My Take: Yamaha RX-A850 4K A/V Receiver

I recently had the chance to try out the Yamaha RX-A850 4K A/V Receiver, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations. This receiver is built with the latest technology, allowing you to enjoy your favorite media in stunning 4K resolution.

Let me start by saying that the design of the Yamaha RX-A850 is sleek and modern. Its compact size makes it suitable for any home entertainment setup. The receiver comes with a range of connectivity options, including HDMI inputs, so you can easily connect all your devices.

One of the standout features of the RX-A850 is its ability to enhance the audio quality of your media. Whether you’re watching a movie or listening to music, the receiver delivers crystal-clear sound that truly immerses you in the experience. The sound quality is further enhanced by Yamaha’s advanced sound technologies, ensuring that every detail is crisp and clear.

Setting up the Yamaha RX-A850 is a breeze. The receiver comes with an intuitive setup menu that guides you through the process. It also includes built-in Wi-Fi, so you can easily connect to your home network and access a wide range of streaming services.

I was particularly impressed by the receiver’s ability to upscale content to 4K resolution. Even if you don’t have a 4K TV, the RX-A850 will enhance the image quality of your media, making everything look sharper and more vibrant.

In terms of functionality, the Yamaha RX-A850 offers a range of useful features. It supports multi-zone audio, allowing you to have different audio sources in different rooms. It also comes with a handy remote control that allows you to easily navigate through menus and adjust settings.

Overall, I highly recommend the Yamaha RX-A850 4K A/V Receiver. It combines sleek design, powerful performance, and user-friendly features to create a truly immersive home entertainment experience. Whether you’re a movie enthusiast or a music lover, this receiver will take your audiovisual experience to the next level.

Last year, I bought a Pioneer Elite VSX-90 7.2 Channel A/V Receiver for my family room. I wanted something that could handle 4K content and connect to my Vizio P-Series 4K UHDTV. While the Pioneer receiver did the job and provided decent sound quality, it was not reliable. Sometimes it wouldn’t turn on, and I had to physically reset it. Plus, it took forever, up to 8 seconds, to switch inputs. After months of frustration, I finally gave up and decided to find a replacement receiver.

One brand I considered was Yamaha. It had been a while since I had bought a Yamaha receiver, but I was intrigued by their Aventage line. I thought the RX-A850 had all the features I needed at a reasonable price ($900 as of now). It had to support HDCP 2.2, 4K, HDR, and, most importantly, provide great sound quality. While Dolby Atmos support wasn’t necessary for me, the RX-A850 could handle it (if you need DTS:X support, you’ll have to go for the more expensive RX-A1050).

I’ve been using the RX-A850 to power my home theater setup in the family room for the past few weeks. Let me tell you about its features, the setup process, and its performance.

When it comes to features and specifications, the Yamaha RX-A850 has the following key points:

– 7.2 Channels

– Rated Output Power (1kHz, 2ch driven): 110 W (8 ohms, 0.9% THD)

– Rated Output Power (20Hz-20kHz, 2ch driven): 100 W (8 ohms, 0.06% THD)

– Maximum Effective Output Power (1kHz, 1ch driven): 160 W (8 ohms, 10% THD)

– Dynamic Power per Channel (8/6/4/2 ohms): 130 / 170 / 195 / 240 W

Setting up the RX-A850 was a breeze, especially if you’ve worked with A/V receivers before. You just need to connect your speakers and components to their corresponding ports on the back of the receiver. Then, plug it in and start Yamaha’s automatic calibration tool, called “YPAO.”

When I first set up the calibration screen, it checked for phase issues, and luckily everything was fine for me. Next, the calibration software measured the room acoustics. The results were satisfactory, but I always like to make some adjustments to suit my personal preferences. I increased the surround and subwoofer levels and called it a day, which took me about an hour, including unboxing the product. Navigating through the menus was easy, and I didn’t have to set up Wi-Fi since I already had an Ethernet connection for our entertainment system.

Moving on to the performance of the RX-A850, I had high expectations since this was my first experience with Yamaha’s Aventage A/V line. According to Yamaha, the Aventage series uses top-notch components and design. Their goal was to achieve excellence in performance by rethinking and redesigning every electrical path and part. They conducted thorough tests to select the best materials for optimal audio and video playback.

It’s worth noting that the Aventage line comes at a slightly higher price compared to non-Aventage models. For example, the RX-V781, a similar Yamaha receiver without the Aventage branding, is about $100 cheaper. Apart from the “studio-grade” sound, the features of these receivers are nearly identical.

Now let’s talk about the settings I configured while testing the RX-A850. Firstly, I set the decode mode to “Straight” because I wanted to hear the audio exactly as it was intended by the mixers, without any receiver effects. I turned off the YPAO Volume feature, as it narrows the dynamic range of the audio, making it easier to hear dialog during loud scenes. It can be particularly helpful when watching content at night. However, for the most part, it’s best to keep this feature disabled, as a wide dynamic range is part of the intended experience.

I disabled video processing on the receiver, as the Vizio UHDTV handled the scaling better when all video scaling was turned off. Lastly, I turned on the Object Decode Mode, which enables support for object-based audio tracks like Dolby Atmos. Even without Atmos speakers, I felt like Object Decode Mode created an atmospheric effect with my standard 7.1 speaker setup. It enveloped me in a “bubble” of sound, giving it a unique ambiance. This feature is definitely worth testing, even if you don’t have Atmos speakers.

When it came to movies, the RX-A850 exceeded my expectations regardless of the format. It delivered enough power to handle intense action scenes, while also reproducing the subtleties of ambient sounds like rain or crowd noises.

Though music isn’t the main focus in our family room, I did some critical listening with the RX-A850. Both stereo and multi-channel tracks sounded clear and bright, no matter where I was positioned in the room. The receiver’s soundstage allowed me to identify and place each instrument accurately.

Overall, the RX-A850 provided a nice and balanced sound. It never felt too bright or harsh. I even tested its compressed music enhancer feature with low-quality audio tracks, and while they did sound better via the receiver, I recommend sticking to higher quality formats like 256Kbps MP3 or AAC, or even better, lossless formats. The RX-A850 truly excels with CD quality music.

Lastly, there are a few additional points worth mentioning.

• Yamaha has a free app for iOS and Android that you can use to set up and control many of its networked receiver models, including the RX-A850.
• The remote for the RX-A850 seems cheap compared to the rest of the Aventage line. The letters are too small and difficult to read, plus there’s no backlight, making it hard to use in a dark room.
• It’s important to note that only the first three HDMI ports on the RX-A850 are HDCP 2.2 compliant. So, when connecting your 4K devices, be sure to pay attention. I really appreciate Yamaha for clearly labeling this on the device itself.
• The RX-A850 supports Bluetooth and AirPlay, but since I have two set-top devices connected, I didn’t get a chance to explore these features much. However, I did confirm that they work.

Conclusion

In a world where you can find receivers for $500, it’s refreshing to come across a receiver like the RX-A850 that’s built with high-quality parts and a purposeful design to enhance your listening experience, all without breaking the bank. Whether you’re watching a movie or listening to music, I found the RX-A850 to be a capable receiver that’s worth the price.