

[@josephquinones7965]

Have had my RZ50 since October and can attest to your comparison after playing with it for about two months. My SO had supported my decision on getting a new receiver after my pio sc 95 bit the dust. Was looking with a budget of 3000 > your review made my decision a less stressful one. The Yamaha A8a was in the running but now I'm certain that listening to you guys was the best decision ever keep up the amazing work!

[@karlp8484]

Maybe you already know this, but when you make the statement that a product is not value for money, and cheaper products are just as good/better, your credibility goes through the roof. So many reviewers just default to the most expensive product and I quickly spot them and never watch them again.

[@SlowMtbRider]

Intersting review. Using a RX-A8A for a month now, I totally agree about the fact this AVR is still in progress, but, it's actually the point of the new Yamaha lineup to be build on top of a FPGA cpu, and to be an evolving platform. It's for sure nothing good for people who are looking for something "finished" that will stay the same for years. But for people expecting new features, new codec, improvements, fixes, it's to my knowledge the first amp to enter a kind of new era a little bit the same way a Tesla is as a computer as a car in comparaison to traditional vehicles. It allows for user feedbacks, and to improve the product. Of course right now it just shows that as it's a new platform, it's not fully mature yet. But I am confident that Yamaha will provide for the first time a validated hdmi 2.1 support as they are working with the hdmi consortium to get test guidelines and a clear process to be validated. I prefer to wait a few months to get something that works with any hdmi input mix, than something that support only the "most used hdmi pattern". Edit : I don't get the point to compare this amp to 9 channels amps that aren't 7.2.4 compatible.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

All valid points, time will tell how committed they are to that evolving concept as many brands have promised future flexibility to their platforms only to abandon the idea after about a year.

[@Echo-jg8is]

Your all getting taken for fools, $3.000 for Beta units

[@MrJustmitch]

A few I had mine 8 months before any update lol hence it went back for something that works straight out of box with all Green boxes ticked on Xbox one x The Yamaha never worked properly I dropouts all the time with sound I thing is I have always had Yamaha but I have lost Complete confidence in them this time I think they rushed it out to try to be a competition but I believe has backfired on them

[@32toddv]

And the Yamaha has a tiny display and looks horrible

[@MrJustmitch]

@@32toddv I know it's so small need to be right up to it to see what it says

[@markwilson0077]

Simply one of the most comprehensive, straightforward reviews I've seen/heard/read. Keep up the amazing work guys, much appreciated!

[@Powerpickle68]

Nothing could make me buy an incomplete product for three thousand dollars. I'm not even in the market for a product like this and I believe it is reprehensible that Yamaha has the A8A for sale. That applies to any company doing the same.

[@movieflicktube]

The Yamaha firmware update V1.65 was released 27 April , addressing the issue with 4K/120, 8K/60 and HDR 10+ . These updates work for A8A, A6A and A4A after installed , as Yamaha promised .

[@venkata496]

I have tried rz50, Denon 6700 and Yamaha A6A. After listening to Yamaha A6A, I was never happy with Denon 6700 though I dint find major flaws with it. I sold 6700 for 400 less than purchase price and settled with A8A (purchased at $1749). I dont understand why Andrew backup rz50 so much ( here and so many of his other reviews ) but I would rate rz50 last of the 4 and its worth every extra penny spend on yamaha sound and solid unit built in Japan.

[@dperr338]

He explains in the video. Missing features at launch that comes in other AVRs right now. I personally think the RZ70 would be the better alternative to the A6A. But I haven’t tried any of them. For value, features, price, etc. Onkyo offers some great products that are easy to live with and easy to use.

[@Basti791000]

Oh Yes!!!! I had the RX-A860 and for now I have the RX-A6A and he is my HomeCinema King!

[@cabronesse386]

NIce review guys! That was an on point take and politely harsh! Hahaha Hey Yamaha, sound quality is not the only consideration, but we as consumer expect excellence in every freaking aspects such as user interface, features, build quality, looks, internal components, service, durability, and price obviously.

[@scootersteve3296]

I have the RXZ 11 Yamaha receiver. It’s the best one I bought it in 2010 at Fry’s electronics in San Marcos but they’re not open anymore. I also use prime pinnacle speakers and it sounds excellent on it. I have the whole complete package nine speakers so when I listen to my surroundsound, it is excellent. I wish they would still make those receivers. You keep the good work up Scootersteve take care.❤

[@AtlantaJonny]

Yall are so so good. Appreciate your honesty and transparency about your hands on experiences. Thank you.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thanks for watching!

[@geraldhilderink5686]

Great review of the Yamaha A8A THEN. It would be fair to do a review of the Yamaha A8A NOW, don’t you think? Did Yamaha fulfil their promises? Has the sound improved? I would love to see a new review.

[@JadeB628]

even now October 2023 Yamaha owners are still waiting for firmware updates after FW 1.96. HDMI issues or no audio after standby mode. it's far from perfect.

[@downerhouseproductions7267]

I pulled the trigger on the TX-RZ50 after watching your review and couldn't be happier with it.

[@Audiomainia2310]

Me too - a fabulous receiver so far - and Dirac is awesome to use. The receiver of the year hands down.

[@32toddv]

Got my RZ50 last week, replaced my 8 yr old Denon x4100. So far no regrets, for 2 more extra ch than my x4100 and 2 ch more processing w/a extra 2 ch amp and 200.00 less than my 8 yr old x4100 was. Priceless, and the RZ50 has 6-2.1 hdmi rear inputs, 1-3 being full 48gbps, win.

