Yamaha RX-A660 vs Yamaha RX-A550

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      Overview

      Here we are comparing Yamaha RX-A660 to Yamaha RX-A550 to reveal their common strengths and weaknesses as well as the differences between them which will help you in making a correct decision before the purchase. The Yamaha RX-A660 has 7 channel and the Yamaha RX-A550 has 5 channel and equally powerful amplifiers.


      Yamaha RX-A660 Yamaha RX-A550

      Yamaha RX-A660 was introduced in 2016. It is equipped with 7 channel amplifier with 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 7.1 maximum channel processing. It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, passes 4K/60Hz video signal.

      Yamaha RX-A550 was introduced in 2015. It is equipped with 5 channel amplifier with 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz and 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 5.1 maximum channel processing. It , passes 4K/60Hz and upscales up to 1080p video signal.

      Highlights

      • 7.2 Channels
      • 7.1 Channel Processing
      • 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      • Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
      • HDR10
      • 4K/60Hz Passthrough
      • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet

      Highlights

      • 5.1 Channels
      • 5.1 Channel Processing
      • 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      • 4K/60Hz Passthrough
      • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these receivers, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Yamaha RX-A660 and Yamaha RX-A550.

      PROS

      Yamaha RX-A660

      Yamaha RX-A550

      •   Dolby Atmos
      •   DTS:X
      •   DSD via HDMI
      •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
      •   HDR10
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Wi-Fi
      •   Bluetooth
      •   Works with Amazon Alexa
      •   USB Input
      •   Composite Video Inputs
      •   Ethernet
      •   Analog Tuner
      •   Spotify
      •   DSD via HDMI
      •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Wi-Fi
      •   Bluetooth
      •   Works with Amazon Alexa
      •   USB Input
      •   Composite Video Inputs
      •   Component Video Inputs
      •   Ethernet
      •   Analog Tuner
      •   Spotify

      CONS

      Yamaha RX-A660

      Yamaha RX-A550

      •   Low Power Output - 80 W
      •   No Front Wide Channel Support
      •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      •   No IMAX Enhanced
      •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
      •   No HDR10+
      •   No Dolby Vision
      •   No eARC
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   4 HDMI Inputs
      •   1 HDMI Outputs
      •   0 8K Input
      •   No Phono Input
      •   No RCA Pre-Outs
      •   No Zones
      •   No Digital Radio
      •   No Pandora
      •   No Tidal
      •   Bluetooth 2․1 + EDR
      •   Few Channels - 5.1
      •   Low Power Output - 80 W
      •   5.1 Channel Processing
      •   No Dolby Atmos
      •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      •   No DTS:X
      •   No IMAX Enhanced
      •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
      •   No HDR10
      •   No HDR10+
      •   No Dolby Vision
      •   No eARC
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   1 HDMI Outputs
      •   0 8K Input
      •   No Phono Input
      •   No RCA Pre-Outs
      •   No Zones
      •   No Digital Radio
      •   No Pandora
      •   No Tidal
      •   Bluetooth 2․1 + EDR


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Yamaha RX-A660

      Yamaha RX-A550

      •   7.2 Channels
      •   7.1 Channel Processing
      •   RCA Line Inputs
      •   6 HDMI Inputs
      •   RCA Line Inputs

      Advantage of Yamaha RX-A660

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Yamaha RX-A660 over Yamaha RX-A550.

      Yamaha RX-A660 vs Yamaha RX-A550
      More Channels 7.2 vs 5.1
      Bi-amp capability vs
      More Channel Processing 7.1 vs 5.1
      Dolby Atmos up to 5.1.2 vs
      Dolby Surround Upmixer vs
      DTS:X up to 5.1.2 vs
      DTS Neural:X vs
      DTS Dialog Control vs
      Dialog Level Adjustment vs
      Dialogue Lift no presence speakers required vs
      HDR10 vs
      BT.2020 color space vs
      Zone B Video Output vs
      More Speaker Terminals 7 vs 5
      More Large Speaker Terminals 7 vs 5
      Higher Dynamic Power per Channel, 2 Ω, Front) 190 W vs 160 W
      Higher Dynamic Power per Channel, 4 Ω, Front) 170 W vs 130 W
      Higher Dynamic Power per Channel, 6 Ω, Front) 140 W vs 110 W
      Higher Dynamic Power per Channel, 8 Ω, Front) [] vs []

      Check out other receivers which are frequently compared to Yamaha RX-A660.

