The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Denon AVR-X4500H vs Sony STR-ZA2100ES that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Denon AVR-X4500H has 9.2 versus 7.2 for Sony STR-ZA2100ES. Regarding power, then AVR-X4500H has such a W/Ohm ratio - 125/8, 165/6 when STR-ZA2100ES has a power of 75/8, 95/6. The THD is 0.05% for the AVR-X4500H but 0.09% for the STR-ZA2100ES. Both the AVR-X4500H and the STR-ZA2100ES support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
Only the Denon AVR-X4500H can connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Only the AVR-X4500H 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 rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Denon AVR-X4500H has 8/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/2 HDMI connectors of the Sony STR-ZA2100ES. 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. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.2. The AVR-X4500H has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The AVR-X4500H supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the STR-ZA2100ES. An ECO mode is only available for the AVR-X4500H. Both AVR-X4500H and STR-ZA2100ES 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.