Having had an opportunity to test Yamaha RX-A880 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 RX-A880 has such a ratio W/Ohm - 100/8, 160/4, while the R-N602BL has a power of 115/8, 105/4. The value of total harmonic distortion is also different, and for the RX-A880 it is 0.06%, but for the R-N602BL it is 0.01%.
The manufacturer installed different DACs, the RX-A880 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 RX-A880. Both Yamaha RX-A880 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 RX-A880. Video scaling is only possible with the RX-A880. Operation with the Dolby Vision is only possible with the RX-A880. HDMI Audio Return Channel is only available on Yamaha RX-A880. HDMI eARC is only supported by the RX-A880. When comparing receivers, it becomes clear that only the Yamaha RX-A880 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 Yamaha RX-A880 can be properly configured using the setup assistant.
A Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format is available only in the RX-A880. Only in the RX-A880 realized a DTS:X surround technology.