Yamaha RX-A2050 vs Yamaha RX-A2040

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      Overview

      Here we are comparing Yamaha RX-A2050 to Yamaha RX-A2040 to reveal their common strengths and weaknesses as well as the differences between them which will help you in making a correct decision before the purchase. Both receivers have 9 channel and equally powerful amplifiers.


      Yamaha RX-A2050 Yamaha RX-A2040

      Yamaha RX-A2050 was introduced in 2015. It is equipped with 9 channel amplifier with 140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 9.1 maximum channel processing. It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, passes 4K/60Hz and upscales up to 4K 60p 4:4:4 video signal.

      Yamaha RX-A2040 was introduced in 2014. It is equipped with 9 channel amplifier with 140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz and 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 9.1 maximum channel processing. It supports Dolby Atmos, passes 4K/60Hz and upscales up to 4K/60p (YCbCr 4:4:4) video signal.

      Highlights

      • 9.2 Channels
      • 9.1 Channel Processing
      • 140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      • Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
      • HDR10
      • 4K/60Hz Passthrough, 4K/60Hz Upscaling
      • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet
      • Phono Input

      Highlights

      • 9.2 Channels
      • 9.1 Channel Processing
      • 140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      • Dolby Atmos
      • 4K/60Hz Passthrough, 4K/60Hz Upscaling
      • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet
      • Phono Input

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these receivers, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Yamaha RX-A2050 and Yamaha RX-A2040.

      PROS

      Yamaha RX-A2050

      Yamaha RX-A2040

      •   High Power Output - 140 W
      •   9.1 Channel Processing
      •   Dolby Atmos
      •   DTS:X
      •   DSD via HDMI
      •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
      •   HDR10
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Analog To HDMI Upconversion
      •   Wi-Fi
      •   Bluetooth
      •   Works with Amazon Alexa
      •   8 HDMI Inputs
      •   USB Input
      •   Many RCA Line Inputs
      •   Phono Input
      •   RCA Pre-Outs
      •   Composite Video Inputs
      •   Component Video Inputs
      •   Ethernet
      •   4 Zones
      •   Analog Tuner
      •   Pandora
      •   Spotify
      •   High Power Output - 140 W
      •   9.1 Channel Processing
      •   Dolby Atmos
      •   DSD via HDMI
      •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Analog To HDMI Upconversion
      •   Wi-Fi
      •   Bluetooth
      •   8 HDMI Inputs
      •   USB Input
      •   Many RCA Line Inputs
      •   Phono Input
      •   Multi-Channel Input
      •   RCA Pre-Outs
      •   Composite Video Inputs
      •   Component Video Inputs
      •   Ethernet
      •   4 Zones
      •   Analog Tuner
      •   Digital Radio
      •   Pandora
      •   Spotify

      CONS

      Yamaha RX-A2050

      Yamaha RX-A2040

      •   No Front Wide Channel Support
      •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      •   No IMAX Enhanced
      •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
      •   No HDR10+
      •   No Dolby Vision
      •   No eARC
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   0 8K Input
      •   No Digital Radio
      •   No Tidal
      •   Bluetooth 2․1 + EDR
      •   No Front Wide Channel Support
      •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      •   No DTS:X
      •   No IMAX Enhanced
      •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
      •   No HDR10
      •   No HDR10+
      •   No Dolby Vision
      •   No eARC
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
      •   0 8K Input
      •   No Tidal


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Yamaha RX-A2050

      Yamaha RX-A2040

      •   9.2 Channels
      •   3 HDMI Outputs
      •   9.2 Channels
      •   3 HDMI Outputs

      Advantage of Yamaha RX-A2050

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Yamaha RX-A2050 over Yamaha RX-A2040.

      Yamaha RX-A2050 vs Yamaha RX-A2040
      Dolby Surround Upmixer vs
      DTS:X up to 7.1.2 or 5.1.4 via firmware update vs
      DTS Neural:X via firmware update vs
      Music Playback via USB MP3, WMA, AAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD vs MP3, WMA, AAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC
      High Resolution Audio Formats via USB Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD vs Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC
      HDR10 vs
      Bluetooth vs via optional YBA-11 adapter (sold separately)
      Works with Amazon Alexa on MusicCast (Voice control using your Alexa device like Echo, Dot, Tap and Show) vs
      MusicCast vs
      Zone 2 Outs HDMI, Component, Composite, RCA Preout vs HDMI, Component, Composite, Line Out
      Zone 3 Outs Component, Composite, RCA Preout vs Component, Composite, Line out

      Check out other receivers which are frequently compared to Yamaha RX-A2050.

      Advantage of Yamaha RX-A2040

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Yamaha RX-A2040 over Yamaha RX-A2050.

