1-on-1 Comparison

Side-by-Side Comparison

Sony STR-DH790 (USA, Canadian and Taiwanese versions)

SCORE:
70

Highlights

  • 7.2 channels
  • 7.1 channel processing
  • 90 W (6 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
  • Dolby Atmos, DTS:X capable
  • HDR10, Dolby Vision, 4K Passthrough
  • Bluetooth
  • USB input

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Content

Overview

Sony STR-DH790 was introduced in 2018. It is equipped with 7 channel amplifier with 90 W (6 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.

We evaluated the a/v receiver and gave 70 overall score out of 100. Our ranking system is based on the amplifier specifications, audio and video features, connectivity, multizone capabilities, radio and many other details.

AMPLIFIER
62
VIDEO FEATURES
94
AUDIO FEATURES
84
CONNECTIVITY
62
MULTIZONE
55
MISCELLANEOUS
46
RADIO
36
OVERALL
70

Pros and Cons

In this section we present pros and cons of Sony STR-DH790.

PROS
  Dolby Atmos
  DTS:X
  DSD via HDMI
  Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
  eARC
  New HDCP Version
  HDR10
  Dolby Vision
  4K or 8K Video Passthrough
  Bluetooth
  Zones
  Analog Tuner
  New Bluetooth Version
CONS
  No Front Wide Channel Support
  No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
  No IMAX Enhanced
  No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
  No HDR10+
  No 4K or 8K Video Upscaling
  No Chromecast Built-In
  Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
  No Ethernet
  No Wi-Fi
  Few HDMI Inputs
  Few HDMI Outputs
  Few 8K Inputs
  No USB Input
  Few Optical Inputs
  No Composite Video Inputs
  No RCA Pre-Outs
  No Pandora
  No Spotify
  No Tidal

Predecessor

Here we are comparing Sony STR-DH790 to its predecessor STR-DH770 and displaying the major changes.

UPGRADES Sony STR-DH790 vs Sony STR-DH770
Dolby Atmos up to 5.1.2 or 7.1 vs
Dolby Surround Upmixer vs
DTS:X up to 5.1.2 or 7.1 vs
DTS Neural:X vs
More Advanced Auto Speaker Calibration System Advanced D.C.A.C. vs D.C.A.C.
Automatic Phase Matching vs
Automatic Phase Matching vs
Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) vs
Dolby Vision vs
HLG vs
USB DC Out Port vs

DOWNGRADES Sony STR-DH790 vs Sony STR-DH770
Dolby Pro Logic vs PLIIx
Dolby Digital EX vs
DTS Neo vs Neo:6
USB Input 1 Rear for Firmware Update and power Supply vs 1 (Front)
Less Composite Video Inputs vs 2
Less Composite Video Outputs vs 1
Front A/V Inputs vs USB
Analog Tuner FM vs FM with RDS
More Large Speaker Terminals 2 vs 7

For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Sony STR-DH790 vs Sony STR-DH770.

Audio Section

7 channel Amplifier

Sony STR-DH790 features 7 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 90 W (6 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

    Speaker Configurations

    Sony STR-DH790's 7 channel amplifier can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

    • Dolby Atmos Configurations: The following speaker configurations are supported for Dolby Atmos:
    • 5.2.2 with internal amplifier.
    • DTS:X Configurations: The speaker configurations for DTS:X are the same as for Dolby Atmos:
    • 5.2.2 with internal amplifier.
    • Configurations without height channels: There are also other speaker configurations available which do not include height channels:
    • 5.2, 7.2 with internal amplifier.
    • 2-ch Bi-Amp: Sony STR-DH790 allows you 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

    Sony STR-DH790 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: 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

    Sony STR-DH790 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: DTS Neural:X 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.

    Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)

    Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature allows the compatible TV to send audio signal to the a/v receiver through the same HDMI cable which is used to send audio and video signals to the TV. So one HDMI cable is used to transfer audio signal in both directions. New Enhanced ARC will support uncompressed audio formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio whereas the previous ARC could support only Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, DTS HD, and PCM.


    Sound Processing

      Room Calibration

      Sony STR-DH790 comes with Advanced D.C.A.C. room correction system and includes the calibration microphone.

        Video Section

        HDMI

        Sony STR-DH790 features 4 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

        • 4K/60Hz Passthrough: All inputs pass up to 4K/60p (YCbCr4:4:4) 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%.
        • HDCP 2.2 Copy Protection: All inputs and outputs are HDCP 2.2 compliant which is a requirement for 4K/HDR copy-protected content transmission.
        • 3D Ready: Sony STR-DH790 is able to pass 3D video through HDMI.

        HDR (High Dynamic Range)

        Sony STR-DH790 supports HDR (high dynamic range) video formats such as 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 4 line inputs for analog audio connection.
        • Digital Inputs and Outputs: 0 optical input, 1 optical output and 1 coaxial input are available for digital audio connection.
        • Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel.

        Video

        • HDMI:
        • Inputs: 4   Outputs: 1
          8K Inputs: 0
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        Specifications

        Here we list all the available features and specifications of Sony STR-DH790.

