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Sony 7.2-Channel 145W Dolby Atmos Receiver with eARC (STR-DH790) $649 Shipped @ Kogan

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FREESHIP

This is the cheapest 7.2 Dolby Atmos Receiver with eARC that I can find at this moment, so I ordered one myself.

Yes, it has been cheaper before, but it seems Sony has increased the RRP on this by $200, and the next cheapest price is now $734. It is actually a very good price still because:

  • It is lower than most receivers, which matters if you want to fit it inside an AV cabinet (which nowadays don't fit the oversized AV receivers) instead of on top
  • It is relatively powerful, despite its size
  • It supports eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel; lossless sound with lipsync through HDMI back to the receiver)

AFAIK, eARC it is the only way to get a lossless audio signal from your TV into your receiver. Toslink optical only support up to 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS, which are compressed; sound quality suffers considerably. Technically even 5.1 is outside the toslink spec, and I read LG stopped supporting downsampling HD audio to 5.1 DD/DTS, reducing you to stereo if you don't have eARC.

Separate tip: I get my speaker wire from Bunnings. Do not underestimate how thick it has to be across long distances, or else you lose a lot of power. I use 14 Gauge.

Original Coupon Deal

Specifications

audio

Amplifier 7 Channels
Audio Decoding 5.1.2 Channel
Impedance 6-16 ohmΩ
Input and Output Terminals 1x Audio Input Opt, 1x Audio Input Coax, 4x Analog Audio Input, 2x Pre Out Subwoofer, 1x Headphone Output, USB (for power supply only)
Speaker Out Terminals Front, Center, Surround

connectivity

Bluetooth Yes

dimensions

Dimensions 430 x 133 x 297mm
Weight 7.4kg

features**

**Automatic Standby Yes

general

Features Video: HDR, Audio Return Channel, HDMI Pass Through, 3D Over HDMI, 4K 60P 4:4:4 Support, A/V Sync & Bravia Sync

power

Output
145W (6ohms, 1kHz, 1ch THD 0.9 %)
Power Requirements
AC 230V 50Hz

warranty

Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year

Manufacturer's page

Related Stores

Kogan
Kogan
Marketplace

closed Comments

  • It's cheap for a reason. I think if you are spending that much coin on a receiver, and given you expect it to last a good number of years, better to consider brands like Marantz and Denon which their brand are more reputable in the business

    • +1

      I agree that Denon is good, and the $729 receiver the other day was great value. But it can't fit my cabinet, and having a receiver sit next to a large tv, such that the tv barely even fits on my furniture, just looks stupid. As for Marantz, the lowline one is great, but double the price. I'll take my chances with this one and see how it goes. Also, I had Kogan credit to spend. The Kogan credit card has caused me a lot of hassle, but the earn rate of $0.01 per dollar spent is great in situations like this.

  • I'm still waiting for a good deal to buy a 9.2 channel receiver. I want to set up 5.1.4 Dobly Atmos.

  • +4

    I have one of these paired with klipsch 5.1. It is roof shattering sound. Punchy bass. Just awesome. Not sure I’d would spend with Kogan though

    • Thanks for the feedback, looking forward to it. Apparently this receiver sends a higher volume to the sub.
      Yes, I am not always a huge Kogan fan, but I had credit to spend (including some which expired today), and this was the lowest price and an official Australian model. I paid the balance with Paypal, to be sure :)

    • is that the Klipsch quintet set?

      • Its Klipsch HD600

  • Assuming that's 145W per channel?

    • +1

      Yes, it's 7 x 145W per channel @ 6 Ohm. Though at that level, the distortion would of course be high. Apparently, distortion is 0.09% THD at 90 Watts (6 Ohm), 2 channels driven across full spectrum. So that's a decent wattage at a reasonably respectable THD.

  • i cant tell my denon ARC is compressed audio given im watching downloaded or streamed shows 90% of the time

    • I watch a lot of streamed movies. Previously, I used a Chromecast or Android TV box, hooked up to my receiver, and audio would be Dolby Digital Plus (compressed, but still high-definition). My old receiver isn't 4k compatible, so I am now using the tv's apps directly, preventing me from getting Dolby Digital Plus (no eARC support), and I can most definitely hear the difference.

