Yamaha launched two new AVRs recently – the RX500A and RX300A. They have a lot in common with each other – like Dolby Atmos support for one – but there are also some key differences to be aware of.
What exactly are those? And which is best for your needs? That's what we're here to find out.
Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: price
The RX500A is the more premium offering of the two, with better specs, but at the moment, we don't know how much it will cost. Expect a price to arrive closer to its on-sale date of September.
We do have a price for the RX300A, which is set to retail for £349 (around $475 / AU$650). It launches in August.
** Winner: TBC **
Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: design
Looks-wise, there's really not much to choose between these two. They're both discreet black boxes designed to fade into the scenery rather than take centre stage. Which is exactly how an AVR should be, in our opinion.
Their dimensions are even identical (157 x 434 x 319mm), although the RX500A is a little heavier, at 8kg to the RX300A's 7.6kg.
There are some slight differences around the back. The RX500A has two height speaker outputs to go with the two surround, two front and one centre, making a total of seven speaker ports to the RX300A's five. The RX500A also has an Ethernet port, which its sibling lacks.
But one design feature is common to both: Yamaha's Anti-Resonance Technology (A.R.T.) Wedge. This centre-mounted fifth foot works with the four outer feet to keep the unit stable and disperse vibrations. It's usually only found on Yamaha's high-end models, so it's a boon to see it on these more affordable AVRs.
** Winner: Draw **
Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: features
In terms of features, both models have a lot in common. They both offer Dolby Atmos, although the RX500A's 7.2 channels should create a more engrossing sound than the RX300A's 5.2 channels.
They both have 70W of power too, and have the same range of sound modes for different situations or content (Music, Movie, Night etc). Room correction comes as standard, allowing both to optimise the sound depending on your room layout.
They both have four HDMI inputs – all of which support 4K/120Hz (and 8K/60Hz), VRR and ALLM – and support passthrough of Dolby Vision and HDR10+ signals.
HDMI eARC functionality brings audio and video from your TV to the receiver in one cable, and both AVRs support all four of the major HDR formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG).
One of the biggest differences between them is that the RX500A has network capabilities. It plays nice with streaming services like Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect, as well as AirPlay 2 and Google Cast wireless tech.
It can also wirelessly unlock digital music stored locally within your home. And it's compatible with the Audio Connect app, which the RX300A isn't.
** Winner: Yamaha RX500A **
Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: sound
We haven't tested either of these AV receivers, so we can't comment on the sound at the moment. But while it doesn't currently feature in our list of best AV receivers, Yamaha does make some very good AVRs.
The RX-A6A picked up five stars thanks to its exhaustive features and expansive sound. It's a few years old now, but still a doozy, with a "clean, crisp and dynamic performance", we noted in our Yamaha RX-A6A review. Its presentation is spacious yet authoritative, with a keen sense of balance.
Costing in the region of £2000, the RX-A6A is much pricier than the RX300A, and likely the RX500A, so we're not really comparing like with like. But it shows what Yamaha can do in the AVR space. Consider our expectations raised.
** Winner: TBC **
Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: early verdict
The Yamaha RX500A and RX300A look like very promising AV receivers. While they share a lot of features, the RX500A adds networking skills to the mix, which will give you more playback options.
As ever, the proof will be in the listening. We'll update this article once we've reviewed these AVRs to reach a definitive verdict.
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