An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Denon AVR-X8500HSP vs Onkyo TX-RZ900 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Denon AVR-X8500HSP has 13.2 versus 7.2 for Onkyo TX-RZ900. Regarding power, then AVR-X8500HSP has such a W/Ohm ratio - 150/8, 190/6 when TX-RZ900 has a power of 200/6. The THD is 0.05% for the AVR-X8500HSP but 0.08% for the TX-RZ900.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, AK4490 384 KHz/32-bit for AVR-X8500HSP and Hi-Grade 384 KHz/32-bit for the TX-RZ900. Both the AVR-X8500HSP and the TX-RZ900 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-X8500HSP has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The AVR-X8500HSP can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud, and the TX-RZ900 can receive a content from Deezer, TuneIn Radio.
These units support HDR technology. 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-X8500HSP can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-RZ900. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the AVR-X8500HSP.
The Denon AVR-X8500HSP has 8/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/2 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-RZ900. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the AVR-X8500HSP. 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-X8500HSP supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the TX-RZ900. An ECO mode is only available for the AVR-X8500HSP. Both AVR-X8500HSP and TX-RZ900 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.