      Yamaha RX-A2050 vs Yamaha RX-A2040
      MHL Input vs
      USB DC Out Port vs (USB DC output 5 V / 0.5 amp)
      More Optical Outputs vs 1
      More RCA Line Inputs 8 (1 front) vs 9 (1 front)
      More RCA Line Outputs vs 1
      Multi-Channel Input vs 7.1
      More Composite Video Outputs 1 vs 2
      Remote (IR) Input/Output 1 / 1 vs 2 / 2
      Digital Radio vs HD Radio
      Napster vs
      Lower THD (Phono) 0.04% (Phono to PRE OUT) vs 0.02% (Phono to AV OUT)
      Higher FM S/N Ratio Mono/Stereo: 65 dB/64 dB vs HD: 80 dB, Mono/Stereo: 71 dB/ 70 dB

      Check out other receivers which are frequently compared to Yamaha RX-A2040.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Yamaha RX-A2050 Yamaha RX-A2040
        High Power Output140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
        Channel Processing9.19.1
        Dolby Atmos up to 7.1.2 or 5.1.4 up to 5.1.4
        DSD via HDMI 2-ch/Multi-ch Input 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
        Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic. YPAO sound optimization (R.S.C. with Multipoint measurement) YPAO sound optimization (R.S.C. with Multipoint measurement)
        New HDCP Version2.22.2
        Analog To HDMI Upconversion Component****, Composite Component****, Composite
        Wi-Fi with Wireless Direct with Wireless Direct
        Bluetooth via optional YBA-11 adapter (sold separately)
        Many HDMI Inputs8 (1 front)8 (1 front)
        USB InputiPod® / iPhone®, USB memory, portable audio playeriPod® / iPhone® / iPad®, USB memory, portable audio player
        Many RCA Line Inputs8 (1 front)9 (1 front)
        Phono Input
        RCA Pre-Outs7.27.2
        Composite Video Inputs5 (1 front)5 (1 front)
        Component Video Inputs33
        Ethernet
        Zones44
        Analog Tuner FM/AM FM/AM
        Pandora
        Spotify
      WEAKNESSES Yamaha RX-A2050 Yamaha RX-A2040
        No Front Wide Channel Support
        No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        No IMAX Enhanced
        No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        No HDR10+
        No Dolby Vision
        No eARC
        No 8K Passthroughup to 4K/60p 4:4:4up to 4K/60p (YCbCr 4:4:4)
        Few 8K Inputs
        No Tidal

      Audio Section

      Amplifier

      Yamaha RX-A2050 Yamaha RX-A2040

      9 channel Amplifier: Yamaha RX-A2050 features 9 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) and is able to drive 4 ohm speakers.

      9 channel Amplifier: Yamaha RX-A2040 features 9 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) and is able to drive 4 ohm speakers.

        Speaker Configurations

        Yamaha RX-A2050's and Yamaha RX-A2040's amplifiers can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

        • Dolby Atmos Configurations: The following speaker configurations are supported for Dolby Atmos:
        • Yamaha RX-A2050: 5.2.2, 5.2.4, 7.2.2 with internal amplifier.
        • Yamaha RX-A2040: 5.2.2, 5.2.4, 7.2.2 with internal amplifier.
        • DTS:X Configurations: The following speaker configurations are supported for DTS:X:
        • Yamaha RX-A2050: The speaker configurations for DTS:X are the same as for Dolby Atmos - 5.2.2, 5.2.4, 7.2.2 with internal amplifier.
        • Yamaha RX-A2040: Not supported.
        • Configurations without height channels: There are also other speaker configurations available which do not include height channels:
        • Yamaha RX-A2050: 5.2, 7.2 with internal amplifier.
        • Yamaha RX-A2040: 5.2, 7.2 with internal amplifier.
        • 2-ch Bi-Amp: Both models are able to bi-amp up to 2 main channels simultaneously. During bi-amplification two amplifiers are used for one speaker. One amplifier powers the midrange and tweeter section of the speaker and another amplifier powers the low frequency woofers. Each amplifier is less loaded and performs better. In order to use this feature speakers must have 2 pairs of connectors.

        • Dolby Atmos

          Yamaha RX-A2050 and Yamaha RX-A2040 support Dolby Atmos. It is a cinematic audio format in which sounds exist as individual entities, called audio objects. In Dolby Atmos, any sound can exist as an independent audio object, free of channel restrictions. They can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in your room, including overhead, to flow above and around you in three-dimensional space. Through the use of audio objects, overhead sound, and all the richness, clarity, and power of Dolby sound, Dolby Atmos turns your room into an amazing place for entertainment. The format supports up to 128 simultaneous independent audio objects in a mix for rich, realistic, and breathtaking sound. It recreates the director's original concept through descriptive metadata to provide customized playback for home theater and delivers sounds above you through overhead speakers, special upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar.

