Yesterday, Yamaha took the wraps off a trio of flagship AV receivers, but many wondered if the new models – RX-A4A, RX-A6A, RX-A8A – would suffer from the same HDMI 2.1 glitch as their predecessors.
Well, good news. Yamaha has since confirmed to What Hi-Fi? that all three models will offer the correct HDMI 2.1 functionality. The company says it's been working to "ensure compatibility with new source devices" and "a firmware update" will be all that's needed to unlock the new functions.
The update is expected to arrive "later in the year" – hopefully that means not too long after the new models hit shelves in the UK and Japan in August.
Unfamiliar to the HDMI 2.1 AVR saga? Allow us to explain. Earlier this year it was revealed that the Japanese firm's 2020 flagship AV receivers were blighted by a faulty HDMI 2.1 chip that meant some units weren't able to support 4K gaming at 120Hz. The same HDMI 2.1 glitch affected Denon and Marantz's 2020 8K AV receivers, but while those models received a slightly awkward fix in April, Yamaha owners were left sweating.
Which brings us to yet more potential good news.
Yamaha has confirmed in an email that it will provide "further clarity on the HDMI 2.1 fix" for the affected older models (RX-V4, RX-V6, RX-A2) in the next week or so. Fingers crossed it puts this issue to bed once and for all.
Thinking of splashing out on an a high-end AV receiver with HMDI 2.1 and support for 4K@120Hz and 8K@60Hz? You might want to take a closer look at Yamaha's upcoming RX-A4A, RX-A6A and RX-A8A, which deliver 7.2, 9.2 and 11.2 channels respectively.
All three boast Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro-3D audio support, plus plenty of tech includeing AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant compatibility. The A8A and A6A also feature Yamaha's 'Surround:AI' tech, which uses algorithms to automatically select the best digital processing mode depending on the type of content being played.
The flagship RX-A8A costs £3299, the mid-range RX-A6A £2299, and the entry-level RX-A4A £1299.
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