The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Sony STR-DH790 vs Marantz NR1510 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STR-DH790 has 7.2 versus 5.2 for Marantz NR1510. Regarding power, then STR-DH790 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 90/6 when NR1510 has a power of 50/8, 60/6. The THD is 0.09% for the STR-DH790 but 0.08% for the NR1510.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for STR-DH790 and 192 KHz/32-bit for the NR1510. Only the STR-DH790 supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Only the NR1510 supports Spotify.
Both AV receivers support HDR10 technology (High dynamic range). Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/60Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both competitors are not able to scale the HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Sony STR-DH790 has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/1 HDMI connectors of the Marantz NR1510. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. HDMI eARC is available in each model. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The STR-DH790 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the NR1510. The NR1510 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is only available for the NR1510. Both STR-DH790 and NR1510 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the STR-DH790 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the STR-DH790.