It makes sense comparing Marantz NR1504 vs Yamaha RX-V683BL because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz NR1504 has 5.1 versus 7.2 for Yamaha RX-V683BL. Regarding power, then NR1504 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8, 60/6 when RX-V683BL has a power of 90/8, 150/4. The THD is 0.08% for the NR1504 but 0.06% for the RX-V683BL.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for NR1504 and Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit for the RX-V683BL. Only the RX-V683BL supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
Only the Yamaha RX-V683BL can connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Apple Music service is implemented on considered devices: AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The NR1504 can work with the audio stream from Pandora, SiriusXM, and the RX-V683BL can receive a content from Pandora, Sirius XM, Napster, JUKE, Qobuz. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The RX-V683BL can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the NR1504. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the RX-V683BL.
Each receiver has 6/1 HDMI inputs/outputs. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. 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 RX-V683BL has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. A voice control is not available. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-V683BL. Both NR1504 and RX-V683BL can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the RX-V683BL has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the RX-V683BL.