Good sound,features,solid construction, price

The Remote !!!!!

I have not as yet purchased this Receiver yet but have had the opportunity to play around with it and also currently own a Sony GA8es and Sony Decoder. Baiscally the sound quality is excellent for its price, a lot of the sound fields are a bit of a waste of time though. Plenty of digital inputs, lacks LD RF in but then my LD does not have AC3 RF anyway.

The only thing I hate about the unit is the Remote, and also the fact that an average universal remotes can't learn all of the basic funtions from the original remote. ie. standby function and video switching function. One option I will consider if I purchase this unit would be to buy the Sony 925 units remote as it will control the 555es. Still not a perfect solution but still an option.

The other unit I have considered is the Onkyo 777 (perfect remote and sound but you pay a premium for the product). I would appreciate any users comments on whether they have had any luck programming all the main functions from the Sony remote into a universal remote.

My score would of been 5 and 5 if the remote wasn't such a lemon.

John.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 515pro, Onkyo 777, Sony GA8es + DD Decoder

Exterior build quality.. Cool looking remote..5 year warranty ..PRICE..

Interior build quality..Remote is useless..

I got this reciever a few months ago from OADE BROS for $865 delivered in 2 days..That is the main reason i got it was because the price was to good to pass up..anyway when it first arrived i hooked it up and the digital processing board would not decode, so i took it to a local shop and they had to replace the entire digital board..this took 3 weeks,,so now that the reiever has been working fine,,these are my complaints,the thing runs way to hot,I thought by getting their ES model it would run a little cooler than my prior STRD 865 but i was wrong..I should have checked the 555 out locally first before i purchased it over the net,then I would have been able to feel how hot it actually runs, for some strange reason whenever I try playing Metallica S&M on VHS(DVD not out yet) the 555 gets real hot and stops playing and then flashes PROTECTOR across the screen,I would take it to the shop to have it looked at but it only does this with that VHS,,,CDs DVDS Tapes and other VHS,s sound fine,The sound quality by the way is an 8 on a scale of 1-10 "I believe that Sony uses the same amps and DPS in their ES models that they use in their base standard reciever.:so what Im saying is I think ES models are somewhat of a ripoff,Youll get the same sound quality out of their standard models,,so if your going to go Sony save some money and dont go ES..also the remote is useless,and Im sure you already heard about the lights going out to fast and everything else thats wrong with it,,but even if the thing operated fine this remote would still be a losser because remotes are supposed to make operations CONVIENIANT and this remote always has to be held with to hands and to me this is not CONVIENIENCE.

Similar Products Used:

Sony strd865

Sound effects

Remote

I am very satisfied with the purchaseof my 555ES receiver. I received mine problem free (knocking on wood). Can't complaint. It's got all the whistles I need plus much more which I will probably never use. I set up my receiver with a set of Bose Acoustimass 15 speakers, and I am very happy with the sound. The powered subwoofer really rocks. I still have not purchased my DVD, which I can't wait to listen to. Great buy, got mine from the OADE Brothers at a great price

Incredible sound, good price

Defective analog-digital conversion, lousy remote

I was so excited to take this next step with my home theater system. I got a decent price from the Sony broadcast equipment dealer we use for the really high-end stuff. I unboxed it, wired it up, fired up a Dolby Digital DVD and just soaked up the incredible sound. My CD changer, with optical digital cable also sounds cleaner and brighter than I ever heard it play before.

BUT...

I started checking out my analog circuits (TV, tuner, phono, VHS, etc.) In straight two channel stereo, it sounds pretty incredible. If I hit the EQ or Surround button (forcing the analog audio through the digital processor) I get a staticky, hissy noise across the spectrum. Turn off Surround, and it sounds fine. Turn off EQ and it also sounds fine. Turn either one back on and it sounds like crap again. (This means that even Dolby Pro-Logic videos can't be tolerated in anything other than plain stereo.)

To make matters worse, it has been to Sony Service twice and the problem still exists. The first time they reportedly replaced a main circuit board, but curiously all of my memory settings were still intact when I got it back. The second time, it appears they actually fixed the problem, but after an hour of use, it failed again.

