Denon AVR-S540BT vs Sony STR-DH590

      Denon AVR-S540BT

      Sony STR-DH590
      70
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      67
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      USA
      UK
      USA, Canada and Taiwan
      Europe Oceania
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      Here we are comparing Denon AVR-S540BT to Sony STR-DH590 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. Both receivers have 5 channel amplifiers with Denon AVR-S540BT's being less powerful.


      Denon AVR-S540BT Sony STR-DH590

      Denon AVR-S540BT was introduced in 2018. It is equipped with 5 channel amplifier with 70 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 video signal.

      Sony STR-DH590 was introduced in 2018. It is equipped with 5 channel amplifier with 90 W (6 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 video signal.

      Highlights

      • 5.2 Channels
      • 5.1 Channel Processing
      • 70 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      • HDR10, Dolby Vision
      • 4K/60Hz Passthrough
      • Bluetooth

      Highlights

      • 5.2 Channels
      • 5.1 Channel Processing
      • 90 W (6 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      • HDR10, Dolby Vision
      • 4K/60Hz Passthrough
      • Bluetooth

      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Denon AVR-S540BT
      4. Advantage of Sony STR-DH590
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Audio Section
      7. Video Section
      8. Inputs and Outputs
      9. Evaluations
      10. Specifications  

      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 Denon AVR-S540BT and Sony STR-DH590.

      PROS

      Denon AVR-S540BT

      Sony STR-DH590

      •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
      •   HDR10
      •   Dolby Vision
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Bluetooth
      •   USB Input
      •   Composite Video Inputs
      •   Analog Tuner
      •   DSD via HDMI
      •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
      •   HDR10
      •   Dolby Vision
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Bluetooth
      •   Analog Tuner

      CONS

      Denon AVR-S540BT

      Sony STR-DH590

      •   Few Channels - 5.2
      •   Low Power Output - 70 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 DSD via HDMI
      •   No HDR10+
      •   No eARC
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   No Wi-Fi
      •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
      •   1 HDMI Outputs
      •   0 8K Input
      •   Few RCA Line Inputs
      •   No Phono Input
      •   No RCA Pre-Outs
      •   No Ethernet
      •   No Zones
      •   No Digital Radio
      •   No Pandora
      •   No Spotify
      •   No Tidal
      •   Bluetooth 3․0 + EDR
      •   Few Channels - 5.2
      •   No Front Wide Channel Support
      •   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 360 Reality Audio
      •   No HDR10+
      •   No eARC
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   No Wi-Fi
      •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
      •   4 HDMI Inputs
      •   1 HDMI Outputs
      •   0 8K Input
      •   No USB Input
      •   No Phono Input
      •   No RCA Pre-Outs
      •   No Composite Video Inputs
      •   No Ethernet
      •   No Zones
      •   No Digital Radio
      •   No Pandora
      •   No Spotify
      •   No Tidal


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

      AVERAGE

      Denon AVR-S540BT

      Sony STR-DH590

      •   5 HDMI Inputs
      •   Power Output - 90 W
      •   RCA Line Inputs
      •   Bluetooth 4․2

      Advantage of Denon AVR-S540BT

      Denon AVR-S540BT
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Denon AVR-S540BT over Sony STR-DH590.

      Denon AVR-S540BT vs Sony STR-DH590
      DTS Neo Neo:6 vs
      More HDMI Inputs 5 vs 4
      USB Input 1 (Front) for USB memory vs
      More Optical Inputs 2 vs 1
      More Composite Video Inputs 2 vs
      More Composite Video Outputs 1 vs
      Front A/V Inputs USB vs
      Analog Tuner FM/AM vs FM
      Color-Coded Speaker Terminals vs
      Bigger Power Supply 310 W vs 200 W
      Longer Warranty 3 Years vs 2 Years

      Check out other receivers which are frequently compared to Denon AVR-S540BT.

      Yamaha RX-V485
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      5.1 channel

      80 W

      Sony STR-DH770
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      7.2 channel

      90 W

      Integra DRX-8.4
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      11.4 channel

      150 W

      Denon AVR-X2200W
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      7.2 channel

      95 W

      Denon AVR-S770H
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      7.2 channel

      75 W

      Denon AVR-S570BT
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      5.2 channel

      70 W

      Denon AVR-X2500H
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      7.2 channel

      95 W

      Denon AVR-X3500H
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      7.2 channel

      105 W

      Marantz NR1710
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      7.2 channel

      50 W

      Denon AVR-X1300W
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      7.2 channel

      80 W

      Denon AVR-X1500H
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      7.2 channel

      80 W

      Denon AVR-X1700H
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      7.2 channel

      80 W

      Advantage of Sony STR-DH590

      Sony STR-DH590
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony STR-DH590 over Denon AVR-S540BT.

