The catch
Yamaha RX300A
The height, surround and Zone B pairs all draw on the same two channels, so the extra layout choices can’t run together.
Side by side
Yamaha RX300A vs Denon AVR-S570BT: Yamaha swaps rear channels for heights, and neither powers a full 5.1.2 layout
Quick verdict
Three front speakers plus two heights, or three main speakers plus a same-source stereo Zone B, are what RX300A is for. When a conventional 5.1 setup is the final plan and the complete new-condition offer is better, AVR-S570BT is the choice. Four HDMI inputs come on both. Neither can keep a five-speaker surround layout and add two powered height speakers at the same time.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
If a surround position is blocked, Yamaha’s unusual Atmos layout can come in handy
Beside the sofa in a small living room, there may be a doorway or the route children use to cross the room. When surround speakers can’t be placed there, RX300A has a documented arrangement of three front speakers plus two heights, and S570BT can’t process that height layout. That makes Yamaha handy for a particular placement problem, as long as suitable overhead or front-height positions are available. It doesn’t turn RX300A into a seven-channel receiver. If your household has good surround positions, it’s reasonable to stay with ordinary 5.1 and go for the better complete offer.
Where this comes from
RX300A is explicitly listed for 3.1.2 on five amplifiers, while the exact model specification for S570BT excludes Atmos processing. Whether placement is suitable depends on the room, and nothing here says the alternative layout sounds the same as 5.1.2.
The catch
Denon AVR-S570BT
In the exact US model table, Atmos processing and Zone 2 output are both explicitly excluded. eARC adds neither.
Yamaha RX300A
- Why pick it
- Surround speakers cannot be placed in your room, so you deliberately want a supported 3.1.2 Atmos layout.
- Same-program Zone B is what you want, and you accept that its two speakers leave only three main-room amplifier channels.
- The catch
- The height, surround and Zone B pairs all draw on the same two channels, so the extra layout choices can’t run together.
Denon AVR-S570BT
- Why pick it
- The current complete S570BT offer looks better to you, and your five-speaker surround layout is settled.
- Height processing and powered second-room speakers are not needed, and you would rather leave the existing installation as it is.
- The catch
- In the exact US model table, Atmos processing and Zone 2 output are both explicitly excluded. eARC adds neither.
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What this page compares
Weighing RX300A against AVR-S570BT for a simple home theater? See how front-focused Atmos, reused surround speakers and same-program kitchen audio compare before you decide.
Each is an entry-level receiver with five amplifiers, Bluetooth and four HDMI inputs. RX300A gives its last speaker pair other uses. S570BT stays a simple choice if the five-speaker surround system is already settled.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
Surround speakers have nowhere to go, though height speakers do
The intentional 3.1.2 alternative is supported by RX300A.
- Yamaha RX300A
- Better fit
- Denon AVR-S570BT
- Caution
A 5.1 system that’s settled, and a better offer on a new S570BT
Denon handles the layout you intend and you don’t pay for alternatives you won’t use.
- Yamaha RX300A
- Similar
- Denon AVR-S570BT
- Better fit
Three main speakers, plus the TV audio sent to another room
Yamaha provides a powered Zone B route, at the cost of this channel trade-off.
- Yamaha RX300A
- Better fit
- Denon AVR-S570BT
- Caution
Two new heights added to 5.1 speakers you already have
This needs seven amplifier channels, and each has only five.
- Yamaha RX300A
- Caution
- Denon AVR-S570BT
- Caution
In practice
Differences you will notice
If a surround position is blocked, Yamaha’s unusual Atmos layout can come in handy
Beside the sofa in a small living room, there may be a doorway or the route children use to cross the room. When surround speakers can’t be placed there, RX300A has a documented arrangement of three front speakers plus two heights, and S570BT can’t process that height layout. That makes Yamaha handy for a particular placement problem, as long as suitable overhead or front-height positions are available. It doesn’t turn RX300A into a seven-channel receiver. If your household has good surround positions, it’s reasonable to stay with ordinary 5.1 and go for the better complete offer.
How we worked this out
RX300A is explicitly listed for 3.1.2 on five amplifiers, while the exact model specification for S570BT excludes Atmos processing. Whether placement is suitable depends on the room, and nothing here says the alternative layout sounds the same as 5.1.2.
Keeping up with the TV while you cook can cost the people on the sofa their surround speakers
A stereo Zone B on RX300A carries the same program, so it works for someone making food while the game goes on by the TV. The two kitchen speakers run off the receiver’s surround/height amplifier pair, which leaves three powered channels in the main room. While that’s in use, the people watching lose the surround pair. S570BT has no zone route at all. Go with Yamaha if you can accept the trade-off and would use it often. If a full surround film and the kitchen speakers must both run at once, neither has the right amplifier layout.
How we worked this out
According to RX300A’s manual, surround, height and Zone B cannot be used together. Take the two amplifiers given to Zone B from five and three remain. The model table for S570BT shows no Zone audio output.
