Here we are comparing Denon AVR-X540BT to Sony STR-DH790 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 Denon AVR-X540BT has 5 channel and the Sony STR-DH790 has 7 channel amplifiers with Denon AVR-X540BT's being less powerful.

Let us have a look at some highlights of the models.

We have evaluated both receivers. Sony STR-DH790 gets higher overall score in our ranking system which is based on the amplifier specifications, audio and video features, connectivity, multizone capabilities, radio and many other details.

Amplifier score is based on power ratings, minimum impedance load, power supply, transformer type, total harmonic distortion, damping factor, signal to noise ratio and other small details. Audio score depends on the number of channels, front wide channel support, maximum channel processing, support of audio formats, DAC specifications, room calibration algorithm... Video score is based on HDR, Dolby Vision and 4K passthrough, upscaling, analog to HDMI upconversion. Connectivity score is defined from all wired and wireless inputs and outputs, internet and bluetooth connections, HEOS, SONOS and others. Multizone score depends on the number of zones with their outputs. Radio score is evaluated form digital radio support and analog tuner with its frequency range, signal to noise ratio, harmonic distortion...

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Denon AVR-X540BT over Sony STR-DH790.

Denon AVR-X540BT has bigger power supply.

	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Dolby Pro Logic	✔ PLII	✖
DTS Neo	✔ Neo:6	✖
More HDMI Inputs	5	4
USB Input	1 (Front) for USB memory	1 Rear for Firmware Update and power Supply
More Optical Inputs	2	1
More Composite Video Inputs	2	✖
More Composite Video Outputs	1	✖
Front A/V Inputs	USB	✖
Detachable Power Cord	✔	✖
Analog Tuner	✔ FM/AM with RDS	✔ FM only
Color-Coded Speaker Terminals	✔	✖
Bigger Power Supply	310 W	240 W
Longer Warranty	3 Years	2 Years

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony STR-DH790 over Denon AVR-X540BT.

Sony STR-DH790 has more channels, more power per channel, more channel processing, higher signal to noise ratio and higher bluetooth standard. It supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and DSD streaming via HDMI. It has bi-amp capability. In video department only Sony STR-DH790 supports Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log Gamma.

	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
More Channels	5.2	7.2
Bi-amp capability	✖	✔
More Channel Processing	5.1	7.1
Dolby Atmos	✖	✔ up to 5.1.2 or 7.1
Dolby Surround Upmixer	✖	✔
DTS:X	✖	✔ up to 5.1.2 or 7.1
DTS Neural:X	✖	✔
DTS-ES	✖	✔ Discrete 6.1, Matrix 6.1
DSD via HDMI	✖	✔ 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
Pure Direct Mode	✖	✔
Dolby Vision	✖	✔
HLG	✖	✔
Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)	✖	✔
USB DC Out Port	✖	✔
More Analog Audio Line Inputs	2	4
Speaker A/B	✖	✔
More Speaker Terminals	5	7
More Large Speaker Terminals	✖	2
Higher Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel driven, FTC)	90 W (0.7% THD)	105 W (0.9% THD)
Higher S/N Ratio (Line, IHF-A)	98 dB	105 dB (500 mV)
Newer Bluetooth Version	2.1 + EDR	4.2

Denon AVR-X540BT and Sony STR-DH790 share common strengths such as HDR10 and bluetooth.

STRENGTHS	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
HDR10	✔	✔
4K or 8K Video Passthrough	up to 4K 50/60Hz 4:4:4	up to 4K/60p (YCbCr4:4:4)
Bluetooth	✔ SBC, AAC	✔ SBC, AAC
New HDCP Version	2.2	2.2 (4 in / 1 out)
Zones	1	1
Analog Tuner	✔ FM/AM with RDS	✔ FM only

Denon AVR-X540BT and Sony STR-DH790 share common weaknesses such as no Auro3D support, no MHL input, no ChromeCast, no DTS Play-Fi, no Amazon Alexa, no SONOS, no ethernet connection, no wi-fi, no phono input, no analog multi-channel input, no analog pre-outs, no Pandora, no Spotify, no Tidal, no Deezer, no Napster and no SiriusXM.

WEAKNESSES	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization	✖	✖
No DTS Virtual:X	✖	✖
No IMAX Enhanced	✖	✖
No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer	✖	✖
No DTS Dialog Control	✖	✖
No Audyssey Dynamic EQ	✖	✖
No Audyssey Dynamic Volume	✖	✖
No Audyssey LFC	✖	✖
No Audyssey Sub EQ HT	✖	✖
No HDR10+	✖	✖
No Dynamic HDR	✖	✖
No Auto Low Latency Mode Pass-through	✖	✖
No VRR	✖	✖
No QFT	✖	✖
No 4K or 8K Video Upscaling	✖	✖
No MHL Input	✖	✖
No FireConnect	✖	✖
No FlareConnect	✖	✖
No Chromecast Built-In	✖	✖
No DTS Play-Fi	✖	✖
Does not Work with Amazon Alexa	✖	✖
Does Not Work with SONOS	✖	✖
No Ethernet	✖	✖
No Wi-Fi	✖	✖
Few HDMI Outputs	1	1
No Phono Input	✖	✖
No Component Video Inputs	✖	✖
No Multi-Channel Input	✖	✖
No Analog Pre-Outs	0.2	0.2
No Pandora	✖	✖
No Spotify	✖	✖
No Tidal	✖	✖
No Deezer	✖	✖
No Napster	✖	✖
No SiriusXM Internet Radio	✖	✖

