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Yamaha RX-A1040 AV-receiverHave high expectations because there are a lot of producers gunning for if you're planning to spend more than $1,000 on a home theater receiver, you It's that degree where these companies can really go all out with the characteristics and audio technologies. Realizing this isn't just as easy as making movies and music sound amazing either. Even if that is the one thing you care about, home theater receivers are designed to last for years and you also don't desire to find yourself changing to another version simply because you suddenly need a feature you didn't need before. A high-end receiver should have that Swiss-army knife attractiveness and the Yamaha RX-A1040 seems to be up for the challenge.
Layout
The RX-A1030 was a brilliant home theater so that it makes perfect scene to maintain the plan of the RX-A1040 the same. When it comes to Yamaha receivers, spending more means finding a cleaner layout. The top part of the front panel is black tidy and serves as the onscreen display when turned on. The only noticeable difference involving the RX-A1040 and RX-A1030 is the Wi-Fi symbol placed next to the power button. The bottom half has a brushed aluminum appearance using a big door involving the two knobs that are usually found on home theatre receivers today.
Opening shows numerous connection ports and buttons such as the 4 SCENE buttons which act as input source switches that are customizable and the usual complex, HDMI and USB ports. There's a fairly huge gap involving the video aux and HDMI interfaces because the older RX-A1030 model had an ocular input. This is more versatile than ever and is not a big deal since the HDMI interface that is front has the latest HDMI specification with MHL.
The back of the Yamaha RX-A1040 really reveals where all that extra money goes. When compared with the more economical RX-A840, this receiver has more analog audio and video inputs and an extra set of component video, optical and coaxial inputs. In addition, it has two 12v trigger outputs rather than only one. Internally, the RX-A1040 is also better designed than the RX-A840 thanks to the added bottom frameworks resulting to some more rigid chassis and a heat sink with anti-thermal and anti-vibration properties.
Attributes
Even though the RX-A1030 was a pretty good option for home theater enthusiasts, it was not just futureproof. The dearth of Wifi meant that it needed physical link to a router to establish a radio connection with mobile devices. This old receiver had 4K support but newer 4K screens are coming out with new support for standards that are forthcoming. The RX-A1040 addresses both of these problems by integrating Wi-Fi and equipping each HDMI interface using the latest 2.0 specification. The Wi-Fi functionality sounds just like a nice small convenience as you can now set the router further away from the receiver but it also makes the router entirely optional if all you care about is the interaction that is mobile.
The new Wireless Direct feature basically turns the Yamaha RX-A1040 into a router where it is possible to connect the receiver and multiple mobile devices. While you lose the ability to independently stream audio online of the receiver, the AV Controller Program which is used to control the receiver from a cellular device remotely functions to the fullest. It enables the two most important things about Wifi which are distant setup and local music streaming. Streaming from a iOS or Android device is not as difficult as streaming it immediately and choosing the track you like inside the app. AirPlay and HTC Connect for HTC and Apple apparatus respectively operate also. This characteristic has the simplicity of Bluetooth pairing without the constraints and that explains why the RX-A1040 lacks Bluetooth. You may also use the Spotify app on your mobile device to the receiver straight to stream tracks, if you have a Spotify Premium account. Otherwise, you have to stay together with the conventional router set up which also makes it possible for the receiver to pull content from Rhapsody Pandora and other music streaming services.
The additional support for RGB, YCbCr 4:2:0, YCbCr 4:2:2 and YCbCr 4:4:4 is just icing on the cake.
The newest gapless playback feature removes that quiet time that plays between tracks making it a great addition for mixtape and ancient record owners. Lossless fans will also appreciate the extra support for the ALAC format of Apple. This feature should increase the performance of any joined subwoofer and even functions with small front speakers.
The RX-A840 serves as a more affordable Yamaha receiver alternative plus it's many of the aforementioned new improvements present in the RX-A1040 but the Yamaha RX-A1040 is flexible and strong. The 2 HDMI outputs in the A1040 can be utilized as separate Zone output signals while the A840 can only use them as mirrored outputs. Additionally, there are SCENE buttons on the GUI in the RX-A1040 opening up more zone management possibilities. This is actually the receiver if you'd like distinct HD sound and video sources in different rooms, to get.
Bottom Line
If you do not want anything more than a 7.2-channel receiver, the RX-A1040 has just about everything you need. It is prepared for the rest of the cool stuff which is announced in future years and today's equipment. That is enough to be convinced to spend $1,200 without reluctance. |