It makes sense comparing Yamaha RX-A780 vs Sony STRZA5000ES because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-A780 has 7.2 versus 9.2 for Sony STRZA5000ES. Regarding power, then RX-A780 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 95/8, 160/4 when STRZA5000ES has a power of 130/8. The THD is 0.06% for the RX-A780 but 0.09% for the STRZA5000ES. Both the RX-A780 and the STRZA5000ES support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Only the RX-A780 has Bluetooth support. Only the RX-A780 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-A780 has 7/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/2 HDMI connectors of the Sony STRZA5000ES. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-A780. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The RX-A780 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the STRZA5000ES. The RX-A780 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The RX-A780 supports 2 Multi-room zones, versus 3 for the STRZA5000ES. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-A780. Both RX-A780 and STRZA5000ES 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.