Full spectrum digital sound despite some low level hiss. Allow delay setting of 1ft/1msec steps Variable center-frequency for equalizer adjustment of bass/treble

No specs on the cut-off slope of the filter No midrange equalizer adjustment No subwoofer frequency equalizer adjustment Poor cutoff frequency selection: huge 20Hz steps, and only allow minimum cutoff of 60Hz. This is not low enough. I prefer selectable cutoff frequency down to 30-40Hz, and with 5Hz-or-less steps.

The model year was 1997, but my unit was purchased new by the original owner in 1999. Now is 2003, and I got it in practically new condition off eBay for $81 + $27 ship = $108 total. I only use it to decode DD5.1 standard HD audio. This unit is not for someone who might want to use it with a DVD player in a HT environment. You would probably want at least DTS, and possibly 6.1, or 7.1 decoder anyway. I hooked it up to my Adcom 7400 5x100W power amp. With no input, the EP9ES/Adcom combination is dead quiet even at 100% volume level. However, as soon as I turn on the DVD player that provides digital audio feed via 75-Ohm coaxial cable, and nothing playing, there is a mild hiss from the speakers. I think the hiss comes from the DACs inside the EP9ES. The hiss is relatively quiet compared to the audio signal level. It's kind of OK, but I wish the unit or my digital audio system is completely hiss-free.

Similar Products Used:

N/A

This is to add to my previous remarks:
Sony advertises that this unit has six channel test tone for setting up the level of speakers; that not correct.
It has a traditional five channel test tone. Also, sony refuses to clear out the issue on the parameters on this unit. There is no information on the slope of the crossovers used in this unit, there is also no information on the bandwidth or "Q" of the equalizer incorporated in this unit! These kind o finformation should be standard, especially at this age of information revolutin and this kind of features should be standardised a la THX! So that we don't have change our setting blindly, if ever we have to,when switching from one processor to another in the same system. Barring this I have only praise for this unit.

Sound Quality

Annoying Relay

Bought this unit from Sony Central in Chatswood for $500. It sounds really good. All the good things have already been said below, so I'll just add few cons.

I connected my MDS302 MD player to one of the TOSLINK input, hoping to improve the sound quality by using a better DA converter built into the unit. It played beautifully... except that it switches the relay to the output on and off every time I press Next track button. so, if I jump from track 3 to track 9 by pressing >> button 6 times, the relays clicks 6 times, creating horrible clicking and popping noise through the speaker. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Don't know if its just this particular unit or in general, but I think the relay closes way too quickly.

Otherwise, dolby digital decoding is done beautifully.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo AV receiver

Everything except lack of control regarding the eq settings ( you have to do it blindly, trusting sony's choice and the same about the slope of the crossover setting)

nothing but what is mentioned above

Looking back at my two previous reports I found several mistakes, and I would like to correct them. The model year is actually 1999. Sounds terrific, no complaints. I love it, and I will be sad to retire it to the bedroom. It's place will soon be taken up by a Lexicon DC-2. I wish it were an ideal world, and I did not find that little complaint about it. Besides, I also wish it had more music playing modes.

Similar Products Used:

TAE2000ESD, KC-X1

Everything except lack of control regarding the eq settings ( you have to do it blindly, trusting sony's choice and the same about the slope of the crossover setting)

nothing but what is mentioned above

Looking back at my two previous reports I found several mistakes, and I would like to correct them. The model year is actually 1999. Sounds terrific, no complaints. I love it, and I will be sad to retire it to the bedroom. It's place will soon be taken up by a Lexicon DC-2. I wish it were an ideal world, and I did not find that little complaint about it. Besides, I also wish it had more music playing modes.

Similar Products Used:

TAE2000ESD, KC-X1

I purchased the Sony last year mail order for 450.00 brand spanking new.At the time, I had been looking for a surround processor / preamp for
my Home Theater system but I was hesitant to purchase anything with
video switching because of the upcoming HDTV connector debacle.

Also, I was interested in getting DTS but not necessarily so much that
I was willing to put up the bucks right then and there. The Sony can
be upgraded for DTS for $700.00.


The Acurus video preamp was nice but it did not have enough video
switching nor did have component video.....

So, I got the Sony after listening to it in a local audio salon. I was
ready to buy from the guy but he insisted in list price -for a video
piece available by mail! Oh well...

That said: The sound is perfectly wonderful for movies. Movie effects
are credible -as credible as they can be. Action movies: 007, Fifth
Element, Mars Attacks, Stargate... are very fun to watch now.

On audio only: the sound can be thin and ragged. On good recording, there's
good lateral soundstaging but little or no depth. OTOH, this could be
a problem with the solid state amps and speakers used in my HT system.

