The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Onkyo TX-RZ840 vs Yamaha RX-V485BL that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Onkyo TX-RZ840 has 9.2 versus 5.1 for Yamaha RX-V485BL. Regarding power, then TX-RZ840 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 180/6 when RX-V485BL has a power of 80/6. The THD is 0.08% for the TX-RZ840 but 0.09% for the RX-V485BL.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, AKM 384 KHz/32-bit for TX-RZ840 and Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-V485BL. Both the TX-RZ840 and the RX-V485BL support Bi-amping. 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.
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. The RX-V485BL can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-RZ840. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Onkyo TX-RZ840 has 7/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-V485BL. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. HDMI eARC is available in each model. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.2. The TX-RZ840 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The TX-RZ840 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the RX-V485BL. Supported voice control technologies are identical - Google Assistant. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-V485BL. Both TX-RZ840 and RX-V485BL can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the TX-RZ840 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the TX-RZ840.