Denon AVR-S970H vs Sony STR-AZ7000ES

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An overview of Denon AVR-S970H and Sony STR-AZ7000ES will help us understand the many features that the devices are equipped with. According to the results of our review, Denon AVR-S970H received 8.3 points out of 10 possible, and Sony STR-AZ7000ES was rated 8.7 points. The release date of AVR-S970H is 2022, and STR-AZ7000ES is 2023. And as a result of the review, it becomes clear that AVR-S970H is inferior in audio processing features to STR-AZ7000ES.

Main advantages Denon AVR-S970H over Sony STR-AZ7000ES

Main advantages Sony STR-AZ7000ES over Denon AVR-S970H

Amplifiers

For the built-in amplifier, the devices received different marks - 7 and 10, respectively, on a 10-point scale.

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Denon AVR-S970H supports 7.2-channels sound, but Sony STR-AZ7000ES supports a 13.2-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-AZ7000ES this value is 150/8 W/Ohm, and for the AVR-S970H it is 90/8 W/Ohm.

Audio features

The score for audio features is 8 of 10 for both receivers.

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.

Speaker A/B switching allows you to change between the main and sub speaker set. Denon AVR-S970H can work with the main and additional set of speakers - and switch between them.

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is equal and was rated 8 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-AZ7000ES.

MHL combines the functionality of the HDMI and MicroUSB interfaces and lets you connect any mobile devices to a receiver. The STR-AZ7000ES has MHL support for streaming content from external devices.

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, both receivers got 8 points on our 10-point scale.

Competitors in our review have 6/2 HDMI inputs and outputs.

Connecting a vinyl player or phonograph is possible using a Phono input which is represented by mini-jack or RCA connectors. Only the AVR-S970H 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-S970H were rated 10 out of 10 against the 9 for the STR-AZ7000ES.

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, both receivers received a score of 10 out of 10.

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 8 points out of 10.

IMAX Enhanced is a licensing and certification program under which home theater devices deliver crisp 4K HDR pictures and powerful sound as it was designed by the IMAX engineers. The STR-AZ7000ES licensed by IMAX.