It makes sense comparing Sony STR-DN1080 vs Marantz NR1509 because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STR-DN1080 has 7.2 versus 5.2 for Marantz NR1509. Regarding power, then STR-DN1080 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 120/6 when NR1509 has a power of 50/8, 60/6. The THD is 0.09% for the STR-DN1080 but 0.08% for the NR1509.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 96 KHz/24-bit for STR-DN1080 and 192 KHz/24-bit for the NR1509. Only the STR-DN1080 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. 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 NR1509 can receive a content from Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn Radio.
These units support HDR technology. 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. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the NR1509.
The Sony STR-DN1080 has 6/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/1 HDMI connectors of the Marantz NR1509. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the STR-DN1080. 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 NR1509 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. The STR-DN1080 supports voice control via Google assistant, and the NR1509 - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. An ECO mode is only available for the NR1509. Both STR-DN1080 and NR1509 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the STR-DN1080 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the STR-DN1080.