I consider the unit DOA, and have been pushing Sony for a full replacement (with no success). Since Sony has no replacement policy, I strongly advise you to purchase from a very close dealer, with a huge warehouse full of units. My dealer doesn't stock this unit, so is stuck with the same repair policy that I am.

I bought the unit in October, and have had only a few days of partial usage from it. It has spent about 4 weeks in and out of Sony's repair center. I'll be on the phone with Sony in the morning, and if I don't get a satisfactory resolution, I've got a list of Sony executives to whom I'll be sending a nasty letter.

Given my previous success with everything Sony, this is really frustrating. I really think it is a great unit, but a unit of this price shouldn't have ever slipped past quality control with this severe a defect.

controls to the eyebrows

universal remote doesn't cover half of the market, documentation NEEDS work

I replaced a Pioneer VSX-603 with this receiver... cannot say that I am all happy about this receiver... the SONY is more powerful for sure, however the signal the sony outputs is not as clean as the bottom of the line pioneer... I have no particular problem with the remote, however it doesn't control my GOVIDEO VCR :(, it is unusual for SONY, there is basically no spec included with the unit, and the user's manual doesn't explain half of the functions. Of course, this product is not even listed on SONY's own web-site.

Overall, a good product with little gliches that requires a lot of brain power and test and error to operate...

Reputation,5 year warranty, DD & DTS decoders built in, features

Remote

Was given the receiver has a gift and I'm still in awe. The sound, features and price outweight any of the negatives. I have it connected to Polk's with a Yamaha Dual 7 1/2's subwoofer box and it rattles the house. From reggae to Tony Bennett, the range and clarity is amazing. The delay and thump from switching from DVD to CD, can be remedied with a AC/DC line conditioner. In terms of the heat, get an inexpensive desk fan w/ clamp that you can connect to the back of your wallunit/rack. In regards to the new 6.1 & 7.1 format, I just purchased the Polk dipole speakers which answers the rear center channel issue.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AVR 3300

Price.

Quality.

I ordered my first unit in March from hometheaterworld.com @ $699.00. The unit arrived about 4 days later. I was overloaded with work, so it took me two days before I had the chance to unbox it and hook it up. It was very disappointing for me to find that something was loose and rattling around the case before I even had the chance to plug it in. After some dickering around with the service rep. from home theater world, the unit was sent back and a new one arrived about a week and half later.

After having used this product for about two months, I've finally come to the conclusion that this unit is defective, too(!). It seems there's a serious hum that emanates from this unit when 'surround mode' is on, regardless of input source or genre selection. I thought it was my DVD player (Apex AD-600A), but I've confirmed that it's not. Took me quite awhile to confirm this, but I'm sure of it now. And after going through all of the other reviews posted here, it would seem this is not a new problem. It looks to me like quality control isn't a high priority with Sony. I realize this is a commodity product, however, I'm not interested in refurbished products or waiting a month to find out whether or not their service technicians can properly diagnose and repair the product.

It is a nice looking product, though. And the sound is good without DSP. The remote is disappointing for all the reasons already given. I'd suggest a user configurable backlight timeout, and certainly make it a programmable unit so that it can be used with other devices.

In retrospect, I think I would have looked around more, before purchasing the 555ES. A user configurable crossover for the sub would have been nice. Also, more than one digital coax input would have been good. The ability to rotate through FM frequencies (pre-programmed or not) through the remote and through the function dial would have been nice. The ability to connect an external EQ would have been good, too.

I guess I'll find out how good Sony's service is, soon enough.

The other components in my system don't really exist, yet. I have a pair of Cerwin Vega D-5's with a blown woofer, a pair of Radio Shack Minimus-77's (surround), and a Yamaha System 25, which is really a PC sound system. =) The above mentioned Apex DVD player, and a crappy Sanyo 21" TV. To say the least, I can't really comment on the sound quality of this unit. I don't have anything else to reference it, either, which probably makes me just a casual listener. =)

My plans include a Shiva 12" PR sub, powered with an undecided amp, a Sony Wega (KV-36XBR250), and some DIY mains, center channel and rear surrounds (leaning towards the Ariels despite the fact that they are intended for a tube amp). The parts for the sub should be here in a few days, but am holding off on the Ariel parts for the moment, as I am not yet committed to this particular DIY loudspeaker. It's apartment life, so I don't expect to be cranking it hard.

