20 reviews for YAMAHA RX-A8A AVENTAGE 11.2-Channel AV Receiver with MusicCast Electronics

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   ZK – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Most dynamic and engaging sound

   1/15/24: I should mention that I connected my old Yamaha rx 1070 and no HDMI or HDCP issues. The A8A started giving HDCP 2.2 errors. No video on TV. Have to restart receiver to get compatibility. This happened after a recent firmware update. Very unfortunate since it’s an awesome receiver.Update 12/27: so I’ve had this receiver for just over a month and I can say with confidence that I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I have disconnected to Arundel 1723 speakers and the sound is just outstanding. I leave the surround AI on all the time and I’ve compared the sound with it on and off and the difference is perceptible. The surround AI makes dialogue more intelligible and creates a wide sound field. The best part again are the scenes which you can configure to your heart’s content. I will point to the fact that initially I did the YPAO angle measurement incorrectly. There are two parts to the stand the tripod(propeller type)and a stand that fits onto it. The fourth position is high up on the stand after it is fixed to the propeller stand. Use a tripod stand to achieve great results. If you have Dolby Atmos and/ or front presence and rear presence speakers turn off the speaker virtualization and this will give you better sound. Also when doing the calibration choose your measurement points at least two to three feet apart.To give you some context I have tested the Onkyo RZ70, Sony 7000ES ,marantz Cinema 50 and Denon X4800.The Yamaha a8a outshines all these receivers. It is a blast to watch movies. The sound is very punchy especially in the mid bass and the lower bass is literally room shaking.The surround AI feature is awesome and I would advise that you use it. I was initially skeptic about this but it creates a sense of immersion as if you are right in the movie. The dialogue is crystal clear and very easily intelligible. I would strongly recommend using AI or at least giving it a try.The remote is backlit which is great. One of the most powerful features of this receiver is scenes. With this, you can assign various functions to one button on the remote. The only downside I see is the on-screen display which takes up the whole screen. It should be a banner at the bottom. The other issue I have is in the music cost app where on the input screen the whole real estate is taken up by a symbol that you can choose. I would have preferred instead some more useful information like the number of speakers being used. This is one of the best receivers I’ve ever heard. You will not be disappointed if you buy this.

   10 people found this helpful

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Susan Heffelfinger – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   I am very impressed with this unit. Great sound and easy to set up.

   I set up the RX-A8A in a 7.2.2 bi-amp configuration. While my speakers cannot be placed optimally, the spatial quality of the surround sound is impressive. Dialog is easy to understand, and I like the surround AI function, so I am not constantly changing sound fields (at this time anyway).I like the compatibility with Alexa, but have yet to figure out how to program my own word commands.

   3 people found this helpful

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Eric Smith – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Long time Aventage owner

   This amp is amazing. I upgraded from the RX-A2A to the A8A. It effortlessly drives my Tekton Pendragons. The backlit remote, multi point YPAO, and Surround AI are nice upgrades from the A2A. I have a 7.2.2 system and this and the A6A were the only ones that handle that many channels. I’ve owned Yamaha Aventage amps for 12 years and Yamaha receivers for 22 years; this is the best one I’ve owned.My shipment arrived mishandled and one of the antennas was broken. But that’s a reflection of the delivery not the product

   5 people found this helpful

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   sound freak – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Yamaha A8A

   I upgraded from a Onkyo 6100 to support 4 atmos in ceiling speakers. This avr has many more options and power to spare. I love the ability to log in the reciever using the IP address to make all my adjustments. I am able to use a laptop at the listening position to fine tune the sound to my taste. The sound quality has a natural feel to it. It is not too bright on or boomy. I would highly recommend this avr.Pros Sound quality Flexible Plenty of power YPAO room correction finally works as it should.Cons It does put off some heat but that is typical with class AB amps.

   6 people found this helpful

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Amazon Customer – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Great AV Features!

