It makes sense comparing Denon DRA-900H vs Sony STR-AZ7000ES because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Denon DRA-900H has 2.2 versus 13.2 for Sony STR-AZ7000ES. Regarding power, then DRA-900H has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8, 120/6 when STR-AZ7000ES has a power of 150/8. The THD is 0.08% for the DRA-900H but 0.09% for the STR-AZ7000ES.
Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/32-bit. Only the STR-AZ7000ES supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Apple Music service is implemented on considered devices: AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Amazon Music HD, MOOD:Mix - all of these streaming services have found application in each of the models.
Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/120Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the STR-AZ7000ES.
The Denon DRA-900H has 6/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/2 HDMI connectors of the Sony STR-AZ7000ES. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. HDMI eARC is available in each model. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.3. The DRA-900H has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The DRA-900H supports 2 Multi-room zones, versus 3 for the STR-AZ7000ES. Supported voice control technologies are identical - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both DRA-900H and STR-AZ7000ES can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the STR-AZ7000ES has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the STR-AZ7000ES.