      Advantage of Yamaha RX-A550

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Yamaha RX-A550 over Yamaha RX-A660.

      Yamaha RX-A660 vs Yamaha RX-A550
      Dolby Pro Logic vs PLII
      Video Signal Upscaling vs up to 1080p
      More HDMI Inputs 4 vs 6
      More Component Video Inputs vs 2
      More Component Video Outputs vs 1

      Check out other receivers which are frequently compared to Yamaha RX-A550.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Yamaha RX-A660 Yamaha RX-A550
        DSD via HDMI 2-ch/Multi-ch Input 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
        Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic. YPAO sound optimization YPAO sound optimization
        New HDCP Version2.22.2
        Wi-Fi with Wireless Direct with Wireless Direct
        Bluetooth SBC, AAC
        Works with Amazon Alexa on MusicCast (Voice control using your Alexa device like Echo, Dot, Tap and Show) on MusicCast (Voice control using your Alexa device like Echo, Dot, Tap and Show)
        USB InputUSB memory, portable audio playeriPod® / iPhone®, USB memory, portable audio player
        Composite Video Inputs44
        Ethernet
        Analog Tuner FM/AM with RDS FM/AM with RDS
        Spotify
      WEAKNESSES Yamaha RX-A660 Yamaha RX-A550
        Low Power Output80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
        No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        No IMAX Enhanced
        No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        No HDR10+
        No Dolby Vision
        No eARC
        No 8K Passthroughup to 4K/60p 4:4:4up to 4K/60p 4:2:0
        Few HDMI Outputs11
        Few 8K Inputs
        No Phono Input
        No RCA Pre-Outs0.20.1
        No Zones11
        No Digital Radio
        No Pandora
        No Tidal
        Old Bluetooth Version2․1 + EDR2․1 + EDR

      Audio Section

      Amplifier

      Yamaha RX-A660 Yamaha RX-A550

      7 channel Amplifier: Yamaha RX-A660 features 7 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

      5 channel Amplifier: Yamaha RX-A550 features 5 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

        Speaker Configurations

        Yamaha RX-A660's and Yamaha RX-A550's amplifiers can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

        • Dolby Atmos Configurations: The following speaker configurations are supported for Dolby Atmos:
        • Yamaha RX-A660: 5.2.2 with internal amplifier.
        • Yamaha RX-A550: Not supported.
        • DTS:X Configurations: The following speaker configurations are supported for DTS:X:
        • Yamaha RX-A660: The speaker configurations for DTS:X are the same as for Dolby Atmos - 5.2.2 with internal amplifier.
        • Yamaha RX-A550: Not supported.
        • Configurations without height channels: There are also other speaker configurations available which do not include height channels:
        • Yamaha RX-A660: 5.2, 7.2 with internal amplifier.
        • Yamaha RX-A550: 5.1 with internal amplifier.
        • Bi-Amp: Yamaha RX-A660 is able to bi-amp up to 2 main channels simultaneously. During bi-amplification two amplifiers are used for one speaker. One amplifier powers the midrange and tweeter section of the speaker and another amplifier powers the low frequency woofers. Each amplifier is less loaded and performs better. In order to use this feature speakers must have 2 pairs of connectors.

        • Dolby Atmos

          Yamaha RX-A660 supports Dolby Atmos. It is a cinematic audio format in which sounds exist as individual entities, called audio objects. In Dolby Atmos, any sound can exist as an independent audio object, free of channel restrictions. They can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in your room, including overhead, to flow above and around you in three-dimensional space. Through the use of audio objects, overhead sound, and all the richness, clarity, and power of Dolby sound, Dolby Atmos turns your room into an amazing place for entertainment. The format supports up to 128 simultaneous independent audio objects in a mix for rich, realistic, and breathtaking sound. It recreates the director's original concept through descriptive metadata to provide customized playback for home theater and delivers sounds above you through overhead speakers, special upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar.

