13/9/2012 [Audio & Visual]
New range of AVENTAGE receivers released beginning with the RX-A720
Since its introduction, the AVENTAGE Series has ushered a new era in home entertainment with studio-grade performance and innovative functionality. The addition of two new models last year, the RX-A710 and RX-A810, at more affordable price points made Yamaha’s premium line more accessible to a greater audience. Series III sees the release of five new receivers and a Blu-ray player replacing those of last year, with the RX-A720 positioned at the entry-point to the range with a recommended retail price of $1,199.
The 7.2 channel RX-A720 boasts 90W per channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.09% THD) capable of delivering exhilarating surround sound and powering two independent zones of audio. Employing a discrete amplifier configuration with 24-bit/192 kHz Burr-Brown DACs for all channels, the RX-A720 yields high-end audio quality. Unique to Yamaha’s AVENTAGE Series, the signature Anti-Resonance Technology (A.R.T.) Wedge, a recognisable fifth foot in the centre of the receiver footprint, aids in dampening vibrations to ensure the most accurate sound reproduction. For wireless network connectivity it also comes with Yamaha’s YWA-10 wireless network adaptor.
A new feature of this year’s AVENTAGE receivers is AirPlay. Utilising a wireless network within the home, the Apple technology provides convenient wireless streaming of audio from iTunes on Mac or PC, or directly from iOS devices through an ever-growing list of AirPlay-enabled apps including Music, YouTube, Spotify and Rdio. iTunes users no longer have to tolerate inferior audio from their laptop speakers while working from the couch, instead being able to stream audio to the home theatre system wirelessly.
Being a network receiver, the RX-A720 delivers a world of entertainment with access to tens of thousands of Internet radio stations from around the world and supports Yamaha’s popular AV Controller app for iOS and Android devices. App control opens the door to integrated home entertainment, utilising an intuitive and familiar interface. The free app provides control of the receiver’s functions from anywhere in the home and facilitates seamless access to music and movies* stored on a networked PC, Mac or Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. Music Play, a feature of the AV Controller app, enables users to wirelessly push audio stored on an iOS or Android device directly to the receiver for convenient enjoyment of their favourite music.
Integration with Apple devices is further enhanced with direct digital connection via a USB port conveniently located on the front of the RX-A720. Simply connect the iPod, iPhone or iPad using the white cable that came with the device for superior audio, utilising the DAC (digital to analogue converter) of the receiver rather than that of the portable device. Metadata, including song information, is communicated to the receiver for on‐screen display while navigation and control of the portable device is achieved via the receiver’s remote.
With many of us listening to compressed audio formats including MP3s, sound quality is sacrificed for the benefit of reduced file sizes. Yamaha’s Compressed Music Enhancer, a feature which is able to be switched on and off, utilises complex algorithms to restore sonic information lost when audio is compressed. The result is a notable difference in sound quality - comparable to the original recording.
For video, the RX-A720 supports the next-generation 4K video format. 4K pass-through ensures customers are future-proofed for when the new format arrives which will be four times the resolution of the current Full HD 1080p resolution. In addition, the RX-A720 will upscale standard and current high definition formats so that they are displayed at 4K video resolution, utilising all pixels on a 4K projector or television for unprecedented picture quality.
Ensuring trouble-free set‐up, YPAO (Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimiser) professionally calibrates the home theatre system to any size or shape room by measuring and analysing speaker capabilities and the room’s acoustic qualities. The RX-A720 takes calibration a step further with Reflected Sound Control (R.S.C.) which minimises any interference caused by early reflections from hard surfaces such as coffee tables and adjacent walls.
The RX-A720 comes with a YWA-10 wireless network adaptor, 4 year warranty with 12 month replacement warranty and is available now with a recommended retail price of $1,199.
*requires Yamaha network Blu-ray player