[@jim010109]

Call me petty, but the whole taped on leg thing would have put me into orbit. And the random powering on or off, no way! At three grand, nobody should find anything just taped on. That's just crappy workmanship. Instead of three grand for ole gimpy there, I'll buy 2 RZ50's, one for my man cave, and one for the main living room and call it a day. And I gotta laugh at you Yamaha, you send a so called Flagship product to one of biggest reviewers on the net, with a taped on leg, powering on and off issues, plus incomplete software issues! I'll stick with the RZ50, lol. Great review as usual, and totally respect the honesty. At 3 grand, I want to know what I could be getting into.

[@matthew8429]

The price in Australia is $6299... grossly expensive... good review... thanks for your honesty... this product is not up to scratch...

[@movieflicktube]

The Yamaha firmware update V1.65 was released 27 April , addressing the issue with 4K/120, 8K/60 and HDR 10+ . These updates work for A8A, A6A and A4A after installed , as Yamaha promised .

[@MrJustmitch]

NoVRR as promised

[@jayanth777]

Auro3d?

[@MrJustmitch]

@@jayanth777 that is a no goer

[@ThePoorInvestor]

I would buy the A2A. It has the same features just less speaker/channels than the A8A so that’s why it is priced lower. IMHO, I think it is worth the wait. The sound produced today on my Yamaha RX-A2A is just impressive to say the least. I would wait for the firmware. When I registered my Yamaha, and requested a hardware upgrade for the HDMI 4K-120Hz, Yamaha told me that my A2A already has the hardware. It just needs a firmware upgrade. The 4 year warranty is also a plus. For $900CAD/$625USD, it is well worth my while. Having said that, surely, for $4000, I wouldn't put up with all the lacking features advertised as a promise. The ability to upgrade to the latest codecs/Dolby technologies etc, are a big plus for the price point. Have I said that it sounds great? Last night, we were watching "A Boy Called Christmas". When the elves where dancing in the house scene, we thought that our house has elves. As the stomps got louder and louder, we thought they were real until we realized that it was the movie e. The movie has No ATMOS just Dolby 5.1. That's how good it is. Call me a Yamaha fan boy. I don't care. I will stick by Yamaha.

[@midmassguy]

I'm with you i have been a Yamaha fan since i was a teenager and as far as sound difference I just sold my 3080 the a8a did sound better to me. Just my opinion. great review though.🙏

[@robertrobski1013]

Is really good sound on that Yamaha I had few Yamaha before and I wasn't satisfied I'm wonder if they improve them a little on sound

[@marcgoldstein2957]

QOD: This February update might be the reason why these are not available anywhere (we are two months past the OG October release date). I will buy it because previous Yamaha receivers have never disappointed, never broken down, they are a custom setting tweaker's dream and the app interface is fantastic. Work in progress? Bring it! Will own this for the next 5 years at the minimum anyway.

[@k5dbx]

For those who want DIRAC, just understand that one thing that DIRAC doesn't do for you, that YPAO does, is correction for loudness compensation. YPAO volume uses various levels of compensation depending on the level, so for those of us who are music lovers can listen at lower levels with the appropriate levels of compensation. Good luck with that using DIRAC. And as with earlier versions of the Aventage, until you pull the NE5532 opamps and replace them with OPA-1612, it will remain slightly muddy and enemic. If you ever hear one done, you'll point to it hands down as one of the best audio platforms you can get.

[@Marc28031984]

It’s like in the videogame industry. They release an unfinished game and promise patches later. It’s a general problem that should not be tolerated. Sad times

[@m6j159]

I always knew you were sophisticated, Andrew. Hearing you pronounce 'Avantage' just confirms it with (very) posh knobs on🙂😉👍. Yet another great review - am loving Kristi's comments - format works brilliantly 👍👍👍

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thanks! 😃

[@kcmega007]

Hello, could you do another UPDATE of Yamaha A8A again, since the firmware update has been received , now,, thank you

[@teslaliveus860]

I can't believe it's $3,000 and over $1,000 over the 3080 which replaces it. Even with the inflation and supply shortage, a $1,000 up mark for a product that still hasn't delivered the features that you might need, is simply not worth it. If I was in the market for a new AVR, I'll go for the Okyo or Anthem.

[@bobkrueger194]

I've owned Yamaha and Marantz AV and in the past, I may have been more partial to the Marantz. However, with the sale of Sound United to Masimo has me wondering where Marantz, Denon, etc...goes from here. Seems that Masimo is interested in the distribution aspects of the brands. Curious of your thoughts. Yamaha, on the other hand, continues to operate under the original parent company since the beginning of time. Seems to be a very stable company.

[@oliverroggenbuck7824]

Yamaha is the biggest Manufacturer of Musical Instruments. So, they will continue to produce AV Equipment or in worst case stop it, but never sell the Brand.

[@Jcornillon]

Ok - I think you guys are very fair and up front. I am in the category of your last comment - I'll wait until Yamaha provides the firmware update and people like you review it. I took my Carver amp and Sony receiver to a hifi repair shop in Baltimore Md. What they told me is Yamaha products do not come in for repair as much as other makes - take that for what its worth. My carver amp will be used to power the front two stereo speakers - wonder how, when I purchase the Yamaha receiver probably in April 2022, the power of the unit will drive the remaining speakers? To tell the truth I'm really waiting for Auro 3d and have to wonder how they are going to provide a "god-speaker" with a firmware update. If they don't do that, I suspect I'll be waiting longer..............

