
Review Summary
The Yamaha RX-A3040 9.2 Channel Wi-Fi Network Aventage Home Theater Receiver features 11.2-channel expandability, highest grade construction and CINEMA DSP HD3 for enjoying the ultimate in audio and video performance. Outstanding features include super-high quality ESS Technology DACs, high-resolution audio support, 4K Ultra HD 50/60p support and advanced HDMI zone switching.
Total Purity Concept
The Total Purity Concept encompasses high drive amp technology, high purity pre-amplification, anti-vibration technology and independent pure power supplies. This model has a fully discrete power amplifier that helps to minimize distortion. It also has independent pure power supplies, allowing dedicated power supplies for the analog and digital circuitry to prevent digital noise from affecting analog circuitry. The anti-vibration heat-sinks are designed to suppress vibration from transistors and sound pressure.
Anti-Resonance Technology
The Anti-Resonance Technology Wedge (A.R.T. Wedge) is a fifth foot in the center of the unit. It dampens vibrations from the power transformer, power transistors and heatsinks, as well as vibrations that might be caused by the sound from the speakers.
Aluminum Front Panel Offers Visual and Aural Benefits
The aluminum front panel is used to effectively shield sensitive circuitry from external noise and electronic radiation generated by dimmer switches, fluorescent lighting, video monitors and more. This helps to ensure optimum sonic performance in the widest range of installation environments.
Symmetrical Power Amplifier Layout
The interior of the unit has been precisely planned, circuit-routed and built so that the left and right channels are physically and electrically isolated. This maximizes channel separation, but also improves signal to noise ratio and also helps to achieve a wide and open sound stage.
H-Shaped Cross Member Frame
The interior of the receiver is reinforced with cross members in an H shape to provide a rigid and stable frame. This reduces chassis vibration, even during high volume output (seemingly minor vibrations can affect the sound), maintaining high audio quality.
Network Functions
This AV receiver provides a variety of network functions that enable you to access more sources and also enhance operation. You can connect the receiver to a PC to enjoy Internet radio, Pandora, Spotify and operate your system via WebBrowser Control. The AV Controller App (from iTunes or Google play) lets you control various functions from your iPod, iPhone, iPad or Android phones / tablets and the Kindle Fire.
Built-In Wi-Fi and Wireless Direct
Built-in Wi-Fi allows wireless connection with your household wireless router, simplifying system connections to enjoy network audio and music streaming services. If no Wi-Fi router is available, the Wireless Direct feature not only allows you to stream music directly from your smartphone or tablet via the AV Controller App's Music Play feature, Apple AirPlay etc., but also control your receiver using the AV Controller App.
AirPlay Music Streaming
This AV receiver supports AirPlay, which means it can accept wireless music streaming from the iPod touch, iPhone or iPad, as well as from iTunes on a Mac or PC. This makes it easy to enjoy music from your mobile devices or computer on your home theater system. You can use view metadata such as song title, artist name as well as album art via AV receiver's on-screen display. Album art support may vary, please check with the manufacturer for details.
MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) Support
MHL provides a direct connection of compatible mobile phones to this AV receiver. Playback of up to 1080p video and multichannel audio from the phones is supported. The receiver also charges the connected phone. Play, stop and other basic operations can be controlled from the remote control.
Spotify Connect
With the Spotify app on your smartphone, you can access a vast library of songs. And you can stream those songs to your Yamaha receiver by using Spotify Connect. Just hit "play" to start streaming music. Furthermore, when you're listening on your smartphone outside and come inside, the song immediately streams to your receiver so you can enjoy uninterrupted music. You can also personalize playlists and receive phone calls while listening to music.
USB Digital Connection for iPod and iPhone on the Front Panel
A USB port on the front panel allows convenient connection of an iPod / iPhone, which also charges when connected. Because the digital signal from the iPod / iPhone is transmitted directly to the AV receiver, there is no signal loss or interference for optimal audio playback. In addition, you can use the receiver's remote control unit to operate the iPod / iPhone music playback functions.
