Power,numerous inputs and surround sound modes

Manual for the remote.

I planned on buying a Denon 1800 or higher, because I needed a DTS decorder for the Toshiba 2109. This receiver recommended to me by a audio review reader. He just happened to come in to demo this receiver at the local audio shop. This receiver is soo AWESOME!! The receiver is connected to Infinity Minuette speakers with a JBL 12" sub with 250watts. Perfectly suits my needs and then some!!
Receiver was 425 shipped and the speakers were 248 for the sub and 288 for the five Infinity shipped. One grand for an excellent system.
You can't get a better receiver for less than 750. The Denon looks better, but the Sony really performs.

Similar Products Used:

None

Clean look, ease of use, plenty of inputs

Not perfect
Oversimple documentation (for non techies like me)
Slow remote

This is my second review. I'd like to share some of my observations in recent 2 weeks.

1, Hissing. Using digital input with no signal, hissing is noticable from nomal listening position when volume is turned pass 5. Analog mode, however, is noticable at 3.5, while phono mode is even worse. This doesn't bother me as my nomal volume is around 2.5.

2. Heat. I did get the unit overheated once, in the middle of a loud party with volume 6. It shut itself off a few seconds and back up. I found that a mixer was stacked on top. After removing the mixer, it worked fine. I guess it needs extra cooling device if you run it 24/7 with volume 10.

3. Unbalanced output. Listening to mono source I felt that front right speak sounded a little louder than the left one. Without removing any cable, I swapped positions of right and left speakers. It sounded the same. My conclusion is my room played the trick: the right speaker is close to a corner, while the left is not.

4. Rear speaker output. Using conventional mono or stereo sources, I couldn't get much sound from rear speakers in any DSP mode, except Large Hall and Arena. I guess the unit is not good at "making up" sounds, as the Bose Lifestyle does. However, using 5.1 input from DVD, the rear speakers came alive!

5. Distortion. I noticed some distortion when "AB"ed 6ohm Technics speakers with Energy Encore 1. At the begining I thought it was because of differences between speakers. After I switched the receiver to 4ohm, distortion disappeared, but both speakers sounded less louder.

6. DSP. 27 DSPs actually sounded like 10. Some of them are not distiguishable to me. So far my favorates are: "Movie A" for movies, "Live house" for CDs, and "AFD" for all others.

After all these "discoveries", I still think it a good buy for the money.

See other reviews (or my previous review way below)...

See other reviews (or my previous review way below)...

I am posting this review after using this receiver for quite some time now. So I will discuss mainly the bad items.

HEAT: The unit gets quite hot after 2+ hrs usage. Basic work arounds should be applied. (not a big issue) The receiver has never quit on me yet!

Hissing/Input Bleeding: I do not know the exact circuit structure of this receiver, but here are some observations:

If you do not have a phone player input attached, start playing lets say your CD/Tape input, then without stoping your CD/Tape, switch your input to phono... you will hear your CD playing in the background - input bleeding! Now if you do not have a DVD attached back on your receiver you will hear more or less the same results. (if you can) now attach your DVD analog and digital inputs and do the same test with your CD/Tape you will not hear the same level of high bleeding... and if you set your DVD input to be only restricted to the optical digital input, you will not hear any bleeding!!!

Here is what I think, hissing and bleeding occur mainly for the analog sources. Hissing can be minimized when you attach the "GROUND" for the phono input into the proper ground area. Bleeding happens when the other source is not active or if the digital input is not being used. As far as rear channels hissing is concerned this should not happen with the 5.1 digital source. !?!?!

In any case, you will have 2 years of warranty and you can raise hell to make Sony fix the hissing/bleeding for you (ie. if you have purchased your equipment from Sony Authorised dealer like Crutchfield, JandR or One Call)

I have listened to this unit, Sony STR-DA555ES and many other H/K, Yamaha and Denon equipment the sound quality of this receiver is very close - except this receiver has much much better value (for the $$$) If you think that the sound sucks on this unit then compare your non-Sony receiver/amp-preamp (crap) with either Sony STR-DA777es or the Sony components (amp-preamp):P

Enjoy listening!

