Sony STR-DH790 vs Yamaha RX-A8A review

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It makes sense comparing Sony STR-DH790 vs Yamaha RX-A8A because they both are able to give some premium features.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STR-DH790 has 7.2 versus 11.2 for Yamaha RX-A8A. Regarding power, then STR-DH790 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 90/6 when RX-A8A has a power of 150/8. The THD is 0.09% for the STR-DH790 but 0.06% for the RX-A8A.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for STR-DH790 and 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-A8A. Both the STR-DH790 and the RX-A8A support Bi-amping. 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 RX-A8A supports Spotify.

Video features

HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The RX-A8A can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the STR-DH790. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.

Extensive connections

The Sony STR-DH790 has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/3 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-A8A. 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 RX-A8A. The RX-A8A has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-A8A. Both STR-DH790 and RX-A8A can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.