An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Sony STR-DN1080 vs Denon AVR-X6700H comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STR-DN1080 has 7.2 versus 11.2 for Denon AVR-X6700H. Regarding power, then STR-DN1080 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 120/6 when AVR-X6700H has a power of 140/8, 175/6. The THD is 0.09% for the STR-DN1080 but 0.05% for the AVR-X6700H. Both the STR-DN1080 and the AVR-X6700H 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. The Sony STR-DN1080 has support for AirPlay, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The STR-DN1080 can work with the audio stream from TIDAL, Pandora, and the AVR-X6700H can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Qobuz, TuneIn Radio. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The AVR-X6700H can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the STR-DN1080. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the AVR-X6700H.
The Sony STR-DN1080 has 6/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/3 HDMI connectors of the Denon AVR-X6700H. 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-DN1080 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the AVR-X6700H. The AVR-X6700H has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The STR-DN1080 supports 2 Multi-room zones, versus 3 for the AVR-X6700H. The STR-DN1080 supports voice control via Google assistant, and the AVR-X6700H - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. An ECO mode is only available for the AVR-X6700H. Both STR-DN1080 and AVR-X6700H 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.