Dec 13, 2016

Yamaha RX-A3060 vs RX-A2060 Review

The RX-A3060 and RX-A2060 both have 9.2 channels of amplification, but their rated output power differs. The RX-A3060 is rated at 150 W (2 channel driven into 8 ohms loads, 20Hz-20kHz, THD 0.06%). The RX-A2060, on the other hand, can deliver 140 W (2 channel driven into 8 ohms loads, 20Hz-20kHz, THD 0.06%). Thanks to its 11.2-channel processing capability, the RX-A3060 can be used with an external 2-channel power amp in order to have a full 7.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos system. If you don't have or want to use an external amp, the RX-A3060 has the built-in amplification to run speaker configuration up to 7.1.2 channels, meaning two of the height channels are omitted. When it comes to the RX-A2060, however, it's not possible to have a 7.1.4 channel setup, even with an external stereo power amp, due to the fact the RX-A2060 can't process 11 channels simultaneously. Its internal amplification can drive speaker configurations of up to 7.1.2 channels.

If you have more limited space which is preventing you from installing surround back speakers, you can resort to using the Virtual CINEMA FRONT feature in order to have a virtual surround sound only from the front speakers with either one of the two receivers. That being said, while the RX-A2060 has the more basic Cinema DSP 3D, the RX-A3060 is equipped with the Cinema DSP HD3, which utilizes four DSP engines with advanced 3D processing. This gives the RX-A3060 the ability to create a virtual rear presence speaker from the front, center and surround speakers, provided you have front presence speakers. There is one extra DSP program on the RX-A3060 in comparison to the RX-A2060: Enhanced Movie Theater.

The YPAO Automatic System Calibration can be found on both models. It should be mentioned, though, that the EQ calculations are performed with 64-bit precision on the RX-A3060, which happens after all the necessary measurements with the included YPAO microphone have been completed. The RX-A2060, on the other hand, also includes an YPAO microphone but it doesn't utilize 64-bit precision, so it's not exactly on par with the RX-A3060 in terms of the calibrated room acoustics. That being said, they have a number of features in common, including: Reflected Sound Control with 3D, and Multipoint and Angle Measurement. They also both have YPAO Volume which equalizes high and low frequency levels as volume changes.

The RX-A3060 uses 192kHz/32-bit ES9016A DACs for the main 7 channels. The height channels, on the other hand, are powered by 192kHz/24-bit ES9006A DACs. The ES9016A DACs have up to 124 dB dynamic range, whereas the ES9006A DACs have more limited dynamic range: up to 120 dB. The RX-A2060 utilizes only 192kHz/24-bit ES9006A DACs. Both DACs, however, ensure low distortion and low noise level, depending also on other components that are used.

Both models are compatible with Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based audio formats are supported on both of them. When it comes to Hi-Res audio, both receivers have identical codec support. For example, they support the playback (via either the USB port on the front panel, or local network) of DSD files up to 5.6 MHz. The supported sampling rate/bit rate for FLAC, WAV and AIFF is up to 192kHz/24bit. ALAC of up to 96kHz/24bit can also be played back.

The RX-A3060 and RX-A2060 have the same number of HDMI connections. Further, HDCP 2.2 is supported on all 7 rear HDMI inputs and 2 HDMI outputs. The HDMI input on the front doesn't support HDCP 2.2. Both models can pass-through 4K@60Hz signal (with up to 4:4:4 chroma subsamping), in addition to perform upscaling of lower resolution content.

Check availability and pricing on Amazon.com for the RX-A3060 and the RX-A2060 (affiliate links; As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

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