The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Sony STR-DH790 vs Onkyo TX-NR686 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
Considered AV receivers have the same number of channels 7.2. Regarding power, then STR-DH790 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 90/6 when TX-NR686 has a power of 165/6. The THD is 0.09% for the STR-DH790 but 0.08% for the TX-NR686.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for STR-DH790 and VLSC 384 KHz/32-bit for the TX-NR686. Both the STR-DH790 and the TX-NR686 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 TX-NR686 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 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-NR686. 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. The TX-NR686 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. Both STR-DH790 and TX-NR686 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.