Denon AVR-S940H vs Sony STR-ZA810ES

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Along with the growing popularity of custom home theater builds, the comparison of Denon AVR-S940H and Sony STR-ZA810ES takes place. We estimated the compared receivers and both received a 7.4 out of 10 points. The release date of AVR-S940H is 2018, and STR-ZA810ES is 2017.

Main advantages Denon AVR-S940H over Sony STR-ZA810ES

Main advantages Sony STR-ZA810ES over Denon AVR-S940H

Amplifiers

For the built-in amplifier, the models have rated 7 points out of 10.

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. Both receivers can handle the 7.2-channels configuration.

RMS stands for the actual power of the receiver. The higher this value, the louder the sound can be produced. The differences between the models in terms of RMS power are significant - for the STR-ZA810ES this value is 100/8 W/Ohm, and for the AVR-S940H it is 90/8 W/Ohm.

Audio features

The score for audio features is 7 of 10 for both receivers.

Bi-amping is the amplification of one speaker with two amplifiers. This amplification method has a positive effect on sound quality. Bi-amping is possible on the STR-ZA810ES.

Most receivers now come with a microphone included. It is with the help of this microphone that the auto-calibration system functions, which adjusts the sound of the receiver to the room.

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is markedly different, Denon AVR-S940H scored 7, and Sony STR-ZA810ES scored 9 out of 10.

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for the receiver's control or even music broadcasting.

DLNA is the perfect way to use your local cloud storage to stream movies and music directly to a TV. You can use the DLNA protocol only with Sony STR-ZA810ES.

Streaming services

Now music streaming services are gaining more and more popularity. They allow users to listen to millions of songs by subscription.

Extensive connections

The presence of many connectors makes the receiver more versatile. But there are also narrowly targeted models, the number of connectors which are limited to a certain area of use. And when choosing their own receiver, users need to consider exactly your goals for using the receiver. For extensive connection, Denon AVR-S940H got 9 points, but Sony STR-ZA810ES received 7 points.

Denon AVR-S940H is equipped with 8/2 HDMI inputs and outputs, and Sony STR-ZA810ES has 6/2 HDMI inputs and outputs.

HDMI eARC is the next step in the development of audio return channel technology, which works in conjunction with HDMI 2.1. Using eARC provides the highest sound quality for home audio systems. HDMI eARC is available on Sony STR-ZA810ES.

Connecting a vinyl player or phonograph is possible using a Phono input which is represented by mini-jack or RCA connectors. Only the AVR-S940H has a Phono interface.

Video features

The AV receiver is the heart of the home theater. And in this case, support for all current video formats ensures the best user experience, so it is very important to consider this when choosing a device. Video features of the AVR-S940H were rated 6 out of 10 against the 9 for the STR-ZA810ES.

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, the AVR-S940H got 10 points, but the STR-ZA810ES has 8.

Only the Denon AVR-S940H has the ECO mode.

Multi-room

As the center of a home media system, each multichannel receiver has an additional set of terminals for connecting the second set of speakers to create additional audio space in Zone 2 or even Zone 3 where audio can have the separate source.

Multichannel surround

For the ability to create multichannel surround sound, each of the receivers received 7 points out of 10.