An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Marantz SR8015 vs Yamaha RX-A4A comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz SR8015 has 11.2 versus 7.2 for Yamaha RX-A4A. Regarding power, then SR8015 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 140/8, 175/6 when RX-A4A has a power of 110/8. The THD is 0.05% for the SR8015 but 0.06% for the RX-A4A. Both the SR8015 and the RX-A4A 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. Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud - all of these streaming services have found application in each of the models.
Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/120Hz 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 Marantz SR8015 has 8/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/3 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-A4A. 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 2.3. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The SR8015 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the RX-A4A. Supported voice control technologies are identical - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both SR8015 and RX-A4A 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.