Sonos Strikes a Surprising Deal with One of the Biggest Names in Japanese Hi-Fi

Yamaha continues to be one of the premium names in home theater systems and stereo receivers today.

A few years ago, it introduced its flagship Aventage line of multi-channel AV receivers — consisting of the RX-A2A, RX-A4A, RX-A6A and RX-A8A — which range from $1,000 to $3,000.

Now, the Japanese audio manufacturer has announced it’s rolling out a firmware update to those AV receivers that should excite both serious home theater enthusiasts and Sonos fans alike.

Yamaha x Sonos

Yamaha

Works with Sonos

Specifically, the firmware update will make all four AV receivers in the company’s Aventage line “Works with Sonos” certified. This should make it easier to sync your Yamaha-based home theater system with your existing Sonos system.

According to the press release, after setting it up — which is done via the Yamaha MusicCast app — you’ll be able to use the Sonos app to automatically power on the receiver, select a designated input and control the volume.

Sonos

Separate Port required

There is a bit of a catch, however — the connection requires you to have the Sonos Port, its wireless streaming device that costs $449 … so it’s not exactly cheap or seamless.

It’s worth noting that Sonos has partnered with other brands in the home theater space and certified their products for “Works with Sonos.” If you’re looking for more affordable alternatives, Sony and Onkyo have more affordable AV receivers that also “Work with Sonos.”

Yamaha

When’s it coming?

The firmware update that brings the Works with Sonos integration to Yamaha’s Aventage range of AV receivers is available now. It’s free.

For those interested in learning more about the setup process or how the integration works, Yamaha has released a tutorial video — here — that shows exactly that.

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