It makes sense comparing Sony STR DH550 vs Yamaha RX-V683BL because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STR DH550 has 5.2 versus 7.2 for Yamaha RX-V683BL. Regarding power, then STR DH550 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 90/6 when RX-V683BL has a power of 90/8, 150/4. The THD is 0.09% for the STR DH550 but 0.06% for the RX-V683BL.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for STR DH550 and Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit for the RX-V683BL. Only the RX-V683BL supports Bi-amping feature. The Yamaha RX-V683BL can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
Only the Yamaha RX-V683BL can connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Only the RX-V683BL has Bluetooth support. Only the RX-V683BL supports Spotify. Only the RX-V683BL provides HDMI signal transmission in standby mode. The RX-V683BL can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the STR DH550. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the RX-V683BL.
The Sony STR DH550 has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/1 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-V683BL. 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. The RX-V683BL has 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-V683BL. The setup assistant will help you configure Yamaha RX-V683BL.
Only the RX-V683BL has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the RX-V683BL.