Sony STR-DH590 Receiver

Product Information

If you’re looking to add a few more speakers into your sound system, you might want to consider upgrading to Sony’s STR-DN1080, which offers 7.2 plus Phantom Rear Surround which lets you simulate the sound of a seven channel system with only five speakers, sort of like the 2.1 virtual system available on the STR-DH590. If you don’t need 4K pass through, only have two speakers, or don’t mind significant less wattage, the low-end STR-DH190 is a more cost effective option. In all honestly, the amount of money you would save with the STR-DH190 doesn’t measure up to the amount of functionality you lose. That’s why the STR-DH590 is the clear winner of the bunch.

We have tested the Sony STR-DH590 5-Channel AV Receiver!

When you start up the receiver it presents a kind of basic user menu across the screen of your TV. This can overlay whatever video signal is being throughput, even UHD HDR BT.2020 stuff, and it can be invoked at any time with the ‘Home’ key. The four options are ‘Watch’, which lets you choose one of the four HDMI inputs, ‘Listen’, which lets you choose from Bluetooth, the FM tuner (there is no AM tuner) and SA/CD analogue or digital, ‘Easy Setup’ which invokes a settings wizard, the inappropriately-named ‘Sound Effect’, and ‘Speaker Settings’ which allows manual adjustments to speaker settings. One of the major highlights of the receiver is the 4K and HDR pass-through. What it means is, with this receiver, you will actually be able to experience the High Dynamic Range video quality if you have HDR compliant streaming devices without any video distortion on account of constant adaptations. and HDR are the new resolution standard, period. 1080p is trying its darndest to stay relevant, but that ship is slowly sailing away. As a new generation of TVs enter our living rooms, the demand for updated audio equipment is becoming an international crisis. Okay… maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but it really is a problem. If you’re using a receiver that’s not built for 4K, you’re not really watching 4K quality video. If your receiver doesn’t have a direct pass 4K pass through, then you might as well have a 1080 set. That’s just the reality of the situation.Increased Power Output: The Sony STR-DH790 boasts a more substantial power output of 145W per channel, ensuring clearer and more dynamic audio performance, especially during demanding and high-volume scenes. This power advantage enables the receiver to easily drive larger speakers, delivering a more captivating and impactful soundstage. Most of the sound-field settings ended up with a rather strong bass, much higher than that normally provided by AV receivers. Who does it right? Yamaha, Denon, Marantz on the one hand, with a more subdued subwoofer level, or Sony on the other hand, with one that’s at least six decibels higher? I brought down the bass level a little, but really, let your subwoofer’s capacity, your own taste and your neighbours’ complaints determine the optimum level for you. Note that if the subwoofer you have is one that also include HIGH LEVEL left and right speaker terminals, do not use these and connect your front left and right speakers to the terminals on the AV receiver, not the sub! Using the ‘options’ button on the remote that comes with the receiver for convenient operation, you can access the toolbar that allows you to make a few adjustments like Sound Field selection, Pure Direct selection, Dual Mono, AV Sync, and the Night Mode. HDMI inputs 1 and 2 are labeled Media Box and BD / DVD, which accurately indicate the source types. We paired the r eceiver with a Sony UBP-X800M2 Blu-ray player and also played music content from a computer and iPhone 8 via Bluetooth. It was easy to pair the Bluetooth devices with the receiver (there is a pairing button on the remote control) and the connection remained stable after pairing.

5.2ch Home Theatre AV Receiver | STR-DH590 - Sony Australia

HDR-compatible for extended picture contrast and brightness with compatible 4K TVs and HDR-encoded content Additional HDMI Inputs: With two extra HDMI inputs, the Sony STR-DH790 provides greater flexibility in connecting your various devices, such as gaming consoles, media players, and streaming devices. This allows you to keep all your entertainment sources connected simultaneously without the need for frequent switching. Get ready to be blown away by the stunning video performance of the Sony STR-DH590 AV receiver. This receiver is truly a powerhouse when it comes to delivering exceptional visuals. With support for 4K video and advanced features like HDCP 2.2, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, 60P, and 4:4:4 color space, you can expect nothing less than breathtaking picture quality. Using these controls, you will be able to run DCAC directly, rename the HDMI inputs, adjust speaker size/level, and make HDMI adjustments. 6. Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC) When it comes to choosing the perfect AV receiver for your home theater setup, both the Sony STR-DH790 and the Sony STR-DH590 stand out as solid choices. However, the STR-DH790 holds a clear advantage over its counterpart, offering a superior and more advanced feature set that enhances your audio and video experience to new heights.

