It makes sense comparing Yamaha RX-V585BL vs Yamaha RX-A8A because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-V585BL has 7.2 versus 11.2 for Yamaha RX-A8A. Regarding power, then RX-V585BL has such a W/Ohm ratio - 80/8, 145/6 when RX-A8A has a power of 150/8. The THD is 0.09% for the RX-V585BL but 0.06% for the RX-A8A.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for RX-V585BL and 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-A8A. Both the RX-V585BL and the RX-A8A support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. 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 RX-V585BL can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, and the RX-A8A can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud.
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 RX-V585BL has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/3 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-A8A. 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. The RX-V585BL supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the RX-A8A. The RX-A8A has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The RX-V585BL supports 2 Multi-room zones, versus 3 for the RX-A8A. The RX-V585BL supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and the RX-A8A - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both RX-V585BL and RX-A8A can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.