Amplifier

Denon AVR-X540BT has 5 channel and Sony STR-DH790 has 7 channel amplifiers. Denon AVR-X540BT delivers 70 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) and Sony STR-DH790 delivers 90 W (6 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) Since 2016 all receiver manufacturers have dropped front wide channel support. Sony STR-DH790 is no exception.

Video Features

Both receivers support 4K passthrough up to 60p. Denon AVR-X540BT supports HDR10 and Sony STR-DH790 supports HDR10, Dolby Vision.

HDR10

High-dynamic-range (HDR) video has greater dynamic range than standard-dynamic-range (SDR) video with brigter whites and deeper blacks. HDR10 was announced on August 27, 2015, by the Consumer Technology Association and 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 up to 1000 nits of brightness and 10-bit color which corresponds to 1024 shades of the primary RGB colors.

Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision is an update to HDR10 by adding dynamic metadata that can be used to more accurately adjust brightness levels up to 10,000 nits maximum brightness on a scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame basis and supports up to 12-bit color depth (4096 shades of RGB) and 8K resolution.

Dolby Atmos and Dolby Surround upmixer

Sony STR-DH790 supports Dolby Atmos with its Dolby Surround upmixer. It can be configured upto 5.1.2 channels using internal amplifiers.

Dolby Atmos is the first cinematic audio format in which sounds exist as individual entities, called audio objects. In Dolby Atmos, any sound - the helicopter, a car screeching around a corner, a melodic bird call - 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. You'll feel like you're inside the action, in ways you've never experienced before.

Dolby Atmos for the home represents every sound in the original cinema mix as an audio object. Extensions to the Dolby Audio™ codecs, along with an advanced scalable algorithm, allow Dolby Atmos to be delivered via Blu-ray Disc and streaming media. A spatially-coded substream is added to Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus. A Dolby Atmos audio/video receiver (AVR) adapts the cinema experience to your home theater from seven speakers to as many as 34 in 24.1.10 configuration, recreating the original artistic concept. 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.

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 and Neural:X upmixer

Sony STR-DH790 supports DTS:X with its Neural:X upmixer. It can be configured upto 5.1.2 channels using internal amplifiers.

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 is an 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.

Connectivity

Denon AVR-X540BT

Denon AVR-X540BT can also connect to bluetooth devices via built-in bluetooth adapter. It has 5 HDMI inputs with HDCP 2.2 copy protection.

Front panel has USB input.

Sony STR-DH790

Sony STR-DH790 can also connect to bluetooth devices via built-in bluetooth adapter. It has 4 HDMI inputs with HDCP 2.2 (4 in / 1 out) copy protection.

Front panel has no inputs.

And in the end let us list the detailed specifications of the receivers side-by-side.

Note: The following table shows only those details which are applicable for both models and excludes the ones that are applicable for only one model. If you want to see a full list of specs for each model please visit their individual pages here - Denon AVR-X540BT and here - Sony STR-DH790.

BASICS	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Brand	Denon	Sony
Model	AVR-X540BT	STR-DH790
Type	A/V Receiver	A/V Receiver
Country	UK	Europe
Release Year	2018	2018

AMPLIFIER	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Channels	5.2	7.2
THX™ Certification	✖	✖
Continuous 6 Ω Rated	✔	✔
Certified 4 Ω Performance	✖	✖
Bi-amp Capability	✖	✔

AUDIO	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Maximum Channel Processing	5.1	7.1
Air Studios Monitor Certification	✖	✖
Dolby Atmos	✖	✔ up to 5.1.2 or 7.1
Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization	✖	✖
Dolby TrueHD	✔	✔
Dolby Digital Plus	✔	✔
Dolby Surround Upmixer	✖	✔
Dolby Pro Logic	✔ PLII	✖
Dolby Digital EX	✖	✖
Surround EX	✖	✖
DTS:X	✖	✔ up to 5.1.2 or 7.1
DTS Neural:X	✖	✔
DTS Virtual:X	✖	✖
DTS Neo	✔ Neo:6	✖
DTS-HD Master Audio	✔	✔
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio	✔	✔
DTS 96/24	✔	✔
DTS Express	✔	✔
DTS-ES	✖	✔ Discrete 6.1, Matrix 6.1
IMAX Enhanced	✖	✖
Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer	✖	✖
PCM	✔ 2-ch/Multi-ch Input	✔ 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
DSD via HDMI	✖	✔ 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
DSD to PCM Converter	✖	✖
USB DAC	✖	✖
DTS Dialogue Control	✖	✖
Dialogue Lift	✖	✖
High-resolution Music Enhancer	✖	✖
Audyssey Dynamic EQ	✖	✖
Audyssey Dynamic Volume	✖	✖
Audyssey LFC	✖	✖
Audyssey Sub EQ HT	✖	✖
Audyssey DSX	✖	✖
Direct Mode	✔	✔
Pure Direct Mode	✖	✔

CALIBRATION	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.	✔	✔ Advanced D.C.A.C.

