It makes sense comparing Denon HEOS AVR vs Yamaha RX-V485 because they both are able to give some premium features.
Considered AV receivers have the same number of channels 5.1. Regarding power, then HEOS AVR has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8, 65/6 when RX-V485 has a power of 80/8, 145/6. The THD is 0.05% for the HEOS AVR but 0.09% 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.
Both models have the ability to connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The HEOS AVR can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud, and the RX-V485 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM. 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. The RX-V485 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the HEOS AVR. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the RX-V485.
Each receiver has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs. 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 HEOS AVR supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the RX-V485. Receivers do not have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. The HEOS AVR supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and the RX-V485 - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-V485. The setup assistant will help you configure Yamaha RX-V485.
None of the rivals equipped with Dolby Atmos multichannel audio decoder. The receivers do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X.