      Denon AVR-S540BT vs Sony STR-DH590
      Higher Power Output 70 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) vs 90 W (6 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      DSD via HDMI vs 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
      Pure Direct Mode vs
      USB DC Out Port vs
      More RCA Line Inputs 2 vs 4
      More Large Speaker Terminals vs 2
      Higher Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel driven, FTC) 90 W (0.7% THD) vs 105 W (0.9% THD)
      Higher S/N Ratio (Line, IHF-A) 98 dB vs 105 dB (500 mV)
      Newer Bluetooth Version 3․0 + EDR vs 4․2

      Check out other receivers which are frequently compared to Sony STR-DH590.

      Onkyo TX-NR525
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      5.2 channel

      80 W

      Yamaha RX-V385
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      5.1 channel

      70 W

      Yamaha RX-V4A
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      5.2 channel

      80 W

      Sony STR-DH790
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      7.2 channel

      90 W

      Pioneer VSX-534
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      5.2 channel

      80 W

      Pioneer VSX-830-K
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      5.2 channel

      80 W

      Denon AVR-S570BT
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      5.2 channel

      70 W

      Onkyo TX-SR393
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      5.2 channel

      80 W

      Denon AVR-X1100W
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      7.2 channel

      80 W

      Denon AVR-S650H
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      5.2 channel

      75 W

      Onkyo TX-SR494
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      7.2 channel

      80 W

      Yamaha RX-A4A
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      7.2 channel

      110 W

      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 Denon AVR-S540BT Sony STR-DH590
        Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic. D.C.A.C.
        HDR10
        Dolby Vision
        New HDCP Version2.22.2
        Bluetooth SBC, AAC SBC, AAC
        Analog Tuner FM/AM FM
      WEAKNESSES Denon AVR-S540BT Sony STR-DH590
        Few Channels5.25.2
        Channel Processing5.15.1
        No Dolby Atmos
        No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        No DTS:X
        No IMAX Enhanced
        No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        No HDR10+
        No eARC
        No 8K Passthroughup to 4K 50/60Hz 4:4:4up to 4K/60p (YCbCr4:4:4)
        No Wi-Fi
        Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
        Few HDMI Outputs11
        Few 8K Inputs
        No Phono Input
        No RCA Pre-Outs0.20.2
        No Ethernet
        No Zones11
        No Digital Radio
        No Pandora
        No Spotify
        No Tidal

      Audio Section

      Amplifier

      Denon AVR-S540BT Sony STR-DH590

      5 channel Amplifier: Denon AVR-S540BT features 5 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 70 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

      5 channel Amplifier: Sony STR-DH590 features 5 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 90 W (6 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

        Speaker Configurations

        Denon AVR-S540BT's and Sony STR-DH590's amplifiers can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

        • Configurations: Available configurations are:
        • Denon AVR-S540BT: 5.2 with internal amplifier.
        • Sony STR-DH590: 5.2 with internal amplifier.

          • Sound Processing

          • Compressed Music Enhancer: Denon AVR-S540BT features Compressed Music Enhancer which enhances the quality of the music files with lossy compression.

          Room Calibration

          Denon AVR-S540BT comes with and Sony STR-DH590 comes with D.C.A.C. room correction system.

          Video Section

          HDMI

          Denon AVR-S540BT comes with 5 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

          Sony STR-DH590 comes with 4 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

          • 4K/60Hz Passthrough: On both receivers all inputs pass up to 4K 50/60Hz 4:4:4 video signal.
          • 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 both models).
          • 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)

          Both receivers support HDR10, Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log-Gamma.

