Yamaha RX-V573 Zone B mode

[Davide Neri]

Hi to everyone!
I have a question to submit regarding the zone B functionality of the new RX-V573.
My current setup is the one shown in picture (i currently own a RX-V361).

My painting skill are not that good so let me explain my current configuration in a few words.

First of all let me say that my input is a optical toslink in DTS (all my setup is connected to a pc using Asus Xonar D2X) and this is the ONLY input i use, no analogic inputs.

The "setups" i use are those:
1) Mode 1
- Amplifier set to Zone A + Straight mode (no audio processing, audio is played as-is)
- SPDT is positioned as in figure
Using this configuration i normally play my movies through my 5.1 zone A setup.
Everything is fine
2) Mode 2
- Amplifier set to Zone B + Straight mode (no audio processing, audio is played as-is)
- SPDT is positioned in the opposite position as shown in figure
What happens here is that EVERYHING stays the same (output is still 5.1) except the 2 front speakers which are replaced by the front B speakers and the center speaker is replaced by the center speaker in the zone B (thanks to the SPDT trick)

This is a desired configuration (took me 2 weeks to think of a way to do this). This configuration allows me to watch a 5.1 movie from both zone A (full 5.1) and zone B (3.1 because i added a switch to turn off rear speakers as they keep playing the 5.1 sound even when the zone B is activated).

I'm willing to upgrade to the RX-V573 and i want to keep this functionality (just REPLACE front speakers with Zone B speakers, mantaining the full 5.1 sound).
Does anyone know if the new amplifier can do this?
Rx-V573 manual states that any multichannel audio stream coming into the amplifier is converted into a 2.0 audio and streamed to zone B (this is not true for my RX-V361 as it keeps streaming 5.1 sound and just replaces the front speakers). This is why i'm asking this question.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to answer!

 

[adk highlander]

Hi davide and welcome to the forum.

You are confusing B speakers and Zone 2 functions. B speaker outputs will play as you have shown in your diagram and will always play the same source as the A speakers. Zone 2 speakers will play a different source than the main zone and will only do 2.0 in all but a very few high end models and also may require analog connections. Zone 2 will usually use the surround back speakers which will limit the main zone to 5.1.

 

[Davide Neri]

Hi davide and welcome to the forum.

You are confusing B speakers and Zone 2 functions. B speaker outputs will play as you have shown in your diagram and will always play the same source as the A speakers. Zone 2 speakers will play a different source than the main zone and will only do 2.0 in all but a very few high end models and also may require analog connections. Zone 2 will usually use the surround back speakers which will limit the main zone to 5.1.

Hi and thanks for your kind reply. The v573 manual states "Zone B" (letter B and not number 2). Can i assume that its behaviour would be the same i actually own on my amplifier? (the one shown in my picture).

http://download.yamaha.com/api/asset/file/?language=it&site=it.yamaha.com&asset_id=54064

Thank you again!

 

[adk highlander]

Hmm. Looks like Yamaha has come up with a whole new second zone that is different than others I have seen/used. The zone B on the v573 will ONLY play the same source as the main zone and will only be 2.0 and not allow the center configuration you have shown in your diagram. The Zone B can be on when Zone A is off and vice-versa but they can never play different sources. Seems more limited than what I have seen with Denon, Marantz and Onkyo.

Some receivers have Speaker outputs called A & B which differs from any kind of zone functionality which is what your existing receiver must have in order for you to have the connections you are using.

 

[j_garcia]

The B speaker connections are the same regardless. They are full range only and as already mentioned, they will always play the same thing as the main zone. If your receiver has Zone 2, you want to use that instead, though that will limit you to 2.0, which is what I'd honestly recommend as opposed to doing the "switched" center as you've shown.

 

[Davide Neri]

Hmm. Looks like Yamaha has come up with a whole new second zone that is different than others I have seen/used. The zone B on the v573 will ONLY play the same source as the main zone and will only be 2.0 and not allow the center configuration you have shown in your diagram. The Zone B can be on when Zone A is off and vice-versa but they can never play different sources. Seems more limited than what I have seen with Denon, Marantz and Onkyo.

Some receivers have Speaker outputs called A & B which differs from any kind of zone functionality which is what your existing receiver must have in order for you to have the connections you are using.

i wrote to yamaha support 2 days ago. Let's see if they can help me with the question.
Indeed my amplifier has A/B/None mode (different from Zone B). I guess the only thing i can do is to find a retail store and try the feature out

Thanks!

 

[Davide Neri]

This image clearly states (do you agree?) that:
Source is the same (aka ZONE B, not ZONE 2). So 1 single source (even a digital one) can be "split" (aka duplicated to be played) to both first and second zone.
It says that the first zone (ZONE A) keeps playing a 5.1 channel configuration while the second zone gets a stereo one.
Now i'm afraid that the second zone gets the whole 5.1 flux and process this into a stereo one (muxing 6 channels into 2).
This way i would lose the channel division of my current configuration.

Any comment or observation would be welcome

 

[j_garcia]

Since the B output is a stereo output only and accepts digital inputs (since it is a copy of the main), I would expect it to be downmixed. Very few receivers can output a multichannel signal to another zone and those that do, have additional amps for that zone.

 

[Davide Neri]

Since the B output is a stereo output only and accepts digital inputs (since it is a copy of the main), I would expect it to be downmixed. Very few receivers can output a multichannel signal to another zone and those that do, have additional amps for that zone.

Thanks for your reply. This is really sad when improvement in some kind of product brings a feature loss
I guess my only way is to add a manual switch to every speaker.