I just wanted to add my 2¢. The opinions from this board were a major factor in my buying decision. Thank you all for steering me towards this unit. I just couldn't be happier.

The sound it produces is a level of audio/home theatre that I was not experiencing before with my Technics Prologic receiver. It really has been night and day. I’ll stop gushing about the receiver now but thanks for all the imput. Reading the manual can rectify most of complaints about the remote, I find it to be quite functional. Frankly as good as it sounds, I’d run the thing manually and be happy.

I purchased it for a total of $380 including slow shipping etc. fron Onecall They did not show the unit on their site but I just called and asked if they had it. Three days later, audio bliss.

ATTRACTIVE DESIGN, TOP-NOTCH ES QUALITY, MULTIPLE SOUND FIELDS, A MYRIAD OF BELLS AND WHISTLES THAT WOULD PLEASE EVEN THE FINEST OF AUDIO LOVERS, AND A SICK PRICE OF 349.00 SHIPPED (J & R) IN THE U.S.

THE WHITE GLOW-IN-THE-DARK BUTTONS, YOU CAN'T READ THE LIGHT GREEN WRITING ON THEM. IT CAN BE A PAIN AT FIRST, BUT WHATEVER. YOU CAN ALWAYS GET A SUPERIOR REMOTE NEXT.

I'VE GOT THIS BEAST RUNNING MY PARADIGM SET-UP. MONITOR 9'S UP FRONT, TITANS IN THE BACK, CC-350 CENTRE, AND A PDR-10 FOR BASS. LET ME HONESTLY TELL YOU THAT THIS RECEIVER TRULY PROVIDES A GREAT MOVIE EXPERIENCE. IT DOES EVERYTHING WELL. FOR DVD VIEWING THE UNIT KICKS ASS. I CAN ONLY RUN IT AT 4 ON THE VOLUME KNOB OTHERWISE PEOPLE START TO GET ANNOYED AT THE HOUSE ROCKIN BASS THAT'S BEING SENT OUT. MY GIRLFRIEND IS ALWAYS TELLING ME TO TURN IT DOWN. WHAT CAN I DO ? I REALLY LIKE WATCHING MY MOVIES AT A LEVEL THAT PLEASES. I GOT A GREAT DEAL ON IT SO I'M IN HOME THEATRE HEAVEN THESE DAYS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE DB830. I COULD HAVE BOUGHT THE 930 IF I REALLY WANTED TO BUT I WASN'T REALLY FEELIN' PAYING THE EXTRA LOOT FOR A SLOW REACTING REMOTE AND 10 EXTRA WATTS THAT I'D NEVER NEED IN MY SITUATION. A GREAT PIECE OF WORK FROM SONY FOR THE MONEY. FIVE WALL SHAKIN' STARS.

solid build, clean power, inputs , sound fields, auto format decoding and many more.

Remote is not great but the 100$ I saved by not buying the 930 was worth it. That paid for wiring.

Paid more for this receiver at tweeter but I did not want any hassles. Figured I would buy my main speakers and receiver local and buy my sub and center online. I have only used a minisystem in the past so now I am enlightened and in awe. I have my receiver hooked up to a sony dvp-s530d ,infinity rs5 mains and bose 301's in the rear(the 301's are a bit of an overkill but they sound damn good as rears and they match well). This system is awesome and I am glad the str-db830 is powering it all. It has everything I need and then some. The light in sony's head went on and they came up with a good idea. Make a well constructed receiver that wont break the bank, what a concept!! Go to tweeter and listen for yourself. If you want this for home theater it is a damn good choice. Stick with large speakers no satellites, they produce much more sound. I dont even have to turn the volume up halfway to get the full effect of music and movies. The unit does get a little warm but if you keep it in an entertainment center with some room to breathe you should have no problems. 5*****

Similar Products Used:

none

500w, ins/outs, sony es exterior, s-video switching, dd, dts, home theater

Remote control, sound bleeds from different sources

I picked this up from uncle stereo for $345, and I love it. Basically, you're going to buy it for all of its features, pretty exterior, low price, and good (not great)sound.

