The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Denon AVR-X8500H vs Onkyo TX-NR686 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-X8500H has 13.2 versus 7.2 for Onkyo TX-NR686. Regarding power, then AVR-X8500H has such a W/Ohm ratio - 150/8, 250/6 when TX-NR686 has a power of 165/6. The THD is 0.05% for the AVR-X8500H but 0.08% for the TX-NR686.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, AK4490EQ 768 KHz/32-bit for AVR-X8500H and VLSC 384 KHz/32-bit for the TX-NR686. Both the AVR-X8500H and the TX-NR686 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 Denon AVR-X8500H has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The AVR-X8500H can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud, and the TX-NR686 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, TuneIn Radio. 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 AVR-X8500H can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-NR686. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Denon AVR-X8500H has 8/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-NR686. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the AVR-X8500H. 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. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The AVR-X8500H supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the TX-NR686. The AVR-X8500H supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI, and the TX-NR686 - Google Assistant. An ECO mode is only available for the AVR-X8500H. Both AVR-X8500H and TX-NR686 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.