The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Denon AVR-X540BT vs Yamaha RX-V385 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Denon AVR-X540BT has 5.2 versus 5.1 for Yamaha RX-V385. Regarding power, then AVR-X540BT has such a W/Ohm ratio - 70/8, 90/6 when RX-V385 has a power of 70/6. The THD is 0.08% for the AVR-X540BT but 0.09% for the RX-V385.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for AVR-X540BT and Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-V385. None of the models support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
Both models do not have WI-FI support. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Only the AVR-X540BT supports Spotify. 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-V385 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the AVR-X540BT. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Denon AVR-X540BT has 5/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-V385. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-V385. 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. Receivers do not have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. A voice control is not available. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. The setup assistant will help you configure Denon AVR-X540BT.
None of the rivals equipped with Dolby Atmos multichannel audio decoder. The receivers do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X.