Yamaha RX-Z9 vs NEW RX-A3080

[Zega]

I have the 3080 and can’t get it to work on my PB2000 sub. I’ve tried switching the sub to always on and am using a Y connection per SVS but but YAPO still says NO SUB. Any suggestions?

If nothing else works, just use the front channel pre-outs to hook your sub up to.
Have you viewed the sub out details through the 3080 tv display menu?

 

[Zega]

Was wondering if anyone could help me make up my mind. I currently have the Yamaha RX-Z9 and again love it. I bought the RX-A3070 and was dissatisfied. I want to know now that the RX-A3080 has a 32bit dac Sabre opposed To Burr brown 1792 that the Z9 uses, is that going to make a big difference?? On paper you would think the 3080 should kill the Z9, but I don’t want to be dissatisfied again , any thoughts?

The latest receivers have a completely different nature than the older ones. Thus providing a completely different sound experience. A huge part of that experience is what type of speakers you are using with each different receiver.
I was using a receiver with the Burr Brown 1791 DAC's and when I "upgraded" to one that was 5 years newer, I did not like it at all for awhile. So I went back and forth, playing with both receivers. And after learning more about how to use various parts of the newer one, I came to like it just as much as the older one. Though neither could ever take place of the other. They are both incredible receivers. Both having their own, very distinct, unique, qualities to them.
I had one RX-Z9 that was amazing and then the next RX-Z9 that I purchased was crap, because some of the capacitors inside of it were drying out. That is one risk of older electronics. Though there are inherent risks from electronics of any age.

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

I just purchased the Monolith 200 x 5 amplifier that Gene reviewed, and said he loved those amps. I also have a McIntosh Mc252 powering my mains RF-7 ii’s. I have never used the RX-Z9 main amps. Now my center, surrounds, and my front Effects are also power by a separate amplifier. Now I can upgrade to a Pre pro, however i’m just too concerned about the quality of anything new anymore, it seems the bottom line is how much money they’re going to make not based on quality.. it seems like the major concern about any new project is how much profit can we make with this and where can we cut corners. But as of right now I can tell you that the Monoprice Monolith Amp is great. My subs on my YAMAHA RX-A3070 never performed like they do on my RX-Z9 period. Now I worry about the CX-A5200. And is it really going to be better I personally do not believe Core DTS is inferior To DTS-HD-MA. And that was really the only reason for the upgrade Another thing is all of the streaming audio through any of the receivers is garbage and limited to 128 kBps so even with the new AV unit I would still have to keep my Sonos and not having HDMI does not bother me at all I don’t need something to just be a convenience

 

[PENG]

I just purchased the Monolith 200 x 5 amplifier that Gene reviewed, and said he loved those amps. I also have a McIntosh Mc252 powering my mains RF-7 ii’s. I have never used the RX-Z9 main amps. Now my center, surrounds, and my front Effects are also power by a separate amplifier. Now I can upgrade to a Pre pro, however i’m just too concerned about the quality of anything new anymore, it seems the bottom line is how much money they’re going to make not based on quality.. it seems like the major concern about any new project is how much profit can we make with this and where can we cut corners. But as of right now I can tell you that the Monoprice Monolith Amp is great. My subs on my YAMAHA RX-A3070 never performed like they do on my RX-Z9 period. Now I worry about the CX-A5200. And is it really going to be better I personally do not believe Core DTS is inferior To DTS-HD-MA. And that was really the only reason for the upgrade Another thing is all of the streaming audio through any of the receivers is garbage and limited to 128 kBps so even with the new AV unit I would still have to keep my Sonos and not having HDMI does not bother me at all I don’t need something to just be a convenience