   I have always been a Yamaha customer for AV and audio components. I always thought their quality is exceptional for the price of the units. For this AVR I first bought the Marantz SR-7015 and set it up only to find a problem with the audio cutting out randomly. I found there were some review posts about this anomaly. I bought the Marantz because it cost less than the Yamaha RX-A8A with similar features and it was available at a retail store. I returned it and purchased this unit through Amazon. I love it! Easy to setup. The menu system is so much easier than the Marantz. I recommend it for those who want to spend a little more for quality.Note: HDMI CEC is an issue with this unit and others so don’t hold it against Yamaha. Streaming systems (like Roku) don’t work well because their output is always on and the RX-A8A sees the signal and sometime switches to it automatically when video passthrough is enabled when the system is off. Other devices included. That is I have a Sony Ultra HD BD/DVD player and I needed to turn off HDMI CEC because it would always turn on when I turned on the TV and it was selected as the input. Even though my STB was on and the last input. My STB does not support HDMI CEC so that is why the input switched. Again, not an issue with Yamaha but on the standard.

   25 people found this helpful

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Public user – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   The same convoluted / painful User Experience as existed in the 1980s

   I hadn’t purchased something like this since college so I assumed it would be a radically different UX (user experience) regarding setup / functionality. Nope. Getting the device to actually play the audio I’m hoping / attempting to play is a constant battle. (Certainly partially due to my incompetence and also the horrible projector software I’m using (BenQ – atrocious software). I’m sure after I’ve owned the Yamaha for 5-10 years I’ll get the hang of it but it would certainly be nice if these incredible systems could communicate w/ one another (i.e. “hey, there’s a signal coming in from Device X – I think I’ll hide all dormant inputs so it’s less confusing…” Annnyway, the sound is absolutely fantastic. I’m thrilled w/ the quality of sound every time we use it. After my anger fades because I just spent 20-30 minutes trying to get sound to output for the movie / game / show we’re attempting to watch. Yes, I’m a grumpy old man. You will be too one day.

   19 people found this helpful

7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Mike Malter – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Feature Rich – Great Piece Of Kit

   Top of the line in terms of audio and video quality. Tremendous flexibility. Highly recommend. My second Yamaha. They know how to build great A/V receivers.

   3 people found this helpful

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Paula – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Item cost $3,182.95 and was shipped and sold by Amazon.

   I don’t know if this is a good receiver or not. Wasn’t shipped in an Amazon box. Manufacturer box had return to amazon labels all over it. Upon opening Manufacturer box, contents were trashed. Styrofoam protection pieces were annihilated. One of the two antenna was broke-off and remote control was missing. I am sending it back ASAP. Other than all that, I am very happy with my purchase.

   5 people found this helpful

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jeff W. – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Quality, Quality Product

   Yamaha has been my choice of home theatre entertainment since 2005.No Regrets

   2 people found this helpful

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Justinoid – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Love it so far

    Overall it’s doing what it’s supposed to do.Con: the volume knob is very disappointing in the way it feels and there’s no visual effect of it turning on its own when you turn the volume up by the remote.Compared to my older cheaper AV receiver, does just that with a little light on it.

    One person found this helpful

11. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    fun12u – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Its the same as the a6a

    This amplifier is the same as the aventage a6a it has the same firmware and speaker connections. There is 11.2 speaker connections on both the a8a and the a6a. I can not see any difference between both models except the name. Technical support thru yamaha supercedes any other brands out there but Im unhappy I paid a premium price for an exact same model as the a6a. I will say I saved some money and bought it new from Grammophone they put it on sale for 2995.00 which is almost 600 dollars cheaper than anyone else is selling it for but still more expensive than the full price of the a6a. I wish I had noticed that I could have setup my 7.2.4 system with the a6a and I would have saved even more money. As for the quality of the receiver its top notch with performance. I dont think you can get better than Yamaha but go with the a6a and save yourself some more money.

    19 people found this helpful

12. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Ted C Goodman – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    What can I say

    Best one I’ve ever had

    2 people found this helpful

13. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    jennifer fontana – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Make sure to order from Amazon directly!

    Shipped and sold by Amazon! Way better price, best price I’ve seen anywhere! This was an excellent Christmas gift!

