The Sony STR-DN1080 AV receiver was created on the basis of the very successful 1070 model and received the addition of a Dolby Atmos decoder. The new model also sounds a little different, more focused on home theater. However, the Sony STR-DN1080’s sound quality is superior to many of its competitors.
Sony STR-DN1080 is a 5.1.2 (or 7.1) channel device with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. A positive aspect of this model is the presence of six HDMI inputs, while in most competing devices their number is reduced to four. Additionally, the Sony STR-DN1080 has two HDMI outputs, meaning it is capable of delivering 4K video and surround sound to two different living areas. The remaining connectivity options are quite modest: optical and coaxial inputs, Bluetooth, as well as Wi-Fi and Ethernet.
The AV receivers have an excellent set of streaming features, including Chromecast, UPnP and Spotify Connect. Chromecast support means you can play music through the AV receiver from any Android smartphone, or from the Chrome browser and dozens of compatible apps. You can also control the Sony STR-DN1080 using your Google Home smart speaker. If you set the unit as the default music playback system and say, for example, “Hey Google, play Herb Alpert,” the Sony STR-DN1080 will turn on, set the desired input and start playing Tijuana Brass through Spotify, Google/YouTube Music or Pandora.
The AV receiver also has a proprietary multi-room system, which is now called Music Center. It has been improved from the previous version to make transferring music between compatible Sony components easier and more stable. One of the features that has disappeared from the Sony STR-DN1080 is the ability to use wireless rear speakers. It has been replaced by a less interesting, in our opinion, Phantom Surround Back technology, which allows you to simulate the sound of a seven-channel system with only five speakers.
Compared to models from previous years, the Sony STR-DN1080 has become, in our opinion, a little more attractive. The appearance of the device is very solid – it is a black rectangular box with a narrow display. There are two knobs on the front panel: a larger one for adjusting the volume, a smaller one for selecting inputs. In a direct comparison, the Sony STR-DN1080 is slightly more compact than the previous version. At the same time, a look inside the device did not reveal any big differences – the new device simply had less empty space.
On-screen graphics in AV receivers are not often subject to modifications, much less radical changes. However, this does not apply to Sony; everything here is done not only conveniently, but also beautifully. Icons and text are easy to read, and moving between them is intuitive. The only complaint may be that you can control streaming only through an application on your smartphone, but not from the remote control.
Remote controls have recently become noticeably simpler, and no longer resemble the control panel of a starship. A good example is the Sony STR-DN1080, whose remote control works in conjunction with on-screen graphics.
Specifications Sony STR-DN1080
7.2-channel receiver
Output power: 7×165 W (at 6 Ohm load)
Decoders Dolby True HD, DTS-HD, Prologic IIz, Dolby Atmos, DTS X.
DSP HD Digital Cinema Sound
Calibration system Advanced DCAC
AirPlay, DLNA , Google Cast
Bluetooth NFC
Playback of audio files: MP3, WMA, ACC, FLAC, WAV, DSF, DFF
Dimensions 430 x 156 x 331 mm
Weight 9.8 kg