I just purchased the Monolith 200 x 5 amplifier that Gene reviewed, and said he loved those amps. I also have a McIntosh Mc252 powering my mains RF-7 ii’s. I have never used the RX-Z9 main amps. Now my center, surrounds, and my front Effects are also power by a separate amplifier. Now I can upgrade to a Pre pro, however i’m just too concerned about the quality of anything new anymore, it seems the bottom line is how much money they’re going to make not based on quality.. it seems like the major concern about any new project is how much profit can we make with this and where can we cut corners. But as of right now I can tell you that the Monoprice Monolith Amp is great. My subs on my YAMAHA RX-A3070 never performed like they do on my RX-Z9 period. Now I worry about the CX-A5200. And is it really going to be better I personally do not believe Core DTS is inferior To DTS-HD-MA. And that was really the only reason for the upgrade Another thing is all of the streaming audio through any of the receivers is garbage and limited to 128 kBps so even with the new AV unit I would still have to keep my Sonos and not having HDMI does not bother me at all I don’t need something to just be a convenience

If you find the 3070 sounding not as good as the rx-z9 in pure direct mode then you may qualify for the golden ear titile.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

If you find the 3070 sounding not as good as the rx-z9 in pure direct mode then you may qualify for the golden ear titile.

But if he qualifies for golden ear, then he can't be using AVRs!

Using only separates is a prerequisite of golden ears.

I don't understand why someone would spend a lot of money on amps plus use AVR.

I will defer to @TLS Guy on this subject.

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

I Purchased the Z9 When I was working for a dealer. From day one I bought A McIntosh Mc252 directly from McIntosh in Binghamton New York, when I was there for training. Did DIRECT comparisons between the two perfered the McIntosh! Using the receiver to power only the center, front effects, and the rears. Now I have been wanting to buy the CX-A5200 however the 3070 left a bad taste in my mouth. Gene wrote a article of his top all time receivers , he mentions the Denon 5805 and said he would argue that that receiver had the best amp and dacs to date! of any AV receiver ! The Z9 uses the same DACS burr brown 1792

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

I Purchased the monolith so in future I can go to a CX-A5200

 

[snakeeyes]

I Purchased the monolith so in future I can go to a CX-A5200

That 5200 looks nice. Does Monolith 5ch seem more powerful than the Z9 though? Or just a sideways move?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I Purchased the Z9 When I was working for a dealer. From day one I bought A McIntosh Mc252 directly from McIntosh in Binghamton New York, when I was there for training. Did DIRECT comparisons between the two perfered the McIntosh! Using the receiver to power only the center, front effects, and the rears. Now I have been wanting to buy the CX-A5200 however the 3070 left a bad taste in my mouth. Gene wrote a article of his top all time receivers , he mentions the Denon 5805 and said he would argue that that receiver had the best amp and dacs to date! of any AV receiver ! The Z9 uses the same DACS burr brown 1792

I think most of the top DACs today (in the CX-A5200) will have better specs than the older DACs.

All these high-end DACs have such awesome specs. So the difference in sound quality (if any) won't be due to the DACs.

I'm sure Gene could buy the McIntosh MX160, Marantz AV8805, or any other pre-pro.

But he seems very happy with his CX-A5100. I think he mentioned that he might be upgrading to the CX-A5200/MX-A5200.

I don't know, he might get the $4K Monolith HTP-1 since this thing took many of us by surprise. But it does cost almost twice as much.

Since you already have the Monolith 200x5 amp, the Monolith HTP-1 might be on your radar.

1. Sell everything, except the Monolith Amp. Then add the Monolith HTP-1 and another Monolith amp.

2. Try the CX-A5200, which costs a lot less.

One thing, though, your Klipsch speakers are extremely sensitive, right? Aren't they close to 100dB/2.83V/m?

So why do you need so much power for such high-sensitivity speakers?

I bet if you set your speakers to small and let your powered subs do all the heavy lifting, The CX-A5200/MX-A5200 (500W x 2Ch into 2 ohms Dynamic Power) would be all you need.

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

That 5200 looks nice. Does Monolith 5ch seem more powerful than the Z9 though? Or just a sideways move?

Definitely not a sideways move I noticed a difference right away this power amp is a beast

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

I think most of the top DACs today (in the CX-A5200) will have better specs than the older DACs.

All these high-end DACs have such awesome specs. So the difference in sound quality (if any) won't be due to the DACs.

I'm sure Gene could buy the McIntosh MX160, Marantz AV8805, or any other pre-pro.