    5 people found this helpful

14. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    DM – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    probebly one of the Best HT receivers on the market in 2023

    I did not make my purchase from Amazon. and since I did a lot of research for finding exactly what I wanted.been waiting for this for years. I chose the RX-A6A since the A8A is about identical. including the weight of the unit. which is 47 pounds. This is not a unit for the average user,this is by far one of the Best receivers you’ll find from any AV manufacturer even in 2023.This unit has endless features. too long to list.but if you’re wondering what comes even remotely close to it? you’ll have to look at top-of-line flagship receivers from Denon X6700. the Marnats Cinema 40 is NOT a better unit.the weight of the Power supply alone is about 15-16 pounds. this unit can put out over 176 WPC unclipped with 0.006 THD.it has two independent bass outputs =4 watts on the pre-out. double the amount needed. and if you use the XLR outputs you’ll have a whopping 8 watts RMS unclipped =balanced. pre-out.This unit is a beast. this is meant to last at least 10 years with continued firmware updates, and a 5-year warranty from Yamaha.if you’re not a patient person? willing to learn to get pro audio quality. then go for the RX=A4A.anyone who says this unit can be compared to Onkyo RZ50? has NO clue what he’s talking about.This is only for those who want a masterpiece in their home.the only downside? the price is overpriced. do your research. make sure you’re buying it from a Yamaha-authorized dealer. my recommendation is the RX-A6A.

    7 people found this helpful

15. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Andygo – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Excellent receiver.

    Very nice sound quality. Good value for money!

16. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Bob Richards – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Yamaha is the best and always has been

    I actually have an 11.2 home theatre. I use none of the speaker terminals on the Yamaha. Using only the pre-outs, I have four 2 channel power amps, ranging from 400 wpc (@8 ohms), to 1200, depending on what set of speakers they’re driving. I have one giant 4 channel (discrete) amp @ 500 wpc, feeding the 4 atmosphere speakers. I split the center speaker output and thereby use both channels of the that amp, so yes, I have two center speakers.Both subs are SVS ( a PC+, and a monstrous PB-16), coming out of that dedicated pre-out with a splitter.Note* I Ran 3 dedicated 20 amp circuits with awg 10 wire to feed the monsters. (I use awg 10 instead of 12, so there’s no voltage drop during those sudden jaw-dropping loud sound events.). Worse yet, embarrassingly, I actually took our home from 100 amp, to a 200 amp service to accommodate this. Stop laughing! It gets EVEN WORSE YET!! No BS, after arguing with the power company for two years, I finally paid to have a 30 kVA transformer put on our power pole outside to accommodate the 200 amp service. The old one was a rusty 10KvA. I was going thru puberty when that thing went up, no kidding. And I’m pushing’ 70!!The Yamaha is an absolutely wonderful surround processor. Add in the 4K video pass thru, you’ve got it all. Next, turn on the HDMI ‘Smart’ detection on all devices, and once wired in, controlling it all becomes so very simple.One thing about these advanced receivers: Resign yourself to a learning curve. But know this: I PROMISE YOU it is worth your time and effort.While everything will work right out of the box, you’ll get your arms around the “set up” functions in a couple days. And a fairly profound understanding will ensue shortly thereafter.YPAO: Is this the bomb or what? Ya plug a wire into a Jack on the front of the receiver, then run the other end (that has a hemispherical microphone on the end), to your primary listening (seating) area, then run the automatic sound test, and the amp sets amplitudes and delays, for each and every channel/speaker. IT EVEN IDENTIFIES SPEAKERS THAT YOU MAY HAVE CROSS-WIRED BY ACCIDENT!! . I tested it! It works!! Incredible!Sorry for my quasi-boasting but I worked my ass off. And I’m old!! :). There more spaghetti behind our entertainment center, than a in a pasta house in Milan!!The competition: I own still, (and have owned), many Sony and Onkyo Receivers. Denon has got a stronghold in recent years and they’re ok. I’ve loved them all but the Yamahas are better builds, with better specs. I started with a Marantz 2270 in the early 70s. I had blond hair then. More importantly, I had hair!A bit of advice on amp/speaker matching: Always ensure your amplifiers are AT LEAST, rated twice your speaker rating. The reason for this, is you never run your amp too near its capacity. By doing this, regardless of your THD rating, you NEVER get up in the distortion curve.Ok, that’s it. Lastly, I humbly submit, even my wife will attest, our home theatre is far superior to even IMAX. (and after all, you should be able to get there considering you/we, have a much smaller venue, I.e., our large family room.)Note: There’s a vendor out there for y’all for stand-alone amps with super HIGH power, at a fraction of the cost of other name brands, and, they have a better dynamic range, slue rate, THD (and more) specs. And, they’re even on Amazon now!I thought I was an audiophile, but Evelyn told me I’m more of an audiofool! Maybe she’s right.Go Yamaha!ThxBob R.

