Sony STR DH190 vs Denon PMA-800NE Comparison with KEF LS50M [Blind Test]

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This video is a sound comparison between Sony STR-DH190 and Denon PMA-800NE.
If you have other thoughts, please share with me.
thanks
Other sound comparison videos
Amps - • Amplifier Sound Demo
Speakers - • Hi Fi Speakers Sound Demo
Timecodes
0:00 - intro
0:19 - in order
0:34 - 1st Song - Remember me
4:04 - 2nd Song - Better than life
7:09 - Outro

[@bigd835]

I paid 99 dollars for the Sony and am extremely happy with it. it sounds great and has lots of features why spend hundreds more for a small possible increase in sound ?

[@budsmoker4201120]

Got mine for 99 too it is great got it paired up with a turntable, good times.

[@Audiorevue]

I've bought and set up the Sony on three different occasions and every time I have to say it's the best $150 I've ever spent. It just has this rich warm pleasurable sound to it, my other experiences with receivers in that price range, the Yamaha 202 and the older insignia amp that you used to be able to buy from Best buy, or just that they sound thin and really lack any real weight or heft to the bass or the mid-range. I don't know how Sony managed to make that thing sound as good as it does and charge as much as they do, my theory is that they are such a large company and have such a large purchasing power as well as able to implement really efficient economies of scale that they can make this as good as it sounds for as cheap as it is. Oh and in case anybody's wondering about why did you buy three of them, well I had initially bought one a few years back to use in the garage, I ended up liking it so much I decided to buy one for a second system in a bedroom, we have it hooked up to the TV and we have a streamer hooked up to it. And then the third one, I bought for my father-in-law and set it up for him. Like me he loves the thing and can't believe how good it sounds for the price.

[@Mustafa_Arslan]

It's definitely a great amplifier.Even the Bluetooth connection is very successful. Denon ceol 12 drives me crazy for the connection.

[@williammiebach1798]

The Denon seems to take it on midrange detail, but it is slightly more forward sounding than the Sony. I think the KEF's lean toward a forward sound as well, so I'm surprised I like it as much as I do here. I think it's been bested by other amps in the test for smoothness and transparency, but holds it's own against the Sony. Interrsting! 🤔

[@blipco5]

I have that Sony in my garage paired with Klipsch R-51M speakers and an old Sony CD player. Life is good. 🍻

[@nasdaq9394]

Sony str dh190 + Klipsch R51M sounds great?

[@blipco5]

@@nasdaq9394 Not great, but good, in my garage. My house gets the Parasound.

[@Holychickendestroyer]

I honestly couldn’t tell the difference except moments in the blind A B test the Sony sounded fuller on selected parts it could be attributed to the section of the song. On other occasions the Denon sounded fuller. The highs did sounded a little more defined on the Denon. And by that I mean I could make the cymbals out better on selected sections. But otherwise not a difference that would warrant any big huge price difference Great video Thanks.

[@andrewfox1446]

Well I am 52 years and I really can't hear any noticeable difference one thing I will say the Denon looks better but I think the Sony wipes the floor considering it is £150 cheaper One thing I will say about the Denon at least they've had the common sense to integrate the loudness feature weather you agree or not it is there for choice whether you like it or not well done Denon

[@eprojectEllie]

Totally agreed!

[@Orpheuss62]

PMA-800NE it doesn't have the loudness function anymore.

[@armandopatricio1975]

Denon seems to be more energetic and full-bodied, more impressive in that sense, but I feel it plays all the elements of the music at the "same volume level", making the sound a bit confusing (in the more complex sections) making it fatiguing. From everything I've seen on this channel, I think Audiolab is the most balanced, organized and pleasant. I think a comparison between Audiolab 6000 and Rega Brio would be great, if it's possible in the future. Sorry for any mistake, English is not my native language (feel free to correct me). Thanks for the demonstrations.

