Yamaha RX-A8A vs Onkyo TX-NR686

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Let's make the Yamaha RX-A8A versus Onkyo TX-NR686 comparison. According to the results of our review, Yamaha RX-A8A received 9.4 points out of 10 possible, and Onkyo TX-NR686 was rated 7.2 points. The release date of RX-A8A is 2021, and TX-NR686 is 2018. After comparison, it will become clear that among these two devices, the RX-A8A is more suitable for the role of the heart of home theater system.

Main advantages Yamaha RX-A8A over Onkyo TX-NR686

Main advantages Onkyo TX-NR686 over Yamaha RX-A8A

Amplifiers

For the built-in amplifier, the devices received different marks - 10 and 7, respectively, on a 10-point scale.

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Yamaha RX-A8A supports 11.2-channels sound, but Onkyo TX-NR686 supports a 7.2-channels configuration.

RMS stands for the actual power of the receiver. The higher this value, the louder the sound can be produced.

Audio features

The score for audio features is 9 of 10 for both receivers.

Most receivers now come with a microphone included. It is with the help of this microphone that the auto-calibration system functions, which adjusts the sound of the receiver to the room.

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is markedly different, Yamaha RX-A8A scored 9, and Onkyo TX-NR686 scored 8 out of 10.

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for the receiver's control or even music broadcasting.

Streaming services

Now music streaming services are gaining more and more popularity. They allow users to listen to millions of songs by subscription.

Extensive connections

The presence of many connectors makes the receiver more versatile. But there are also narrowly targeted models, the number of connectors which are limited to a certain area of use. And when choosing their own receiver, users need to consider exactly your goals for using the receiver. For extensive connection, Yamaha RX-A8A got 10 points, but Onkyo TX-NR686 received 8 points.

Yamaha RX-A8A is equipped with 7/3 HDMI inputs and outputs, and Onkyo TX-NR686 has 7/2 HDMI inputs and outputs.

HDMI eARC is the next step in the development of audio return channel technology, which works in conjunction with HDMI 2.1. Using eARC provides the highest sound quality for home audio systems. HDMI eARC is available only on Yamaha RX-A8A.

The HDCP encryption protocol is now mandatory for most media devices. This security technology encrypts digital signals from one product to another. HDCP content-encryption protocol is present on Yamaha RX-A8A in the HDCP 2.3 version, and Onkyo TX-NR686 has the HDCP 2.2 version.

Video features

The AV receiver is the heart of the home theater. And in this case, support for all current video formats ensures the best user experience, so it is very important to consider this when choosing a device. Video features of the RX-A8A were rated 9 out of 10 against the 7 for the TX-NR686.

With the 4K pass-through feature, the AV receiver sends "native" 4K signals to a 4K TV from a video source without any processing. The RX-A8A works with the 4K/120Hz video, and the TX-NR686 has the 4K/60Hz.

The AV receiver passes "native" 8K signals from a video source to 8K TV without any encoding, with the 8k pass-through features. The 8K path-through is available only on Yamaha RX-A8A.

Most of the AV receivers have a video scaling function, it is the process of reformatting the video signal to a higher resolution without losing the quality of the image. Upscaling the video signal resolution is possible only with Yamaha RX-A8A.

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, the RX-A8A got 10 points, but the TX-NR686 has 7.

Only the Yamaha RX-A8A has the ECO mode.

Multi-room

As the center of a home media system, each multichannel receiver has an additional set of terminals for connecting the second set of speakers to create additional audio space in Zone 2 or even Zone 3 where audio can have the separate source.

Multichannel surround

Yamaha RX-A8A got 8 points for the multichannel surround sound and Onkyo TX-NR686 got 7.

Auro 3D gives a bit more versatility than Dolby Atmos or DTS:X and provides a hemispherical sound and enables a receiver to produce 3D sound stages. Only the Yamaha RX-A8A has Auro-3D on its feature list.