For those of you running 4 ohm loads into your 555, what are your thoughts/experience? Please e-mail a note, if you don't mind.

Similar Products Used:

none.

Lots of power, very flexible configuration options.

Remote design is annoying, and the remote eats batteries quickly. Sound is dull and undetailed. Unit runs very, very hot.

I just returned my Sony to the store this morning for a refund. The remote control design is poor, and the remote has no learning capability and had no preset for my Echostar 3700 DBS receiver. The Yamaha remote has some learning functions on it, and it's got real buttons. The pen-based touch screen on the Sony is annoying.

Running the unit with the volume knob at 10 o'clock for 15 minutes or so makes the unit really, really hot -- the top was too hot to touch, and the unit actually started to smell dangerously overheated. I never did trigger the thermal protect switch, though. My speakers are 8 ohm and my wire is decent...

The sound of this unit is very flat. I kept wanting to increase the treble boost to compensate, even though my Snell Type D speakers are typically very bright.

The Sony does sound like it has a large amount of power, but it has problems reproducing highs and midrange sounds at moderate volumes. Bass seems more pronounced than on other receivers, even with LFE muted, effects bypassed, and the controls set flat.

I had the chance to audition it in my home and compare it to a Yamaha RX-V995. The Yamaha runs cool and has more detail in higher-frequency ranges. Even though the Yamaha is rated at 100 watts and the Sony is rated at 120 watts, the Yamaha seems to have as much power as the Sony. The Yamaha also doesn't distort at higher volume levels.

Price also worked in my favor. Both units list for US$1000. The Sony was on sale locally for $850, and I found the Yamaha locally for $700 -- both units are at the end of their model cycle and will be replaced shortly.

All told, I'm much happier with the Yamaha.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RX-V995, Denon AVR-3300, older Nakamichi AV-1

Just had a glorious two weeks of using the sony STR-DB940QS and was planning to buy it. Now I have the opportunity to buy a V555ES from Sony for 900$. I am stuck. Which one should I buy? The STR-DB940 will set me back about 600$, the v555es will cost 850$.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I've been trying to decide myself. I'd like to get the v555es, but need to make sure it's worth the extra cash. The STR-DB940 has the added advantage of bein' silver, like the TV and DVD.

My ratings of this machine are the same as the ones I give the STR-DB940

my current set-up is:
SONY KV-32FQ75
SONY DVP-S735DS - multizone
2 x B&W 603 series 2 - front
1 x B&W CC6 centerspeaker
2 x B&W 602 series 2 - back
current amp is a technics SA-AX720 - needs replacing

Similar Products Used:

sony STR-DB940QS

Lots of user adjustments and tweaks,nice looking,pretty good value as long as you don't pay msrp,remote is cool "looking".

overall sound quality was not to my liking,remote IE-backlight to short, no learning function,and two handed operation.

I have to say the sound of this reciever was a bit harsh and grainy compared to my yamaha who's sound I would describe as sweet and smooth.This sound difference was very noticable to me and actually prevented me from listening to the 555 for long without fatiguing my ears a bit.However the reason I ended up returning it was due to the two way communication and eq not working on the remote which I recently found out was because of the s-link connection not being routed right.Apperently you can't go from the reciever to the dvd player with s-link.This is something that should have been noted in the manual.Neither the repair shop or sony apperantly knew about this problem,I don't see how they couldn't if it was tested properly.Anyway I have heard the 777 has much better sound quality than the 555 did plus the remote now has a learning capability and a better lcd screen.I should be getting it around the end of April.I will post a review of it when I get it.The sound quality is the main reason I can't give this reciever more than three stars.Personaly I like the remote,it's not the most convenient remote I've ever used but then again it is a touchscreen remote so you can't really compare it to your old tv remote.You would have to compare it to other touchscreen remotes to be fair.

Similar Products Used:

yamaha r-v1103