[@Panslapper]

Great amp the 6000A, really good grip on the low end and excellent instrument separation. I have the PMA800NE and its also a great amp but the 6000A has the edge in refinement. I do think the Nad C338 can hit a little harder than the 6000A though..the leading in of the drums for example.

[@JamesJohnson-tj9pv]

Could you do this comparison using Slayer as the music source.

[@user-uv6kk7ye1h]

Denon sounds better. Sony seems to be suffocating at midrange.

[@DougMen1]

Wow! I just looked up the prices on all these, and the only one that's close to the Denon is the NAD 338, with the Denon at $649 and the 338 at $699. The NAD 368, Cambridge, Audiolab, and Marantz are all $999! I wonder how the Arcam SA10 and Rotel A11 compare, both of which are $799. Of course the Sony is $168, and this also leads me to wonder how the Onkyo TX-8220, at $249 compares to the Sony. I've always liked Onkyo/Integra

[@khoaledang7384]

Denon sounds more powerful, punchy and details. Oh of course have look at the price: Denon C$950 vs Sony C$250 😉

[@sarastro3700]

I can't find the big difference...

[@marlonsalugao6272]

Sony is warm sounding ...relaxed non fatiguing Denon is somehow bright not good for long listening session Mids is forward

[@photonsphere760]

Sony: not bad, not bad... Now you - Denon!

[@jjuiorkoygre4866]

antes de que se quitase la pantalla blanca, opte por el B, pues era el SONY, vaya grata sorpresa

[@thomasb4128]

Denon wins against Sony, better midrange. But it's so difficult to rank these amps. To me the Cambridge won clearly against the Denon, but not against the Sony ...

[@robertanderson7049]

The switching back and forth is too quick to really get an idea. The Denon is a lot more expensive. I cannot tell much going back and forth so fast. Sony has always built good gear. I recently bought a Sony CD/DVD player for $35. It sounds clear as a bell. Not built like a tank, but love the sound. I sold gear for a long time. I have always thought Sony made the best CD players. I had a 5 disc carousel player for years. Sounded great and never a bit of trouble with it.

[@ricomartin8720]

It's the Sony for me I own one and I'm running 4 15 inch AAL 1540 MTX speakers and the Sony moves them 2 or 4 they sound great and the Sony sounds great too, Thank you😉😎

[@mietekkowalski935]

Denon👍👍👍👍👍✌️🇵🇱

[@robn7777777]

Thanks for the comparison but I can't really tell what they are like over laptop speakers on YT, also doesn't help that the track is short on real instruments.

[@LBCAndrew]

Get yourself some good headphones.

[@robn7777777]

@@LBCAndrew I already have some good headphones but using a laptop to power them degrades the sound.

[@muhendisabi1697]

Only differencies that sony is airy and soft (tube sound) Because of bas mid treble hear differencies...

[@Saigonner2024]

Obviously Denon produce bass and midrange more punchy and pushy, the sounds seems more clear and separately between each instrument; Sony's sounds like mix bag of all but not too bad, especially consider the price only CAD$250 against Denon CAD$950. IMO I'll go for Sony then can save much money for better speaker.

[@robertanderson7049]

With good speakers I believe you would find the Sony to be very clear.

[@robertanderson7049]

Check out the Onkyo A-9110. A great sounding integrated amp for $349. I am not sure it makes sense to have a received given the state of radio these days. I never listen to radio anymore. Very few companies offer a tuner these days. Yamaha did until about 2 years ago or so.

