Yamaha gets its game face on

Mark Craven samples the expansive sound - and specification - of an upper-tier nine-channel AV receiver

- Mark Craven

As part of Yamaha's flagship Aventage receiver lineup, the RX-A6A promises to put everything the storied audio brand knows about movie sound into one, feature-packed box. Priced £2,000, this is a big brooding beast of an AVR, and it has the performance to match - film and music playback is never less than enthralling. Ask me where it comes up short, and I'd have to give a shrug.

Okay, I could discuss how this model is only a nine-channel design, thus leaving those with 7.x.4 speaker setups in need of an additional power amplifier (the receiver has 11-channel processing/pre-outs). Or I could posit that the LCD display could offer more detail. But really, it would seem churlish to not give the RX-A6A the full praise it deserves.

Despite the price tag comfortably putting this Yamaha in the upper echelons of AV receivers, it isn't actually the Japanese brand's top model - selling for £2,899 is the RX-A8A. This is the 11-channel option that owners of 'full-fat' Atmos systems will be attracted too, although the price difference is such that there's more to it than just a couple of additional amp channels - upgrades include signal path/construction niceties and DAC stage. Below the RX-A6A are RX-A4A (£1,229) and RX-A2A (£899, see HCC #324) models, both with seven-channel outputs.