Denon DRA-800H vs Yamaha R-N602BL review

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Having had an opportunity to test Denon DRA-800H vs Yamaha R-N602BL, I’d like to share my impression here to facilitate your choice of a new AV receiver.

Amplifier

AV receivers under review have the same number of channels. In terms of power, there are differences, the DRA-800H has such a ratio W/Ohm - 100/8, 120/6, while the R-N602BL has a power of 115/8, 105/4. The value of total harmonic distortion is also different, and for the DRA-800H it is 0.08%, but for the R-N602BL it is 0.01%.

Audio features

The manufacturer installed different DACs, the DRA-800H received the model 192 KHz/24-bit, but the R-N602BL is equipped with Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit. None of the compared opponents supports Bi-amping. Both Denon DRA-800H and Yamaha R-N602BL can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. None of the AV receivers have an auto speaker calibration support.

Connectivity

Wireless Internet access via WIFI is possible on both units. 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. The number of available streaming services varies for receivers, the Denon DRA-800H works with Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud, but the Yamaha R-N602BL works with Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, Qobuz. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode can provide only the DRA-800H. None of the devices can increase the resolution of the incoming video signal. Operation with the Dolby Vision is only possible with the DRA-800H. HDMI Audio Return Channel is only available on Denon DRA-800H. HDMI eARC is not supported by the DRA-800H and the R-N602BL. When comparing receivers, it becomes clear that only the Denon DRA-800H has HDMI CEC. Like most receivers, our models have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. There is an ECO mode in either AV receiver. The Denon DRA-800H can be properly configured using the setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Generally no support for a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. A DTS:X surround technology is not supported by devices from our comparison.