        BASICS
        BrandSony
        ModelSTR-DH790
        TypeA/V Receiver
        CountryUSA, Canada and Taiwan
        Release Year2018
        AMPLIFIER
        Channels7.2
        Front Wide Channel Support
        THX™ Certification
        Continuous 6 Ω Rated
        Certified 4 Ω Performance
        Bi-amp Capability
        AUDIO
        Maximum Channel Processing7.1
        Air Studios Monitor Certification
        Dolby Atmos up to 5.1.2 or 7.1
        Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        Dolby Atmos Music
        Dolby TrueHD
        Dolby Digital Plus
        Dolby Surround Upmixer
        Dolby Pro Logic
        Dolby Digital EX
        Surround EX
        DTS:X up to 5.1.2 or 7.1
        DTS Neural:X
        DTS Virtual:X
        DTS Neo
        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
        DSD via HDMI 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
        DSD to PCM Converter
        USB DAC
        DTS Dialog Control
        Dialogue Lift
        Digital Legato Linear
        In-Ceiling Speaker Mode
        OP Processing
        Sound Optimizer
        Tone Control All Channels
        High-resolution Music Enhancer
        Audyssey Dynamic EQ
        Audyssey Dynamic Volume
        Audyssey LFC
        Audyssey Sub EQ HT
        Audyssey DSX
        Direct Mode
        Pure Direct Mode
        CALIBRATION
        Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic. Advanced D.C.A.C.
        Calibration MicrophoneMono
        Speaker Relocation
        Automatic Phase Matching
        VIDEO
        Enhanced ARC
        HDCP Version2.2
        HDR10
        HDR10+
        Dynamic HDR
        Dolby Vision
        HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
        BT.2020 color space
        QMS (Quick Media Switching)
        ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
        VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
        QFT (Quick Frame transport)
        3-D Ready
        Video Signal Passthroughup to 4K/60p (YCbCr4:4:4)
        Video Signal Upscaling
        Analog To HDMI Upconversion
        isf Certified Calibration Control
        CONNECTIVITY
        MHL Input
        DLNA 1.5
        FireConnect
        FlareConnect
        Music Connect
        Remote Monitoring with ihiji
        Chromecast Built-In
        DTS Play-Fi
        Works with Amazon Alexa
        Works with SONOS
        AirPlay
        Apple Product Connection
        InstaPrevue Input Source Prevue
        Ethernet
        Ethernet Switch
        Wi-Fi
        Bluetooth SBC, AAC
        HDBaseT Compatible
        HDMI Inputs4
        HDMI Outputs1
        8K Inputs
        USB Input1 Rear for Firmware Update and power Supply
        USB DC Out Port
        RCA Line Input4
        RCA Line Output
        XLR Line Inputs
        Phono Input
        Optical Inputs1
        Optical Outputs
        Coaxial Inputs1
        Composite Video Input
        Composite Video Output
        S-Video Input
        S-Video Output
        Component Video Input
        Component Video Output
        PC In
        Multi-Channel Input
        RCA Pre-Outs0.2
        XLR Pre-outs
        Front A/V Inputs
        Speaker A/B
        Headphone Out6.3 mm (1/4")
        ZONES
        Zones1
        RS-232C Interface
        +12V Trigger Output
        Remote (IR) Input/Output0 / 0
        MISC
        On-Screen Display Graphical User Interface (Only through HDMI)
        Detachable Power Cord
        RADIO
        Analog Tuner FM
        Presets30
        Digital Radio
        Pandora
        Spotify
        Tidal
        Deezer
        Napster
        SiriusXM Internet Radio
        CONSTRUCTION
        Speaker Terminals7
        Large Speaker Terminals2
        Color-Coded Speaker Terminals
        Gold plated RCA terminals
        POWER
        Power SupplyAC 120 V, 60 Hz
        Power Consumption240 W
        Standby Power0.3 W
        GENERAL
        Dimensions (W x H x D)430 mm x 133 mm x 297 mm
        17" x 5-1/4" x 11-3/4"
        Weight7.4 kg (16 lbs. 6 oz.)
        Warranty2 Years
        SPECS
        Power Output (6 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 290 W (0.09% THD)
        Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 2105 W (0.9% THD)
        Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1 channel driven, FTC)145 W (0.9% THD)
        Input Sensitivity and Impedance (Line)500 mV/50 kΩ
        Rated Preout Level and Impedance2 V/1 kΩ (Subwoofer)
        S/N Ratio (Line, IHF-A)105 dB (500 mV)
        S/N Ratio (digital)100 dB (20 kHz LPF)
        Frequency Response (Analog In)10 Hz - 100 kHz/+0.5 dB, -2 dB
        DSD Sampling Rates via HDMI2.8 MHz
        Bluetooth Version4․2
        Bluetooth Frequency2.4 GHz
        USB TerminalType A, Ver. 2.0, 5 V, 1 A
        FM Frequency87.5 MHz - 108.0 MHz

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

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