New Yamaha CX-A5300?

[GXAlan]

This whole "A6A center/surround channel SINAD low" is just Gene's little show-off nit because (a) it only comes up at above -9 dBFS (at which point it is masked by a strong signal); and (b) the THD is .05% (inaudible; it is not an increased noise). Plus, Yamaha did not state it was a hardware issue and he has not redone his measurements since December '21 (multiple firmware updates since then). My A6A center/surround channels sound great, same as the mains.

So when we make excuses for Yamaha (or Denon), there is no incentive for anyone to try to improve things. It should not happen since it did not happen with the CX-A5100.

If firmware has improved we haven’t seen it in measurements. No one has sent Amir a unit and a few YouTube reviewers mentioned that Yamaha is still not happy with the firmware to send out another review unit. To your point, it comes up with the digital signal is high — you may not run into it with your content but if you could wave a magic wand, you would want the fronts and centers to measure equally well. If Yamaha offered a firmware fix you would want it fixed…

That said, I use Yamaha because it’s the best in my setup.

CinemaDSP has 30 useless/gimmicky modes but the modes that help remap the sound field with minimum reverb (Standard, Enhanced, SciFi) genuinely do work great.

I believe that the Yamaha is a great option when your speakers are in less than perfect locations.

 

[lc6]

So when we make excuses for Yamaha (or Denon), there is no incentive for anyone to try to improve things. It should not happen since it did not happen with the CX-A5100.

It is not an excuse, but a practical observation and consideration. After ~56 pages (and counting) of people whining about a ~10 dB SINAD deterioration from the 3700H (97 dB) to the 3800H (87 dB) and nit-picking on each other's slightest statements, I am really beginning to wonder what the value of endless hair-splitting on this forum really is.

If firmware has improved we haven’t seen it in measurements. No one has sent Amir a unit and a few YouTube reviewers mentioned that Yamaha is still not happy with the firmware to send out another review unit. To your point, it comes up with the digital signal is high — you may not run into it with your content but if you could wave a magic wand, you would want the fronts and centers to measure equally well. If Yamaha offered a firmware fix you would want it fixed…

The background noise in any reasonable HT is around 30 dB or more, depending if it is in a rural or city location. Add to it 70 dB SINAD (for the AH-measured worst-case A6A center/surround) or even 87 dB SINAD (for the recently ASR-measured 3800H). You would have to play those things at 100-117 dB for the 0.05% distortion to even start emerging from the background noise, let alone be truly discernible in double-blind tests (re: a 1% electrical THD threshold commonly used, or the 5-10% THD of speakers at such high SPL levels). Bat hearing and all that... Good luck.

That said, I use Yamaha because it’s the best in my setup.
CinemaDSP has 30 useless/gimmicky modes but the modes that help remap the sound field with minimum reverb (Standard, Enhanced, SciFi) genuinely do work great.
I believe that the Yamaha is a great option when your speakers are in less than perfect locations.

Mine are in reasonably good locations, but I can say the A6A sounds much better ("natural") driving the front towers than the over-processed and under-engineered 3800H (most likely caused by the DSP algos, not necessarily by the TI DACs that everyone blames).

 

[Descartes]

Hopefully soon the 5200 is getting long in the tooth!

Also Yamaha has much better quality than Marantz or Denon!

 

[Abe_W]

Have there been any updates on a possible release date yet?

 

[HifiLover]

Have there been any updates on a possible release date yet?

I haven't read anything yet. I grew tired of waiting so I decided to do research on other processors/receivers out there. I got some incredible feedback from other people and now I'm looking for receivers with dirac live. Now, if Yamaha were to put out a processor with Dirac live, I would probably run towards that.