AV Receiver Reviews

Five channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads:
0.1% distortion at 68.7 watts
1% distortion at 81.3 watts

Seven channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads:
0.1% distortion at 53.9 watts
1% distortion at 70.5 watts

Analog frequency response in Analog Direct mode:
–0.05 dB at 10 Hz
–0.01 dB at 20 Hz
+0.06 dB at 20 kHz
–2.49 dB at 50 kHz

Analog frequency response with stereo signal processing:
–0.25 dB at 10 Hz
–0.09 dB at 20 Hz
–0.67 dB at 20 kHz
–62.10 dB at 50 kHz

This graph shows that the STR-DH520's left channel, from CD input to speaker output with two channels driving 8-ohm loads, reaches 0.1% distortion at 114.8 watts and 1% distortion at 141.7 watts. Into 4 ohms, the amplifier reaches 0.1% distortion at 133.6 watts and 1% distortion at 160.6 watts.

There was no multichannel analog input to measure. THD+N from the CD input to the speaker output was less than 0.008% at 1 kHz when driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load. Crosstalk at 1 kHz driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load was –86.28 dB left to right and –80.79 dB right to left. The signal-to-noise ratio with an 8-ohm load from 10 Hz to 24 kHz with "A" weighting was –107.13 dBrA.

From the Dolby Digital input to the loudspeaker output, the left channel measures –0.02 dB at 20 Hz and –0.58 dB at 20 kHz. The center channel measures –0.03 dB at 20 Hz and –0.53 dB at 20 kHz, and the left surround channel measures –0.02 dB at 20 Hz and –0.58 dB at 20 kHz. From the Dolby Digital input to the line-level output, the LFE channel is +0.06 dB at 20 Hz when referenced to the level at 40 Hz and reaches the upper 3-dB down point at 116 Hz and the upper 6-dB down point at 119 Hz.—MJP

Video Test Bench

The Sony performs no video processing. Its video circuitry is pass-through only. There is also no cross conversion—that is, it cannot convert a component or lesser input to an HDMI output. Therefore the only applicable blocks in our video tests are clipping (a test to insure that an AVR passes both above white and below black) and resolution. The Sony passed these tests flawlessly.—TJN