Upgrading old receiver questions and advice sought

A

audiocat

Audiophyte
Hello,

I've been out of the audiophile world for quite a while and it's time to upgrade from my old rx-v1900 and I'm trying to decide between the older rx-v2080 and a newer rx-a6a.

My indifference comes from both features, longevity, reliability and lastly price.

The problem I have with the rx-a## series has some features that seem ( from searching around the web and reading others responses ) half baked. These are primarily vrr for gaming consoles, which I do have a ps5 so that would be a benefit, and occasional audio pops from hdmi. There's some less than stellar reviews and critiques surrounding the output of the rx-a6a which of course are subjective, and sadly this will be the first receiver I will purchase without having demo'd it. The rx-a2080 seems a bit of the older tech without 8k or 4k/120hz support.

Comparing the two by numbers at a site I found below, they're close but again just numbers and not factoring in livespan, sound quality, future compatibility etc.


I'm powering some sizable b&w's and have a 7.1 setup currently with wiring for 9.2 and can possibly go to 11.2 afterwards. I also do have two additional zones that I would like to continue using so either of these receivers will do that.

I'd like to hear from other folks who possibly have been in this situation where last year's tech seems very comparable to what's released now just in a different form factor with a few features sprinkled in for a few hundred more.

Thanks for reading, I've got some catching up to do :)
 
F

fmw

Audioholic Ninja
I wouldn't worry about sound quality. All the modern amps and receivers reproduce accurately. You need to decide what it is in your current unit that is missing or not getting the job done. Then choose a model that fills that void. So the details are up to you, not up to strangers on the internet.
 
A

audiocat

Audiophyte
I wouldn't worry about sound quality. All the modern amps and receivers reproduce accurately. You need to decide what it is in your current unit that is missing or not getting the job done. Then choose a model that fills that void. So the details are up to you, not up to strangers on the internet.

Don't see why a discussion regarding a comparison between two units would hurt considering the specs are somewhat close, perhaps the internet isn't the best place now ( used to be years back ) to talk about new hardware, comparisons, details etc. Isn't that what the internet and forums were for?

Thanks for letting me know that all modern amps are essentially reproducing accurately, guess now it comes down to features and what you need or what I don't. Primarily 4k/60hz vs 4k/120hz passthrough, possibly firmware upgrades for additional features with the rx-a6a, I'm assuming Yamaha has stopped providing firmware updates and featuresets for the rx-a2080.

Then there's the HDMI 2.2 hdcpi vs 2.3 and onward, is it worth getting the older receiver with 2.2 or just go all in on 2.3 for a bit more longevity.

Thanks for your time.
 
F

fmw

Audioholic Ninja
Don't see why a discussion regarding a comparison between two units would hurt considering the specs are somewhat close, perhaps the internet isn't the best place now ( used to be years back ) to talk about new hardware, comparisons, details etc. Isn't that what the internet and forums were for?

Thanks for letting me know that all modern amps are essentially reproducing accurately, guess now it comes down to features and what you need or what I don't. Primarily 4k/60hz vs 4k/120hz passthrough, possibly firmware upgrades for additional features with the rx-a6a, I'm assuming Yamaha has stopped providing firmware updates and featuresets for the rx-a2080.

Then there's the HDMI 2.2 hdcpi vs 2.3 and onward, is it worth getting the older receiver with 2.2 or just go all in on 2.3 for a bit more longevity.

Thanks for your time.
I don't know anything about the units and I rarely recommend individual products. I just provided some advice on how best to deal with your dilemma. Sorry it didn't work for you.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Just determine the features/connectivity you want and shop for the best price. It doesn't need to be Yamaha. What would an "audition" of an avr in a store tell you?
 
A

audiocat

Audiophyte
I don't know anything about the units and I rarely recommend individual products. I just provided some advice on how best to deal with your dilemma. Sorry it didn't work for you.
Oh no, it did help! Really gave me a different perspective on how to look at this. Always thought that there would be more to this as some receivers do some room calibration better than others, some folks may have opinions or experience related to the UI in one unit vs the other and other compatibility, usability issues. But if the playing field is really that level then I suppose just pick one and go. Hence, you don't know what you don't know, therefore you ask others. All good, I guess folks now a days have different views on this now.

To answer lovinthehd: Going to a hi-fi shop back in the day, used to help one audition and demo equipment before peeling off large amounts of funds to bring home the new shiny. Now it seems that things are more direct, just buy it and be done with it.

Thanks again for your time.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Oh no, it did help! Really gave me a different perspective on how to look at this. Always thought that there would be more to this as some receivers do some room calibration better than others, some folks may have opinions or experience related to the UI in one unit vs the other and other compatibility, usability issues. But if the playing field is really that level then I suppose just pick one and go. Hence, you don't know what you don't know, therefore you ask others. All good, I guess folks now a days have different views on this now.

To answer lovinthehd: Going to a hi-fi shop back in the day, used to help one audition and demo equipment before peeling off large amounts of funds to bring home the new shiny. Now it seems that things are more direct, just buy it and be done with it.