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Yamaha HTR 5130

Almost all the inputs I need
Svideo switching
Good Sound
Really good bass at default settings

No tape 2 Monitor ( for equalizer)
No coax input for TV, only DVD
No optical input for CD

I was really excited when I was hooking this thing up, except for the lack of an optical cd input and coax for my digital cable. There are a bunch of cool features. When I tested it out for the first time though(with Stevie Ray and Radio Head), it just did not impress me all that much. It sounded clean, but something was missing. Lost Boys DVD blew me away , but CDs and Vinyl still just didn't sound great.
After about a week I finally got it to sound right. I had only then figured out how to effectivly use the built in equalizer. I am no sound expert but I thought that if I increased 10kHz treble to +10db, that I would be maximizing the treble I could hear (I like treble). Apparently there is either not a lot of sound in that range to amplify, or I have gone partially deaf. Anyway, I raised 2.5kHz treble to +10db instead and I hear a lot more treble now. The sound is complete. Only now am I truly happy with my purchase.

Somebody wanted to know some good equalizer settings? I like the following in 2 channel Mode:
100Hz Bass +2 4kHz Mid +8 2.5kHz Treble +10

Overall great product. Good Value, good sound. It really ties my system together. (I also get really excited when the big blue 5.1 light comes on!)

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None really.... Sony str D790 (Prologic)

Awesome product, great sound, TONS of features, I like the remote (don't know why you people didn't), great sound options, and the manual was easy to read and was very helpful

None so far, but I haven't had it for long. Stop badmouthing the remote, it is really pretty cool.

Got the product, unpacked it, and within an hour everything was up and running perfectly. One hour later I understood every function of the receiver. Now how can you people consider the manual hard to follow, it is actually better than most I have read. Remote operates all of my hardware, it is easy to use, and I have no complaint at all with it. Sound is great so far, haven't received my Infinity HTS-20 speakers yet (still running on my Onkyo's, but it is a big improvement. All of the sound options are fun to play with and add a lot to watching sports and playing games. Amazing amount of inputs and outputs on the back, amazing amount of speaker settings, amazing product overall for its price. I think the only complaint is that it doesn't display the time on it, but then again I have a clock on the vcr and in some other places of my room, so big deal. If it sounds this good now, I can't wait to hear it when it is completely setup. I still have to get optical cables for my dvd player, my Denon DCM 370 5-CD changer is on the way and of course so are my new speakers. This is a definate must have for people looking to spend $400-600 (depending on where you buy) for a receiver that has all the options you need and then some. If you are looking for a whole package, of course I can't vouch yet for the other products I have not received, go for this receiver, the Infinity HTS-20 (or HTS-10's-$100 cheaper), and the Denon DCM 370 5-CD changer. I did research for days on all these products (everywhere from JVC to Yamah to Pioneer), and thanks to comsumer reviews, this is what I came up with. The prices are very good for the quality of the items you receive. $525, $599, and $255 respectively at www.soundpros.com. The receiver can be found for $100 cheaper at sound city, but they didn't have the other stuff. Hell, they don't even list having the sony, or any sony products for that matter, but after a week (2 days after I ordered it from soundpros) they responded to my e-mail saying they do. Oh well. But anyway, great buy, do get it if you are thinking of it.

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Older Onkyo

Lots of inputs/outputs; big transformer; solid construction; gold plated inputs; nice design.

Terrible sound quality.

I have been building a home theater system and have been in the market for a receiver for about three months. As you can see, I tried plenty of them. I purchased the Sony STR-DB930 based primarily on the reviews it was given by people here. Based on the reviews, this unit sounded like the best bang for the buck. I ordered it from One CalL for $429, and it promptly arrived in two days.

I have to admit, I was impressed when it arrived. Tons of inputs and outputs (all gold plated), huge transformers and power supply (this thing weighs about 35 lbs.), exceptional construction, sleek design, and plenty of adjustments.

