Sony STR-DH790 can it do what I need?

[Randall8686]

Hi All

Not going to lie I have no clue on this stuff. However have just spent a fortune on a custom media wall and definitely want surround sound so have decided ceiling speakers.

I have a Sony TV that i plan on using for the centre speaker and need an AV receiver. Given my TV is Sony i thought of going with the sony st-dh790 (im on a bit of a budget given niether of us are audiophiles but would like a bit more than a sound bar.

However I have an Xbox that does 120hz with VRR (my sony tv supports this)

Will this AV receiver support the VRR bit with all the other dolby goodies?

Should i be looking at another AV unit?

Tia

 

[Randall8686]

Ah thanks good to know. I think i need to just go to richer sounds and tell them what i want. Just dont want to get ripped off as I genuinely have no idea on these things

 

[Randall8686]

The way to do this is to exploit the features on the TV.

You have a source (the Xbox) and a TV that support fast refresh rates. This means that the TV will have a higher spec HDMI out. It will be eARC as well as ARC compatible.

eARC passes HD audio and regular DTS. The best most ARC TVs do is Dolby Digital.

Okay, so here's where you need to list out what you're actually using. Do any of your games make use of DTS sound? Are you playing Blu-rays or 4K UHD discs? If the answer in no to all of this, and it's not likely to change in the future, then all you need is an AV receiver with a basic ARC connection. (You don't need eARC even, though it wouldn't hurt.)

You put picture and sound in to the TV. Let it do its stuff with VRR and all that jazz. At the same time the TV passes the audio out to an ARC equipped AV receiver. Since the receiver is only dealing with sound, it doesn't need all the fancy VRR stuff.

Do the list then have another look if the Sony now fits the bill.

Thanks

The only device that I use is an XBOX one X everything else is streamed from either a local or online servers directly to the TV.

I will plug a Nintendo switch in but that's it lol.

 

[Randall8686]

100% - I don't know why I didn't think of this/suggest it as I was using eARC on my Sony A90J with a Denon X4700-H until very recently!

I have no idea what the Sony AVR's are like - I would personally recommend a second hand Denon on eBay.

Happy to spend a little more the Denons seem to start at £600 for at ATMOS version. The Denon X27700H is £600 and on paper does seem a lot more feature rich than the Sony.

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[Randall8686]

You've said you have an all in-ceiling speaker setup right now, or at least plan to. If that's the case then your main speakers for 5.1/7.1 will be in the wrong place for ATMOS to work effectively. Don't let that stop you buying an ATMOS-capable amp. Just don't waste your time and money buying and installing speakers for the extra ATMOS channels when the main channel speakers aren't firing from the correct direction*.

As for the Sony STR-DH790, I kind of despair a little because it's a signpost for the way sound bars have eaten into the AV receiver market. This is a £450 AV receiver and it has spring-clip terminals on the back FGS! Just compare the back panels of the 790 with the STR-DN1080 which also sold at £450 a couple of years ago.

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/av-receivers/str-dh790
https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/av-receivers/str-dn1080

6 HDMI in vs 4 on the 790
Dual HDMI outs
Network socket
Wireless aerials
IR In/Out
and no bliddy spring-clip terminals

Sorry to say it, but the 790 is what would have been the £300-£350 model had Sony made a successor to replace the 1080. [Sigh] But they're not alone. Pioneer and Onkyo are no longer in the game and the Yamaha RX-V4A doesn't even offer ATMOS. It's a sad state of affairs. I would say get the 2700 now whilst the getting is still good(ish).


.* Someone somewhere is bound to pipe up that all in-ceiling ATMOS is possible. And it will be, but not on a budget.

There'll be product where each pair of in-ceiling speakers has angled drivers and when all the ducks get in a perfect line then, yes, it's possible to have all the speakers in the ceiling.... maybe. The catch will be that the room will have to be just perfect, and the speakers perfectly placed - you know, no inconvenient pipework or flooring joists in the way of the millimetre-perfect positioning for the speakers - and the speakers themselves will be a kings ransom. Just a basic set of in-ceiling ATMOS speakers with proper angled drivers is £500+ per pair. That's one pair of speakers, not a whole kit. The greater the angle the higher the cost. Even after all the primping and fettling it still won't sound as good as a conventional ATMOS layout, but the marketeers and the salesmen won't tell you that.

Thank you for you’re very detailed reply. The problem is I genuinely have no clue about all this. I kinda came into this thinking oh a grand will get me an OK setup all dolby bla bla not even really understanding what Dolby is other than the word Dolby sounds cool.

I dont have to go ceiling speakers but i would need to have very small speakers mounted up just below the coving of the room and need to be white in colour and discreet (wife's orders) hence the thought of going for a ceiling solution would be ideal not thinking about the reality of the situation.

So i guess my question is would a “external” small satellite type speaker (im thinking the size of the old bose ones) give better results “on a budget”?

Ideally i want to try keep within £1200ish money for the amp, speakers and sub. I have plenty of cable (i work for a cable company) so can get cable for days.

If spending £1500 really will change the world then i would spend it but the project has already run over with 3k on the TV and a 2 grand for the media wall and decor etc (and i done it all myself)

I tried to call my local richer sounds and he just ended up speccing me a system that was 4 grand so i gave up wanting to go in there. I now see why people just but a soundbar and be done.