Its sound quality is above average, but not top-notch. There's a very audible hiss on mute with nothing connected, and the volume pushed up. With one source active (say you're playing a cd in your cd player), there is a sound bleed to other nonplaying sources (md, phono) with the volume up. Although I make concessions about its sound quality, to buy a receiver with better sound you're going to have to pay 1.5 to 2 times as much for one with the same features and power.

You can read about all of its features from reviews below, or from a good online store, like Crutchfield. In short, the db-830 offers dd, dts, 100W x 5 channels, s-video switching, gads of ins and out, and many preset listening environments. It has a pretty, black, brushed aluminum front like the es line.

Fortunately, I haven't had any of the problems other reviewers had (knock on wood) but those reviews are still something to take into consideration. So if you're looking for the cornerstone of a lower-cost/higher-quality home theater, but not a replacement for your already high-quality separates, then you'll be completely satisfied with the db830.

In its price-performance class, you won't find a receiver that can match its features, power, and versatility. My movies never sounded better.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 474

Price, Connectivity, Clean Power.

Remote Won't Operate My Echostar Satelite Receiver

Unbelievable clarity of sound. The power of this amp doesn't even compare to that of the Kenwood it replaced. This Sony is stronger, cleaner, and an absolute pleasure to listen to and operate. It's got more than enough connections for current equipment and anything likely to be had any time soon so connectivity isn't even close to being an issue. I opted for the 830 after a 1/2 hour in store get to know you with the 930's remote. I couldn't abide that thing so... I definitely like the 830's remote better and don't miss the loss of the 10 watts or the few added connections of the 930. Bottom line; This receiver is everything it promises and then some. Don't hesitate.

A note on my purchase. I searched the internet for the best price. Then submitted a price request to "buying edge.com" and the quotes came via e-mail. Lowest received was $349 plus $30 for 3 day shipping from a place called Victor's in Fla. Saw many a positive mention of "OneCall.com" so went to their site. They didn't mention this receiver on their site so I called. The salesman I got was very knowledgeable about this product and VERY helpful and friendly.. As my attempts to contact Victors were unsuccessful, I haggled a bit with Onecall and got this model for $360 plus $30 for 2 day fed-ex. Also purchased an optical cable for $15 from them (they knocked $5 off the $20 price of the cable). Total price for the receiver, optical cable, and 2 day shipping was $405. A deal for this quality piece of equipment. The reciever and cable arrived as promised Friday double boxed and in perfect condition. I can't say enough good things about OneCall. this was my first "internet" purchase and they assuaged all my fears and delivered as promised. Top rate people in my book and definitely my first stop for future purchases.

Inputs/Outputs, features

This is a great receiver and don't listen to that pathetic reviewer below. If he can fix a receiver then why does he have to buy one and not make one by himself? Mister perfect. This isn't a discussion group and if you don't like Sony then don't buy Sony. I can be honest and tell you that Sony's previous receivers where not that good but this unit packs a punch of features. You'll not regret it. If you want like the unit you can blame me. I find it togeather with the Yamaha ones a very very good receiver. So Go for the STR DB830 and you'll not regret it! If you need a really good remote then go for the philips Pronto and you'll solve all your remote problems!

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 575

This receiver is AWESOME. The actual receiver is nearly flawless. The sound quality is, in my opinion, better than that of my father's Yamaha DSP2090. The power is more than enough...turn it past half way and get ready for complaints from neighbors! The "auto format decode" feature really seems to recognize what you are listening to and makes it sound awesome.

Well, there always has to be something...and on this unit the remote just plain sucks. If the remote would not have those stupid glow-in-the-dark buttons and would have the menu buttons (commonly used on DVD players and cable boxes), it would be great.

I received this unit for Christmas and thought it was a little overpriced at $500 (Crutchfield). But after reading of lower prices and not paying for it myself I really have nothing to complain about. Overall, just a wonderful, solid, and reliable unit. Another winner from Sony!

Similar Products Used:

Sony DE335 (I believe).

Very good Dolby Digital performance.

Hiss in surround speakers, 70/80's style remote, poor two channel stereo reproduction, somewhat ineffective equalizer.

