Customer Ratings & Reviews

Sony makes very reliable audio equiptment. It just about always lasts a long time, at least from my experience and friends/family. This has 2 sub out connections and believe me 2 subs even out the sound when you put them opposite sides of the room. The sound this thing puts out is very good and it's easy to program. One thing nobody really talks about: Don't use real cheap HDMI cables on a 4K big screen TV! Get some decent ones at least. Otherwise you'll never know what Your TV is capable of. Also, I noticed because I just wanted to try it... and if you agree tell people you know...IF YOU HAVE 2.1 HDMI inputs on your TV, TRY AN 8K HDMI CABLE. I REALIZE YOUR CABLE BOX ISN'T 4K AT 120HTZ. BUT THE 8K WIRE WILL IMPROVE THE SIGNAL ANYWAY. I TRIED THE 8K WIRE on my X-Finity Cable box and it made a big difference. THESE NEW A/V RECEIVERS HAVE (AT LEAST SOME DO) PASSTHROUGH FOR 2.1 so you can go through the receiver before the TV. The 2 receivers I have even try to upconvert the signal. I think it works with regular blue ray movies too. Anyway, you ought to try 8K HDMI CABLES GOING TO YOUR 2.1 HDMI TV INPUTS EVEN IF YOU AREN'T SENDING 8K or 120htz SIGNALS. I WAS SURPRISED HOW MUCH OF DIFFERENCE IT MADE. It just shows how much good cables matter. Your TV and receiver can help improve the signal. This won't work if you don't have 2.1 inputs.

A great sound system with all desired functions. Sounds great. Easy to set up with included microphone for calibration. Excellent. Replaced a 25 year old Sony system that still works but was bulky and when the remote died, i could not find a replacement.

I replaced my old Sony amp that stopped working but it was over 10 years old and I definitely put it through the ringer. I was able to take the new one out of the box and had it up and running in about 10 minutes. All of the HDMI connections were a breeze as well as the speaker connections. I also tested the optical input to make sure it would work and it worked with no issues. Make sure you make the connections before you turn on the system. Once all the connections are made, plug it in and turn it on. Turn on the TV/cable box/satellite box or whatever you use and turn up the volume. Plug in the little microphone that comes with the unit. Take the microphone where you normally sit and use the calibration feature to get the best set up for your speakers. Then let the system do the testing and setup for you. Don't have surround speakers. That's OK. This system will run on just the 2 speakers, left and right. The amp also comes with surround simulation with just the two front speakers and sounds great. I have this set up in my living room that has an open floor plan to the dining and kitchen area. Even with all that open space, this amp gets loud. Although it won't make your ears bleed, you won't need to turn it all the way up to feel the bass. It also provides several simulations like hall which provides an echo to the sound like you are in a concert hall. It's definitely not the top of the line amp, but I'm not running a movie theater. I'm watching and listening in my living room. This amp has plenty of power and sounds great. My only disappointment is that I don't have two sub woofers to really shake my house.

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

I bought this unit to passthrough 4K HDR content from my Xbox One X and it works like a charm. Video looks just as good as if I plugged the Xbox directly into the TV and I haven’t noticed any lag. This powers my speakers nicely, which is a Boston Acoustics 5.1 setup. Setup was a breeze as the system goes through a built in process and measures speaker distance to optimize the sound field. My favorite feature on this unit that my old unit didn’t have is the Bluetooth feature. Even with the head unit off, I just have to select the head unit from my Bluetooth sources on my phone and the head unit turns on and connects. The head unit volume also changes with the volume buttons on my phone, which is awesome. Two things have bugged me though. One is that every time the sound changes, the display on the head unit scrolls the sound type. This happens even when just playing another video through YouTube through the app on my Xbox. The scrolling is annoying and I can’t find a way to disable the feature. So far, all I do is dim the display so it isn’t as obvious. The second thing that bugs me is when changing the volume, you have to hit the volume button one extra time when changing the volume. When first hitting up or down on the volume button, the volume will show on the display, but not change; it just shows what it currently is. You then have to hit the button again to change anything. Just an annoyance if you want to increase or decrease the volume by one. Overall, great system and it looks good.

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.

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.

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.

Easy to set up and I liked the fact that it's smaller than the older one it is replacing.

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.

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!!!

Added for a simple receiver to get music to different places around our work shop. Has produced good sound and easy to use.

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.

Not a big video guy but very into music I have a three amp set up for two channels but nothing to take advantage of the blue ray and 5.1 formats so I got this and I admit I’m into five channel stereo with the sub (small ) and for this Sony snuck its way into my figure hi fi setup .if I was huge into home theater I’d go 7.1 but for a nice sounding standard unit this hit the spot for me .i do want altos sound now too but I never stop playing with various set ups for fun since 12 years old ,im 56 and still at it .Sony is king of video and nice headphones too

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?

Just what I needed to run my smart tv & turntable. Easy to set up & use.