          • Dolby Surround Upmixer: Yamaha RX-A660 supports Dolby Surround Upmixer. If the content is not mixed in Dolby Atmos then the Dolby surround upmixer will expand the audio to all channels including ceiling speakers. The upmixer has replaced the Dolby Pro Logic II family with improved upmixing algorithms.

          DTS:X

          Yamaha RX-A660 supports DTS:X. A technique used in DTS:X is similar to the one used in Dolby Atmos. Instead of a fixed number of channels, DTS:X defines object locations from the listener in polar coordinates. An a/v receiver then dynamically renders sound according to the current speaker configuration. The speaker layout employed by DTS:X is the sum of Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D. It has standard 7.1 channel base layer, a 5 channel height layer above the base layer on the front and side walls, and 3 rows of speakers on the ceiling.

          • DTS Neural:X: Yamaha RX-A660 supports DTS Neural:X which is an advanced upmixer that can take non DTS:X content and upmix it to the DTS:X speaker layout. It has replaced the DTS Neo family with improved flexibility.
          • DTS Dialog Control: Yamaha RX-A660 supports DTS Dialog Control. This function adjusts the dialog levels during playback of the DTS:X stream. It allows you to separately increase the dialog levels in contrast with the background sound and hear dialog easily even under noisy circumstances.

          Sound Processing

          • Adaptive DRC: Yamaha RX-A660 and Yamaha RX-A550 feature Adaptive DRC (Dynamic Range Control) which automatically adjusts the dynamic range of the sound according to the volume level. This ensures that you hear clear dialog and vocals, and all sound effects at comfortable levels. There is no need to adjust the volume level as you listen; everything from whispers to big explosions will be heard clearly and comfortably at the same volume setting. It also tones down loud TV commercials, and is ideal for low-volume, late-night listening, when you do not want to disturb others.
          • Compressed Music Enhancer: Yamaha RX-A660 and Yamaha RX-A550 feature Compressed Music Enhancer which enhances the quality of the music files with lossy compression.

          Room Calibration

          Yamaha RX-A660 and Yamaha RX-A550 come with YPAO room correction system.

          • YPAO: The Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) function detects speaker connections, measures the distances from them to your listening position(s), and then automatically optimizes the speaker settings, such as volume balance and acoustic parameters, to suit your room.

        Video Section

        HDMI

        Yamaha RX-A660 comes with 4 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

        Yamaha RX-A550 comes with 6 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

        • 4K/60Hz Passthrough: On both receivers all inputs pass up to 4K/60p 4:4:4 video signal.
        • 1080p Upscaling on Yamaha RX-A550: It can upscale up to 1080p from HDMI sources.
        • BT.2020 Color Space: BT.2020 or Rec. 2020 is a color standard which delivers a wider color gamut compared to Rec. 709. It covers approximately 75% of the total visual spectrum while the Rec. 709 covers only 35% (available on Yamaha RX-A660 only).
        • HDCP 2.2.0 Copy Protection: Both receivers are HDCP 2.2.0 compliant which is a requirement for 4K/HDR copy-protected content transmission.
        • 3D Ready: Both receivers are able to pass 3D video through HDMI.

        HDR (High Dynamic Range)

        Yamaha RX-A660 supports HDR10

        Yamaha RX-A550 does not support HDR.

        High dynamic range video has greater dynamic range than standard dynamic range (SDR) video with brighter whites and deeper blacks. The result is greater contrast and more details in dark and bright areas, better color and depth.

        • HDR10: HDR10 uses the wide-gamut Rec. 2020 color space. It sends static metadata via video stream to the TV which calibrates its screen brightness and color according to that. HDR10 supports 10-bit color which corresponds to 1024 shades of the primary RGB colors. It is technically limited to a maximum of 10,000 nits peak brightness, however common HDR10 contents are mastered with peak brightness from 1,000 to 4,000 nits.

        Inputs and Outputs

        Audio

        • Analog Line Inputs: There are 4 pair of line inputs on both receivers for connecting sources with analog outputs.
        • Digital Inputs: 1 optical input and 2 coaxial inputs are available for digital audio connections on both receivers.
        • Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel of each receiver.