It would have been nice if this box had had analog inputs as well so that
I could route Dolby Pro Logic out of my Laserdisc. I guess they had
to keep the price down. At least they include an RF demodulator for the
DD output of the Laserdisc. They optical digital inputs are a dissapointment
though. I much prefer the electrical connection. I use input one for the
Laserdisc RF PCM and input 4 for the DVD digital output. Cables are
audioquest digital.

The lack of video switching is not a problem for me since I have a separate
Sony video switcher that provides both baseband and S: 6 in / 6 out
with three buses.

Usage of the decoder is easy. I'm of the set and forget type so I don't
worry about the ergonomics of the menus.

System:

Sony 32XBR100 (ISF calibrated)
Sony 300D DVD
Pioneer LaserDisc (with DD)
Sony Hi-Fi VHS (crapola for the kids)
Canon Hi-8 camcorder
Sony Video Switcher ( xxx1000...)
NAD monitor series preamp/tuner
NAD multichannel amp (100 x3 or 30 x 6)
NAD stereo map ( 90 x 2)
PSB 600 (L/R)
PSB 300Ci
PSB Alphas

cables:

Audioquest Turquoise
Audioquest Type 4
Monster Cable 1000 video (S and baseband)
Audioquest video (baseband)
Audioquest digital

Bottom line: This is a heck of a deal on a surround decoder. Given
a well designed installation, planes will fly over your head, rain will
lash your den, rockets will come from your kitchen and blow up over
the bathroom wall, etc, etc... The price is good too and because it
doesn't have video switching, it will last well into the HDTV days.

But, for audio only, I can only say that it's L/R bypass doesn't degrade
the music too much.

For reference, I would give the Proceed PAV 5 stars, the run of the mill
surround receivers 1 start.

Tony

This unit fron Sony is fantastic . I have it plugged in through the pre-insand pre-outs of the Harman THX AVI 250 and it works a treat for anything
digital.The Harman takes care of the analog side.
It has just the right amount of sound options for anyone to fiddle with but
could have done with some more digital co-axial inputs. ( Sony loves optical
for some reason )
Build quality is very high and without lifting the lid I would say the internal
components would be up to the ES standard.
Processing for Home Theatre is "electric" and it performs quite nicely in 2
channell as well.
The price I paid has a large percantage to do with why I give this product 5
stars but even at it's original RRP it was still a great buy.

This Dolby Digital Processor is incredible. Awesome in both 2channel and 5.1. In stereo mode this machine gives great dynamic range and is very controllable. In 5.1 mode its just amazing. Sound is accurate, detailed, and powerful. This processor creates a soundstage to the point where you can't even tell that the sound is coming from any of the speakers! I give this machine well over 5 stars.

This processor from Sony great - value-wise, the price belies sound. The Dolby Digital processing is right-on, and provides a coherent sound-field as well as pin-point localization of effects when needed. I have used other Dolby Digital processors before, and EP9ES noticeably improves on the bass response - bass is tighter, deeper and generally more controlled.
The real value of the EP9ES is SET-UP FLEXIBILITY. You can configure your set in varied ways. For instance, the roll-off per channel can be done separately and in various iterations. Also, the parametric equalizer (can be set per channel) is of great help to tame the top-end and smoothen response over the entire range. That may be a turn-off to purists, but practicality dictates minor tweaking since no two listening rooms will generate the same response. Set-up for subwoofer is beyond the basic, and will allow for greater ability to seamlessly blend the subs with the other speakers for both audio and home theater use.

On music only, also a winner, but the top-end can be a little crispy (can be tamed ever so slightly using the parametric EQ). Imaging is well-focused while maintaining an expansive and transparent sound stage. While I have listened to other systems which has a more holographic sound stage presentation, one would need to spend at least 5 times more for a marginal improvement.

The only con here is minimal inputs: ie. only 1 coax input, no video switching available. But the lack of inputs is understandable for the price, plus this unit was not intended to be used as pre-amp/AV processor. I do not use a pre-amp, so use the EP9ES as one, and video connection is just between DVD and RPTV (a more purist set-up)

Also, the EP9ES has no analog inputs so your CD player will always be reduced to a transport. But no worries, the DACs of the EP9ES as quite excellent - sweet and never really annoying (if it does, use the EQ!)

Overall, extreme value for money and expensive upgrades will be a difficult decison moving forward.