Extensive Audio Codec and Format Support
This AV receiver is compatible with many audio formats such as Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio. It is also compatible with high resolution audio codecs such as FLAC/WAV/Apple Lossless.
Gapless Playback
Many live and classical albums have no gaps in the music. Gapless playback ensures that there are no pauses between audio files. This provides playback with no interruptions, the way it was meant to be heard. Gapless is compatible with WAV, FLAC and ALAC file formats and input from USB/PC/NAS.
4K Ultra HD Pass-through and Upscaling
This AV receiver's HDMI input / output supports 4K (50/60p) Ultra HD video image pass-through. It also can perform 4K Ultra HD upscaling to boost a lower resolution image to near 4K quality. This helps to ensure compatibility with high resolution video formats.
Support for HDMI 2.0 Specification
This model supports HDMI 2.0 connectivity. It supports 4K Ultra HD 50 Hz/60 Hz signal pass-through to output smooth-motion high definition videos.
Yamaha Video Processing Optimizes Video Content
Yamaha's high-end video projector engineering expertise has produced various advanced processing techniques that are applied to this AV receiver. These include edge adaptive deinterlacing to smooth out jaggy noise, motion adaptive deinterlacing to detect moving or still images for precise pixel-by-pixel processing and multi-cadence detection including 3-2 pull-down.
YPAO - R.S.C. with 3D, Multipoint and Angle Measurement
YPAO - Reflected Sound Control analyzes room acoustics and measures various speaker characteristics, then calibrates audio parameters to achieve optimum sound at any of eight listening positions. It employs Reflected Sound Control to correct early reflections for studio-quality sound. It also provides DSP Effect Normalization, which varies the CINEMA DSP parameters according to the reflected sounds.
YPAO Volume
YPAO Volume applies loudness EQ correction to automatically adjust high and low frequency levels as volume changes. Using the YPAO measurement results, EQ correction is optimized to your system settings and listening environment.
Subwoofer Trim Control
The Subwoofer Trim Control enhances the low frequencies by avoiding overlap with the front speaker output. This is designed to produce a clean, focused sound stage while providing a seamless frequency response. When subwoofer frequency overlap occurs in conventional systems, the overall sound is "pushed" toward the subwoofer.
High Performance ESS Technology DACs
A high performance ESS Technology ES9016 SABRE32 Ultra DAC, 192 kHz/32-bit produces an enhanced sound stage with up to 124 dB dynamic range, low distortion and noise level. High-quality ESS Technology ES9006 SABRE Premier Audio DAC powers the presence channels.
Virtual CINEMA FRONT
The Virtual CINEMA FRONT feature lets you place two surround speakers and a center speaker at the front to enjoy virtual 7-channel surround sound with even higher quality and resolution, as well as rear virtual sound localization. Adding two additional Front Presence speakers provides a three-dimensional sound field that gives you a feeling of its height and depth and of the vertical movement of the sound.
CINEMA DSP HD3
By using four CINEMA DSP engines with advanced 3D processing and two front presence channels in a 9.2-channel configuration, CINEMA DPS HD3 gives the sound field an enhanced vertical dimension for more realistic and exciting movie sound.
Dialogue Lift and Dialogue Level Adjustment
Dialogue Lift raises the sound of dialogue from the center speaker to a position in the center of the screen. Virtual Dialogue Lift does not need presence speakers. Dialogue Level Adjustment lets you control the volume of the vocal sound, so you hear movie dialogue and music vocals at the ideal level for clear, comfortable listening.
Extra Bass
Yamaha's low-range enhancement technology is designed to deliver rich bass while maintaining good localization and sound balance even with compact front speakers. When a subwoofer is used, it improves the volume of the entire low range of the speaker system, not only the front speakers, but also enhancing the bass from the subwoofer.
Advanced HDMI Zone Switching
While standard HDMI zone switching can only send HD video programs to the main and second zones, Yamaha's advanced HDMI zone switching adds the capability to choose from all audio and video sources for playback in either zone. An on-screen graphical user interface makes it easy to browse and select content to enjoy from the second zone no matter what is being played in the Main Zone.