We go hands-on with Yamaha’s answer to Oppo: Aventage BD-A1040 Blu-ray Player

By Caleb Denison Updated December 2, 2014

If you’re into Yamaha’s premium Aventage line of A/V gear, then you’ll want to know about the recently-introduced BD-A1040. The universal disc player is designed to compete with Oppo’s well-regarded premium players, with support for SACD, DVD-Audio, DVD, Blu-ray and High-Res audio playback. Moreover, its innards are meant to be comprised of the best audio and video components available for the best possible sound and picture quality.

Out of the box, the BD-A1040 doesn’t have the ultra-heavy weight associated with other Aventage gear or Oppo’s players, but on paper, it’s got all the necessary components to deliver a premium experience, while matching the aesthetics adopted by Yamaha’s Aventage line.

Our first impressions are that its 1080p upconversion abilities are top-notch, but its 192kHz/32-bit DAC, while well-suited to High-res FLAC audio file playback, doesn’t sound quite as good as Oppo’s gear, or the premium DACs built into high-end integrated amps like the Rotel RA-1570. That said, the A1040 does sound very good, indeed.

In our video, we discuss the player’s other pros and cons, and whether it really is a suitable competitor for the Oppo BDP-103, which lists for just $50 more.

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Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…

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