Yamaha has announced its 2016 lineup of AV receivers, one of which combines inputs for a turntable with Yamaha's MusicCast technology, allowing you to stream your vinyl records throughout your home.
They also either meet or exceed the specifications needed for Ultra HD Premium certification, so you can invest without having to worry about compatibility later on down the line.
The bad news is that since Yamaha isn't a member of the UHD Alliance (which defined the UHD Premium spec) it can't carry the specification's badge, which covers requirements surrounding HDR support and 10-bit color depth.
- Read everything you need to know about UHD Premium in our full guide to 4K
The receivers also feature a full range of connectivity options including AM/FM/DAB radio, supporting for streaming services, bluetooth and Airplay. It also supports Yamaha's own MusicCast multi-room streaming system, which allows content to be shared across multiple compatible devices in the home.
Sounds good
Another first is the inclusion of phono inputs on the range's higher end models (the RX-V681/RX-A760 above) which allows you to connect a turntable to your system. When paired with Yamaha's MusicCast functionality this allows the turntable's output to be shared across multiple rooms.
MusicCast converts your audio to a digital signal in order to broadcast it around your home so you won't get the analogue purity of vinyl in every room in your house, but the solution will still extend the use of your vinyl without going through a time-consuming conversion process.
Yamaha's receivers also support both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3-D surround sound. These feature on all of the 7 and 9 channel versions, and work to enhance the sense of sound positioning and motion delivered by the receivers.
- We recently investigated whether Dolby Atmos is the future of cinema sound
Yamaha is expecting the new receivers to launch before IFA this year, but is currently remaining tight-lipped on price. It has said that it expects the receivers to retail at a similar price to last year's models which they're replacing, although with the RX-A660 being a new model there isn't much indication of its price available.