I purchased a DB830 based on the reviews on this site of both the 830 and 930 which are essentially the same except for a small power rating difference, remote and two room capability. I really cannot fault the Dolby Digital performance of this unit. I think it did a good job. However, there was a noticeable hiss from the surround speakers and you did not have to have your ear to the speakers to hear it. The two channel stereo performance of this unit leaves a lot to be desired. It was very two dimensional, there was not depth to the music and very little air around the performers. The music seemed to just stop at the speakers - there was never any depth to the soundstage - the music had no ambience or air around it. I experimented with the equalizer to no avail. In my opinion, the actions of the equalizer did not correspond to the settings that appeared on the display window. In addition, there is no tape monitor loop in case you want to insert an outboard equalizer for two channel music or monitor a tape being recorded. The remote is certainly useable but thats about all that I can say for it. If you are only interested in using this unit for Dolby Digital/DTS reproduction, it may be fine if you can overlook the persistant hiss in the surround speakers. On the other hand, if you also want to use it for listening to two channel stereo I cannot recommend it.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RV-904, Pioneer D608, Harman/Kardon AVR5.

Cinema Surround sound is awesome. Price and features are unmatched.

Stereo sound is flat. The Remote, to put it bluntly - sucks!

Just purchased this receiver from www.hometheaterworld.com for $366.00. They do not list this model on their web page but you can email them for instructions on how to purchase –they do have it and are very pleasant to work with.

I have been comparing the DB830 with the Yamaha HTR-5150 for some time. The Yamaha has a better audiophile name and their receivers definitely look classier (like all Yamaha’s), however, price, features, an extra 30 watts of power, and all these great reviews convinced me to go with Sony.

Hook-up of my Toshiba 3109 DVD, JVC VCR, Sanyo TV, and Polk Audio Monitor 10B’s and Center 245 was a breeze. Trying to configure the best sound was not. This is my first purchase of an AV receiver. For ten years now I have owned a Kenwood, 150 Watt/channel at .005% THD, Amp and separate tuner. I don’t know what happened to Kenwood’s quality but this Amp has beautiful sound and even has an optical hook-up for my Kenwood CD player – way ahead of it’s time. This baby blasted it’s way through my college years and has pissed off many a neighbor - I did not want to part with it. Unfortunately, my newly purchased Toshiba DVD player’s optical link was not compatible – the signal would not lock on the AMP and the sound kept clipping.

The Sony DB830 does not sound anywhere near as full as my Kenwood when playing standard CD’s or Radio, but the Cinema Surround sound is excellent. I do not yet own rear surrounds but the DB830 can easily be configured for two fronts and a center. I watched the Matrix again last night and the sound was incredible. I can’t wait for Sunday to try out the “Stadium” effect when watching football – I tried this with a hockey game and was awed by the realism.

My biggest complaint is with the remote. It may have been worth it to spend the extra hundred to get the DB930 for just this reason. If you're hoping to use the DB830's as a universal forget it.

I give the receiver 5 stars for it’s Cinema sound, 3 stars for it’s Stereo sound, 2 for the remote, and 5 stars for overall price and value - you won't find a better buy.

Price, Soundfields, Power, Front Panel, and Construction.

Remote and only one composite output for monitor.

I bought this receiver from onecall.com after looking for about 3 months for a midpriced receiver. I demo'ed several receivers at Bestbuy, Circuit City, and the local Hi-fi dealer, Ovation. My guide lines for purchasing was a $500 budget, DTS and DD processing and several soundfields.
Only Ovation seemed to know what they were doing. The teenager sales idiots at the two chainstores really could care less and all they could do was blast the system at top volume.

I was debating between the Denon 1800, Onkyo 575 and the Sony DE945. They were all around $500 and I listened to each one at Ovation and they sounded good, each in their own way. I played with the Sony DA555ES and like its DSP and sound.

That night, I ran across this site and its reviews on Sony products. I began to realize that I wanted ES sound at Sony DE prices.

I think the Sony DB830 fits that category. I noticed today that pricescan.com no longer includes onecall.com Why? The DB830 now sells for $450 as the lowest price. Hmm..

I bought it from onecall.com for $319 and I am happy with it. The power is adequate, who needs more than 100w x 5 anyway. I try different DSP setting with each movie until I get it right. I like th4e front panel, it folds out of the way, and looks clean. I pocketed the extra money, $180 under budget. I will invest it in a Sony 560 DVD.