It makes sense comparing Yamaha RX-V685BL vs Marantz SR6014 because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-V685BL has 7.2 versus 9.2 for Marantz SR6014. Regarding power, then RX-V685BL has such a W/Ohm ratio - 90/8, 150/4 when SR6014 has a power of 110/8, 185/6. The THD is 0.06% for the RX-V685BL but 0.08% for the SR6014.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for RX-V685BL and AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for the SR6014. Both the RX-V685BL and the SR6014 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 Yamaha RX-V685BL has support for AirPlay, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Only the SR6014 supports Spotify.
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. Both rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Yamaha RX-V685BL has 5/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/3 HDMI connectors of the Marantz SR6014. 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-V685BL supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the SR6014. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 2 Multi-room zones. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both RX-V685BL and SR6014 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.