Sony STR DH550 vs Yamaha RX-V485BL review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Sony STR DH550 vs Yamaha RX-V485BL that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STR DH550 has 5.2 versus 5.1 for Yamaha RX-V485BL. Regarding power, then STR DH550 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 90/6 when RX-V485BL has a power of 80/6. The THD is the same and is 0.09%.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for STR DH550 and Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-V485BL. Only the RX-V485BL supports Bi-amping feature. The Yamaha RX-V485BL can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Only the RX-V485BL has Bluetooth support. Only the RX-V485BL supports Spotify. Only the RX-V485BL provides HDMI signal transmission in standby mode. The RX-V485BL can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the STR DH550. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the RX-V485BL.

Extensive connections

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-V485BL. 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. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-V485BL. The setup assistant will help you configure Yamaha RX-V485BL.

Multichannel surround

None of the rivals equipped with Dolby Atmos multichannel audio decoder. The receivers do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X.