        Video

        • HDMI:
        • Yamaha RX-A660
          Inputs:
          4   Outputs: 1
          8K Inputs: 0.
        • Yamaha RX-A550
          Inputs:
          6   Outputs: 1
          8K Inputs: 0.
        • Composite Video: Connect you VCR, Laserdisc player and other old video equipment with composite video cables.
        • Yamaha RX-A660
          Inputs:
          4   Outputs: 1.
        • Yamaha RX-A550
          Inputs:
          4   Outputs: 1.
        • Component Video: Component video connection gives you the higher quality video compared to the composite video connection. So in case your old DVD player and other equipment do not have an HDMI output but have Component video output use this connection over the composite one. resolution on Component video connectors.
        • Yamaha RX-A550 supports up to 1080i resolution on Component video connectors.
        • Yamaha RX-A660
          Inputs:
          0   Outputs: 0.
        • Yamaha RX-A550
          Inputs:
          2   Outputs: 1.

        Front A/V Inputs

        • Yamaha RX-A660: USB, mini-jack Audio
        • Yamaha RX-A550: USB, mini-jack

        Yamaha RX-A660

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        Yamaha RX-A550

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        Evaluations

        We evaluate Yamaha RX-A660 and Yamaha RX-A550 and give them scores of 80 and 73 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new receiver is added to the database.


        Yamaha RX-A660

        Yamaha RX-A550

        OVERALL
        80
        OVERALL
        73

        Amplifier

        Yamaha RX-A660

        Yamaha RX-A550

        GOOD
        83
        •   7.2 Channels
        •   Low Power Output - 80 W
        GOOD
        79
        •   Few Channels - 5.1
        •   Low Power Output - 80 W

        Audio Features

        Yamaha RX-A660

        Yamaha RX-A550

        GOOD
        84
        •   7.2 Channels
        •   No Front Wide Channel Support
        •   7.1 Channel Processing
        •   Dolby Atmos
        •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        •   DTS:X
        •   No IMAX Enhanced
        •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        •   DSD via HDMI
        AVERAGE
        69
        •   Few Channels - 5.1
        •   5.1 Channel Processing
        •   No Dolby Atmos
        •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        •   No DTS:X
        •   No IMAX Enhanced
        •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        •   DSD via HDMI

        Video Features

        Yamaha RX-A660

        Yamaha RX-A550

        GOOD
        84
        •   HDR10
        •   No HDR10+
        •   No Dolby Vision
        •   No 8K Passthrough
        AVERAGE
        69
        •   No HDR10
        •   No HDR10+
        •   No Dolby Vision
        •   No 8K Passthrough

        Connectivity

        Yamaha RX-A660

        Yamaha RX-A550

        GOOD
        79
        •   No eARC
        •   New HDCP Version
        •   Wi-Fi
        •   Bluetooth
        •   Works with Amazon Alexa
        •   4 HDMI Inputs
        •   1 HDMI Outputs
        •   0 8K Input
        •   USB Input
        •   RCA Line Inputs
        •   No Phono Input
        •   No RCA Pre-Outs
        •   Composite Video Inputs
        •   Ethernet
        •   Bluetooth 2․1 + EDR
        GOOD
        80
        •   No eARC
        •   New HDCP Version
        •   Wi-Fi
        •   Bluetooth
        •   Works with Amazon Alexa
        •   6 HDMI Inputs
        •   1 HDMI Outputs
        •   0 8K Input
        •   USB Input
        •   RCA Line Inputs
        •   No Phono Input
        •   No RCA Pre-Outs
        •   Composite Video Inputs
        •   Component Video Inputs
        •   Ethernet
        •   Bluetooth 2․1 + EDR

        Zones

        Yamaha RX-A660

        Yamaha RX-A550

        AVERAGE
        55
        •   No Zones
        AVERAGE
        55
        •   No Zones

        Radio

        Yamaha RX-A660

        Yamaha RX-A550

        GOOD
        82
        •   Analog Tuner
        •   No Pandora
        •   Spotify
        •   No Tidal
        GOOD
        82
        •   Analog Tuner
        •   No Pandora
        •   Spotify
        •   No Tidal


        For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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