If you’re looking to get a stereo receiver for your hi-fi setup, the Sony STRDH190 and the Yamaha R-S202BL are two of the best when it comes to value for your money. Both of them are affordable stereo receivers that come with features such as speaker A/B support, Bluetooth connectivity and more. So which one is better? Read our Sony STRDH190 review and comparison against the Yamaha R-S202BL below to find out.
Navigation
Sony STRDH190 vs Yamaha R-S202BL Comparison Chart
Design
Both the Sony STRDH190 and the Yamaha R-S202BL have a brushed aluminum finish that looks very good.
The two receivers come in a brushed aluminum black finish that looks very modern. They will look good inside your TV rack if you’ll use them for a stereo home theater setup or on a dedicated stereo hi-fi setup. The Sony STRDH190 has a more streamlined look that’s also very minimalist. It has two dials for input selection and volume control, plus a few buttons for various functions such as Bluetooth pairing, FM tuner selection and more.
The Yamaha R-S202BL, on the other hand, has a more cluttered design with a bunch of buttons at the front. It has one dial for its volume control and everything else is controlled using the said buttons. Both of them have a LCD screens that let you know the current audio source in use. The two come with remote controllers that are easy to use as well.
Size-wise, the two are similar, with the Sony STRDH190 measuring 17 x 5.25 x 11.25 inches, and the Yamaha R-S202BL at 17.12 x 5.5 x 12.6 inches. Both of them weigh under 15 lbs., with the Sony STRDH190 weighing exactly 14 lbs and the Yamaha R-S202BL at 14.8 lbs.
Connections
The Sony STRDH190 has a phono input while the Yamaha R-S202BL does not.
The Sony STRDH190 offers more connectivity options than the Yamaha R-S202BL. At the front, the Sony STRDH190 has a 1/8″ headphone out and a 3.5mm input, while at the back, it has five RCA inputs (including a phono input) and one RCA output.
Meanwhile, the Yamaha R-S202BL only has a 1/8″ headphone out at the front and at the back, there are four RCA inputs and one RCA output. You’ll be able to connect more devices to the Sony STRDH190 than the Yamaha R-S202BL. The phono input on the Sony STRDH190 is great if you have a turntable in your stereo setup. You won’t need to buy a separate preamp for it.
The two receivers offer the same A/B speaker configuration. This means that you can connect two sets of speakers to both receivers. This is great if you want to have a multi-room setup with just one receiver or if you want to use different sounding pairs of speakers in your setup.
As for wireless streaming, the two of them come with Bluetooth connectivity. You can stream music from your favorite streaming apps using your phone or any device that is Bluetooth-enabled.
Features and Performance
They are pretty much the same when it comes performance and audio quality.
Since these two are stereo receivers, they are as straightforward as they come. You don’t have to worry about support for various audio codecs such as Dolby Digital and DTS.
When it comes to their output, the two offer the same 200 watts of continuous power (100W per channel). They can drive pretty much any speaker in the market with ease. 100 watts per channel is plenty, especially for a home stereo setup.
The one thing that’s missing on both receivers is a dedicated subwoofer port. You can still connect a subwoofer to both of them through the speaker terminals but your choices in subwoofer is limited since most modern subwoofers only come with a line-level input.
Verdict
At almost the same price, the Sony STRDH190 offers better value for the money.
When it comes to power and features, the Yamaha R-S202BL and the Sony STRDH190 specs are similar. However, when it comes to connectivity, the Sony STRDH190 is superior since it gives you more input and output ports. It comes with an additional RCA input, 3.5mm analog port and a phono input. If you have a turntable or a record player, the phono input on the Sony STRDH190 means that you don’t need a separate preamp in order to use it. The Yamaha R-S202BL is a bit limited in connectivity options when compared to the Sony STRDH190.
FAQs
It has a power output of 200 watts, 100 watts per channel.
No, it only has Bluetooth connectivity for wireless streaming.
Yes, but your subwoofer needs to have speaker terminals to do so since the Yamaha R-S202BL does not have a subwoofer line-level output.
Yes, but your turntable needs to have a built-in preamp or you’ll need a separate preamp to connect to your turntable.
Last update on 2022-05-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API