[@antoniohernandez6590]

Yet the only AVR I ever had a problem with was a Yamaha

[@a9fc]

Another issue I had - the A8 is 11.2 ch, and the V6 is 7.2, so that would explain part of the price difference too. A more direct V series to Avantage comparison with the V6 would have been the 7.2 A models.

[@natemorrow8947]

I love the addition of the XLR inputs and outputs

[@PadinnPlays]

Have an A8A (came from tsr700). Also moved from 7.1 to 7.1.4 setup. Appreciate this review, I'm primarily a gamer and movie watcher so the delays on firmware are frustrating. I have been happy with the sound. Had several bugs with my LG c9 and eARC so I'm really hoping the 2.1 update helps. I cant say I'm disappointed as I knew going in I'd be waiting. That said, I expected firmware by end of this year, and if they keep delaying it I will rapidly get frustrated. I was fortunate that Costco refunded my tsr700 after a year of waiting for firmware with no questions asked. Now to check my feet :)

[@PadinnPlays]

To answer your question about why now, well supply chains are terrible, and I could easily be waiting another 6 to 8 months. In addition I am mostly a pc gamer, though I do have ps5 and Xbox Series X, and as a PC gamer I'm accustomed to waiting for features to be released. I'm mostly using it to listen to movies and I am greatly enjoying it there. I also wanted go get a 7.1.4 setup going and not have to use an additional amp to do so.

[@tom3erin]

All promises have been met, all updates have been made. This is the price for all 11 amp receivers. It is an excellent reciever, so why don,t you update your information

[@mellowrex503]

Do you have a source? Trying to find info on these updates

[@kabrandt22]

I still use the Yamaha Aventage RXA1060 and I'm blown away daily with music and movies.

[@dougg1075]

You guys get my reviewers of the year award. Full stop:)

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you so much @Doug G

[@o.c.g.m9426]

Great video brother. I'm new to H.T but you've been a big reason I know what I know. Especially that Bookshelf vs Tower video I've watched 7 times 🤣. I have dual subs, 2 pairs of R51m's for consistency with my X4700h. Keep up great work.

[@bergunx]

Thank you for your review!! I was in the market for the Yamaha MX-A5200 and CX-A5200, last August, to find out that the CX-A5200 was no longer available, so the salesman was pushing me towards the new RX-A8A receiver. Honestly, for a $2;999.00 top of the line receiver AND as you mentioned, it appeared too much like their, Yamaha’s, entry-level $500-$600 receivers. I hate to say this, but it might be a very good “High-End” receiver, but it’s looks simply yells “Low-End” with an extremely high price tag. When Yamaha came out with the RX-A3010, they basically redid the exterior for the next year’s RX-A3020. So, I’ll be seating on the fence to see what Yamaha does with this line-up. IF!!! Yamaha used a Gorilla Glass faceplate verses that cheap looking and feeling plastic faceplate AND!!! Used machined alloy volume and selector knobs, verses the plastic ones, that would have given this receiver that more upscaled look to justify the $3K cost. ALSO!! A swing-down panel to conceal the Ypao, Headphones and USB inputs… To help give it a CLEAN, top of the line look AND feel that it’s currently missing. If using Gorilla Glass and Alloy Knobs, would increase the cost by $100, so be it since what’s another $100 to a $3,000 product?? Until Yamaha tightens up on this replacement line of receivers, I’ll squeeze another year or two out of my 2015 Yamaha RX-A3040 receiver BEFORE looking to replace it…. With either a Yamaha or another brand…. Sad, since my first “Audio/Video” was their 1987 RX-1100, which was replaced with other Yamaha receivers, up to now. Yamaha always meant quality in both performance and build, I guess that might be changing with this new lineup. If so, it’s a sad ending to an outstanding brand that once yelled quality…. I hope I’m wrong on this and Yamaha HQ corrects this issue and fire the guys who thought this was a good cost saving ideal.

[@BrianGarside]

Their taking far too long to replace the CX-A5200. Instead they make this a Pre-pro price and yeah it looks like a 2k receiver not 3k.

[@Roughhawk]

As this is pretty old rewiev, you do have to really check one more time with the latest Firmware. Even as A6A is in some details a little more powerful than 'the Big Brother' A8A both of the newest Receivers at the marked can compete really higher ranked and way more pricey machines. Customizing is almost endless and together with all this cool upmixers these systems are really high-end

[@chrisminnoy3637]

Yamaha has released multiple updates since the video was recorded. Maybe time for a review. Also it seems YPAO seems to now support bass EQ. Also wondering how YPAO behaved with height surround speaker callibration.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

We contacted Yamaha recently and requested to do a follow up of any of their Aventage products and were told the updates were not entirely complete and until they were, they were going to hold off on any follow up reviews.

[@joraspa]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews Looking forward to this review update when available. Nice work!

[@miamimc711]

I recently picked up a Yamaha RX-A4A AV received directly from Yamaha and I have no complaints. The five year warranty also helps with the $1300+ purchase.

[@techsamurai11]

Does Yamaha still offer a 5 year warranty? That’s a huge pro over other brands. My Marantz receivers from 2010 had a 5 year warranty but the new ones only have a 3 year warranty. I think warranties are something that Andrew should cover and take into consideration, especially for electronics. If reviewers and consumers value the warranty, it stands to reason that the manufacturers will do the same and offer longer warranties.

[@joertek]

@@techsamurai11 I have the a4a and love it. Replaced an anthem mrx 520. A4a is way better for surround and fuller sound. Anthem is a bit more musical. Really enjoying the sound coming out of the A4A

[@techsamurai11]

@@joertek How old was the MRX520?

