Sony STR-DH590 vs Onkyo TX-SR494

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Votes 1 1
Rating 5 5

STR-DH590 vs TX-SR494 comparison chart

Sony STR-DH590 vs Onkyo TX-SR494 review

Sony STR-DH590
vs
Onkyo TX-SR494

Along with the growing popularity of custom home theater builds, the comparison of Sony STR-DH590 and Onkyo TX-SR494 takes place. According to the results of our review, Sony STR-DH590 received 4.2 points out of 10 possible, and Onkyo TX-SR494 was rated 5.5 points. The release date of STR-DH590 is 2018, and TX-SR494 is 2019. Based on the data on the characteristics and features of both models, we can conclude that TX-SR494 has better performance than STR-DH590.

Main advantages Sony STR-DH590 over Onkyo TX-SR494

  • 145/6 W/Ohm RMS makes it more productive compared to 135/6 W/Ohm RMS in another receiver in the review.

Main advantages Onkyo TX-SR494 over Sony STR-DH590

  • More channels, namely 7, makes this receiver more profitable than its 5-channel competitor.
  • Thanks to 2 multi-room zones support, TX-SR494 bypasses its competitor without multizone support.
  • Surround sound ensures the availability of Dolby Atmos.
  • Object-oriented sound ensures the availability of DTS:X.

Amplifiers

For the built-in amplifier, the devices received different marks - 6 and 7, respectively, on a 10-point scale.

STR-DH590
6
TX-SR494
7

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Sony STR-DH590 supports 5.2-channels sound, but Onkyo TX-SR494 supports a 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-DH590 this value is 145/6 W/Ohm, and for the TX-SR494 it is 135/6 W/Ohm.

STR-DH590 TX-SR494
Channels5.27.2
Stereo power (RMS), W/Ohm145/6135/6
Output impedance, Ohm66
Frequency response10Hz-100KHz10Hz-100KHz
THD in stereo, %0.090.08

Audio features

After reviewing the audio features of each model, we can rate the STR-DH590 5 out of 10, and the TX-SR494 - 9.

STR-DH590
5
TX-SR494
9

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 TX-SR494.

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.

STR-DH590 TX-SR494
Digital to analog converter (DAC)192 KHz/32-bitAKM 384 KHz/32-bit
Bi-amping
Pure direct (straight)
Auto speaker calibrationDCACAccuEQ
Speaker A/B switching
Other audio featureshas notAdvanced Music Optimizer, Hi-Res audio

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is equal and was rated 5 out of 10.

STR-DH590
5
TX-SR494
5

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

Wired internet connection via RJ45 allows receiver faster connection than wireless or even use NAS storages. Neither the STR-DH590, nor the TX-SR494 has the RJ45 port.

STR-DH590 TX-SR494
Wi-Fi
USB1 (USB 2.0)1 (USB 2.0)
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)
DLNA
MHL

Streaming services

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

STR-DH590 TX-SR494
Apple Music (AirPlay)
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming serviceshas nothas not

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 6 points on our 10-point scale.

STR-DH590
6
TX-SR494
6

Competitors in our review have 4/1 HDMI inputs and outputs.

STR-DH590 TX-SR494
HDMI input/output4/14/1
HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel)
HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)
HDMI CEC
Digital content protection (HDCP)HDCP 2.2HDCP 2.2
Subwoofer output (LFE)22
Headphone output1 x 6.31 x 6.3
Optical digital input11
Coaxial digital input11
Composite input00
Component input/output0/00/0
Phono (MM) input
Front panel connectorsphones, setup micUSB, phones
Multi channel preamp output

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 rivals in our comparison were rated 6 out of 10.

STR-DH590
6
TX-SR494
6

STR-DH590 TX-SR494
HDR (High Dynamic Range)HDR10HDR10
4K signal pass-through4K/60Hz4K/60Hz
8K signal pass-through
HDMI signal pass-through
3D signal pass-through
HDMI pass-through in standby mode
Video conversion
Analog to HDMI scaling
HDMI to HDMI scaling
Dolby Vision
Other video featuresHLGDeepColor, x.v.Color, HLG, BT.2020

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, the STR-DH590 got 4 points, but the TX-SR494 has 6.

STR-DH590
4
TX-SR494
6

STR-DH590 TX-SR494
Voice control
App controliPhone, iPad, iPod, Android
Displayfluorescentfluorescent
TunerAM, FMAM, FM
Sleep timer
Auto power off
ECO mode
Graphical user interface (GUI)
Setup assistant
Firmware updateUSBUSB
Other additional featureshas nothas not

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.

STR-DH590 TX-SR494
Multi-room zoneshas not2
Zone audio outputhas notspeaker
Zone HDMI outputhas not
Multi-room controlhas nothas not
RS-23200
Remote control input/output (IR)0/00/0
DC trigger output (12V)00

Multichannel surround

Sony STR-DH590 got 5 points for the multichannel surround sound and Onkyo TX-SR494 got 7.

STR-DH590
5
TX-SR494
7

Dolby Atmos' particularity is that this is the object-oriented sound format, that is, each audio signal object is independently sounded and connected to its spatial position. Onkyo TX-SR494 can create 3D sound due to the Dolby Atmos support.

DTS:X is an algorithm used by the processor to create sound scenes, where sounds connected directly to objects rather than channels, and to determine the optimum sound output distribution in space. Surround sound with DTS:X is available on the TX-SR494.

STR-DH590 TX-SR494
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Surround
Dolby (other)Dolby DigitalDolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
DTS:X
DTS HD Master
DTS Virtual:X
DTS Neural:X
DTS (other)DTS 96/24DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESS
Auro-3D
IMAX Enhanced
Multichannel stereo
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