Yamaha Rx-a720 7.2- Channel Network Aventage Av Receiver (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

We purchased the 2012 RX-A720 reciever recently. The A720 is the lowest tier of the company's "premium" Aventage lineup. The next level up (the RX-A820) adds more surround and more features for Zone 2. The new 2013 models (730, 830) add additional streaming capabilities, but not much more. For us, price & features were easily met by this receiver.Setup:We have this receiver hooked to Polk RTI-A5 floor speakers, a Polk CSi-A6 Center, and a Polk Sub. TV is a LG LA8600 55", and additional inputs are an Apple TV, Tivo, and Roku.Overall:For us, this was the perfect receiver to replace our Onkyo SR-806 receiver, that went bad (as in puff of smoke)! After just 4 years. Unfortunately, we won't be buying Onkyo again. The receiver features plenty of HDMI inputs, ethernet capability, and simple setup along with Zone 2 capability. Sound is great, and the quick setting buttons on the front are simple to manage. The sound set-up was easy and audio is terrific. Couldn't be happier.Setup:On-screen menus are the best I've seen. Simple setup, no owners manual required. Audio configuration with mic is terrific. HDMI pass-through is terrific. Overall a great purchase, simple to use, and complements our home theater perfectly.

I had to replace a Harmon Kardon that had a lot of manufacturing issues so I chose this Yamaha. I read some reviews that the Aventage series is a great series of receivers and it does not disappoint. Not only is the sound quality amazing but the iPhone app that you can use with this receiver makes it very easy to do some somewhat basic tasks from your phone from anywhere in the house. I am very pleased with this receiver and will most likely buy a Yamaha the next time I am in the market for a new receiver, which I can't imagine would be any time soon since this one looks like it will last.

I'm upgrading from a 5.1 to a 7.2 setup, so I had to replace my Yamaha RX-V371. When I read up and compared receivers on Yamaha's website, I was a bit skeptical about their claim that their AVENTAGE line produces much better quality sound.I'm still waiting on my new tower speakers and subwoofer cable for my second sub, so I'm currently running the same 5.1 setup with the new RX-A720 and used the YPAO microphone to do the initial speaker calibrations. YPAO is fairly accurate, but requires manual tweaks to get it just right... think of it as doing 80% of the work.The sound quality is noticeably on a higher scale. There's more breadth and depth to my music, making it a much more immersive experience. The sound field in the forward quadrant is much more expanded compared to the V371. The V371's hollow forward sound field was the main impetus for me investing in a pair of six-driver tower speakers to replace the bookshelf speakers up front. If I had this receiver in the first place, I may not have bothered with the 7.2 upgrade. Using the YPAO to calibrate also creates some optimized EQ presets, at the moment I'm using Natural... and it works as advertised. There's also the PureDirect option, which produces audio with the least circuitry involved to reduce electrical noise.The networking functions are solid and easy to setup and use. I already had Orb Caster setup to stream music from my PC to my XBox 360 and it immediately connected without any additional work. Or you could use Air Play with iTunes, it'll recognize that no problem as well. I'd like to see a bit more functionality with the web browser control panel. It's pretty nifty being able to have some control from my iPad's web browser, but I'd like to be able to do more than just control the volume or turn on/off the other listening zone... being able to change the DSP or inputs would be nice, effectively making my iPad a replacement for the included remote control. EDIT: With the Yamaha AV Receiver app, this is a moot point since the app effectively does what I wanted. For Android/Windows users; Sorry, I'm not sure if there's an equivalent. There's also some security features for the receiver, so that only the specified computer or mobile device you allow can access it.The feature for setting up and controlling a second listening zone is pretty cool; I've been wanting to set up speakers in my kitchen or bedroom and this makes it easier for what I was originally planning.You can also directly connect your iPod/iPhone/iPad via USB to the receiver, which is great since you can then use the remote control. In the morning, while getting ready for work I had to use a 1/8" (headphone) jack to connect my iPhone/iPad to my receiver... it would be a bit of a hassle to control my music. With this, it'll be less of a hassle. Still, it would've been better to have Bluetooth connectivity... for which Yamaha discontinued a Bluetooth receiver. EDIT: I just found out Yamaha has an app that does include the ability to fully control the receiver, it's called Yamaha AV Controller and it's free. Truly awesome! I woke up this morning, but still wanted to lay in bed and listen to music. So I grabbed my iPad from my nightstand, turned on my receiver, connected the receiver to my iPad via Air Play and started playing music without having to leave my bed.If you already have an amplifier, this receiver has pre-outs available.I can't wait for my new tower speakers (EMP E55Ti) to show up.

For around $600, this is a very good receiver. I have it in our Home Theatre room attached to a PS3, WII, HTPC running XBMC, as well as an Apple TV. Receiver has plenty of HDMI inputs as well as a plethora of component inputs. Coupled with some Definitive Technology tower speakers, this receiver can shake the room when the volume is cranked up!Some of the features that I like innclude AirPlay support, several surround sound options, the Yamaha app for iOS is fantastic.

I went from an Onkyo 7.2 to this as my primary home theater receiver and the difference in clean, clear power is noticeable. Now I use the Onkyo as my primary power distributor through its Zone 1 for my 2 Audiosource amps that power 8 other sets of speakers in my home. The Yamaha is the clear choice as my primary receiver to power my living room home theater and run my digital HDMI's from it to the Onkyo for my "Zone 2". Very satisfied and hope the reliability will be what I remember Yamaha to be when I last owned one of their receivers 25 years ago.By the way, I did spend $200 to have everything set up by a professional. Too complicated for a pre-home theater audiophile. I also purchased the Universal Remote MX-900 to control everything. The Pro programmed this as well. Not sure why the reviews aren't very good for the remote because my family likes it. Simple and easy to use.

What more is there to say, its a fine receiver. It provides excellent jazz music though fine B&W speakers, and 7-speaker surround sound to our zone one, Sony 4k big screen in LR, along with zone two music though outside patio speakers. Only had one problem with it that was repaired under warranty.

I have had this unit for more than a year and love all the control you have from eq to speaker assignment. Power is not over stated anddrives my towers nicely. I will say if you don't like to play with the setting the auto setup is neat but at least for my speaker didn't soundall that great. That said if you adjust it your movies will blow you away.