Sony STR-DN1080 7.2-Channel AV Receiver Review & Comments

They’re going to sell a million of these. Atmos & DTS:X for less than £500, and Sony’s receivers have always been very lively and entertaining with movies and music.

Adding one to the wish list!
 
I went for the VSX930 Pioneer but my friend has the 1080 and its a livery beast, very detailed in sound unlike the Onyko which is a brute. When you start thinking about receivers, Sony does not normally come to mind but the review says it all.. Atmos/ X at that price is no brainer. I would definitely buy one.
 
well, denon 2400 also has atmos/x and one can get it for ~350.
I completely agree, the X2400 is the obvious alternative and a real bargain at that price. It's a shame we haven't had a chance to review that model yet. Hopefully we'll get a chance soon but, at the other end of the scale, I'm pleased to say the AVC-X8500H has just arrived.
 
but, at the other end of the scale, I'm pleased to say the AVC-X8500H has just arrived.
Yeessss! Really looking forward to that review! Although I (yes, I know that I'm the only one) do regret that the X8500H doesn't have a tuner input, because through the FM input of my Denon AVR-4810 receiver I'm listening to Radio 4 as I type.
 
Yeessss! Really looking forward to that review! Although I (yes, I know that I'm the only one) do regret that the X8500H doesn't have a tuner input, because through the FM input of my Denon AVR-4810 receiver I'm listening to Radio 4 as I type.
If it has Chromecast you should be able to cast the iplayer app to the amp from your phone relatively easily.
 
@mindforge And if I had a smartphone, which I don't. My mobile phone is a Nokia 6230i, eleven years old. Ah well, back to the Sony STR0DN1080 review.
 
There is a lively owners thread here:

Sony STR-DN1080 owners thread...

Aside from a couple of minor gripes, I think it's safe to say the majority of owners on the thread are all very happy with this AVR.

I'm looking forward to hooking up a couple of Atmos speakers soon.
 
Great review thank you. So you can create a virtual 7.1.2 system by using phantom channels which is great but the review says that its the rears channels that become virtual, but can the side channels be made virtual instead ?. The review indicates that you can by converting a 5.1 setup into 7.1 setup but no mention of overhead channels are made here.

Can anyone clarify ?. Thanks.
 
Really enjoyed this review and breathing sigh of relief having bought one as it’s still in it’s box!
-
Few questions:
1) Has this got enough wallop to power my Kef Q750, Q650, Q350 surrounds and ceiling spks? Don’t intend to have vol way up as we have a little one.
2) Have opportunity to swop DN1080 with a Marantz SR5012 and unsure what to do (no reviews available for SR5012). Will be 80% movies 20% music
3) The TV cabinet I intend to use will only give around 0.5mm clearance at top of DN1080 - can I get cooling fans or any suggestions to remedy this? Don’t really want AVR on top of cabinet if I can help it. Thanks
 
Really enjoyed this review and breathing sigh of relief having bought one as it’s still in it’s box!
-
Few questions:
1) Has this got enough wallop to power my Kef Q750, Q650, Q350 surrounds and ceiling spks? Don’t intend to have vol way up as we have a little one.
2) Have opportunity to swop DN1080 with a Marantz SR5012 and unsure what to do (no reviews available for SR5012). Will be 80% movies 20% music
3) The TV cabinet I intend to use will only give around 0.5mm clearance at top of DN1080 - can I get cooling fans or any suggestions to remedy this? Don’t really want AVR on top of cabinet if I can help it. Thanks
I think the DN1080 will be able to handle your KEFs but unfortunately I haven't had a chance to review the SR5012, so I can't comment on how it compares. However if you're primarily going to be watching movies then I think you'll be very happy with the Sony. If you only have 0.5mm of clearance then you'll definitely need to think of ways to improve the ventilation.
 
I purchased mine, the day they were released & been very impressed. There have been some "input switching" issues, which eventually rectify themselves, but other than that, it's a fantastic receiver & of course i paid the full price for it, so it's price drops since, represent great value !
 
