Having had an opportunity to test Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A680 vs Yamaha R-N602BL, I’d like to share my impression here to facilitate your choice of a new AV receiver.
The number of channels for receivers is different - 7.2 versus 2.0, respectively, for devices. In terms of power, there are differences, the AVENTAGE RX-A680 has such a ratio W/Ohm - 115/8, 145/6, while the R-N602BL has a power of 115/8, 105/4. The value of total harmonic distortion is also different, and for the AVENTAGE RX-A680 it is 0.08%, but for the R-N602BL it is 0.01%.
The manufacturer installed different DACs, the AVENTAGE RX-A680 received the model Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit, but the R-N602BL is equipped with Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit. The Bi-amping function is implemented only in the Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A680. Both Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A680 and Yamaha R-N602BL can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Each of the receivers has a Bluetooth connector. The contenders have differences in the supported services from Apple - AirPlay, AirPlay 2 versus AirPlay respectively. Access to the Spotify service is on each of the competitors. Most popular streaming services are available for our models under consideration - Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, Qobuz. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode can provide only the AVENTAGE RX-A680. Video scaling is only possible with the AVENTAGE RX-A680. Operation with the Dolby Vision is only possible with the AVENTAGE RX-A680. HDMI Audio Return Channel is only available on Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A680. HDMI eARC is only supported by the AVENTAGE RX-A680. When comparing receivers, it becomes clear that only the Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A680 has HDMI CEC. In the presence of a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player only at Yamaha R-N602BL. There is an ECO mode in either AV receiver. The Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A680 can be properly configured using the setup assistant.
A Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format is available only in the AVENTAGE RX-A680. Only in the AVENTAGE RX-A680 realized a DTS:X surround technology.