But he seems very happy with his CX-A5100. I think he mentioned that he might be upgrading to the CX-A5200/MX-A5200.

I don't know, he might get the $4K Monolith HTP-1 since this thing took many of us by surprise. But it does cost almost twice as much.

Since you already have the Monolith 200x5 amp, the Monolith HTP-1 might be on your radar.

1. Sell everything, except the Monolith Amp. Then add the Monolith HTP-1 and another Monolith amp.

2. Try the CX-A5200, which costs a lot less.

One thing, though, your Klipsch speakers are extremely sensitive, right? Aren't they close to 100dB/2.83V/m?

So why do you need so much power for such high-sensitivity speakers?

I bet if you set your speakers to small and let your powered subs do all the heavy lifting, The CX-A5200/MX-A5200 (500W x 2Ch into 2 ohms Dynamic Power) would be all you need.

You are correct all of the Klipsch speakers are extremely sensitive, and yes I could run those speakers just with a receiver, but the amplifiers make them sound so much better, and more full. Everything is set small and bass managed, I have two Klipsch R-115sw subs that sound crazy good off the Z9. That was my problem with the 3070, everything I tried that receiver did nothing compared to my Z9. It was a very easy decision to go back to the Z9.. Also I was not impressed With DTS-HD-MA

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

 

[Zega]

If you find the 3070 sounding not as good as the rx-z9 in pure direct mode then you may qualify for the golden ear titile.

Easy.
From my viewpoint...
The RX-Z9 sounds way better in Pure Direct mode, than any of the newer Denon's or Yamaha's that I have heard so far!
Though I do like the RX-A3080 better for most other modes of listening.

 

[Zega]

I just purchased the Monolith 200 x 5 amplifier that Gene reviewed, and said he loved those amps. I also have a McIntosh Mc252 powering my mains RF-7 ii’s. I have never used the RX-Z9 main amps. Now my center, surrounds, and my front Effects are also power by a separate amplifier. Now I can upgrade to a Pre pro, however i’m just too concerned about the quality of anything new anymore, it seems the bottom line is how much money they’re going to make not based on quality.. it seems like the major concern about any new project is how much profit can we make with this and where can we cut corners. But as of right now I can tell you that the Monoprice Monolith Amp is great. My subs on my YAMAHA RX-A3070 never performed like they do on my RX-Z9 period. Now I worry about the CX-A5200. And is it really going to be better I personally do not believe Core DTS is inferior To DTS-HD-MA. And that was really the only reason for the upgrade Another thing is all of the streaming audio through any of the receivers is garbage and limited to 128 kBps so even with the new AV unit I would still have to keep my Sonos and not having HDMI does not bother me at all I don’t need something to just be a convenience

That's great that you are enjoying the Monoprice amp!

As far as the CX-A5200 goes, it should be a fair amount different than the 3070. As you will be using a completely different amp. Are you using the built-in amp on the 3070, or do you have it connected to another amp? Though, if you connect the 3070 Pre-Amp to the amp that you plan on using the CX-A5200 with, you may get a fair glimpse of what it will be like. They both use the same exact Premium DAC, but the CX-5200 has two of them and uses them for all channels. Of course, the 5200 will be several steps up in build/component quality.

I loved the first RX-Z9 that I purchased! Though I never used the Pre-Amp separately.
The Denon AVR-5805 has the same exact DAC's as the RX-Z9 (the Burr Brown PCM-1792's), but is a couple of years newer, with the option to use the pure direct mode with the digital inputs.
It also has a full 10 channels at 170 wpc @ 8ohm. But it weighs 97 pounds!

I like to switch back to my older stuff on various occasions. It can be a really nice change up at times.

 

[Zega]

That's great that you are enjoying the Monoprice amp!

As far as the CX-A5200 goes, it should be a fair amount different than the 3070. As you will be using a completely different amp. Are you using the built-in amp on the 3070, or do you have it connected to another amp? Though, if you connect the 3070 Pre-Amp to the amp that you plan on using the CX-A5200 with, you may get a fair glimpse of what it will be like. They both use the same exact Premium DAC, but the CX-5200 has two of them and uses them for all channels. Of course, the 5200 will be several steps up in build/component quality.

