Buy the Yamaha RX-V6A for most systems — its power rating is the honest one. Buy the Onkyo TX-NR6100 if you need its stated 4–16Ω impedance rating or its stated HDMI 2.1 port count.
As tracked by Home Theater Builder: the Onkyo TX-NR6100 tracks at $900; the Yamaha RX-V6A at $1,585.How we verify this data →
Two mid-range 7.2 receivers — $900 vs $1,585 as tracked today — and two nearly opposite ways of writing a power spec. This pair is the cleanest illustration of why we store measurement context with every value.
Shaded rows differ · green dot = lab-measured · amber = manufacturer-verified · blue = retailer/community-reported · grey = estimated · “not stated” means exactly that
Reading the numbers honestly
Onkyo rates the TX-NR6100 at 165W — into 6Ω, ONE channel driven, at 1% THD, with no 8Ω figure published at all. Yamaha rates the RX-V6A at 100W — into 8Ω, two channels driven, at 0.06% THD, the strict way. As printed, 165 vs 100 is meaningless; corrected for conditions these are similar amplifiers, and if anything the Yamaha's number is the more trustworthy one.
Compatibility · computed, not written
Checked against a bookshelf that dips to a stated 3.7Ω like the KEF Q150: KEF Q150
Can the Onkyo TX-NR6100 drive the KEF Q150?
Onkyo TX-NR6100 states a 4Ω-minimum rating; the KEF Q150 dips to a stated 3.7Ω minimum, a little below that floor. Most receivers handle a marginal dip at normal volumes — it's worth watching only at very high output on an entry-level unit.
Can the Yamaha RX-V6A drive the KEF Q150?
Yamaha RX-V6A states a 4Ω-minimum rating; the KEF Q150 dips to a stated 3.7Ω minimum, a little below that floor. Most receivers handle a marginal dip at normal volumes — it's worth watching only at very high output on an entry-level unit.
Computed from the catalog's normalized fields — the same fields the builder's compatibility engine reads. A missing field reads as "can't check", never as a pass.
Gaming & connectivity · answered from the spec sheets
Can the Onkyo TX-NR6100 and Yamaha RX-V6A pass 4K/120 through?
The Onkyo TX-NR6100 states 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth — enough for full 4K/120; the Yamaha RX-V6A states 24 Gbps HDMI bandwidth, below the ~40 Gbps full 4K/120 needs.
The verdict
Buy the Yamaha RX-V6A for most systems — its power rating is the honest one. Buy the Onkyo TX-NR6100 if you need its stated 4–16Ω impedance rating or its stated HDMI 2.1 port count.
Near-opposite rating philosophies made explicit: Onkyo 165W at 6Ω/1ch/1% THD (no 8Ω figure published) vs Yamaha 100W at 8Ω/2ch/0.06% THD — our normalized context fields are what make the stickers comparable at all.
The Onkyo states a 4–16Ω impedance range; the Yamaha states none.
Tracked prices for both are on this page — $900 vs $1,585 today.
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