An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Yamaha RX-V385BL vs Sony STR DH550 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-V385BL has 5.1 versus 5.2 for Sony STR DH550. Regarding power, then RX-V385BL has such a W/Ohm ratio - 70/8, 145/6 when STR DH550 has a power of 90/6. The THD is the same and is 0.09%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for RX-V385BL 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 RX-V385BL has Bluetooth support. Each of these units does not support Apple Music. Competitors do not have built-in Spotify service. Only the RX-V385BL provides HDMI signal transmission in standby mode. The RX-V385BL can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the STR DH550. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the RX-V385BL.
Each receiver has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-V385BL. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The RX-V385BL supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the STR DH550. 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 RX-V385BL. Unfortunately, the setup assistant is not available in each of the models.
None of the rivals equipped with Dolby Atmos multichannel audio decoder. The receivers do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X.