      Dolby Digital Plus is used by many streaming services, and many also stream in Dolby Atmos, such as Prime Video.

      Have you ever listened to HD Audio?

      • What to do use for Dolby Atmos? Chromecast and Mi Box S don't support Atmos so looking at an alternative.

        • +1

          My tv should support it (LG with WebOS). I also plan to upgrade my blu-ray player to a UHD one, though most annoyingly these things have increased in price by a lot, and there aren't many cheap 4k blu ray players with Dolby Vision support.

      • if you mean blu ray audio then yes i have a collection of 30 or so blu rays but majority of the time im netflix or downloaded 4k/1080p files

      • +2

        You don't need eARC for Dolby Digital Plus. That will work over standard ARC on most (all?) TVs.

  • +1

    Good price. Thanks OP

  • Still don't understand how all av receivers don't come with all speaker outs as binding posts.

    • It's a space saving thing in this model, I reckon. My old receiver has a decent amount of power, but also clips for anything except front L+R. Not sure how much it matters. Many people use inadequate speaker wire anyway, not realising how thick it has to be for high wattage across a long distance.

  • Wanting a decent sound system for a non very sound proof house. Would a soundbar be better or 7.1? Buy the speakers/receiver separately or as a package?

    • +1

      Big difference. Sound bar has little spatial distribution. All comes down to $$$ as well. A receiver like this, with 7 speakers and a sub, will most certainly make a lot of noise. But to me, sound quality matters more than volume (within certain financial constraints).

      Speaker packages can be good value for money.

      • I would rather audio quality as well. Have up to $900 to spend but would rather spend a little less. Just don't know what I'm looking for spec wise, TV's and PC's are easy lol. I also don't live anywhere I can just go and test them for myself.

        • +1

          I'd go Second Hand for speakers & potentially the AVR depending on your requirements. I'd look on building up your system rather trying to get 7.1 from the start.

          • +1

            @PaPaGeorGeo: Hmmm…. second-hand speakers can easily have been made to suffer. Better buy something half decent cheap and new. And a used AVR won't likely support modern protocols, such as eARC, 4k, HDR, etc.

            There are plenty of good deals to be had on cheap speaker sets.

        • +1

          Sony STR-DN1080 for under $1000 is still about the best bang for buck you can get for receiver.
          Consider, but be wary, of good second hand speakers.

          • @thedriver: DN1080 is good but also depends if DN1080 can fit inside the tv rack

    • +5

      even a decent 2.1 setup is waaaay better than a soundbar

  • Hoping to snag a Sony STR-DN1080 at the next $850'ish sale price but this is tempting. No chance ordering it from Kogan though. Nothing's worth that.

    • Whats wrong with Kogan?

      • +5

        Terrible company with little to no customer support (complaints constantly about them here), grey market products, no responses to warranty issues, pricejacking during the pandemic etc. It's really not a company people should be supporting, least oi all with expensive items.

        • Thats good to know… Thanks.

  • I had it’s big brother STR-DN1080 and it was awesome. A lot better than my previous Denon and Pioneer amp. Sound placement was amazing and had plenty of power, often people would ask me if I have speakers inside the wall :). I miss it’s atmos sound.

  • I have this with a 5.2.2 setup.
    Happy with it, except for the annoying source pop up after a signal change.
    eARC just doesn’t seem necessary yet as all streaming audio Is compressed and even atmos from the TV works via standard ARC.
    What is the actual use case for eARC? As I understand it is for passing through lossless audio via HDMI but wouldn’t you just hook it up via the receiver anyway?

    • +1

      Apparently eARC includes lip sync as well. I guess it depends on whether you use external devices or the tv's apps. I read that LG firmware updates dropped support for decoding DTS, such that those relying on ARC to get a DD+ signal across are now stuck with PCM 2.1.

  • Price back to $749 now.

    Cheaper to get from Sony website $734 with free shipping.

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