I got it all hooked up, turned it on, and discovered its fatal weakness - it sounds TERRIBLE!! First of all, I could never seem to get adequate volume or effects from the rear channels, no matter what source or surround mode I used. Second, the left rear channel was noticeably louder than the right rear channel. Third, no matter what source was used, or what the volume level, there was noticeable hissing and humming from both rear channels. And finally, in certain surround modes (especially playing the TV, the rear channels would seem to cut or fade in and out.

None the less, I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt and decided that I probably just needed to "tweak" it. It has plenty of power (110 watts/ch), but loud sound is not synonymous with good sound. I played CD's, the tuner, the TV, DVD's, and it all sounded second-rate. Even the Dolby Digital 5.1 was weak. I tried every adjustment that I could find, but it never sounded any better.

After messing ith it for days, with no positive results, I decided that I just couldn't live with sound quality that was so poor. I have since sent it back and have replaced it with a Denon AVR-2800. Now that's a receiver! Beautiful sound, movie theater quality Dolby Digital, and the 5-channel stereo is to die for. I really tried to like the Sony, but my final conclusion is that Sony just can't make anything decent except for TV's. Spend a couple hundred extra dollars and you won't be dissappointed.

My system:
Denon AVR-2800
DVD: Panasonic DVDA-120U
CD: JVC 6+1
TV: JVC 32"
Mains: Klipsch KSB 3.1's
Rears: Klipsch KSB 2.1's
Center: Klipsch RC-3

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15 Year Old Pioneer Amp; Denon AVR-2800; Yamaha RX-V795a; Pioneer Elite VXS-26TX

Excellent sound quality,specially with the DVD..
Four optical output..
In one word One of a kind...

Nothing so far..

I bought my receiver from an electronic store called Victor's Electronics in Orlando,Fl over the phone.Arrived by UPS w/o any problem..Very easy to install,a bit heavy but thats what you expect from the receiver...
Very happy with their customer service. I paid $419.99 including shipping.Call them 1-407-345-5200.
Very happy with the receiver and the place where I bought it.

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Pioneer vsxd 605

Discrete amplifier output devices, solid construction, lots of features, Australian standard AC outlet(thanks Sony!), good value for money.

Hissing, not good for music,remote control, DSP section gets hot.

I've bought this unit because it has all the "bells and whistle" I've been looking for. This a very good value for money receiver, especially in Australia.
It has all the necessary features I wanted and the setup is very easy. The multi-way banana speaker plugs is a plus. The CD sound quality is slightly below average but if you have a spare stereo power amplifier, connect it to the receiver's preout and music will come "alive". For home theatre use, it's very good but you will need an active subwoofer because this receiver does not have the power to drive your passive woofer. Most high sensitivity Scandanavian(?) or UK designed speakers work very well. Forget the Bose sub-satelite system. You need Krell or Adcom amplifiers to make those Bose AM-5 sound good.
I have to agree with many reviewers that this unit does produce some hissing in some of it's output terminal. The most obvious and annoying one is from the subwoofer output. When connecting the subwoofer output to an external amplifier(I used the Marantz MA700 mono-block)I could hear noticable hissing which gets pretty loud during quiet listening time, especially at night.
I have studied the internal circuitry of this receiver and I have to admit the internal construction and layout is quite good compared to other units at this price level. But one discovery that worries me most is the three voltage regulators mounted against a small flat piece of heatsink that is sitting on the DSP processing board(you can see this board by looking from the top of the unit toward the right side). I've noticed that after 1/2 to 1 hour of listening to the radio, this piece of heatsink gets extremely hot!!! You can can fry an egg on it!! I think (correct me if I'm wrong) if the heatsink is too hot to touch, then it is too hot. But the unit has not fail yet.
The remote control is very neat. My grandma thought I've bought a mobile phone! But the volume control buttons are too low and is very awkward to use it. It would be better if they are positioned in the middle near the "ENTER" button. I'm keeping this unit for a very long time because the features and value speak for itself.

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Yamaha RXV-???, Hardon Kardon AVR45, Pioneer VSX-D609(?)

