Having had an opportunity to test Yamaha RX-S602 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 - 5.1 versus 2.0, respectively, for devices. In terms of power, there are differences, the RX-S602 has such a ratio W/Ohm - 80/8, 125/6, while the R-N602BL has a power of 115/8, 105/4. The value of total harmonic distortion is also different, and for the RX-S602 it is 0.08%, but for the R-N602BL it is 0.01%.
The manufacturer installed different DACs, the RX-S602 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-S602. Both Yamaha RX-S602 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-S602. None of the devices can increase the resolution of the incoming video signal. Review participants do not have the Dolby Vision feature. HDMI Audio Return Channel is only available on Yamaha RX-S602. HDMI eARC is not supported by the RX-S602 and the R-N602BL. When comparing receivers, it becomes clear that only the Yamaha RX-S602 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 RX-S602 can be properly configured using the setup assistant.
Generally no support for a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. A DTS:X surround technology is not supported by devices from our comparison.