An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Yamaha RX-A880 vs Denon AVR-X1400H comparison definitely makes sense.
Considered AV receivers have the same number of channels 7.2. Regarding power, then RX-A880 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8, 160/4 when AVR-X1400H has a power of 80/8, 120/6. The THD is 0.06% for the RX-A880 but 0.08% for the AVR-X1400H.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for RX-A880 and 192 KHz/24-bit for the AVR-X1400H. Both the RX-A880 and the AVR-X1400H support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Apple Music service is implemented on considered devices: AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The RX-A880 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, Qobuz, and the AVR-X1400H can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud. Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/60Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The RX-A880 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the AVR-X1400H. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Yamaha RX-A880 has 7/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/1 HDMI connectors of the Denon AVR-X1400H. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-A880. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.2. The RX-A880 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The RX-A880 supports 2 Multi-room zones, versus 3 for the AVR-X1400H. The RX-A880 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and the AVR-X1400H - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both RX-A880 and AVR-X1400H can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.