Having had an opportunity to test Onkyo TX-8260 vs Yamaha R-N602BL, I’d like to share my impression here to facilitate your choice of a new AV receiver.
AV receivers under review have the same number of channels. In terms of power, there are differences, the TX-8260 has such a ratio W/Ohm - 80/8, 160/6, while the R-N602BL has a power of 115/8, 105/4. The value of total harmonic distortion is also different, and for the TX-8260 it is 0.09%, but for the R-N602BL it is 0.01%.
The manufacturer installed different DACs, the TX-8260 received the model AK4452 384 KHz/32-bit, but the R-N602BL is equipped with Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit. None of the compared opponents supports Bi-amping. The model 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.
Wireless Internet access via WIFI is possible on both units. Each of the receivers has a Bluetooth connector. Both devices can work with such Apple Music services: AirPlay. Access to the Spotify service is on each of the competitors. The number of available streaming services varies for receivers, the Onkyo TX-8260 works with TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, but the Yamaha R-N602BL works with Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, Qobuz.
Oddly enough, the support for the HDR function is not implemented in these units. Based on these AV receivers, it is not possible to transmit a 4K signal from the source to the TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is not possible with these models. 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 not supported by either the Onkyo TX-8260 nor the Yamaha R-N602BL. HDMI eARC is not supported by the TX-8260 and the R-N602BL. When comparing receivers, it becomes clear that HDMI CEC support is not implemented. Like most receivers, our models have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. Voice control of the basic functions of the receiver is not realized in both models. There is an ECO mode in R-N602BL. None of these units 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.