VIDEO	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
HDR10	✔	✔
HDR10+	✖	✖
Dynamic HDR	✖	✖
BT.2020 color space	✔	✔
Dolby Vision	✖	✔
Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG)	✖	✔
Quick Media Switching (QMS)	✖	✖
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)	✖	✖
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)	✖	✖
Quick Frame Transport (QFT)	✖	✖
3-D Ready	✔	✔
Video Signal Passthrough	up to 4K 50/60Hz 4:4:4	up to 4K/60p (YCbCr4:4:4)
Video Signal Upscaling	✖	✖
Analog To HDMI Upconversion	✖	✖
isf Certified Calibration Control	✖	✖

CONNECTIVITY	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
MHL Input	✖	✖
FireConnect	✖	✖
FlareConnect	✖	✖
Chromecast Built-In	✖	✖
DTS Play-Fi	✖	✖
Works with Amazon Alexa	✖	✖
Works with SONOS	✖	✖
AirPlay	✖	✖
Apple Product Connection	✔ iPod, iPhone and iPad	✖
InstaPrevue Input Source Prevue	✖	✖
Ethernet	✖	✖
Ethernet Switch	✖	✖
Wi-Fi	✖	✖
Bluetooth	✔ SBC, AAC	✔ SBC, AAC
HDBaseT Compatible	✖	✖
Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)	✖	✔
HDCP Version	2.2	2.2 (4 in / 1 out)
HDMI Inputs	5	4
HDMI Outputs	1	1
USB Input	1 (Front) for USB memory	1 Rear for Firmware Update and power Supply
USB DC Out Port	✖	✔
Analog Audio Line Inputs	2	4
Analog Audio Line Outputs	✖	✖
Phono Input	✖	✖
Optical Inputs	2	1
Optical Outputs	✖	✖
Coaxial Inputs/Outputs	1 / No	1 / No
Composite Video Inputs	2	✖
Composite Video Outputs	1	✖
S-Video Inputs	✖	✖
S-Video Outputs	✖	✖
Component Video Inputs	✖	✖
Component Video Outputs	✖	✖
PC In	✖	✖
Multi-Channel Input	✖	✖
Analog Pre-Outs	0.2	0.2
XLR Inputs	✖	✖
XLR Pre-outs	✖	✖
Front A/V Inputs	USB	✖
Speaker A/B	✖	✔
Headphone Out	✔ 6.3 mm	✔ 6.3 mm

ZONES	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Zones	1	1
RS-232 Interface	✖	✖
+12V Trigger Output	✖	0
Remote (IR) Input/Output	0 / 0	0 / 0

MISC	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
On-Screen Display	✔	✔ Graphical User Interface (Only through HDMI)
Detachable Power Cord	✔	✖

RADIO	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Analog Tuner	✔ FM/AM with RDS	✔ FM only
Digital Radio	✖	✖
Pandora	✖	✖
Spotify	✖	✖
Tidal	✖	✖
Deezer	✖	✖
Napster	✖	✖
SiriusXM Internet Radio	✖	✖

CONSTRUCTION	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Speaker Terminals	5	7
Large Speaker Terminals	✖	2
Color-Coded Speaker Terminals	✔	✖
Gold plated RCA terminals	✖	✖

POWER	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Power Supply	AC 230 V, 50/60 Hz	AC 230 V, 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption	310 W	240 W
Standby Power	0.1 W	0.3 W

GENERAL	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Dimensions (W x H x D)	434 mm x 151 mm x 319mm 17 1/8" x 6" x 12 5/8"	430 mm x 133 mm x 297 mm 17" x 5-1/4" x 11-3/4"
Weight	7.5 kg	7.4 kg (16 lbs. 6 oz.)
Warranty	3 Years	2 Years

SPECS	Denon AVR-X540BT	Sony STR-DH790
Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel driven, FTC)	90 W (0.7% THD)	105 W (0.9% THD)
Input Sensitivity and Impedance (Line)	200 mV/47 kΩ	500 mV/50 kΩ
S/N Ratio (Line, IHF-A)	98 dB	105 dB (500 mV)
Frequency Response (Analog In)	+1/-3 dB (10 Hz to 100 kHz, Direct mode)	10 Hz - 100 kHz/+0.5 dB, -2 dB
Bluetooth Version	2.1 + EDR	4.2
Bluetooth Frequency	2.4 GHz	2.4 GHz
USB Terminal	USB2.0 5V, 1 A	Type A, Ver. 2.0, 5 V, 1 A
FM Frequency	87.5 MHz - 108.0 MHz	87.5 MHz - 108.0 MHz

* - 480i/576i and 480p/576p only
** - 480i/576i only
*** - no 1080p/24 upconversion
**** - 1080p signal is not converted