The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Onkyo TX-RZ820 vs Sony STR-DH790 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 TX-RZ820 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 160/8 when STR-DH790 has a power of 90/6. The THD is 0.08% for the TX-RZ820 but 0.09% for the STR-DH790.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for TX-RZ820 and 192 KHz/24-bit for the STR-DH790. Both the TX-RZ820 and the STR-DH790 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-RZ820 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 Onkyo TX-RZ820 has 7/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Sony STR-DH790. 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-RZ820 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. A voice control is not available. An ECO mode is only available for the TX-RZ820. Both TX-RZ820 and STR-DH790 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.