[@joertek]

@@techsamurai11 I had it for about two years. I have run anthem avrs since The mrx 500. They are very musical but lacks current tech. A4A is worlds better on surround sound formats, channel separation and nuance.

[@AgentMoler]

I have an A2A, the firmware and hdmi 2.1 issues have assured that this will be my last Yamaha receiver. The way they’ve handled unlocking the advertised functionality and not giving 40gbps hdmi 2.1 is an extreme turn off. I can’t trust a company that plays these kinds of games.

[@Crandish99]

See my post and experience with Yamaha as well. I’m with you.

[@mattbyrnes4171]

If there's one thing I've learned with electronics, it's don't bet your money on features coming in a future update. More times than not, the promised features don't ever function correctly. A lot of the updates, seem to take far longer than what is reasonable for someone to wait. A product should work as intended out of the box. If it doesn't, I'm not touching it. Especially when competitors are delivering a complete product.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

@Matt Byrnes, I 100% agree!

[@daledrolet1332]

All in all, I think Yamaha make a huge mistake with this latest AVR updates. I purchased the RXV6A and returned it 2 weeks later for the RX-A1080 even though it was the last gen version. I didn't like the new look with the small screen that's very hard to read especially if it's a bit off axis. It also just felt very cheap with the plastic dials. and overall build. Did not feel "premium" at all. Cheers on the great review! All the best both of you.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Yeah, the fact that the A8A uses the SAME SCREEN as the V6A bugged me a lot. Also that screen is pretty crap. Excusable on a $600 AVR but not so much on a $3000 one.

[@iraweiss517]

A couple of things. 1. You can assign a key to adjust the volume of dialog sounds. P 316: Setting of the function for the Program Keys on the Remote Control.That's page 316 of a 443 page manual. The length of the manual is up from the 192 page 3080 manual. Frankly, I'd rather read a novel than manuals. To misquote Spider-Man: With great power comes great complexity. I have the predecessor to the TX-RZ50, the TX-RZ830, and the Onkyo doesn't have a lot of the options that comes with the RX-A8A or my RX-A3080 (which I got BTW based on your review, thank you). But, you can do adjustments on your computer with the Yamaha receivers.. The 830 has been bulletproof. With my 3080 I was having random very loud pop/bang sounds using Dolby processing that Yamaha suggested would disappear if I changed the Dynamic Range setting from Maximum to Standard. No more pops. But is reducing the dynamic range the best solution? 2. When I saw the pricing for the new Yamaha line and compared it to the comparable prices of the ..80 line I was surprised. The RX-A6A = the RX-A3080 and the RX-A8A is a new model above with the 11 amps. But... 3. With the 3080 eARC was a promised feature that was eventually delivered with firmware. Same with Dolby Atmos on my Onkyo TX-NR737. Unlike my old Marantz 2270, receivers are now computers with amplifiers. Everything runs on software that is inevitably subject to firmware updates. Same with my TV. That makes your purchase dependent on how diligent the manufacturer is and how long they will continue to update their product's software. 4. Unlike other brands, Yamaha has audio inputs that can function separately from AV inputs that can accommodate a more complex system. 5. With my RX-A3080 and the newer models I can send Net radio and analog sources to zone 2 via HDMI. You can't necessarily do this with other brands.

[@AdultDevelopmentInstitute]

I have this amp, after the Arcam failed miserably, twice. And this amp is utterly fantastic. The best AV decision I've made in a long time. Also, WHICH app are you referring to at 10:30?

[@doorsbh]

He is referring to Yamahas' MusicCast app. I'm using it on my RX-V685.

[@WoodSmartUSA]

What ever happened with Yamaha’s HDMI Board Replacement as promised to start in Fall of 2021 for the 2020 models with the 120 / 8k issues and such ??? Was told to register and will be notified, I reached out several times to Yamaha Customer Service and was advised no word as of yet 🤦‍♂️ Can you say “Class Action Lawsuit?” So I wouldn’t count on Feb 2022 for any updates!

[@fuquafuschnikens5256]

Excellent Review! Just what I needed. Your reviews are excellent in presentation, information, and value to the viewer/listener.

[@ranakirti]

could someone explain why the gentleman is comparing the a8a vs. x3700 ? shouldn't it be compared to a x6700/x8500?

[@Brandon-ll3ff]

You buy it over the cheap model because you want additional wattage, additional channels and balanced /unbalanced outs to allow the capability of running an external amp. These things simply are not possible on the cheap receivers

[@Dmu_girl-2008]

Thanks for including gamer info and about all the functions coming soon. Sometimes such updates take a long time (i'm still waiting for eARC update for my q90r 2019 samsung tv lol). Rewire is finally done and this morning I was finally able to get my naim uniti atom and focal aria 906 system installed been enjoying music all day.

[@sammy10001]

that price tag shouldn't be a work in progress. Onkyo's price tag is that perfect sweet spot between diminishing returns of a single AV receiver, and going to separates. Yamaha is asking separates pricing, but without the benefits even the onkyo CAN & IS providing WITHOUT a firmware update. If I wanted to spend that much, I would immediately skip the yamaha, and go to anthem. Just my 2 cents.

