Yamaha CX-A5200 vs Yamaha RX-A8A review

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It makes sense comparing Yamaha CX-A5200 vs Yamaha RX-A8A because they both are able to give some premium features.

Amplifier

Considered AV receivers have the same number of channels 11.2. The THD is the same and is 0.06%.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, ESS SABRE PRO (ES9026) 384 KHz/32-bit for CX-A5200 and 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-A8A. Only the RX-A8A supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.

Connectivity

WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. 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 CX-A5200 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, Qobuz, and the RX-A8A can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud.

Video features

HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.

Extensive connections

Each receiver has 7/3 HDMI inputs/outputs. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-A8A. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The CX-A5200 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the RX-A8A. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 3 Multi-room zones. The CX-A5200 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and the RX-A8A - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both CX-A5200 and RX-A8A can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.