Don’t let an eARC or Atmos label push you into a replacement you don’t need
If you’re swapping an older receiver because of a newer TV, you might expect RX300A to also leave room for more speakers or players. In this pair, both top out at four HDMI sources and five amplifiers. When your five-speaker layout is already right, the question worth asking is whether you’re missing a specific supported signal or an alternate speaker arrangement. A listing that says Atmos is not a reason to buy RX300A, because it won’t keep 5.1 and add heights. In the same way, S570BT’s eARC connection carries supported TV audio but doesn’t create an Atmos decoder. Decide based on the function you’re missing.
How we worked this out
Each model has four HDMI inputs and five amplifiers. For physical heights, RX300A supports 3.1.2 and nothing more. The detailed table for S570BT states outright that it has no Atmos, even though generic eARC format wording appears elsewhere.
Plan your receiver connectionsLay out my system
Check a documented speaker layout against HDMI sources and external-amplifier plans.
Yamaha RX300A
Cannot handle this setup
This layout is not one of its documented speaker setups.
Denon AVR-S570BT
Cannot handle this setup
This layout is not one of its documented speaker setups.
A powered subwoofer does not count toward the speaker channels. This checks one main room. Check Zone 2, bi-amping and unusual speaker assignments yourself. Leave room for ventilation, and confirm HDMI settings, cables and speaker impedance before you install.
Option A
Yamaha, RX300ABL
RX300A
Surround speakers cannot be placed in your room, so you deliberately want a supported 3.1.2 Atmos layout.
- Best for
- Surround speakers cannot be placed in your room, so you deliberately want a supported 3.1.2 Atmos layout.
Facts we checked
- Built-in amplifiers: Five
- Conventional surround: 5.1 supported
- Physical height layout: 3.1.2 supported instead of the surround pair
- Same-program second room: Powered Zone B, leaving three main channels
Option B
Denon, AVR-S570BT
AVR-S570BT
The current complete S570BT offer looks better to you, and your five-speaker surround layout is settled.
- Best for
- The current complete S570BT offer looks better to you, and your five-speaker surround layout is settled.
Facts we checked
- Built-in amplifiers: Five
- Conventional surround: 5.1 supported
- Physical height layout: No Atmos height processing
- Same-program second room: No Zone audio output in the model table
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Yamaha RX300A | Denon AVR-S570BT | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in amplifiers | Five | Five | For 5.1.2, neither has the seven powered channels. |
| Conventional surround | 5.1 supported | 5.1 supported | A suitable five-speaker surround arrangement can be reused on both. |
| Physical height layout | 3.1.2 supported instead of the surround pair | No Atmos height processing | Yamaha brings a front-focused alternative. It does not run a larger layout at once. |
| Same-program second room | Powered Zone B, leaving three main channels | No Zone audio output in the model table | RX300A can send the TV program to another room, but that costs the main surround pair. |
| HDMI source count | Four inputs and one display output | Four inputs and one display output | A five-player system that’s crowded stays crowded on either, without another route. |
| Music source | Bluetooth Multipoint, no built-in network streaming | Bluetooth, no built-in network streaming | Look at what the music source really is. A line about an internet service doesn’t prove there’s network hardware. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Yamaha RX300A
- The ceiling is still four HDMI inputs and five amplifiers. Upgrading only pays off if an alternate layout fixes a problem you have.
With Denon AVR-S570BT
- To add heights to a 5.1 system you already have, you need a different receiver as well as a pair of speakers.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
A real need is met by either a 3.1.2 layout or a shared-source Zone B
Go with Yamaha RX300A. RX300A offers these alternate assignments, though only one is active at a time.
Standard 5.1 is the end point, and Denon has the better complete offer
Go with Denon AVR-S570BT. That requirement is met by the simpler layout of S570BT.
You’d like to keep 5.1 and also add heights or a powered second room
Neither model fits. Five built-in amplifier channels aren’t enough for that.
Decision guide
Before you buy
An affordable receiver that adapts to the room is the aim, but an Atmos badge does not add the amplifier channels needed to keep every speaker.
What this page can’t tell you
- Neither claimed power nor product age supports naming a sound-quality winner.
- Generic S570BT network and eARC marketing does not override the network and Atmos specification table for the exact model.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the AV receivers we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yamaha RX300A |
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| Denon AVR-S570BT |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Yamaha RX300A
Surround speakers cannot be placed in your room, so you deliberately want a supported 3.1.2 Atmos layout.
Same-program Zone B is what you want, and you accept that its two speakers leave only three main-room amplifier channels.
See price & reviews on AmazonDenon AVR-S570BT
The current complete S570BT offer looks better to you, and your five-speaker surround layout is settled.
Height processing and powered second-room speakers are not needed, and you would rather leave the existing installation as it is.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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