The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Sony STR-ZA810ES vs Onkyo TX-NR787 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STR-ZA810ES has 7.2 versus 9.2 for Onkyo TX-NR787. Regarding power, then STR-ZA810ES has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8 when TX-NR787 has a power of 100/8, 220/6. The THD is 0.09% for the STR-ZA810ES but 0.08% for the TX-NR787.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 384 KHz/32-bit for STR-ZA810ES and AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for the TX-NR787. Both the STR-ZA810ES and the TX-NR787 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 Apple Music service is implemented on considered devices: AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver.
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. The STR-ZA810ES can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-NR787. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Sony STR-ZA810ES has 6/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-NR787. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the STR-ZA810ES. 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-NR787 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The STR-ZA810ES supports 2 Multi-room zones, versus 3 for the TX-NR787. Supported voice control technologies are identical - Google Assistant. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. Both STR-ZA810ES and TX-NR787 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.