Sony STRZA5000ES vs Onkyo TX-SR353 review

vs

The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Sony STRZA5000ES vs Onkyo TX-SR353 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STRZA5000ES has 9.2 versus 5.1 for Onkyo TX-SR353. Regarding power, then STRZA5000ES has such a W/Ohm ratio - 130/8 when TX-SR353 has a power of 140/6. The THD is 0.09% for the STRZA5000ES but 0.08% for the TX-SR353. Only the STRZA5000ES supports Bi-amping feature. The Sony STRZA5000ES can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.

Connectivity

Both models do not have WI-FI support. Only the TX-SR353 has Bluetooth support. Each of these units does not support Apple Music. Competitors do not have built-in Spotify service. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The STRZA5000ES can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-SR353. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the STRZA5000ES.

Extensive connections

The Sony STRZA5000ES has 6/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-SR353. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. 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. Receivers do not have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. A voice control is not available. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. The setup assistant will help you configure Sony STRZA5000ES.

Multichannel surround

Only the STRZA5000ES has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the STRZA5000ES.