It makes sense comparing Yamaha CX-A5200 vs Yamaha RX-V485 because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha CX-A5200 has 11.2 versus 5.1 for Yamaha RX-V485. The THD is 0.06% for the CX-A5200 but 0.09% for the RX-V485.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, ESS SABRE PRO (ES9026) 384 KHz/32-bit for CX-A5200 and Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-V485. Only the RX-V485 supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Apple Music service is implemented on considered devices: AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The CX-A5200 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, Qobuz, and the RX-V485 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM.
Both AV receivers support HDR10 technology (High dynamic range). Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/60Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Yamaha CX-A5200 has 7/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-V485. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-V485. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The CX-A5200 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the RX-V485. The CX-A5200 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The CX-A5200 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the RX-V485. The CX-A5200 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and the RX-V485 - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both CX-A5200 and RX-V485 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the CX-A5200 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the CX-A5200.