# Yamaha RX-A810 Receiver



## lucky53s (Mar 20, 2012)

I am setting up my first surround sound system in my living room and am looking for recommendations for a receiver from people who know much more than I do. I have been avoiding the HTIB route because I want to expand with multi zones for ambient music in the house and be able to upgrade later if I choose to. 

I have been looking at the Yahama RXA810. I found it new in box for $649 at Brandsmart. It has a powered zone 2 that i can run to a speaker selector, 7.1 capability (though I'm only starting with 5.1), online media streaming, 8 HDMI in, 2 out, and is from a repudible company. Does anyone have recommendations for another receiver or brand (I hear a lot about Onkyo) in that price range? I will probably pair it with Boston MCS 130 speaker bundle to begin with. The room is about 16 x 16 with three walls (open on the left) so I'm not looking for theater sound, just an upgrade from using my TV speakers.

Thanks.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
For $699, you could get some really nice Onkyo AVR's at Accessories4less. For instance, you could get Onkyo's stellar TX-NR809 for $649. http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...NR809-7.2-Channel-Network-A/V-Receiver/1.html
In addition, there are several older Onkyo's available there that had higher MSRP's for the same or less, but the x09 Series offers a major improvement in Video Processing over past series and also run cooler.

As for the Yamaha, they make very high quality AVR's and their reliability is legendary. I am not a huge fan of their proprietary RoomEQ (YPAO) Also, the Amplifier Stages of many of their recent AVR's is somewhat disappointing. For instance, here is the Bench Test of the $1100 A1000
"Five channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads: 
0.1% distortion at 53.9 watts 
1% distortion at 63.8 watts

Seven channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads: 
0.1% distortion at 53.0 watts 
1% distortion at 63.6 watt

This graph shows that the RX- A1000’s left channel, from CD input to speaker output with two channels driving 8-ohm loads, reaches 0.1 percent distortion at 121.0 watts and 1 per- cent distortion at 135.3 watts. Into 4 ohms, the amplifier reaches 0.1 per- cent distortion at 177.8 watts and 1 percent distortion at 213.9 watts.

I will also point out that you could also get a Marantz 6000 Series from AC4L in your pricerange. Also, Newegg has sold the TX-NR809 for the same price as the Refurbished 809 at AC4L.
Cheers,
JJ


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## JDEaston (Dec 30, 2011)

Given the original posters needs, I don't think any of the yamahas would pose problems as far as sound quality. Personally I think they sound great, but I listen with my ears and not my eyes. Bench tests can be misleading in real world applications. I would recommend demo'ing several avrs and see what fits your needs best in terms of features and your own sound preferences. Onkyo does offer the most bang for your buck, but there was a major recall on the x09 models just days ago. So if you buy one of theory products make sure you buy it from an authorized dealer as you may be sending it off for repair just days after recieving it. If you can get the serial number in advance you can check the onkyo website to see if it is affected by the recall.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

lucky53s said:


> I want to expand with multi zones for ambient music in the house and be able to upgrade later if I choose to.
> 
> I have been looking at the Yahama RXA810. It has a powered zone 2 that i can run to a speaker selector...


I wouldn’t let the powered Zone 2 feature be a determining factor. It would be suitable for only one pair of extra speakers, or two at most. If your ambient-music desires require more than that, you’re going to need additional anyway.

Regards,
Wayne


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## D Bone (Feb 23, 2012)

I have a 709 that is unaffected by the recall, with that being said, if I were buying today, I would be buying a Yammy 810.


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## lucky53s (Mar 20, 2012)

dBone,

For the price of each and the features, the Onkyo is the way to go. 

I find that things are affected by recalls all the time. Some people had terrible times with Toyotas when the accelerator was malfunctioning. Did they all go out and buy Honda? No. I just traded in my Corolla on a BMW. Will my Beamer have issues? Yes. But that is what a warranty is for. If I can get a three year warranty on my Onkyo from Acc 4 Less through Onkyo I will. If it doesn't have major issues in that first three years then I'm guessing it's not defective (things will always break down the road but that is just the nature of electronics). And that is enough of a guarantee for me.


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## D Bone (Feb 23, 2012)

I like my 709, in fact, I like it a lot, but I don't like the feeling of wondering if my HDMI will work each time I hit power. On my 7yr old Yamaha, I never had a single issue that called for even a simple restart, and it also sounded great too.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

I had always owned Yamaha previous to owning my 809 and they were good AVR's. I personally prefer Auddysey to YPAO and find my movie watching experience much improved with my Onkyo. The recent recall is unfortunate and I can see where it could sour ones perception of the brand. I have had no issues nor do I regret my purchase. Extended warranties are always a must when purchasing electronics IMO.


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