    75 people found this helpful

17. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Kargul – March 7, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    A6A is half the price now

    Don’t bother with A8A at it’s current price (over $3k) while the A6A is half of that ($1650 at the moment).Same decoding capabilities just 2 more channels of amplification do not justify the price difference. You can have an A6a and a 5ch 275W Emotiva amp for the same price as A8A by itself… crazy.

    13 people found this helpful

18. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Sheetem – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Home Theater Addition

    Easy and multiple connections, Wifi, bluetooth, it has everything you need for home theater at a reasonable price.

    6 people found this helpful

19. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    soaknewe (so can you) – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Must have if you want 7.x.4 Atmos

    Had a Yamaha RX-2070 and all was good. Had it setup for 7 surround speakers and a subwoofer and all was good. Installed 4 ceiling speakers for “Height” surround speakers. Discovered that the RX-2070 was NOT capable of playing 11 speakers at once (Maximum of 9 at one time). Couldn’t even add an external amp (The RX-3070 has that capability though). Time to upgrade to the Yamaha RX-A8A which is a 13 channel receiver (but only plays 11 speakers at once which is what I was looking for – I’ll use the last two channels for a formal dinning room).My speaker layout: All of my speakers are in-wall Polk Audio except the subwoofers which are SVS 3000 in-wall. The layout is typical of a seven channel system. Three up front (Left, center and Right), two surround speakers (left and right of listening position) and two in the rear. The two in the rear are not behind the listening position but are left and right and behind the listening position. The four ceiling speakers are two up front near the screen and two over head of the listening position. The two in-wall subs are both up front and face outward from the center of the room. Probably not the ideal position but there was no other choice. The area for the “Theater room” includes the kitchen for a total listening space of 6000 cubic sq ft.The RX-A8A is slightly larger than the RX-2070 which means the rear end sticks out from the console a bit but it still works (had to slide the console out from the wall a bit but the wife hasn’t noticed).The A8A has a nice web interface that makes setting up the receiver a breeze. I setup the system using the YPAO system which makes setting up the system (distance from each speaker, volume of each speaker, etc.) a breeze. For giggles, I actually measured the distance from a few speakers to the listening position to see how accurate the YAPO microphone was and got to say, it was about 90% accurate.After the setup, I ran a few Blu-ray Atmos demos and wow, I’m impressed. Even wifey is surprised how much like a real theater it sounds. It is very difficult to tell where the sound/music is coming from. Atmos seems to place you in the movie and not just watching it from the outside. Was reading on a few Audio websites to play the THX intro to give your system a treat. Wow….impressive. The “Deep Audio” as it’s known, sounds just like a modern theater and brought back memories of seeing so many movies that started with the THX intro.More about the A8A. There are so many options, it will take some time to figure out what they are all about and if I need to use the options or not. One other thing I’d like to mention is the fact that the A8A is VERY heavy. It’s more than 50 pounds so use caution when moving it.Was it worth to pain and expense to setup this system? Yes. If you are wondering, I installed all of the speakers my self with the help of my wife. Having access to under your house makes things easier but still lots of work. If you only have access to the attic, things get a bit more difficult. Might think about doing the install of your in-wall speakers in the Winter.

    6 people found this helpful

20. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Excelente – March 7, 2024

    Bom

    Quando necessário