Great review thank you. So you can create a virtual 7.1.2 system by using phantom channels which is great but the review says that its the rears channels that become virtual, but can the side channels be made virtual instead ?. The review indicates that you can by converting a 5.1 setup into 7.1 setup but no mention of overhead channels are made here.

Can anyone clarify ?. Thanks.
If you're running a standard 5.1-channel setup (FL, C, FR, SR and SL) then you can add SBL and SBR via acoustic processing, although don't expect miracles. What you can't do is put the surrounds at the rear (SBL and SBR) and then use the processing to create virtual SL and SR channels. If you think about it this makes sense because most people can add side surrounds just to the rear of the main listening position but struggle to put surround speakers at the back. The processing is only intended to add SBL and SBR, so it doesn't create virtual overhead channels either, although Sony's new soundbar does do exactly that.
 
no mention of the tortoise speed, i know its only 450 quid, i think they could have made the display on the front better ie speaker display and a info button on the remote
 
I agree with Steve, these AVRs cool through convection out of the top and will melt if you only have 0.5mm of clearance. On top might be the only option. If you had 3cm then blown air might work ok.

For the speakers, make sure the crossovers are set reasonably (I would say 80Hz) and it should be ok. Get the sub to handle the bass and it really takes the load off the amp.

Really enjoyed this review and breathing sigh of relief having bought one as it’s still in it’s box!
-
Few questions:
1) Has this got enough wallop to power my Kef Q750, Q650, Q350 surrounds and ceiling spks? Don’t intend to have vol way up as we have a little one.
2) Have opportunity to swop DN1080 with a Marantz SR5012 and unsure what to do (no reviews available for SR5012). Will be 80% movies 20% music
3) The TV cabinet I intend to use will only give around 0.5mm clearance at top of DN1080 - can I get cooling fans or any suggestions to remedy this? Don’t really want AVR on top of cabinet if I can help it. Thanks
 
Nice review. Couple of questions for anyone in the know: Can 2 subs be Eq'd separately or does the receiver see them as one? How does the DCAC EX compare to Audyssey?

I was holding out for the Denon 3400 instead of the 2400, but this looks like it might be a good alternative bet, especially for the money. Also, am I right to saying that if using the inbuilt Chromecast in stereo, the sub isn't usable in that scenario? I'd need the sub to be in the mix which is a bit of a shame if it's not. Cheers.
 
Maybe I'm mistaken - but I was under the impression that with a 5.1.2 system that previously indicated 5 main speakers , 1 sub and 2 "height" speakers , but given that subs usually have their own amplification , this would only require 7 channels of amplification on the unit

So why cant you have 5.2.2 on this Sony with 2 (self powered) subs and two (amp-powered) height speakers
(edit - just to be clear I'm talking about lf, c, rf , rear left, rear right, 2* self powered subs & 2* height - that's how Ive previously seen 5.2.2 being described on this site I'm sure :) )
 
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Maybe I'm mistaken - but I was under the impression that with a 5.1.2 system that previously indicated 5 main speakers , 1 sub and 2 "height" speakers , but given that subs usually have their own amplification , this would only require 7 channels of amplification on the unit

So why cant you have 5.2.2 on this Sony with 2 (self powered) subs and two (amp-powered) height speakers
(edit - just to be clear I'm talking about lf, c, rf , rear left, rear right, 2* self powered subs & 2* height - that's how Ive previously seen 5.2.2 being described on this site I'm sure :) )
You can have a 5.2.2 system with this amp, assuming you have two subs.
 
But are the subs independently levelled and EQ'd or is the same signal simply divided into 2 post processing?
 
Independent levels for the subs. I only heave the one sub on mine, and that has a level control on it and frustratingly the wife keeps turning it down. Time for some superglue on the knob me thinks.....

I have one of these moving my old 1060 to another room. The 1080 is superb but took a bit more tweaking to get inputs working properly than I would have hoped for. Once sorted everything works flawlessly. From a two channel input the sub still operates and the sound quality really has been optimised well unlike some other systems I have tried.
 
Independent levels for the subs. I only heave the one sub on mine, and that has a level control on it and frustratingly the wife keeps turning it down. Time for some superglue on the knob me thinks.....

Sounds painful :(
 

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