Sony STRDH790.CEK 7.2 Channel Dolby Atmos/DTS: X 4K HDR AV Receiver - Black

Product Information

The Sony sound also isn’t to everyone’s liking. We found that pairing this with high-quality speakers produced a significant improvement in overall sound, showing that this receiver has the potential to be excellent, but it sounded a little forced and harsh on budget speakers. And notably there is no support for networking at all, either Wi-Fi or Ethernet. However there is Bluetooth, which may be far more important for those seeking a receiver at this price point. It supports the AAC codec, so most Apple device users should get the best Bluetooth sound possible. It doesn’t support aptX, nor Sony’s LDAC.

Many people found the base version of the tuning software to be troublesome and limiting without some specific steps being taken. For example, many people found that by adjusting their main listening area several feet from where they will actually listen improved the automatic tuning results. Others had to tweak settings to get good sound from the Sony STR-Dh790 with DCAC. The STR-DH790 provides up to 1015 watts (145 watts per channel) total output power to let you enjoy a more theater-like sound. And as if this is not enough, the receiver offers you multiple options of setting up your system in any living or entertainment room.The Sony STR-DH790 is equipped with ample inputs and output to let you connect basic audio components, including DVD players, Blu-ray play, CD players, gaming consoles, and more. The unit offers:

I'm surprised at the very basic GUI when compared with other Sony AV Amps that I've seen. I think a lot more could have been made with that, especially with some of the finer set-up tweaks like reassigning inputs etc. The Sony STR-DH790 is rated to provide a full 90 watts per-channel on all seven powered channels. The wattage makes this one of the more powerful options and ensures you’ll get the best sound quality from your speakers. Each channel is engineered to operate with an impedance ranging from six ohms to 16 ohms, giving you a wide variety of speaker options to get the best sound. This Sony receiver features a robust but space-saving design (stands 5 1/4″ tall) to ensure that it will fit in conventional AV cabinets. Moreover, it sports a firm chassis that helps reduce vibrations while ensuring that it will blend with your décor. Stay connected

The rear panel also houses HDMI inputs, antenna connections, and an enhanced audio return channel to seamlessly connect your compatible television. Overall, the appearance of the Sony STR-DH790 is above-average. The brushed metal face and turned-finish knobs offer a touch of class to an otherwise utilitarian design. Also in ‘Sound Effect’ is a ‘Night Mode’, an ‘Equaliser’ (actually, bass and treble controls) for each channel pair, and ‘Calibration Type’ from which you can choose ‘Engineering’ As for music, again the results were very strong so long as I remained within the capabilities of the receiver and used speak­ers suited to it… and switched the sound of stereo music to ‘Stereo’ or ‘Direct’ or to ‘Pure Direct’, rather than the silly ‘All Channel Stereo’ default.

Overall, the features and functions work well to offer lots of performance and range of tuneability without being cluttered and over-demanding. The 4k resolution passthrough capability means this is an excellent budget choice for outfitting your new 4k television. The range of audio and video features included in this model make it a great choice for people who enjoy watching movies in all their cinematic glory from the comfort of their home. There were some wrinkles with the HDMI equipment I used. Specifically, neither of my Beyonwiz PVRs would work with the HDMI input labelled BD/DVD. Both worked perfectly with the Game and Media Box inputs. The Beyonwiz T4 also worked with the SAT/CATV input, but while the picture came through from the T3 on that one, the sound wouldn’t. I tried different HDMI cables. Who knows what was going on there. The BD/DVD input worked fine with the Sony disc player (above) and my own selection of UHD and Blu-ray players. A useful button on the remote displays video and audio signal information on the screen, so you’ve got some information to work with. Functionality is great, lovin' the Bluetooth input that is a comparative breeze to use. (Previously, I had one of those separate little receiver things - what a faff!) Also in ‘Sound Effect’ is a ‘Night Mode’, an ‘Equalizer’ (actually, bass and treble controls) for each channel pair, and ‘Calibration Type’ from which you can choose ‘Engineering’ (the default), ‘Front Ref’, ‘Full Flat’ or ‘Off’. This sets the reference which the auto EQ curves seek to approximate. ‘Front Ref’ is for those who like their front speaker sound relatively unprocessed and want the other speakers to conform, tonally, to them. ‘Engineering’ makes the sound match “the Sony listening room standard frequency characteristics”. (I got that from the online manual. The information you need is split between the printed one in the box and the online manual.) Finally, in ‘Sound Effect’ is a Pure Direct setting.When the language for the on-screen display of the TV is changed, the on-screen display language of the receiver is changed simultaneously.

The receiver also has one optical digital audio cable for connecting non-eARC televisions to provide an audio signal interface. Connectivity Options Measuring the power output of the Sony STR-DH790 proved a little problematical because Sony has built in an automatic circuit to prevent the output devices from overheating. This means that the power output of the amplifier is completely dependent on the temperature of the rather small heatsink inside the unit. This heatsink relies on passive radiation—it is not fan-cooled. When this heatsink’s temperature is lower than 25°C, Newport Test Labs found that the Sony STR-DH790 will deliver 162-watts per channel into 8ohm with one channel driven and 136-watts per channel into 8ohm with two channels driven. If you’re working with different combinations of speakers, our seamless auto calibration technology will have them all delivering the same high-quality sound. Automatic Phase Matching aligns the phase characteristics of your speakers to the front left and right speaker channels, so they all work perfectly together to deliver a more effective surround sound experience. There were some wrinkles with the HDMI equipment I used. Specifically, neither of my Beyonwiz PVRs would work with the HDMI input labelled BD/DVD. Both worked perfect­ly with the Game and Media Box inputs. The Beyonwiz T4 also worked with the SAT/CATV input, but while the picture came through from the T3 on that one, the sound wouldn’t. I tried different HDMI cables. No idea what was going on there. The BD/DVD input worked fine with the Sony UBP-X700 and my own selection of UHD and Blu-ray players. A useful button on the remote displays video and audio signal information on the screen, so you have some information to work with.The Sony has excellent output stage protection circuitry, including a heatsink temperature monitor that limits power output if the heatsink gets too hot… The Sony STR-DH790 is a fully featured home theater receiver with a user-friendly interface that will leave you impressed. One thing that we really liked is that it delivers a very powerful bass compared to the Sony STRDH 190 that we had an opportunity to review earlier. Get the real big screen experience with a fully-fledged 7.1 channel surround speaker system. The ideal way to close up any gaps in your sound space – even in bigger rooms. All round virtual surround with S-Force PRO DTS:X decoding delivers multi-dimensional surround sound that adapts to your speaker configuration in real time. Sound is positioned precisely around and above you, thanks to object-based audio decoding. The STR-DH790 processes DTS:X, HD, HDMA, ES, and 96/24 object-based audio signal information codecs. The average consumer will find these formats to offer crystal clear and surprisingly lifelike audio. Tuning Capabilities