          • Dolby Surround Upmixer: Yamaha RX-A2050 supports Dolby Surround Upmixer. If the content is not mixed in Dolby Atmos then the Dolby surround upmixer will expand the audio to all channels including ceiling speakers. The upmixer has replaced the Dolby Pro Logic II family with improved upmixing algorithms.

          DTS:X

          Yamaha RX-A2050 supports DTS:X. A technique used in DTS:X is similar to the one used in Dolby Atmos. Instead of a fixed number of channels, DTS:X defines object locations from the listener in polar coordinates. An a/v receiver then dynamically renders sound according to the current speaker configuration. The speaker layout employed by DTS:X is the sum of Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D. It has standard 7.1 channel base layer, a 5 channel height layer above the base layer on the front and side walls, and 3 rows of speakers on the ceiling.

          • DTS Neural:X: Yamaha RX-A2050 supports DTS Neural:X which is an advanced upmixer that can take non DTS:X content and upmix it to the DTS:X speaker layout. It has replaced the DTS Neo family with improved flexibility.

          Sound Processing

          • Adaptive DRC: Yamaha RX-A2050 and Yamaha RX-A2040 feature Adaptive DRC (Dynamic Range Control) which automatically adjusts the dynamic range of the sound according to the volume level. This ensures that you hear clear dialog and vocals, and all sound effects at comfortable levels. There is no need to adjust the volume level as you listen; everything from whispers to big explosions will be heard clearly and comfortably at the same volume setting. It also tones down loud TV commercials, and is ideal for low-volume, late-night listening, when you do not want to disturb others.
          • Compressed Music Enhancer: Yamaha RX-A2050 and Yamaha RX-A2040 feature Compressed Music Enhancer which enhances the quality of the music files with lossy compression.

          Room Calibration

          Yamaha RX-A2050 and Yamaha RX-A2040 come with YPAO (R.S.C. with Multipoint measurement) room correction system.

          • YPAO: The Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) function detects speaker connections, measures the distances from them to your listening position(s), and then automatically optimizes the speaker settings, such as volume balance and acoustic parameters, to suit your room.

        Video Section

        HDMI

        Yamaha RX-A2050 and Yamaha RX-A2040 come with 8 HDMI inputs. It has 2 outputs - 1 for MAIN and 1 for Sub/Zone2/ZONE4.

        • 4K/60Hz Passthrough: On both receivers all inputs pass up to 4K/60p 4:4:4 video signal.
        • 4K Upscaling: Both receivers can upscale up to 4K 60p 4:4:4 from HDMI and analog sources.
        • Analog To HDMI Upconversion: Both receivers support analog to HDMI Upconversion, so you can input your analog video sources and output them digitally via HDMI. This means that you will need only one HDMI cable to connect to your TV.
        • HDCP 2.2.0 Copy Protection: Both receivers are HDCP 2.2.0 compliant which is a requirement for 4K/HDR copy-protected content transmission.
        • 3D Ready: Both receivers are able to pass 3D video through HDMI.

        HDR (High Dynamic Range)

        Yamaha RX-A2050 supports HDR10

        Yamaha RX-A2040 does not support HDR.

        High dynamic range video has greater dynamic range than standard dynamic range (SDR) video with brighter whites and deeper blacks. The result is greater contrast and more details in dark and bright areas, better color and depth.

        • HDR10: HDR10 uses the wide-gamut Rec. 2020 color space. It sends static metadata via video stream to the TV which calibrates its screen brightness and color according to that. HDR10 supports 10-bit color which corresponds to 1024 shades of the primary RGB colors. It is technically limited to a maximum of 10,000 nits peak brightness, however common HDR10 contents are mastered with peak brightness from 1,000 to 4,000 nits.

        Inputs and Outputs

        Audio

        • Phono Input: There is an MM phono input on Yamaha RX-A2050 and Yamaha RX-A2040 with built-in phono stage for connecting the moving magnet cartridge output of the turntable directly to the receiver.
        • 7.1 Multichannel Input: In case you have a high quality Blu-Ray or a DVD player with multichannel analog outputs you may connect it to a 7.1 multichannel analog inputs of Yamaha RX-A2040 and use high quality DACs of the player instead of the ones in the receiver.
        • Analog Pre-Outs: Yamaha RX-A2050 and Yamaha RX-A2040 have 7.2 preamplifier outputs which allow you to connect the receivers to the external power amplifiers. You may want to use a high quality external amplifier for certain channels, usually for front L/R and center, and use the receiver to power the rest. Also, both receivers have 9 channel processing but have only 9 channel amplifiers, so they need external amplifiers connected to the analog pre-outs in order to reach their maximum speaker configurations.
        • Analog Line Inputs and Outputs: There are 8 pair of line inputs on Yamaha RX-A2050 and 9 pair of line inputs on Yamaha RX-A2040 for connecting sources with analog outputs. There is also 1 pair of line outputs on Yamaha RX-A2040.
        • Digital Inputs: 3 optical inputs and 3 coaxial inputs are available on Yamaha RX-A2050 and 3 optical inputs, 1 optical output and 3 coaxial inputs are available on Yamaha RX-A2040 for digital audio connections.
        • Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel of each receiver.

