HDMI 2.1 Officially Arrives with Yamaha’s RX-V385 AV Receiver

HDMI 2.1 Officially Arrives with Yamaha’s RX-V385 AV Receiver​

(Yamaha)(April 11, 2018) Yamaha’s new RX-V385 takes the notion of “budget” to dizzying heights, boasting a mega wallet-friendly price of $280. That alone should make it incredibly tempting for entry level buyers. But the receiver also carries some interesting technologies that sweeten the pot, including the presence of HDMI 2.1 functionality.

At its core, the RX-V385 is billed as a 5.1-channel receiver that offers owners the ability to bi-amp a system’s front speakers for 2.1 and 3.1 configurations. Its discrete amp section is capable of delivering 70 watts per channel (2ch driven, 8 ohms), and sound output is tuned and optimized by Yamaha’s proprietary YPAO calibration suite, which utilizes an included microphone to analyze a room’s acoustics for better sonic performance. Sound quality is further catered by three Burr-Brown 384 kHz / 32-bit DACs and onboard decoding of MP3, WMA, MPEG-4 AAC, and WAV files up to 48 kHz / 16-bit.

Movie fans will appreciate the receiver’s ability to decode both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA codecs.

On the connectivity front, the RX-V385 offers banana connector friendly binding posts, which aren’t commonly found on entry level products. Users will also find a host of analog and digital inputs including one optical, two coaxial, and three RCA, in addition to a singular subwoofer preout. And while Wi-Fi streaming is absent, the receiver does carry Bluetooth paired with Yamaha’s Compressed Audio Enhancer (for better sound from low quality streamed music).

What’s most shocking – and probably the most exciting part about this receiver’s launch – is the presence of four HDMI 2.1 inputs. The inclusion of this next-gen HDMI spec was notably absent from Yamaha’s product press materials, but definitively noted on the RX-V385’s public product spec page. Nevertheless, the RX-V385 is the industry’s first AVR to carry HDMI 2.1. For now, the receiver is only specified to offer video features typically found on current HDMI 2.0 products, which means compatibility with HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG High Dynamic Range, HDCP 2.2, 4K/60p, BT.2020 color, and other current 4K video tech. Also, eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) will be activated via a firmware release at a later date. But, its presence marks the beginning of a new age of AV equipment and signals the beginning of (what is destined to be) a mad rush to HDMI 2.1 conversion.

The RX-V385 is scheduled to begin shipping later this month.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I get it.

With your new TV, what kind of source are feeding it? Do you primarily watch TV? Movies?

 

[S35flyer]

Yes I know you get it, but have to be frustrated. Tv source is directtv and used primarily for football. We also stream Netflix, amazon, Hulu.
The situation is this, we bought a new to us house which has a dedicated tv/listening room, 12x14. It’s not like the high end home theaters but I’m happy with it. The previous owner had a pioneer elite plasma wall mounted, elite top of the line receiver (2005), sunfire sub, three b&o fbm 5 speakers up front and two b&o ceiling speakers in the rear. I want to change it to 7.2 adding two rear speakers and using the ceiling speakers for object stuff. The old sunfire does not work and the one person who seems able to fix them has told me this particular one is an expensive repair with a 50-50 shot at working, so I’m looking at SVS’s to replace it. I have chosen the lg 55” d8 OLED and am now at the separates or receiver internal argument. We have extensive dvds but seem to seldom watch them. Frankly I had almost settled on a Marantz avr . But now I’m spooked. I reread and should add, the previous owner left everything as described.