Yamaha RX-Z11 receiver
Featuring 11.2 channels, the new RX-Z11 flagship receiver from Yamaha Music Australia can be configured to run different audio sources in up to four zones.
With Cinema DSP HD³ enabled, the front and rear presence speakers create a vertical aspect to the sound through a heightened and deeper sound-stage.
The Z11, the company’s first flagship receiver since the Z9 was released in 2004, is aimed squarely at the home automation sector, says Yamaha AV division product manager Dale Moore.
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“Not all of Yamaha’s products are targeted at the mass market; some products do better in the custom installation channel.
“Through our 40 selected dealers, we hope to get people using the Z11 to its full single-room, 11.2 channel potential or customised in up to four separate zones.”
With dual subwoofer outputs, the Z11 has seven channels powered at 140W and four channels powered at 50W for use as front and rear presence speakers. These 11 channels provide extensive zone functionality, with each internal amplifier capable of being redirected into zones two, three and four in various configurations .
Yamaha’s Digital ToPART design concept ensures that the receiver is fully capable of handling the transmission of high-volume digital sound data at speeds up to 192kHz, making it ideal for multi-room audio distribution.
“We envisage that the Z11 will be featured in dedicated home theatres, rather than basic home entertainment rooms,” Dale says.
“In an ideal environment, the Z11 would be paired with our award-winning Soavo speakers in full 11.2 set-up, or customised in four zones with 5.2 channels in the main area.”
The Z11 introduces Yamaha’s latest digital sound field processing refinement, CINEMA DSP HD³. The improved DSP HD³ uses four Quad CINEMA DSP engines and permits lossless decoding of 192kHz signals while providing 3D processing to give the sound field an extra vertical dimension.
Dale says one of the great custom install features on the Z11 is its capacity to be controlled through a local area network. Any PC/laptop connected on the same network can access and control the Z11 simply by typing in its IP address.
However, the best feature for installers is the receiver manager program, which allows the unit to be completely configured before it is taken out of the box.
“The receiver manager is the best tool for custom installers, as it saves them time. Installers can completely configure the unit before installing it. By downloading the web interface software onto a computer, installers can complete the configuration then transfer the data to the receiver by USB.”
The Z11 supports MTP devices and mass storage class devices, 500mA power from a USB port, USB HDD (FAT32 format, up to 2TB) and iPod connectivity via the Yamaha Universal Dock YDS-10.
“A lot of training is required for retailers and installers to properly sell and install the Z11,” Dale says.
“Yamaha is working with our selected stockists to make sure they are up to speed.”
Yamaha has included an advanced version of its YPAO sound optimisation system with the flagship receiver (see Connected Home Australia January/February, p64). This analyses room acoustics then makes adjustments to provide optimum sound quality.
In addition to the previous adjustments for speaker size, distance and wiring, plus equalisation and level, the advanced YPAO has four new capabilities:
Measurements of up to eight locations to produce a larger ‘sweet spot’;
The use of parametric equalisation to cancel the effects of standing waves, which degrade low-range response;
Speaker angle measurements to optimise CINEMA DSP effects;
An ‘easy starter’ feature that activates YPAO when the microphone is inserted.
The receiver also features the latest HDMI 1.3a specification to support Deep Colour (30/36 bit) transmission, xvYCC colour space, refresh rates of 100Hz/120Hz and 1080p/24Hz, and Auto Lip-Sync compensation.
Analogue and HDMI digital video signals can be upscaled to full HD 1080p and downscaled to 480p/576p formats.
Further, a Pure Ground DAC concept was used for realising the best possible sound reproduction from HDMI transmitted signals.
DACs are determinants of digital audio quality placed on the analogue circuit board to prevent large ground potential differences. They are also connected directly to the power supply to avoid degradation of low-level signals.
The power amplifier uses current rather than voltage for feedback in all channels, because there is virtually no phase shift, which means phase compensation can be kept to a minimum. This contributes to the Z11’s transient response, and allows frequency response to remain unchanged even when the gain changes.
Finally, the highly efficient DC/DC converter and extra-large transformer are in the centre of the unit with heat sinks on either side to ensure equal weight distribution.
The power circuit layout separates the video and digital audio section from the analogue audio section to eliminate adverse influences. And distances between circuits and power supplies are shortened to avoid high current loop problems.
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