Buy the Denon AVR-X2800H if your speakers dip low — Sony's own 6–16Ω rating excludes 4Ω-class loads, which includes many popular bookshelves. If your speakers are an easy 8Ω load, the Sony at $1,148 as tracked today is a legitimate 7.2 alternative.
As tracked by Home Theater Builder: the Sony STR-AN1000 tracks at $1,148; the Denon AVR-X2800H at $849.How we verify this data →
The Sony's sticker says 165W against the Denon's 95W. The conditions behind those numbers make direct comparison impossible — and the Sony's own impedance spec carries a real compatibility consequence most buyers never see.
Specifications · side by side · per-field provenance
● SOURCE-TRACKED
Spec
Sony STR-AN1000
Denon AVR-X2800H
Price
$1,148
$849
Brand
Sony
Denon
Channel configuration
7.2
7.2
Main channels
7
7
Subwoofer pre-outs
2
2
Zone 2 capable
Yes
Yes
Zone 3 capable
Yes
not stated
Watts per channel (6 Ω)
165
not stated
THD (%)
0.9
0.08
Channels driven (power rating)
one channel driven
two channels driven
Impedance range
6ohms-16ohms
4 – 16 Ω/ohms
Speaker impedance, min (Ω)
6
4
Speaker impedance, max (Ω)
16
16
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Yes
DTS:X
Yes
Yes
IMAX Enhanced
Yes
not stated
Room correction system
Sony DCAC IX
Audyssey MultEQ XT
Measurement mic included
Yes
Yes
HDMI inputs
6
6
HDMI outputs
2
2
HDMI version
2.1
not stated
HDMI max bandwidth (Gbps)
40
40
HDMI 2.1 ports
4
not stated
HDMI eARC ports
1
1
Max passthrough resolution
8K 30
8K 60
HDR support
HDR10, Hybrid Log Gamma, Dolby Vision
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR
VRR passthrough
Yes
Yes
ALLM passthrough
Yes
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
AirPlay 2
Yes
Yes
Streaming services
Spotify Connect
Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music HD
Form factor
full size
full size
Width (in)
16.9
17.1
Height (in)
6.1
6.6
Depth (in)
13
13
Weight (lbs)
20.7
21
Power consumption (W)
240
500
Processing channels
not stated
7
Watts per channel (8 Ω)
not stated
95
Phono input
not stated
Yes
HEOS
not stated
Yes
Shaded rows differ · green dot = lab-measured · amber = manufacturer-verified · blue = retailer/community-reported · grey = estimated · “not stated” means exactly that
Reading the numbers honestly
Sony rates the STR-AN1000 at 165W into 6Ω with one channel driven at 0.9% THD; Denon rates the X2800H at 95W into 8Ω with two channels driven at 0.08% THD. Those aren't the same test — as printed, the numbers cannot be ranked, and we won't pretend otherwise. The spec that CAN be compared: Sony states a 6–16Ω speaker impedance range. By its own sheet, it is not rated for speakers that dip toward 4Ω — a real constraint, since popular bookshelves like the KEF Q150 dip to a stated 3.7Ω.
Compatibility · computed, not written
Checked against a bookshelf that dips to a stated 3.7Ω like the KEF Q150: KEF Q150
Can the Sony STR-AN1000 drive the KEF Q150?
Sony STR-AN1000 states a 6Ω-minimum rating, and the KEF Q150 dips to a stated 3.7Ω minimum — well below that floor. By its own published spec this receiver is not rated for a load like this.
Can the Denon AVR-X2800H drive the KEF Q150?
Denon AVR-X2800H states a 4Ω-minimum rating; the KEF Q150 dips to a stated 3.7Ω minimum, a little below that floor. Most receivers handle a marginal dip at normal volumes — it's worth watching only at very high output on an entry-level unit.
Computed from the catalog's normalized fields — the same fields the builder's compatibility engine reads. A missing field reads as "can't check", never as a pass.
Buy the Denon AVR-X2800H if your speakers dip low — Sony's own 6–16Ω rating excludes 4Ω-class loads, which includes many popular bookshelves. If your speakers are an easy 8Ω load, the Sony at $1,148 as tracked today is a legitimate 7.2 alternative.
Sony's 165W is 6Ω / one channel / 0.9% THD; Denon's 95W is 8Ω / two channels / 0.08% THD — different tests on every axis, so we flag the stickers as non-comparable instead of ranking them.
Sony states a 6–16Ω impedance range: by its own spec it is NOT rated for 4Ω-class speakers — a concrete pairing consequence (the KEF Q150's stated 3.7Ω dip falls outside it) that no retailer page surfaces.
The Sony states 4 HDMI 2.1 ports; the Denon's count is unstated in our data.
Tracked prices for both are on this page — $1,148 vs $849 today.
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