Yamaha RX-V6A 7.2 channel 4K / 8K Dolby AV Receiver Review

[Jazz]

Yamaha has updated this (and identical TSR-700) with firmware a few times since it came out, as well as a board replacement for some 8K issues related mostly to gaming. I got mine new but with the new board from factory ( * in firmware screen confirms updated). I don't game and actually, turned off 8K using the web controls. The web based controls offer many more options to adjust the unit too. It does quite a lot for the money. Yes, Avantage and higher priced models will get you a better DAC and better finish and better LED, etc.
But for the money, it is fine. Especially after all the updates. I think the analog part of the amp is quite good. I run a CD, record player, and (better) DAC used with lossless streaming, into RCA and it is quite fine indeed.
This unit also has all the streaming services out there, Airplay, FM and internet radio, and many other things. Also MusicCast, which seems to always get a bum rap but, actually is fine. The only negative is, shocked, you have to buy Yamaha stuff for it to work. IOW: Just like Sonos, Denon, et al!. MusicCast will do 24/192 and higher (but 24/192 seems to be one over than most humans need, at best!)
I mostly use Airplay, internet radio, CD, and the external DAC (a little better than the internal Texas Instruments which, is not a bad one at all. I run AppleTV Apple Music Atmos to this too and it is incredible.
How they jam it all in to this box for the money is amazing.
Maybe a retest of a totally updated unit is in order? Well, at this point, it might be the last year for the model. But I wanted to put in a good word for its final incarnation. Yamaha has kept up. Actually, the Brits got the latest update when Yamaha updated the BBC to work again after the BBC changed audio formats it streams. Not being a tax paying BBC citizen, I don't know anymore than that.

 

[motomech]

Yes the features have evolved over the years, but the "mechanics" haven't changed that much. Starting in 2015 when the Dolby Pro Logic IIx was dropped for the Dolby Surround format, they are all simular in function and performance. I have both a RX-A780 and a RX-A860 and I think for streaming Internet movies to 5.1.2, these are hard to beat for the money. I just bought the 860 off Ebay for $200, something I would be a lerry of doing if it wasn't a Yamaha.
Upscaling via Neo 6 and adding Adventure or SiFi mode on top yields a wonderfully envoloping and realistic soundscape(5.1 plus frt presence heights).
Someday I suppose I will move into the modern age, but for the time being, these workhorses keep me engaged. For my medium sized room, the explosions and other dynamic passages are plenty powerful and adding an external amp (and DAC) didn't add anything to my system.
I don't really listen to music on this system, but the few times I have, I just run it though Dolby Surround. It defaults to 5.1, but at least the surrounds are not intrusive. Yamaha has a way getting these things "just right". Still, I think a decent 2 channel desk-top system will sound better with music.
Bottom line-These are "a dime a dozen" and as a testiment to their reliability, you won't see many(if any) of the RX-A7XX and RX-A8XX units listed "for parts". Only when one gets up into the RX-A1XXX, RX-A2XXX and RX-A3XXX models will one start to see some.

 

[Malaj]

Do you dare to buy this with speakers like xtz 89. Impedance 4-8 ohm but warranty is voided below 6 on this and most other modern amplifiers? I have had issues with an onkyo nr-709 I believe it was called died on me with probably less then 100h speaker use in total and after that a marantz sr5014 die with less then 30h of speaker usage so I don´t really understand what is going on or how I can be so incredibly unlucky. Previous I had an old yamaha rx-v663 and that never died on me.

Wonder if my xtz 89 speakers run to low of an impedance causing to much strain or what on earth is going on as I listen to headphones 99 % of the time.