Customer Ratings & Reviews

Sony STR-DH590 5.1 AVR 1 month review. One month ago I upgraded an old Onkyo 5.1 to this budget priced Sony AVR and new Polk XT speakers. After a month I have come to know the unit fairly well and figured I'd write a review for anyone looking to buy one. Right off the bat, this receiver is a very good buy at $250-300, being one of the lowest priced name brand 5.1 receivers... But it has some minor, and one major flaw. However, many people may not ever encounter it. This receiver is best for someone new to surround sound or someone that wants a set-it-and-forget-it type of unit. With speakers that are properly broken in, the auto calibration is sufficient to set the unit up with only minor adjustments. Sony advertises this unit as a 145 watt per channel 5 channel amp... However, in reading the manual you find out that this is a rating of only one channel driven, at a specific frequency, at a specific ohm rating. The owner's manual gives another rating of 90 watts per channel into 6 ohm speakers. The unit's true ratings are hard to determine and I still do not know what they are but they are estimated to be approximately 50 watts per channel RMS with all five channels driven at the most commonly found speaker impedance of 8 ohms. There are two subwoofer outputs on the back of the unit, but they are controlled as one. The audio from all inputs is clear, bass is strong, and highs are crisp... however center channel vocals are slightly thin and a bit boomy like a sound bar can be. That's the first flaw I was never able to fix, even using several different brand speakers for center channels. The second flaw I wasn't able to fix is that inputs signal are output at drastically different in volume. Dolby signals are quieter, PCM is significantly louder, and analog varies by the source device. Correcting volume differences in the menu did not help as sources can change their signal based on the content being played back (Example: Documentary in PCM at 40, versus action movie in Dolby Digital at 55, and Music at 30 are all approximately the same volume from the same streaming device). Switching back and forth can cause unexpectedly loud volumes. I was able to run the unit at full volume without any noticeable distortion when using a Dolby Digital signal from a Roku. Volume was very loud, but just short of being uncomfortable. I did not run the analog or PCM inputs at their max volume is they presented a greater risk of clipping due to their louder volume. The menu system is good, although a little bit cumbersome. On screen menu is nice but laggy. The inputs work as they should with one remote controlling the entire viewing session when CEC is enabled and devices are connected through HDMI. There are four HDMI ports all capable of 4K 60hz HDR 10 and 3D passthrough Being a budget unit that came out in 2021, most modern features including HDCP 2.3, eARC, Audyssey, Dolby Atmos, Dolby DTS-X, and 120 hertz passthrough are not supported. If these are important to you, look into the Sony DH760 7.2 channel AVR which has these features (except for Audyssey). There is one optical and digital input each, as well three analog inputs. This provides enough inputs for most people's needs. This unit does not provide a dedicated phono input. This is where I discovered the major flaw. To listen to my record player I purchased an external preamp and connected it with the stereo RCAs. When I began listening to the my records I discovered that Sony decided we do not need a subwoofer with stereo analog input. Reading the manual revealed the only way to enable a subwoofer with analog input is to turn on multi-channel output or one of their extra enhancement EQs. Unfortunately, most of these eqs unnaturally alter the sound and introduce noise. This was a deal-breaker for me and resulted in me purchasing a different unit. Even though I went with a different unit, I would still recommend this unit for someone who wants a simple easy to use AVR at a very good price... As long as they are not wanting to use a subwoofer with an analog input. Pros Cheap Great sound Easy setup Easy to use Many inputs Clear Bluetooth Cons Output specs unclear No eARC (yes with DH760) No 120Hz (yes with DH760) Slow onscreen menu No phonograph input No sub with analog sources Center vocals may be thin and boomy

For the record, I've owned several Sony products over the years. I even worked there a few. Haven't owned a Sony receiver in years, but needed to replace my old Pioneer. When I saw this receiver on-line and looked at the specs, reviews, and price, I was thrilled. As another old sound guy from the 70's (seems to be a few here), here is an audio device that gives you just what you need, with no extras. In short... Easy set up. Love the freedom Sony gives you with audio. I can go multiple channel setups on a whim. With large KEF's (+ center), large DCM rears, and a Mirage sub, freedom equates to happiness . Always loved their soundstage. Bluetooth music sounds good too Now that I'm 100% HDMI, I made the decision to run off the speakers, not the TV. What a fantastic decision! This is the biggest surprise so far. Movies are "different". Previous rig was a Samsung Blu-ray with multi channel outputs hooked into the Pioneer. A richer sound than the Sony, I think, but I'm getting a lot more detail in the dialogue now. My rear speakers sound a lot more pronounced. I like it. Will continue to play around. What a bang-up job by my old company. Make the guy who thought this up CEO

