An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Sony STR-DH790 vs Sony STR DH550 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STR-DH790 has 7.2 versus 5.2 for Sony STR DH550. And as for power, it is the same and equal to 90/6. The THD is the same and is 0.09%.
Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/24-bit. Only the STR-DH790 supports Bi-amping feature. The Sony STR-DH790 can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
Both models do not have WI-FI support. Only the STR-DH790 has Bluetooth support. Each of these units does not support Apple Music. Competitors do not have built-in Spotify service. Only the STR-DH790 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 STR-DH790.
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 STR-DH790. 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 not present in each of the AV receivers. The setup assistant will help you configure Sony STR-DH790.
Only the STR-DH790 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the STR-DH790.