Yamaha Aventage RX-A1000 Home Theater Receiver - Product Review

The Yamaha Aventage RX-A1000 Home Theater Receiver has power, up-to-date features, and an abundance of connectivity options. This receiver is rated to deliver 105wpc, and features Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD decoding. On the video side, the RX-A1000 has 8 3D-compatible HDMI inputs with dual HDMI outputs and analog to HDMI video conversion and 1080p upscaling. Extra bonuses include iPod/iPhone and Bluetooth connectivity, Internet and HD Radio, and two subwoofer outputs. To find out more, keep reading this review.

For an additional look and perspective, also check out my Photo Gallery and Video Performance Tests.

The features of the RX-A1000 include:

1. The RX-A1000 is a 7.2 channel home theater receiver (7 channels plus 2 subwoofer outs) delivering 105 Watts into each of 7 channels at .06% THD.

2. Audio Decoding: Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD, DTS-HD, Dolby Digital 5.1/EX/Pro logic IIx, DTS 5.1/ES, 96/24, Neo:6.

3. Additional Audio Processing: Yamaha DSP and DSP 3D, Scene, Front Presence, and Silent Cinema headphone output.

4. Audio Inputs (Analog): 9 Stereo Analog, 1 dedicated stereo Phono input, 1 set of 7.1 Channel Analog Audio inputs.

5. Audio Inputs (Digital - Excluding HDMI): 4 Digital Optical, 3 Digital Coaxial.

6. Audio Outputs (Excluding HDMI): 2 Sets - Analog Stereo, One set - Zone 2 Analog Stereo Pre-outs, 1 Digital Optical audio output, 1 Set - 7 Channel Analog Pre-outs, and 2 Subwoofer Pre-outs.

7. Speaker connections options for Bi-amp, Surround Back, and Powered Zone 2 speaker provided. One set of Zone 2 line audio outputs (requires additional amp/speakers for operation).

8. Video Inputs: 8 HDMI ver 1.4a (3D pass through/Audio Return Channel capable), 4 Component, 5 Composite and S-Video. One set of AV inputs mounted on front panel.

9. Video Ouputs: 2 HDMI, 1 Component Video, 2 Composite Video, 2 S-Video.

10. Analog to HDMI video conversion (480i to 480p) and upscaling from 480p to 1080p via HDMI. HDMI pass-through of native 1080p and 3D signals.

11. Inclusion of YPAO auto speaker setup system.

12. 40 Preset AM/FM/HD Radio Tuner, Sirius Satellite Radio via Optional Tuner/Antenna.

13. Network Connectivity: Access to Internet Radio (Rhapsody, Sirius Internet Radio, vTuner), Yamaha MusiCast Client, DLNA V1.5 Certified.

14. USB Connection for access to audio files stored on flash drives.

15. iPod/iPhone connectivity/control and Bluetooth connectivity available via optional docking stations. Rear mounted docking port.

16. Wireless remote, full color onscreen menu, Web Browser control option, Control4 Certified.

17. User Manual on CD with active links.

18. Double bottom construction with added 5th foot for more physical stability/vibration reduction.

For an additional look at the features and connections of the RX-A1000, check out my Photo Gallery.

Zone 2 Option

The RX-A1000 provides connection/operation of a 2nd Zone. This allows a second source signal to speakers or a separate audio system in another location. This is not the same as just connecting additional speakers and placing them in another room.

The Zone 2 function allows control of the same, or separate, source than the one being used in the main room, in another location. For example, the user can be watching a Blu-ray Disc/DVD movie with surround sound in the main room, while someone else can listen to a CD player in another, at the same time. Both the Blu-ray Disc/DVD player and CD player are connected to the same Receiver, but are accessed and controlled separately using the same main Receiver.

3D Compatibility

Detection and unprocessed passing of 3D source signals to a 3D-enabled TV.

This is a very practical feature that has been introduced in HDMI ver1.4. What this function allows, if the TV is also HDMI 1.4-enabled. is that you can transfer audio from the TV back to the RX-A1000 and listen to your TV's audio through your home theater audio system instead of the TV's speakers without having to connect a second cable between the TV and home theater system.

For example, if you receive your TV signals over the air, the audio from those signals goes directly to your TV. Ordinarily to get the audio from those signals to your Home Theater receiver, you would have to connect an extra cable from the TV to the home theater receiver for this purpose. However, with audio return channel, you can simply take advantage of the cable you already have connected between the TV and the home theater receiver to transfer audio in both directions.

Hardware Used

The additional home theater hardware used in this review included:

Home Theater Receivers: Onkyo TX-SR705, Harman Kardon AVR147.

Source Components: OPPO BDP-83 and Yamaha BD-S667 (on review loan from Yamaha), and Toshiba BDX3000 (on review loan from Toshiba) Blu-ray Disc players, OPPO DV-980H DVD Player.

Loudspeaker/Subwoofer System 1 (7.1 channels): 2 Klipsch F-2's, 2 Klipsch B-3s, Klipsch C-2 Center , 2 Polk R300s, Klipsch Synergy Sub10.

Loudspeaker/Subwoofer System 2 (5.1 channels): EMP Tek E5Ci center channel speaker, four E5Bi compact bookshelf speakers for left and right main and surrounds, and an ES10i 100 watt powered subwoofer.

TV/Monitors: A Westinghouse Digital LVM-37w3 1080p LCD Monitor, and Toshiba 46WX800 3D LCD TV (on review loan from Toshiba).

DVDO EDGE Video Scaler used for baseline video upscaling comparisons.

Audio/Video connections made with Accell, Cobalt, and AR Interconnect cables. 16 Gauge Speaker Wire used.

High Speed HDMI Cables provided by Atlona.

Level checks made using a Radio Shack Sound Level Meter

Software Used

3D Blu-ray Discs: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Goldberg Variations Acoustica, Monster House, and My Bloody Valentine.

2D Blu-ray Discs: Across The Universe, Avatar (2D), Hairspray, Iron Man 1&2, Kick Ass, Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Shakira - Oral Fixation Tour, Sherlock Holmes, The Dark Knight, Tropic Thunder, and Transporter 3

Standard DVDs used included scenes from the following: The Cave, House of the Flying Daggers, Kill Bill - Vol 1/2, Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut), Lord of Rings Trilogy, Master and Commander, U571, and V For Vendetta.

CDs: Al Stewart - Sparks of Ancient Light, Beatles - LOVE, Blue Man Group - The Complex, Joshua Bell - Bernstein - West Side Story Suite, Eric Kunzel - 1812 Overture, HEART - Dreamboat Annie, Lisa Loeb - Firecracker, Nora Jones - Come Away With Me, Sade - Soldier of Love.

DVD-Audio discs included: Queen - Night At The Opera/The Game, Eagles - Hotel California, and Medeski, Martin, and Wood - Uninvisible, Sheila Nicholls - Wake.

SACD discs used included: Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon, Steely Dan - Gaucho, The Who - Tommy.

Proceed to Page 2: Evaluation and Final Take