[@frankcortese5743]

Hi Andrew, Thanks for the quick reply. I have an Anthem MRX receiver and Paradigm speakers for my home theater and love them. I am sure I am biased, but I believe there is a lot to recommend and like. I emailed Anthem customer support in Canada and requested they consider your KZbin channel and said I consider you to be extraordinarily knowledgeable, honest and fair in all of your reviews and a review by you would positively impact their brand awareness. I don’t know if my request will change anything but maybe hearing from a customer might add some weight. Keep up the great work and Happy holidays to you and your family. Frank

[@j0hnbo0]

I spy Linton Heritages! Didn't know they come in black now. Looking forward to that review. :)

[@PerJohansson-Xeizo]

Great review, good mentioning the shortcomings. I have a RX-A2050 which I've had since 2016, sounds mint and s near flawless experience. It was the first year Yamaha stepped up to a 1000VA transformer in it's Aventage-receivers, so power is certainly no issue. As for fimware updates, they have been coming, last was just a couple of months ago. Five years of firmware support is more than good in my book. As it's still a great receiver, and I use it mostly for music, I'm not upgrading in the foreseeable future. But if, me too would choose a Denon or a Onkyo. Better features and much lower price is hard to ignore. Worth mentioning is the Yamaha phono stage is very good, I use it with a Denon DL-103R and a high end step up transformer, the background is total noiseless and the sound is amazing. Btw, one feature I'm constantly missing on these products is for the DAC/Streamer to show the actual bitrate being processed. Cheap chinese gear can do this, why not Yamaha?

[@TheGreatBobby]

Yay, a new receiver review from Andrew! Watching now...

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Appreciate you joining us. Let me know what you think by the end.

[@TheGreatBobby]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews I loved this review. I appreciate the comparisons with previously reviewed products. Andrew and Kristi, you know what your viewers want! The absence of VRR, low latency mode and 4K120 is a show-stopper for me. I would never purchase a receiver without these attributes even with the promise of a free firmware update. Too risky. I would have liked to hear more about speaker pairings, especially since you listened to the A8A with a number of different loudspeakers. Excellent editorial segment from Kristi on press reviews. This is exactly why I stopped subscribing to and reading my local AV magazine. All their reviews were positive so that they would continue to receive review samples.

[@TheGreatBobby]

To be fair, you did mention that any speaker would work well with the A8A given its generous power output.

[@kcmega007]

love your reviews... I recently got this Yamaha RX A8A flagship model, i waited over a month on my order - the reason i bought this , is the built , the interior was very well built and the look , compare to the older model , this looks more modern , I'm not a Yamaha fanboy here !, my previous receiver was the Pioneer and the Denon AVR X4300H was great, but this one , just kicks them out of the water !! I actually love the remote control and i use my Samsung A7 Lite tablet for app remote on the system. i pair this with my Kef Speakers , and Yes , i'm also still waiting for the Firmware Update on those features, I make sure i read the review if the firmware is safe to Download, in case of Bug issues., so far so good, i love it , it cost a lot here in Canada, it's about $4700 CAD , Receiver , i read and saw video reviews on KZbin on this A8A , is all about the inside built for me , and it is a much much much better then my Denon X4300H , my second choice was X6700H, but i never tried Yamaha before,, anyway Cheers , everyone

[@socksforllamas]

Never a good idea to buy electronics based on promises of future “updates” or increased functionality, I think. Either buy something you’re happy with *as it exists on the day you buy it*, or wait.

[@michaelstaruszkiewicz8798]

Why NO MENTION of Yamaha's Soundfield Technology? I'm still rocking my yamaha DSP-A2070 (circa 1992) in my listening room. Their Soundfield Technology is what sold me over the past 30 years. I utilize their Presence Channnels for their Soundfields which creates a very immersive listening experience: Choral & Organ Music in Freiburg Church, Beethoven's 9th Symphony in Vienna's Musikverein (Großer Saal), Boston Symphony Hall, or Amsterdam Concertgebouw is mind-blowing; Miles Davis or Return To Forever at the Vanguard Club, engrossing. The Dolby & DTS set-ups are pretty standardized across brands so I discount the video experience (I too am peeved with Yamaha's dragging their digital feet with 4k 120Hz/8k 60Hz compatibility.). I listen to music: vinyl, DVD-A & SACD, CD and FLAC; what does the latest Soundfields bring to the Media Room?

[@a9fc]

You seem to be focused on music... so shouldn't you be looking at stereo amps/receivers instead of home theatre receivers?

[@GS-pk9rd]

Well they did do free firmware upgrades for the hdmi's unlike some other manufacturers (anthem), so it would be good to reflect this in an updated review. Bit harsh to slate them as chip shortages at the time affected every electronics company, and still are today. Their chips are re-programmable too, so potentially far more future proof than people might realise. Also where I live these are now heavily discounted, and it's always worth considering the step down A6A which has most of the performance and features of the A8A for much less cost. Law of diminishing returns obviously applies so being 'twice as good' as a receiver half the price is never going to happen at this level.

[@rolandrohde]

I just ordered the A8A today and hope it will be a good successor for my Denon X6700H. The Denon works really well with the Multeq-X Windows application to allow some fine tuning of the Audyssey measurements, but somehow the sound never really thrills me. It is perfectly balanced, no room modes, no boomy bass or anything, but somehow the dynamics and spaciousness just aren't there. I had similar "issues" with Denon AVRs in the past and could never figure out why. Checking the frequency response with REW, RT60 and all that look close to perfect, yet the sound always lacked dynamics somehow. Also, my Denon struggles with HDMI signals (I have the little HDMI 2.1 box addon, but it strugled even before that) and it had a ground loop hum right from the start. Sent it in for repair, got it back completely broken, sent it in again and got it back repaired but still with that audible hum and vibration...it is less loud now, but still sometimes audible and annoying. I hope I will be happy with the Yamaha and look forward to having Surround:AI again which I quite liked on the 3080.