System:
Power Amp - Rotel RB985 THX
Processor - Sony SDP EP9ES
DVD/CD Transport - Toshiba SD3006
Main Speakers - NHT VT 1.2
Center - NHT VS 1.2
Surrounds - NHT HDP-1
Subwoofer - Velodyne VA-1012

Video - Sony 41 inch RPTV

Cables
Speakers Cables - Apature (gauge 12)
Interconnects - Monster Cable Interconnect 400
Video Cables - Monster S-Video

I recently got the EP9ES ($300) and the GA8ES receiver ($400) to replace an old non-upgradable Pro Logic receiver for my second system. When I was shopping for a DD pre/pro for my main system in late '97, the best price I could find on the EP9ES locally was $690...and there was up to a 3 month wait. What a difference a year and a half makes! My main system is equally modest and includes a Marantz PM-68 integrated stereo amp, a Yamaha DSP-E492 3-channel A/V amp/processor (analog inputs only), and a Denon AVD-2000 DD pre/pro. I've read great reviews on the EP9ES and wanted to see if it could knock the Denon to 2nd system status.
EP9ES vs. AVD-2000

I had several options when doing my comparison. I could have connected the Sony's 6-channel outputs to the Denon's 6-channel input, but these are not bypass inputs like found on the Sony. It still gives you control of the Denon's relative channel and master volumes, bass management, and speaker distance. This is a cool feature and I plan on using it for DVD-Audio, but I wanted to fully test the Sony. The Yamaha amp has two 6-channel inputs. One bypasses all of it's pre-amp functions, and the other only includes the relative channel and master volumes. I chose the later for two reasons. One: this allows me to use the Yamaha to control volume for both analog and digital surround sources. Two: I can run all of the digital processors' channels at digital full-scale at all times for maximum resolution. I connected the Sony's 6-channel out to the Yamaha, the Denon to the Sony's bypass input, my DVD and CD players were connected to the Denon, and the Denon fed the Sony via a digital output. The only snafu I could come up with for this arrangement was the Denon was receiving signals via coaxial interconnects, while the Sony had a lone optical connection. But I figured it all evened out since the Denon had to run through the Sony. Also, since the Sony only has one coax input, I would have had to use an optical cable for my DVD player anyway.

When STEREOPHILE GUIDE TO HOME THEATER reviewed the AVD-2000, the reviewer compared it to the EP9ES. His conclusion was the Denon sounded cleaner than the Sony, if a bit bland. He found the Sony was better able to resolve detail in complex mixes and was a bit more extended in the frequency extremes. When I used CD (in "unprocessed" stereo) as the source, at first I agreed (in the bass anyway). However, after carefull listening, I found that the Sony wasn't any more extended or detailed. It merely played bass louder. When I notched up the bass control a little on my integrated amp, the Denon sounded every bit as extended and detailed, plus it was definitely cleaner and more "pure". I would hardly call Sony's Current Pulse DACs grainy, but the 20-bit Burr Browns (18-bit for the center, sub, and surrounds) Denon uses are just plain more refined. On Dolby Digital and Pro Logic this cleansiness meant easier understood dialog. Even softly spoken or even mumbled dialog was more understandable on the Denon. Denon had a further advantage on DD soundtracks. It is one of the few processors that allows you to turn off DD Dialog Normalization. This restores the proper dynamic range and always sounds more natural. And while Sony's equalizer might prove useful to some users, I prefer Denon's Cinema EQ (Denon's version of THX Re-EQ) for it's simplicity (though it only works on DD).

I don't use DSP for movies, but for CD I've really come to like Denon's "matrix" mode. It doesn't do anything to the main L+R channels, adds summed mono to the center for a wider sweet-spot, and very slightly delayed stereo info to the surrounds. It works very well with most music, but as with any DSP, some CDs work better than others. On some discs (but not most) the center image becomes too strong, but on others the result is spectacular, as if the music was intended to be played back this way. Many of my friends like Denon's "5-channel stereo" mode. It does exactly what it's name implies - sends unprocessed stereo to the front and rear L+R speakers and summed mono to the center. I find it to be a bit gimicky, but admit it is good for parties. None of the Sony's music modes impress me and none have stereo surrounds.

Besides the EQ, the Sony does have an advantage over the Denon. It allows you to choose what frequency to roll off the bass in a range from 80 to 200 hz in 20 hz increments, nice. Also the Denon only allows small surrounds (80 hz). Although my surrounds have usable bass output down into the 40 hz region, from the listening position I couldn't hear a diffence. I guess 80 hz is low enough that any redirected bass can not be localized. The Denon has dedicated stereo record outputs. I use these to feed my integrated amp directly for CD listening. Sony should have included these too. The EP9ES's DACs are better than most CD players and you must put your system in 6-channel mode to take advantage of them. Furthermore, you can't make analog recordings unless you manually reconnect the front L+R cables to an appropriate input.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I'm keeping the Denon in my main system, but don't think for a minute that I regret buying the Sony. It sounds great and I still can't believe I got it for so cheap. What processor is right for you depends more on the rest of your system than any differnce in sound quality between these two. Since the 6-channel input on my ES receiver doesn't have tone controls it makes more sense to put the EP9ES in that system. True, I think the Denon sounds a little better, but only a little. Some people no doubt prefer the sound of the Sony. Frankly, I don't see how you could go wrong with either one. They're both much, MUCH better than anything else anywhere near their price range.