Yamaha RX-V685BL vs Denon AVR-S640H review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Yamaha RX-V685BL vs Denon AVR-S640H that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-V685BL has 7.2 versus 5.2 for Denon AVR-S640H. Regarding power, then RX-V685BL has such a W/Ohm ratio - 90/8, 150/4 when AVR-S640H has a power of 75/8, 100/6. The THD is 0.06% for the RX-V685BL but 0.08% for the AVR-S640H.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for RX-V685BL and 192 KHz/32-bit for the AVR-S640H. Only the RX-V685BL 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 Yamaha RX-V685BL has support for AirPlay, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Only the AVR-S640H supports Spotify. 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-V685BL can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the AVR-S640H. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.

Extensive connections

The Yamaha RX-V685BL has 5/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 5/1 HDMI connectors of the Denon AVR-S640H. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-V685BL. 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. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both RX-V685BL and AVR-S640H can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the RX-V685BL has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the RX-V685BL.