Sony 5.2 Channel Home Theater AV Receiver

Sony 5.2 Channel Home Theater AV Receiver Review 2026: Is It Worth Buying?

Look, we’ve all been there, right? You’ve got this beautiful big screen TV, maybe even a new one, and the picture quality is…

Sony STR-DH590 — A Budget 5.2 Receiver That Does the Basics Right

The Sony STR-DH590 is a 5.2-channel AV receiver priced around $200-250. It handles the core job of a home theater receiver — decoding surround sound formats, amplifying five speakers plus two subwoofer outputs, and switching between HDMI sources — without the streaming features, room correction, or advanced processing of receivers costing $400+. At this price, it”s an entry point for building a real speaker-based surround system.

What You Get

145 watts per channel (6 ohms, 1kHz, 1 channel driven). Real-world output with all five channels running simultaneously is closer to 70-80 watts per channel, which is enough to drive bookshelf speakers and a center channel to reference levels in rooms up to about 300 square feet. Larger rooms or floor-standing speakers with low sensitivity ratings may benefit from more power.

Four HDMI inputs, one HDMI output with ARC (not eARC). All HDMI ports support 4K HDR10 passthrough. No Dolby Vision passthrough — a limitation that matters if your content sources output Dolby Vision and your TV supports it. The receiver strips Dolby Vision and passes HDR10 instead. For Dolby Vision, you”d need to connect sources directly to the TV and use ARC for audio return.

Surround formats: Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD Master Audio. No Dolby Atmos, no DTS:X — these require the STR-DH790 or higher. The DH590 is a 5.1/5.2 receiver strictly for traditional surround layouts (front L/R, center, surround L/R, subwoofer).

Connectivity

Bluetooth for wireless music streaming from phones and tablets. No Wi-Fi, no AirPlay, no Chromecast, no multi-room audio. If you want streaming integration, you”ll need a separate streaming device (Chromecast, Apple TV, Fire Stick) connected via HDMI. The Bluetooth works reliably for casual music listening but compresses audio — not suitable for critical music listening.

Analog stereo inputs, optical input, and a phono preamp input for turntables. The phono stage is basic but functional — adequate for entry-level turntables without requiring a separate preamp.

Setup and Use

On-screen setup guide walks through speaker configuration, distance settings, and level calibration using a test tone and manual adjustment. No automatic room correction microphone — you set distances and levels by ear or with a smartphone SPL meter. This is the main feature gap versus the Denon AVR-S570BT ($250), which includes Audyssey room correction that automates the calibration process.

The remote is a standard Sony AV remote with clearly labeled buttons. The on-screen interface is basic but functional. Input switching is responsive — about 2 seconds to switch between HDMI sources.

Compared to Competitors

Denon AVR-S570BT ($250): Adds Audyssey MultEQ room correction, eARC, 8K HDMI passthrough on one port, and HEOS streaming. Costs $50 more but addresses every limitation of the Sony. For most buyers, the Denon is the better choice at a small premium.

Yamaha RX-V4A ($350): Adds MusicCast streaming, YPAO room correction, HDMI 2.1 on two ports, and significantly better amplification quality. The $100-150 premium buys meaningful upgrades in both features and sound quality.

Who Should Buy This

• Budget home theater builders who want a real 5.1 system at the lowest possible receiver cost.
• Buyers who already have a streaming device and don”t need built-in Wi-Fi or app streaming.
• Turntable owners who want a receiver with a built-in phono stage.

• Anyone who wants Dolby Atmos or DTS:X — this receiver doesn”t support height channels.
• Dolby Vision users — the HDMI ports don”t pass through DV.
• Buyers who want automatic room correction — spend $50 more on the Denon S570BT.

The STR-DH590 is a bare-bones 5.2 receiver for buyers on the tightest budget. It works. It sounds decent. It connects your HDMI sources and drives five speakers with adequate power. For $50 more, the Denon S570BT does everything the Sony does plus room correction and eARC, making the Sony a hard recommendation unless you find it on a significant sale.

Pros

• Excellent sound for the price point.
• Easy setup with simple auto calibration.
• Handles 4K HDR content beautifully.
• Bluetooth streaming is very convenient.
• Enough HDMI ports for typical setups.

Cons

• No built-in Wi-Fi or streaming apps.
• Remote feels a bit basic and dated.
• Limited to 5.2 channels, no upgrade path.