I had a 20 year old Sony receiver that had started to make a "pop" sound when it was powered up. While it still sounded great after starting up, I also knew it was time to replace it. This receiver is about the same level as the old one, but it is actually much better. The sound on bluray movies, with the same speakers, is deeper and subtler. And setting it up is a breeze - it comes with a small microphone you plug in and put where you sit. Then you select an automatic setup option and the receiver plays a bunch of tones. When it's done, it adjusts the volume of each speaker for your room. Done! Otherwise it also has you run all the HDMI connections through it to your TV, so you don't have to switch the TV from one input to another, so that saves a few button clicks. Pick up the remote for the receiver, select "Cable" or "Game" or "Media Box" and it flips over to it. There is a bluetooth feature where you can connect a smartphone streaming music, I haven't tried that out yet, I mostly watch TV and movies in the living room. I recommend reading the manual and setting up the automatic power off on the receiver, otherwise it will stay on, and the TV will also stay on because it's getting some kind of signal. So if you forgot to turn off everything then you can come back into the room hours later and the receiver and TV will be sitting there waiting for you, burning up power. The automatic shutoff takes care of that.

Extremely happy with this receiver! Bear in mind as you read this, I'm one of those old geezers who remembers the Tower Systems of the 70s and 80s. Pros: 1) Easy set up! Took about 15 minutes. 2) perfect for the newer TVs that only have two HDMI inputs. You can run multiple games, disc players and your cable box through the receiver with only one HDMI to the TV. 3) Automatically turns on with your cable box and your cable box will control the volume. 4) Bluetooth function is awesome! No loss of quality. 5) Easy tuner set-up. Directions are easy to follow. Cons: 1) you will want to play around with the presets for the audio output. The sound is truly incredible. However, some settings virtually Wipeout speech on the video. If you have someone who has little or no technical ability and they're playing with buttons they may they may think they have broken something. 2) The remote is on the small side, so us geezers have a little hard time finding the black buttons. Set up: My speaker set up consists of two old Realistic (Radio Shack) bookshelf speakers and a twenty-year-old subwoofer. If you have something more fancy or more modern your sound might even be better. Great value!

We purchased this unit due to its small height and 4 HDMI auto-switching inputs. It had plenty of output for our Harman Kardon 5.1 speakers and was a snap to set up and use. We did not even have to look at the manual. Everything from TV to music to video games sound great. All for an attractive price.

Very pleased customer here. Cant conplain about the price, power, quality and ease of use. I use this setup in my game room for my PS5 and xbox and everyone loves it so far.

Excellent. It works well with the system we have and it was easy to set up. I installed it with a surround system in the ceiling and it works as intended. Would suggest to others.

I purchased this receiver because I was actually looking for a 2.1 ch receiver. I couldn’t find one so this would be the next step up from what I originally needed. This is a 5.2 ch receiver. I’m only using the front three channels in stereo and one sub output. It sounds really nice and has plenty of power. You really need a good powered subwoofer and quality surround and center speakers to take advantage of its power and clarity. Keep in mind, I’m only using the front three channels and one subwoofer (velodyne) and it shakes the cabinets in the house. This is capable of five channels and two powered subwoofers. The bluetooth connectivity is a plus and is really easy to connect phones or media that supports bluetooth. The only reason I gave it four stars is because I’ve had this a couple months now and still haven’t figured out how to adjust the bass and treble. It says in the instructions but it tells you to access the settings through the tv or something like that. I don’t have time for all that.

I'm very pleased with my new Sony SHD 590 4k receiver. Besides the great holiday price, so far it has proven to be an excellent piece of equipment to help upgrade my home theater system. I recently decided to go from a soundbar system, and go to an all separates route. My room size is medium in size, so I decided that getting a basic A/ V receiver, and a smaller home theater speaker ( separates) package would be a definite advantage over my Vizio soundbar system. I also like the fact that the Sony receiver acts as an all in one hub to chose between what video, TV, and music sources I want to listen or watch from. To summarize, I feel that I made an excellent choice with the Sony receiver, and it will provide me with years of TV and movie watching experience for years to come. Sound quality of the receiver too ,makes it an easy recommendation for anyone who is on a budget and wants the best bang for the buck. Kudos, Sony!