          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.
          • Dolby Vision: Dolby Vision is a set of technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories for high dynamic range (HDR) video. It covers content creation, distribution, and playback. Like HDR10+, it includes dynamic metadata that are used to adjust and optimize each frame of the HDR video to the consumer display's capabilities in a way specified by the content creator. Dolby Vision allows for a maximum resolution of 8K up to 12-bit color depth, maximum peak brightness of 10,000 nits and a color gamut up to Rec. 2020. It uses Dolby's proprietary dynamic metadata defined in SMPTE ST 2094-10.
          • Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG): The Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) is a transfer function developed mainly for HDR live video feed and over-the-air broadcasts. It is an HDR format that uses BT.2020 color primaries and a bitdepth of 10-bit. It is backward compatible with the transfer function of SDR and is designed to be better-suited for television broadcasting, where the metadata required for other HDR formats is not backward compatible with non-HDR displays. HLG defines a non-linear optical-electro transfer function, in which the lower half of the signal values use a gamma curve and the upper half of the signal values use a logarithmic curve.

          Inputs and Outputs

          Audio

          • Analog Line Inputs: There are 2 pair of line inputs on Denon AVR-S540BT and 4 pair of line inputs on Sony STR-DH590 for connecting sources with analog outputs.
          • Digital Inputs: 2 optical inputs and 1 coaxial input are available on Denon AVR-S540BT and 1 optical input and 1 coaxial input are available on Sony STR-DH590 for digital audio connections.
          • Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel of each receiver.

          Video

          • HDMI:
          • Denon AVR-S540BT
            Inputs:             5   Outputs: 1
            8K Inputs: 0.
          • Sony STR-DH590
            Inputs:             4   Outputs: 1
            8K Inputs: 0.
          • Composite Video: Connect you VCR, Laserdisc player and other old video equipment with composite video cables.
          • Denon AVR-S540BT
            Inputs:             2   Outputs: 1.
          • Sony STR-DH590
            Inputs:             0   Outputs: 0.

          Front A/V Inputs

          • Denon AVR-S540BT: USB
          • Sony STR-DH590: None

          Denon AVR-S540BT

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          Sony STR-DH590

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          Evaluations

          We evaluate Denon AVR-S540BT and Sony STR-DH590 and give them scores of 70 and 67 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.


          Denon AVR-S540BT

          Sony STR-DH590

          OVERALL
          70
          OVERALL
          67

          Amplifier

          Denon AVR-S540BT

          Sony STR-DH590

          GOOD
          71
          •   Few Channels - 5.2
          •   Low Power Output - 70 W
          AVERAGE
          65
          •   Few Channels - 5.2
          •   Power Output - 90 W

          Audio Features

          Denon AVR-S540BT

          Sony STR-DH590

          AVERAGE
          58
          •   Few Channels - 5.2
          •   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 DSD via HDMI
          AVERAGE
          62
          •   Few Channels - 5.2
          •   No Front Wide Channel Support
          •   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 360 Reality Audio
          •   DSD via HDMI

          Video Features

          Denon AVR-S540BT

          Sony STR-DH590

          EXCELLENT
          94
          •   HDR10
          •   No HDR10+
          •   Dolby Vision
          •   No 8K Passthrough
          EXCELLENT
          94
          •   HDR10
          •   No HDR10+
          •   Dolby Vision
          •   No 8K Passthrough

          Connectivity

          Denon AVR-S540BT

          Sony STR-DH590

          AVERAGE
          64
          •   No eARC
          •   New HDCP Version
          •   No Wi-Fi
          •   Bluetooth
          •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
          •   5 HDMI Inputs
          •   1 HDMI Outputs
          •   0 8K Input
          •   USB Input
          •   Few RCA Line Inputs
          •   No Phono Input
          •   No RCA Pre-Outs
          •   Composite Video Inputs
          •   No Ethernet
          •   Bluetooth 3․0 + EDR
          AVERAGE
          57
          •   No eARC
          •   New HDCP Version
          •   No Wi-Fi
          •   Bluetooth
          •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
          •   4 HDMI Inputs
          •   1 HDMI Outputs
          •   0 8K Input
          •   No USB Input
          •   RCA Line Inputs
          •   No Phono Input
          •   No RCA Pre-Outs
          •   No Composite Video Inputs
          •   No Ethernet
          •   Bluetooth 4․2

          Zones

          Denon AVR-S540BT

          Sony STR-DH590

          AVERAGE
          55
          •   No Zones
          AVERAGE
          55
          •   No Zones

          Radio

          Denon AVR-S540BT

          Sony STR-DH590

          AVERAGE
          61
          •   Analog Tuner
          •   No Pandora
          •   No Spotify
          •   No Tidal
          BAD
          36
          •   Analog Tuner
          •   No Pandora
          •   No Spotify
          •   No Tidal


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

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