        Video

        • HDMI:
        • Yamaha RX-A2050
          Inputs:
          8 (1 front)   Outputs: 2 (1 for MAIN, 1 for Sub/Zone2/ZONE4)
          8K Inputs: 0.
        • Yamaha RX-A2040
          Inputs:
          8 (1 front)   Outputs: 2 (1 for MAIN, 1 for Sub/Zone2/ZONE4)
          8K Inputs: 0.
        • Composite Video: Connect you VCR, Laserdisc player and other old video equipment with composite video cables.
        • Yamaha RX-A2050
          Inputs:
          5   Outputs: 1.
        • Yamaha RX-A2040
          Inputs:
          5   Outputs: 2.
        • Component Video: Component video connection gives you the higher quality video compared to the composite video connection. So in case your old DVD player and other equipment do not have an HDMI output but have Component video output use this connection over the composite one. Both receivers support up to 1080p resolution on Component video connectors.
        • Yamaha RX-A2050
          Inputs:
          3   Outputs: 1.
        • Yamaha RX-A2040
          Inputs:
          3   Outputs: 1.

        Front A/V Inputs

        • Yamaha RX-A2050: HDMI, USB, Analog Audio, Composite Video
        • Yamaha RX-A2040: HDMI (MHL support), USB, analog audio, composite

        Yamaha RX-A2050

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        Yamaha RX-A2040

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        Evaluations

        We evaluate Yamaha RX-A2050 and Yamaha RX-A2040 and give them scores of 90 and 86 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new receiver is added to the database.


        Yamaha RX-A2050

        Yamaha RX-A2040

        OVERALL
        90
        OVERALL
        86

        Amplifier

        Yamaha RX-A2050

        Yamaha RX-A2040

        EXCELLENT
        95
        •   9.2 Channels
        •   High Power Output - 140 W
        EXCELLENT
        95
        •   9.2 Channels
        •   High Power Output - 140 W

        Audio Features

        Yamaha RX-A2050

        Yamaha RX-A2040

        EXCELLENT
        86
        •   9.2 Channels
        •   No Front Wide Channel Support
        •   9.1 Channel Processing
        •   Dolby Atmos
        •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        •   DTS:X
        •   No IMAX Enhanced
        •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        •   DSD via HDMI
        GOOD
        79
        •   9.2 Channels
        •   No Front Wide Channel Support
        •   9.1 Channel Processing
        •   Dolby Atmos
        •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        •   No DTS:X
        •   No IMAX Enhanced
        •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        •   DSD via HDMI

        Video Features

        Yamaha RX-A2050

        Yamaha RX-A2040

        GOOD
        83
        •   HDR10
        •   No HDR10+
        •   No Dolby Vision
        •   No 8K Passthrough
        •   Analog To HDMI Upconversion
        GOOD
        73
        •   No HDR10
        •   No HDR10+
        •   No Dolby Vision
        •   No 8K Passthrough
        •   Analog To HDMI Upconversion

        Connectivity

        Yamaha RX-A2050

        Yamaha RX-A2040

        EXCELLENT
        89
        •   No eARC
        •   New HDCP Version
        •   Wi-Fi
        •   Bluetooth
        •   Works with Amazon Alexa
        •   8 HDMI Inputs
        •   3 HDMI Outputs
        •   0 8K Input
        •   USB Input
        •   Many RCA Line Inputs
        •   Phono Input
        •   RCA Pre-Outs
        •   Composite Video Inputs
        •   Component Video Inputs
        •   Ethernet
        •   Bluetooth 2․1 + EDR
        EXCELLENT
        90
        •   No eARC
        •   New HDCP Version
        •   Wi-Fi
        •   Bluetooth
        •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
        •   8 HDMI Inputs
        •   3 HDMI Outputs
        •   0 8K Input
        •   USB Input
        •   Many RCA Line Inputs
        •   Phono Input
        •   Multi-Channel Input
        •   RCA Pre-Outs
        •   Composite Video Inputs
        •   Component Video Inputs
        •   Ethernet

        Zones

        Yamaha RX-A2050

        Yamaha RX-A2040

        EXCELLENT
        97
        •   4 Zones
        EXCELLENT
        97
        •   4 Zones

        Radio

        Yamaha RX-A2050

        Yamaha RX-A2040

        EXCELLENT
        89
        •   Analog Tuner
        •   Pandora
        •   Spotify
        •   No Tidal
        EXCELLENT
        92
        •   Analog Tuner
        •   Pandora
        •   Spotify
        •   No Tidal


        For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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