[@yuzhouxie9394]

I totally agree with Kristi on unfinished product. Samsung launched their watch 2 with the promise of ecg but watch 3 launched and no sight of ecg for watch 3 too! I think their customers were shortchanged for 2 years!

[@DrawTheLine35]

That's why you never buy based on promises. Buy based on what is in front of you now. I've been burned before and learned my lesson the hard way.

[@yuzhouxie9394]

@@DrawTheLine35 maybe a law should be enacted to protect consumers when this happens. And one other pet peeve of mine is the manufacturer's advertisement on their splash/water proof with ipx ratings. And their warranty doesn't cover water damage!

[@ghulamnurie8578]

It is not fair to compare the price of Yamaha's 11.2 channel receiver with Onkyo and Denon's 9.2 receivers. That is not apple-to-apple comparison. This is very biased review

[@VitalYFZ]

This unit seems to be rushed due to delays related to the pandemic. They tried to get it here before the holidays but they should have just held back the release until it was 100%. I am a huge Yamaha fan though. IMO they do it better than most. I hope they get these issues worked out.

[@jonuiuc]

Hmmm, does this really sound as good as the AS1200? That integrated is $3k. If one wanted that sound and just wanted the convenience of eARC and a built in DAC $3.5k actually might be worthwhile. I expected the AS1200 would still have been better SQ wise. Anyway I got an open box RX-A1080 last year for $900 before I got the KLH model 5s, and was worried the new revisions would make me regret not waiting. Seems like the revisions aren't really substantial, so maybe looking at last years models of Yamaha will help some people find value vs retail price of new models. I've had good luck with YPAO as the Front setting is great for people who are loath to do room correction on their nice speakers and just want everything else to match them. I am a gamer though and use a Series X on my TV, and I actually would never seek to pass a 4k 120fps signal through anything, I'd go straight to the tv, the reason being the passthrough introduces some latency, which matters if you care enough to be doing 120fps in the first place. You are better off going straight to the TV and just doing eARC or optical back from the tv to the receiver. Back when TVs didn't have as many inputs the AV portion of the receiver was more convenient, but with how TVs are now, the receiver's main value is as a DAC and sound processor/amp. I'd be peeved it didn't have Auro 3D yet, that seems to be the biggest selling point of this unit, that and the better DACs.

[@billythestalker]

This video reminds me why I’m passionate about my hifi rig and “fine” with my HT setup. Technology changes fast is buggy. I don’t see value (for me) in chasing the latest tech.

[@mmcpa]

I have the RX-A6A and love it.

[@ewoldbom9115]

I would like to buy a6a in the Netherlands but no one knows delivery date and price is extremely high in conparison to US. How long did you have to wait after ordering a6a? I am afraid to pay high price and never get one. Only other option is denon x6700h, but i am yamaha fan

[@mmcpa]

@@ewoldbom9115 I ordered my A6A on July 11, 2021 and received it on December 9, 2021. So yeah, a 5-month wait is a long time. But the supply chain issues has created problems globally, so I just sat back and was patient. I can't help you with the cost though.

[@ewoldbom9115]

Thanks for your reply. I just ordered the a6a here in Holland. Payment is only due upon delivery, so that is nice. Now i am on the list of receiving obe when futute shipments will come in. Price here is 2750 euro. But that is about same price as denon avc x6700h. So OK. Have a nice day

[@humanitysonlyhope]

I purchased the RX-a6a which is exactly the same as the a8a but with 2 fewer channels because I am using the XLR outputs to run a Rotel RB-1582 MkII power ampplifier for my front mains and the sound quality for music is awesome.

[@mrsittingmongoose]

So just an update about Yamahas 2.1 firmware update. There was an interview with the lead engineer a while ago where he talked about this. Essentially the firmware is complete. They have it in beta and have demoed it working. However, because of what happened last time, they are waiting to get hdmi 2.1 certified. The process to certify isn’t complete yet though. So literally no devices are certified yet. Everyone is just making their best guess on how to get it to work within spec. So the current status is, waiting for the cert process to exist. The second step will be to submit it, and wait for results. The problem there is, every single 2.1 manufacturer will be submitting at the same time…so there will absolutely be a bottleneck. Then we need to assume the firmware passes, and no changes need to be made. That is Yamahas hold up. That being said, my a8a is quite buggy, especially compared to my Marantz 7011. But it does sound way way better for surround content. I actually notice heights and surround channels much more now, even though those channels were cranked way up on my Marantz. The reason I didn’t wait for the update on the Yamaha is because my 7011 died. I had a massive credit at Bestbuy for the extended warranty, so it only cost me about $1000 to get the a8a.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

$1000 for an A8A would be a smart buy. As for the rest, the explanation sounds solid but I do need to mention, when we asked them for comment they offered NONE of the above explanation(s) for why there is no current support for 8K/60, 4K/120 -nor did they direct us to any videos. Also, while I get waiting for a standard, I have to imagine that while everyone else may be "guessing," seeing as how it is likely the HDMI boards in question are all manufactured by the same OEM (hence why EVERY AVR last year was plagued by the same issue regardless of the manufacturer) the boat Yamaha is claiming to be captaining is the same boat Onkyo and others are also on, so....

[@iraweiss517]

Why are Denon, Marantz and Onkyo receivers updated for the new 2.1 features and Yamaha is not? Is certification optional? Or do those manufacturers not care about being certified. Or is that certifiable?

[@mrsittingmongoose]

@@iraweiss517 they are just guessing at the certification requirements. They will be getting certified too when the process is available. And might need to issue software updates to address anything they missed. The difference between Yamaha and the others is Yamaha doesn’t want to risk releasing it if it’s not perfect. Can’t say as I think that’s the smart move, but it’s a conservative route they took.