I purchased this receiver strictly for use in a 2.1 ch music only application so I will do the review based on that only. It's paired with Axiom M22 speakers and an RSL subwoofer in a 1000 cu. ft. room. It's connected via Toslink to my computer. Pros: super easy setup. Just plug the microphone in and start the setup function and the receiver will automatically calibrate the right volume trims for your speakers and subwoofer. More than enough power for my setup especially since my speakers are fairly efficient. Clear, fairly neutral sound especially via Toslink cable and has 2 subwoofer inputs in case you need another subwoofer. Has a multitude of DSP's to choose from if you're using it as an HT (home theater) system as well. Cons: not really a con but the receiver sets my speakers to large instead of small in which I have to manually go into "speaker settings" and change them back to "small" and set the proper crossover. This is no big deal though and is easily done. Would recommend for an entry level music or HT setup.

The Sony STR-DH%() 725W 5.2 Chanel Hi Res A/V Received has been an outstanding addition to my home entertainment system .the sound quality is phenomenal,and it has made a huge difference in my movie-wacthing experience.The received handles both high -resolution audio and 4k video flawlessly ,making it perfect for my UHD setup.One of my favorite features is the ease of use .The setup was straightforward,and the interface is user -friendly,so I didn't need to spend too much time configuring it.The receiver also supports a range of connectivity options ,including Bluethooth ,Wich is great for streaming music from my phone.For the price ,you get the fantastic value. The 5.2 Channel surround sound is immersive and offers a deep ,rich audio experience.If you're looking to elevate your home theater system without spending a fortune ,this is a fantastic choice.

Great 4k receiver for the money. You will sacrifice Dolby Atmos and an in depth on screen menu but features work as they should and it is simple. Sound is crisp, power is ample, and overall the receiver is a good value if you can get it on sale.

I needed an 5.2 Receiver for my workout system and this little gem did the trick. Had all the connections needed, HDMI, Optical, and all the RCA's you could want. The plus side of this little receiver was it was rated at 140 watts RMS for five channels, twice I was using. Since I was using Old School Allison CD6's as my front and rear speakers, I needed the power. Between the Allison's are two 10 inch self powered Velodyne subwoofers. Is this overkill for a orkout system....probably. But Baby, its rocks the house while I'm working out! 5 Star rating for this little baby!!!

My barely 2 yr old Denon failed. Twice within 4 weeks. Best Buy repaired it under warranty, but a few weeks later it died again. Best Buy was fantastic. Allowed me to return the Denon and choose something comparable. It may be my imagination. but I swear my picture is brighter and more vibrant. And my audio is giving me depth I hadn’t heard in ages. Am I happy with my receiver. Oh yeah. EZ setup. Great audio. Great video. Great price. What’s not to love?

I needed to replace my older Sony STR-DH720 though fully functional and equipped didnt support the new HDMI and wouldn't pass through 4K and all the new stuff. Easy enough to hook up and enough connections on the back for most people now unless you have a VCR with the 3 wire RCA or PHONO to hook up without additional connections. After looking at the picture with a VCR hooked up I wondered why I bothered to connect one at all to my new TV. It works great and is plenty powerful. Its a nice deal if you get it on sale with $50 off too. I am very happy with it!

This receiver is extremely simple. It has very few settings to tweak. However it just works. It sounds awesome for movies and for music you can't beat Sony's sound modes. It doesn't even have bass and treble. The only time I've found the lack of tweaks to be an issue is when listening to some older like 80s music where I wanted to kick the bass up a bit. For the price I'm very happy with it and kinda like that I don't have to mess with anything.

Ease of us. Use for music primarily from phone via bluetooth and sound is really good. have a pair of B&W 603 s2 towers. (Con) No real eq just preset sound enhancements. other than that overall good unit. Get decent speakers, that makes the difference. Can't beat price and has plenty of power. Just not sure if it has built in crossover eq filtering if rear and center speakers are to be connected.

The STRDH590 replaced a Yamaha A/V R that was about 30 years old. So you can imagine how delighted I am to have this state-of- the -art A/V R, from Sony. My Media Room is about 15'X30' and the Sony fills it with such awesome sound. The ARC connection is a plus. With some tech help I was able to install it myself. I also purchased a new subwoofer.

Replaced an old DVD Home Theatre System with this new Home Theatre Receiver and speakers. Easy to setup and it sounds great. Perfect for my family room theatre

Im replacing a used slimline Marantz HT receiver i had that never seemed to have enough power...Didnt want to spend too much for the living room Home theater as my critical listening room has my hi end componentsbut i still wanted good sound so i took a chance..For me?...best lil bit of money spent for such a powerful,easy to use receiver...just the right amount of features including 2 sub outs!....easily drives any set of speakers including 4 ohm...Im using with a monster cable speaker selector box which enables me to drive other sets of speakers....Not sure how this unit will hold up yet but for now...all things considered,,,very satisfied for my application!