Thanks again for your time.
The last time I demo'd a piece of electronics in a "hifi" store....probably mid 1980s, and even then it was more about playing with the transducers (speakers and maybe cartridges). Not one of my avrs (have four currently) did I "demo". Can't really use all the features in most store setups anyways (like a full multich system where you could perhaps play with the room eq/calibration program let alone compare it to another)....and fwiw Yamaha's YPAO is probably the weakest at the moment--the upcoming Denon & Marantz units with Audyssey with a Dirac option look most interesting to me). Might help if you detail what features you want in the avr....
 
Teetertotter?

Teetertotter?

Senior Audioholic
Either Yamaha or Denon would be on my list. I'd buy new from Best Buy vs On-line with someone else, and then register online with Yamaha or Denon, even if you have to drive a distance. That's me, short story.

Availability of many models might be limited due to China Covid and transportation.
 
}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
If you're debating the 2080 vs the A6A, IMO go with the A6A simply because it's the newer model with the most features (even if you don't need them all). For future connectivity sakes.
 
F

fmw

Audioholic Ninja
Oh no, it did help! Really gave me a different perspective on how to look at this. Always thought that there would be more to this as some receivers do some room calibration better than others, some folks may have opinions or experience related to the UI in one unit vs the other and other compatibility, usability issues. But if the playing field is really that level then I suppose just pick one and go. Hence, you don't know what you don't know, therefore you ask others. All good, I guess folks now a days have different views on this now.

To answer lovinthehd: Going to a hi-fi shop back in the day, used to help one audition and demo equipment before peeling off large amounts of funds to bring home the new shiny. Now it seems that things are more direct, just buy it and be done with it.

Thanks again for your time.
The sonic performance of your system depends on the speakers and room acoustics. Anything a receiver could contribute would be trivial at best. This was true in the days of the audio stores as well. Good luck with the project.
 
witchdoctor

witchdoctor

Full Audioholic
Hello,

I've been out of the audiophile world for quite a while and it's time to upgrade from my old rx-v1900 and I'm trying to decide between the older rx-v2080 and a newer rx-a6a.

My indifference comes from both features, longevity, reliability and lastly price.

The problem I have with the rx-a## series has some features that seem ( from searching around the web and reading others responses ) half baked. These are primarily vrr for gaming consoles, which I do have a ps5 so that would be a benefit, and occasional audio pops from hdmi. There's some less than stellar reviews and critiques surrounding the output of the rx-a6a which of course are subjective, and sadly this will be the first receiver I will purchase without having demo'd it. The rx-a2080 seems a bit of the older tech without 8k or 4k/120hz support.

Comparing the two by numbers at a site I found below, they're close but again just numbers and not factoring in livespan, sound quality, future compatibility etc.


I'm powering some sizable b&w's and have a 7.1 setup currently with wiring for 9.2 and can possibly go to 11.2 afterwards. I also do have two additional zones that I would like to continue using so either of these receivers will do that.

I'd like to hear from other folks who possibly have been in this situation where last year's tech seems very comparable to what's released now just in a different form factor with a few features sprinkled in for a few hundred more.

Thanks for reading, I've got some catching up to do :)
You said you would like to go to an 9.2 and 11.2 setup afterwards, GREAT idea. I prefer buying last years tech at deep discounts. As for the latest HDMI standard you can get an HDMI switcher from HD Fury and not change receivers every 5 years. Check out these prices, the 3080 is $500 less than the RX6, that might be a better deal:
 
F

fmw

Audioholic Ninja
The sonic performance of your system depends on the speakers and room acoustics. Anything a receiver could contribute would be trivial at best. This was true in the days of the audio stores as well. Good luck with the project.
Dear Witch Doctor. Disagreement is fine. Explaining your disagreement would be even better.
 
Teetertotter?

Teetertotter?

Senior Audioholic
I am one that looks first for HDMI Video Upscaling with specs, in an AVR. I watch a lot of movies whether DTV, Prime, Starz, and Netflix. Some black and white westerns too. As someone said earlier, Speakers are the big sound difference, coupled with acoustics, etc.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
Just determine the features/connectivity you want and shop for the best price. It doesn't need to be Yamaha. What would an "audition" of an avr in a store tell you?
The user interface makes a big difference- how many times have we seen questions about how to adjust settings because the menu wasn't intuitive, it lacked depth (needed to go into the IP setup for all settings, like Yamaha) or they didn't bother to read the menu?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
The user interface makes a big difference- how many times have we seen questions about how to adjust settings because the menu wasn't intuitive, it lacked depth (needed to go into the IP setup for all settings, like Yamaha) or they didn't bother to read the menu?
Agreed ease of use is a good thing. Yamaha also uses a language of its own to an extent for features/settings. When people "audition" avrs I think they're more often just doing an A/B thing without a deep dive into setup/settings/menus/apps etc....
 
Teetertotter?

Teetertotter?

Senior Audioholic
What they need to do is download the manual for that particular AVR, to find out the features. I have booked marked the manual for my AVR, as is handy to refer to.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
What they need to do is download the manual for that particular AVR, to find out the features. I have booked marked the manual for my AVR, as is handy to refer to.
Then again some won't even use the manual after they buy the avr.....personally I do read the manual before purchase :)
 

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