[@shemsureshot]

I have the A6A which has all the non features of the A8A and all of its problems for a grand less. I think the review sums it up nicely and I can’t really say anything else other than when I bought my one the 4K 120hz firmware was advertised to roll out in late 2021. I wouldn’t buy the A8A even if it had the firmware update because of the A6A (the diminishing returns over the A6A makes me wonder why the A8A exists) and other brands. But, if you live in Australia I think the A8A comes with a 10 year warranty which might soften the blow to the delayed/ lack of features.

[@rsolsjo]

Haha, literally and metaphorically taped together at the last minute.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

HAHAHAHA

[@babagandu]

Malaysia must have been tired

[@TylerStout]

V6a owners are a prime example of why buying on a promise is a terrible idea (24gbps ports). Makes me more excited for rz70 Onkyo coming out next year considering how you said the rz50 fairs.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Yamaha V6A user here and I can relate.

[@garykinaitis2433]

I was strongly looking at the a6a vs the rz50. I wanted the independent sub outs and the 'tunablility' of the yamaha but not at the cost of another subwoofer. Rz50 it is!

[@1L3g3nd]

Minidsp is always a better way to go

[@tfrench4366]

While I do not have any first hand knowledge of the a8a, I do have knowledge on the A4A. I love this Yamaha receiver. To be fair, it was an upgrade over a late 90s Onkyo receiver. What a huge difference in sound quality especially when it came to surround sound. I've owned several Yamaha receivers. Im s big believer in there products.

[@nycupperes]

Time to review RX-A4A with the latest firmware.

[@TLka2.0]

I’m really disappointed that Yamaha stopped equip receivers with analog multichannel inputs. It could be great to use other Blu-ray player and it’s internal dacs like panasonic dmp-ub9000 for example in pure direct mode. I miss this feature please Yamaha bring it back!

[@ThousandThrills]

Great point, i have the oppo 105 and the dac is so good I don't know which amp I could pair it with to not lose its quality or pay for nothing like I'm afraid the power node or c700 wouldn't be a big upgrade for playing wav files compared to what the oppo can already do on my old Yamaha or pioneer receivers ... looking at c399 or audiolab.... choice is not as great in Canada...or Arcam s20 with an even better dac...

[@Jefff72]

God, I wish I could have a man cave in my house.

[@PC-iv5so]

Big fan of the Yamaha receivers.. but the up-to 22% increase (for the lowest model) from when these first reviews came out a year ago.. is cray cray. 😲

[@JadeB628]

The RX A series are superior receivers. (including the Marants Cinema 40. that's why you get an auto 5-year warranty out of the box. However. consider buying the A6A which is identical in specs to the A8A. those two are really top-of-line. an av receiver is not like buying a PC that needs upgrading every 5 years. you'd be all set for at least 10 years. they're worth every dime.

[@AndrewBaba]

Promises without delivery of updates or waiting time over 1 year? It's not delivered product basically which just put me off from the brand. Thanks for pointing out. Great review

[@davep2945]

Nothing would convince me to buy it now. I'm not a movie buff and don't care much about home theater but today's AV receivers can offer a ton of utility for very little money. And if you're not absolutely finicky about sound they will cover 2 channel duty extremely well for most buyers. So unless you're deep into the 2 channel world an AV receiver is your best value especially for $1500 or less. But when you are looking for the best of the best and you are are heavily into home theater or gaming why on earth would you buy a product that doesn't yet give you what you want when there are currently other products for equal or less money that do?

[@chadg3677]

Andrew/Kristi -Any plans to review the Onkyo NR7100? They’re at least in stock at the moment. Do you think the 7100 would have audio quality that is noticeably less than the RZ50 for most users?

[@khoatrieudinh7596]

"The detachable foot options" I'm dead! 🤣

[@SergioHernandez-le8wp]

God, those Focals look so damn nice

[@stayclasse]

Purchased and been tweaking an A4A for the last couple weeks. This is my first Yamaha, and it replaced an Onkyo TX-SR607 - whose sound I loved. I wanted the RZ-50, but I could not get my hands on one and got tired of waiting. I’ll have to see if I can find one before my return period is up in January, or maybe I’ll grow to love the A4A as much with a few more weeks of listening. You aren’t kidding about the myriad settings. I feel pretty savvy with this stuff, and I was going cross-eyed.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Yamaha definitely gives you the ability to tweak. If you don't like your A4A, don't force yourself to like it. You should be happy with your purchase no matter what.

[@tysonschumann9290]

In response to the question of the day, there is no conceivable reason to purchasing this unit now. I would definitely wait until the promised firmware updates are issued to make the unit fully functionally. Additionally, based on the review I am more likely to research further some other options. I was contemplating a purchase of this unit as an upgrade, primarily as I have had past Yamaha products that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, but it seems like there are closely comparable products at a slightly more attainable cost. That question of diminishing returns is an all important determining factor.

[@Audiomainia2310]

My suggestion - look at the Onkyo RZ-50. I've been a happy camper. And half the cost too.

[@kael13]

Kristi's a smart lady. Definitely articulated well what I've been feeling about products and reviews lately. Regurgitated press releases is a pet peeve of mine.

[@peterray2663]

Buy the Onkyo and in 2 years when its DEAD Yamaha should have its act together.

[@megazine]

I had 2 Onkyo’s and both failed within 2 years. I then went with Pioneer Elite which I love and then ended up with a Yamaha with missing features. This is lame. Receivers are the most difficult audio equipment to buy.