I loved the first RX-Z9 that I purchased! Though I never used the Pre-Amp separately.
The Denon AVR-5805 has the same exact DAC's as the RX-Z9 (the Burr Brown PCM-1792's),but is a couple of years newer, with the option to use the pure direct mode with the digital inputs.
It also has a full 10 channels at 170 wpc @ 8ohm. But it weighs 97 pounds!

I like to switch back to my older stuff on various occasions. It can be a really nice change up at times.

Ooops! I just read your post where you just relayed the same info about the RX-Z9 and the 5805 having the same DAC's. Oh well.
BTW,
Newer is definitely, not always better. Just depends on what you like. Ultimately it is all up to the individual experience, no matter what anyone may say. Keep your old stuff until your are sure that you love the new.

 

[PENG]

Easy.
From my viewpoint...
The RX-Z9 sounds way better in Pure Direct mode, than any of the newer Denon's or Yamaha's that I have heard so far!
Though I do like the RX-A3080 better for most other modes of listening.

Agreed, just don't do it blind, been there, done that...

 

[rrao]

The Z9 or everything that was manufactured in Japan just seems to be way better built . Now I’m looking to get myself A CX-A5200. But my Z9 is going nowhere until this thing does what I needed to do I’m just not convinced DTS-MA blows Core DTS out of the water

Hello John,

My current setup is a Yamaha Z9 connected to Oppo 105 on the 7.0 MCH and the performance is amazing. Bass management is done on the Oppo and the Sub is connected to the Oppo directly. Having done extensive reading up about Z9 especially about its audiophile sound quality and revolutionary design / components, i don't want to lose my Z9 as they dont make these kind of amps anymore. I would like to retain the Z9 for pure analog audio ( movies and MCH Audio).

Now i would like to add Yamaha CX-5200 and Panasonic UB9000 (BD Player) to my setup.
My options for the audio is as follows;
1) Use 7 MCH analog input on the Z9 from CX-5200 and add a second amp to drive the other 4 channels for Atmos.
2) Use the Power-amp IN on the Z9 ( Main L/R + C) connected directly to the CX-5200 ( thereby completely bypassing the volume control and other circuitry). Then for the 4 channel surrounds, connect to the MCH analog input on the Z9 ( which has the volume control in the circuit) and then use an external 4 ch amp for the 4 Atmos channels. I am not sure if this combo works. Was just trying to keep the from L/R+C as pure and direct as possible.

Although the DSP processing on the Z9 for 7.1MCH analog is good even after redigitization, i would like to get the CX-5200 for their AI based DSP which has gotten good reviews. I am somehow trying to use new technologies / formats on the Digital side without losing my Z9 which will be assigned Analog duties. At the end of the audio chain, the final format is analog anyway.

Your thoughts on the above will be highly appreciated.
Cheers,
Rajesh

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

...Z9...audiophile sound quality and revolutionary design / components, i don't want to lose my Z9 as they dont make these kind of amps anymore. I would like to retain the Z9 for pure analog..

I've heard the Z9, among many so-called revolutionary and legendary amps.

I don't think there is anything revolutionary or legendary or pure analog audiophile sound quality about the Z9.

I would just get the CX-A5200 and matching MX-A5200.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Dynamic Power Output into 8 ohms and 4 ohms:

Yamaha RX-Z9 = 210W/ 340W
Yamaha MX-A5200 = 250W/ 350W

Dynamic power output is excellent for an AVR, but not revolutionary or legendary.

Any auditory attributes are purely subjective.

 

[snakeeyes]

Dynamic Power Output into 8 ohms and 4 ohms:

Yamaha RX-Z9 = 210W/ 340W
Yamaha MX-A5200 = 250W/ 350W

Dynamic power output is excellent for an AVR, but not revolutionary or legendary.

Any auditory attributes are purely subjective.

Think the 5100 over the 5200 in case Dolby forces Yamaha to lock out DTS NeuralX.on Dolby sources.