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Yamaha Debuts CX-A5100 Preamp/Processor with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X

By Rachel Cericola

Earlier this week, we were talking up Yamaha MusicCast -- and the 20 MusicCast-enabled products that we will see between now and the end of 2015. Now the company is giving us more specifics on one particular product, the Aventage CX-A5100 AV preamp.

Yamaha MusicCast is a new way to stream music easily and wirelessly throughout your home, all by tapping into your existing WiFi network. However, MusicCast also supports Bluetooth playback -- and can even output a Bluetooth stream, so you can "cast" content from MusicCast devices to wireless headphones or Bluetooth speakers.

Besides the MusicCast and wireless technologies, the hook on the CX-A5100 is that it's compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based audio formats. That means it will help you to experience sound from all directions, including overhead. It even supports high-resolution audio from a networked PC, NAS or USB flash drive, including FLAC, WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless and DSD formats.

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The Aventage CX-A5100 AV preamp supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X , as well as MusicCast. Photo: Yamaha.

Yamaha has also packed Cinema DSP HD3 (HD Cubic) technology into this preamp. In other words, when the CX-A5100 is paired with the company's MX-A5000 power amplifier, the tech can crank fuller sound in an 11.2-channel or 7.1.4-channel configuration, and possibly rival your local movie theaters.

Of course, the CX-A5100 has plenty of video perks as well. Made for the cutting-edge home theater setup, the preamp has support for 4K video with HDCP 2.2. Other features include SABRE32 Ultra DACs for 192kHz/32-bit processing, A.R.T. (Anti-Resonance Technology) Wedge to fight off vibrations, YPAO - R.S.C. with 3D calibration, eight HDMI inputs, and two HDMI outputs.

"The CX-A5100 is a special piece for serious home theater fans, offering Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, as well as the bulletproof performance that our customers expect from Yamaha -- especially from our flagship sound and build quality solutions," said Bob Goedken, general manager of Yamaha's AV division. "In addition, WiFi, Bluetooth and MusicCast provide great accessibility and freedom, so music from mobile devices and networked sources can be enjoyed in multiple rooms in the house."

Yamaha will start shipping the Aventage CX-A5100 AV preamp in late September. The product is available for pre-order now, priced at $2,999.95.

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