It makes sense comparing Sony STR-DH590 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, Sony STR-DH590 has 5.2 versus 11.2 for Yamaha RX-A8A. Regarding power, then STR-DH590 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 145/6 when RX-A8A has a power of 150/8. The THD is 0.09% for the STR-DH590 but 0.06% for the RX-A8A.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/32-bit for STR-DH590 and 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-A8A. Only the RX-A8A 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. Only the RX-A8A supports Spotify.
HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The RX-A8A can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the STR-DH590. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Sony STR-DH590 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. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-A8A. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The STR-DH590 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. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-A8A. The setup assistant will help you configure Yamaha RX-A8A.
Only the RX-A8A has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the RX-A8A.