Product highlights:

Advanced Room Calibration: The Sony STR-DH790 features the advanced Digital Cinema Auto Calibration EX (D.C.A.C. EX), which offers more precise and refined audio calibration for your specific room acoustics. This results in optimized sound delivery, ensuring that you get the most out of your speakers and subwoofer setup. Although you won’t find in-built network functionality as in the higher-priced models, you would be able to connect the Sony STR-DH590 to devices like your laptop or even mobile phone so that you can use services like AirPlay, Spotify, and Chromecast, through the device. Overall, the Sony STR-DH590 AV receiver is a fantastic investment for anyone looking to enhance their home entertainment system. With its stunning visuals and immersive sound quality, it delivers an impressive audio and video performance. The receiver’s top-notch video capabilities support 4K video with HDCP 2.2, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, 60P, and 4:4:4 color space. This ensures that you can enjoy your favorite movies and shows in the highest picture quality possible. The receiver comes with a 5.2 channel surround sound operating at a total of 725 W, each channel at 145 watts, 6 ohms, 0.9% THD, and a frequency of 1kHz.

Sony STR-DH590 5.2-channel home theater receiver with Sony STR-DH590 5.2-channel home theater receiver with

wire antenna is included. This receiver is not equipped with an AM tuner. Remote & Convenience Features We started the test with Martin Garrix and Bono & The Edge’s song-We are the people. Sony produced accurate and clear sound with proper dynamics and surround sound. It controlled the sounds properly even at higher volumes. 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.

What's in the box:

The Sony STR-DH590 is your basic 5.2 channel receiver. I usually say AV receivers aren’t much to look at, but there is something quite sleek and sexy about the Sony STR-DH590. The receiver stands just a smidge over 5” tall, which makes it slim by AV receiver standards. I don’t know if it’s the receiver’s proportions or its faux brushed metal look on the front, but the looks of this thing just does it for me. I dig it. The remote that comes with the unit is simple and intuitive which makes it pretty much perfect.

Manuals for STR-DH590 | Sony UK

The measurement starts after 5 seconds. The measurement process takes approximately 30 seconds. A test tone is output from each speaker in sequence including the sub in you correctly selected a speaker pattern that includes one. When the measurement is complete, a beep sounds. The most important feature to note here is the STR-DH590’s direct 4K and HDR pass through, a feature which will allow people with High Dynamic Range compatible TVs and media to experience the HDR video, without sacrificing video quality due to multiple adaptations. When we compared this receiver to a receiver which does not feature HDR pass through, there was a very significant difference. Have you calibrated the setup with the sub connected and the sub option turned on within the configurations? Before running the AV receiver's auto calibration, you need to do some alterations to the settings on the rear of the sub itself: Once the calibration is complete, go into the speaker settings on the AVR again and set all the speakers as being SMALL in size. Set the associated crossovers no lower than 80Hz. THe actual crossover may even need to be set higher than this depending upon the speakers you are using? The Sony STR DH590 is an affordable option in Sony’s range of multi-featured, high-quality surround sound systems. A device of many features, it comes with a dynamic setup, virtual front surround, smart connectivity, and superb audiovisual quality.

This receiver cannot play high definition content directly, via USB or network audio streaming. High-definition content must be played through another source, such as a SACD player or DAC. In addition to 5.2 channel, the STR-DH590 also supports a 2.1 channel virtual sound system, using S-Force PRO front surround sound to make less, sound like more. Using only two speakers, the virtual surround sound experience uses sound engineering to create the illusion of surround sound. While the 2.1 channel system was clearly inferior to the 5.2 channel system, the 2.1 is a great alternative for someone not ready to drop the extra dough on a five speaker system. Calibration built-in Bluetooth for wireless music listening with smartphones, tablets, and compatible computers After you have successfully connected the sources, speakers, and display and switched on the device, you will be asked to select your preferred language. Once you do that, you need to connect the microphone cable that comes with it to initiate the DCAC automatic setup. 5. Multi-functional Abilities One of the things you’ll probably want to consider before springing for the STR-DH590 are the device’s dimensions. Considering the quality that Sony is able to engineer out of this puppy, the form factor is very manageable. The AVR measures 17 inches by 5 ¼ inches by 11 ¾” (430 mm x 133 mm x 297 mm), which was significantly smaller than we were expecting. There have been too many occasions in the past when we have impulsively bought a receiver without doing our research, only to find that the AVR didn’t fit in the nook we had designated.