[@Audiomainia2310]

It's incredible how Yamaha feels they can release a product knowing full well all the functionality is still not available until NEXT YEAR - possibly, for $3000.00 when the RZ-50 is half the cost, delivers 140 wpc, and all 4K/120 Hz and 8K/60 Hz plus ALLM, VRR, are all active out of the box. Onkyo rises, and Yamaha tanks - who would have thought that would happen.

[@WilkinsonX]

The trend of products being marketed with features that will rollout at a ‘future date’ needs to die.

[@TheIronWaffle]

Interesting about the random power issue. My V6A has had the same issue. Toggling off every setting that could cause the behavior. One of the many reasons I recently returned it. Buggiest home theater tech I've ever had. I've replaced it with the Onkyo 6100. It's much better on every front... except when paired with Focal 816s, their combined characteristics lead to sibilance I have yet to tame.

[@Foxrock321]

Ah yeah Andrew, time to take down this video, Yamaha has made good on all the 8K update firmware. My A8A isn’t going anywhere, and I got a great price for mine..

[@vsvinuraj1982]

How much did you get it for?

[@TheodoroChristopher]

How much? Curious:)

[@EndOfThings77]

Just bought a Yamaha Aventage A4A after waiting for a long time for the Onkyo TX-RZ50. In my gut, the Onkyo is a better cheaper product BUT it is not available and no one can predict when it will be available. So, the answer for buying the Yamaha over the Onkyo is, the Yamaha is available for purchase, the Onkyo isn't.

[@Mak100ish]

A fresh cup of coffee and a brilliant review. This Sunday is now complete 👍😀

[@KristiWright]

🥰

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thanks for joining us.

[@asdf51501]

I’m in the market for a decently high end (3K ish) receiver, so I really appreciate videos like this. The A8A is now off the table for me. My local A/V store wants to sell me an AudioControl receiver (their XR6) for well over that, but there are zero reviews of the brand out there. So… more research it is.

[@MrJustmitch]

Swapped it for Denon 6700 that works straight out of box all green ticks on Xbox one x

[@Boxkerp]

First, I want to tell you guys, nice review and answer your QOTD. For me to buyA8A, right now, it would have to be more available than other products out there. Unless the company can convince me that they will follow through sooner than later. Secondly, I'd like to thank you guys for consistently calling out companies for putting out incomplete products. It would be interesting to see a report on how often companies follow through on these promises or other claims of upgradability. I do remember Denon and Marantz promising future upgrades to DTS X and Auro 3d a short time after the release of their AV receivers in the early days of object-based codecs, and I believe they came through as promised. There are other claims that I'm not so sure of. In the early 2000s, one of my dream gear pieces was the Onkyo TX-NR1000, which was said to have modular cards for future technology. I don't know if that became a thing. I just don't know if promises are something you can really count on. I have the cinema you guys reviewed a while back. They finally released their app update, but now I can't adjust the levels of my height channels. They gave us one thing but took away another.

[@bergunx]

After listening to your review 11 months ago , I still feel the same way for the now $3500 plus Yamaha receiver. Being a Yamaha fan-boy for over 35 years now, I’m still not sold on this receiver. Overall, for two channel music listening, it was to my liking, but slightly lacking in the home theater mode, but not bad at all. That’s more based on my own preferences, even with the firmware updates, so take it for what it is worth. The show stopper, was the use of way too much cheap plastic on the exterior build on the unit. I noted this in my first comments 11 months ago. Also, a small pull-down/hide panel for the usb, YPo mic and headphone inputs would give it a more quality higher end look since it appears to, and feels cheap. No better than the two way cheaper models behind this unit. PLUS, a slightly larger display screen would be a plus too. Also, this unit failed the very light tapping test, compared to the Denon and Onkyo models, which were much cheaper, with slightly less features. If Yamaha can correct the “cheap” feeling and look of this high end receiver, I would be willing to make the purchase. Until that happens, which I’m giving Yamaha till early 2024 to make the quality improvements BEFORE I start to look around for another brand to replace my RX-A3040 receiver. Sadly, I look at this receiver as a COVID-19 cost saving attempt, which is sad, if true, since I have been a loyal Yamaha customer due to their build quality of their previous units.

[@ZEP0034]

Got it now best amp ever

[@SloDwn1135]

Been tasked with putting together a 5.1 or 7.1 system for a friend whose budget requires i buy used. The HDMI board thing really worries me when it comes to finding a used receiver because I’m not sure of models and when the issue started or stopped. But at least thanks to this channel, I’m aware of the issue itself. And no, I’m not going to buy anything in the hopes an update will add more features. I don’t trust those claims.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

If you have to buy used, and if your friend doesn't need or care about video signals over 4K/60 there is a wealth of GREAT options available. It's just the folks who need or want to be on the bleeding edge of tech that are "suffering" right now.

[@Ladco77]

It really does come across as a prototype of a potentially great future product. Maybe when they get out of beta, it'll be worth looking at?

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I would hope so!

[@DBravo29er]

Normally an issue with some ID speakers, Yamaha seems to be using their top tier customers as beta testers. Not a good look, as Andrew correctly observed.

[@lcavad]

Hi @AndrewRobinson , love your reviews, i got myself a RX-A8A in the same time that this review went out, just wondering if you will review again after the latest firmware update that solved the 8K/60fps 4k/120fps, Auro and HDR10+ Will be nice.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I'd like to. I know that Kristi recently reached out to Yamaha in hopes of revisiting the line and so far we've received no response.

[@calvint3419]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews waiting for the review of the review with the latest firmware too.