- good value for a mid-entry receiver and HTS
- 0.09% THD (amazing!)
- remote is actually very good
- optical out (rare on a receiver at this cost)
- manuals are pretty straight forward
- plenty of connections, fairly easy to set up

- overkill on the soundfields (most are useless)
- equalizer settings difficult to set
- no onscreen menu or wizards for setup
- no technical explanation of soundfield settings
- hissing heard at all volumes

This is my first "premium" receiver, and though I'm mostly impressed with the unit, I'm still have some concerns. My biggest concern is that I cannot get the "exact" sound I want, even after fooling around with the soundfields and equalizers for hours. It's close, but not quite what I want.

Sony really needs to clean up the DSP stuff. Fewer soundfields with less equalizer settings, and more customizable surround parameters like reverb, echo, etc., would likely solve the problem of getting the "desired" sound. The best soundfield I found so far for 2-channel sound (CD, Minidisc, VHS, Cable) is "Live House".

Dolby Digital and DTS work as expected. While they are very good, I'm not going to say they're exceptional. Almost all Digital Dolby and DTS receivers sound the same (the signal is digital after all..) The blue light is cool, but I think the novelty will wear off soon.

One of the major problems with this unit is its inability to drive "clear" bass into individual speakers if you choose to use any of the soundfields. The bass becomes muddled, and a fair bit of noise is introduced into all speakers. Sound power, however, through all speakers, is very good - with no detectable clipping.

I'm not sure what the complaints with the manuals are. I found them concise and fairly straightforward. Setup of the receiver took about 1 hour. The section on the soundfields, however, is absolutely useless - because it doesn't explain or help you pick the right soundfield for a particular purpose.

The remote and its manual are also pretty decent. I was very pessimistic about the remote before I got it - reading about all the complaints on this board. Now that I have it, switching between different components (Sony or otherwise) is actually fairly easy (even with the 2-way on). The backlit LCD is a nice addition. The weight and feel of the remote is good too. I do not like the small buttons on the inside cover though. They're impossible to use in the dark. Overall though, I'm glad to have this remote.

While I think the unit is a overall a good value and will last me for years to come - I hesitate to think the "sound" is worth the amount of money I spent ($840 CDN total). Sony Canada's retail on this unit is $1000 CDN *before* taxes (about $700 USD)-- which is *not* a good deal compared to the prices our neighbours get in the US. So I'm rating it's value as a mediocre 3. (Now if we talk cars... up here we definitely get the better deals!)

Setup:
Sony DB390
Sony JB520 (minidisc)
Sony CDP525 (CD)
Toshiba 2109 (DVD)
Infinity RS-325s (mains)
Paradigm Titans v2 (surrounds)
Sony Active Speakers (SAVAs) used as a center channel and basic sub

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none used for long periods, but auditioned several units

Sound Quality, Subwoffer Control

Remote

I sore that I would never ever buy another Sony receiver again after replacing my original receiver 5 times, thank god for extended warranties. I bought one of the first Dolby Pro-logic DSP receivers back in 1991 and hated it. Was never truly happy with it. It really sucked... But finally my old STR took a dump and it was time to look for a new one... After looking hard and long for a good receiver I found my self buying another Sony and this time I am truly happy with what I got.

I can tell you there is a huge difference from the Old 1991 Sony to this one. WOW a true difference... The 930DB Rocks... and it really controls my powered sub woofer great!

When I did my research on DVD and receivers, I found that most sales people don’t know what the hell they are doing or what it is they are selling. (Big Surprise) Go to Crutchfield.com and do the research yourself. You’ll be a lot more confident with the purchase that you are going to make.

Got my price quote from Buyersedge.com and bought it from victor-s.com for ($399)

I would have loved to give it 5 stars across the board but they got to do something about that remote.

TIP: If you are looking to buy a product, do a text search for *.com on the reviews. It will lead you to the web pages where others have been. Then I go to those web sites and compare prices. I can tell you the best two out there are Buyersedge.com and pricewatch.com.

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Sony STR-D1011