[@Audiorevue]

Well just because you don't listen to the radio doesn't mean others don't. A lot of people enjoy listening to the radio and I know three different audiophiles within 100 miles of me that have very high-end expensive Magnum dynalab tuners. A lot of it depends on where you live, I live in Northwest Florida and we have a lot of great radio stations here, of course NPR but also a lot of local stations, there's one here that plays jazz constantly and of course your standard classic rock and all that kind of stuff. Other places in the US are even better, head up to New York and in that area there is a lot of great stations and you can clearly pick up all of them. I always find the best thing about the radio is the access to new music for free. I don't know how many times I've been listening to the radio and I've been exposed to new music that I would never have been otherwise, because when I'm listening to Spotify or whatever I'm typically in my own little bubble and rarely does anything break through. The radio on the other hand you're always hearing new stuff and different stuff and particularly with like NPR for example they're always playing new music and different music, I fell in love with Hugh Masekela just because of NPR.

[@robertanderson7049]

Listen to what you want. No need to take my comment personal. Where I live radio sucks so makes no sense for me to have a tuner. I am not going to argue with you about it. Buy what you want. Listen to what you want. I am happy you know some people. Good for you. @@Audiorevue

[@Audiorevue]

@@robertanderson7049 nobody was taking anything personal, I was simply offering some advice. I do KZbin reviews myself and I've heard from time to time people claim that FM radio is no longer relevant, I couldn't disagree more. My comment on your comment wasn't meant to disparage or to pigeonhole you or your experience or anything, I was simply sharing my advice on what I view as a relevant perspective, obviously given it's the only one I have. You know it's difficult through KZbin and really anything anymore to gauge intonation and context through the written word however it is important to try. I don't know any more people seem to have lost the ability to gather tone and meaning through writing, I suppose if people wrote more effectively there would be less problem. And by the way the Onkyo is best integrated amplifier at its price and a little more, so I agree with you there.

[@taras_7022]

Rock DENON👍 Vocal SONY👍

[@DZEMFAN]

Sony wins!

[@DougMen1]

I'm going to have to go back and listen to the shootout between all ten amps again, because, at the time, I liked the NAD 368, Audiolab, and Cambridge the most, followed by the Marantz and Denon. But, in this comparison, the Denon outshines the Sony by a lot, sounded clearer and punchier, with the Sony sounding more veiled and recessed in the midrange, and thinner overall. And, in these comparisons to the Sony, the Marantz and NAD 368 did better than the Cambridge and Audiolab. So, the Denon may be the overall winner. We need a rematch between the Denon, the Marantz, and the NAD 368 to be sure

[@photonsphere760]

something is not clean here, you don’t think so?

[@chadkoehler8021]

Looking back at all the Sony comparisons shows me how embarrassingly close the sound signature is on all the other high dollar amps to the budget Sony. The Denon seems to have a clear difference in signature and a more powerful presentation than the Sony.

[@LBCAndrew]

@@chadkoehler8021 Likely because the Denon is coloring the music. Not because it replicates the music that much better than the others.

[@danbecheanu3009]

For me, Sony is the winner !

[@musiconvinylisbetter.1449]

Not much differens again!

[@ericpham7871]

If you want sound quality then analog but if you like magic the digital is for multidimensional sound but is only effective if speakers at same level of understanding. I m not sure if my speaker response but Sony seems overtaken smartphone display

[@sheek1982]

The Sony wins EASILY, because of the price difference. A $200, VS. a $700 receiver, and the Sony sounds just as good!

[@revelatortestor237]

Le prix est presque doublé pour le Denon. La Kef a une sonorité qui n'est pas la plus courante et est dure à alimenter (j'ai possédé celle-ci. Denon qui est plus costaud permet de bien alimenté la paire de Kef pour jouer du rock. Le Sony est plat et manque de watts pour cette enceinte.

[@MrUttammaru]

Nowadays Sony is only focusing on BASS, can hardly hear highs / treble.

[@stonezsprivateacc8413]

Sony sounds like a Class D lol

[@mohammedalomari1998]

Denon too bright and fatigue. And too too expensive. Sony by far better in every aspect. Kind regards

[@robertorodriguez2609]

no difference

[@marcc482]

LOL... for me ... either amp would work but not the LS50 ... never liked them and still do not !!! 🤭