An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Denon AVR-S540BT vs Sony STR DH550 comparison definitely makes sense.
Considered AV receivers have the same number of channels 5.2. Regarding power, then AVR-S540BT has such a W/Ohm ratio - 70/8, 90/6 when STR DH550 has a power of 90/6. The THD is 0.08% for the AVR-S540BT but 0.09% for the STR DH550.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/32-bit for AVR-S540BT and 192 KHz/24-bit for the STR DH550. None of the models support Bi-amping. Sound transmission directly to the amplifier in Pure direct (straight) mode is not implemented in these models.
Both models do not have WI-FI support. Only the AVR-S540BT has Bluetooth support. Each of these units does not support Apple Music. Only the AVR-S540BT supports Spotify.
Only the Denon AVR-S540BT has support for High dynamic range (HDR). Only the AVR-S540BT provides HDMI signal transmission in standby mode. Both competitors are not able to scale the HDMI signal. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the AVR-S540BT.
The Denon AVR-S540BT has 5/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Sony STR DH550. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. 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 2.2. Receivers do not have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. A voice control is not available. An ECO mode is only available for the AVR-S540BT. The setup assistant will help you configure Denon AVR-S540BT.
None of the rivals equipped with Dolby Atmos multichannel audio decoder. The receivers do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X.