Lots of features, dts decoding

sound quality

I picked this reciever up at sears on open box special for $85! I couldnt believe how inexpensive it was and since it was in perfect condition i bought it intending to connect it to some old boston accoustic speakers i had for the garage. WHen i got home i decided to see what it could do. At first i was afraid that this $85 reciever would damage my NHT speakers so i connected them to some really crapy sony minisystem speakers i had lying around. Immediately i noticed how much clearer the sound was than i expected. Now really curious, i ventured into my living room and connected them to my NHT 2.9s, along with my harmon kardon cd player. The sound definitely blew me away. The NHTs are very neutral speakers, and i did notice that the reciever was a little shrill on the high notes and i detected a hint of brightness, other than that it sounds great. I was so impressed by the sound that i used it as an excuse to setup a "mini hometheater" in my bedroom:)

Similar Products Used:

sony

cheap... overall sound is ok...

in pro-logic mode... distortion is high... especially with an analog source...

i used this receiver as a cheap solution for a ht in my room... the sound is ok... bass is lacking... and bass control is not noticeable...

i have troubles with the unit overheating... but you know what i do?? turn up the bass all the way... and just play a track that's bass heavy... and the fan kicks in... 5 min later... the units cool... turn down the bass... and all is good... haven't had to take it to the shop once...

and you say that you shouldn't have to worry about it overheating?? first off... they didn't put too many ventilation holes, because dust makes it even harder for the IC chips to cool down... yamaha, denon, and similar ones... use fans... that kick in at certain temperatures... technics chose to do it at a certain load... they're no different... but the most high quality equipment dont use fans... because that brings in even more dust... so instead... they have heat sinks set up in a certain way to dissipate heat easily...

compared to my yam 995... it's a POS... but for the price... it's excellent... stop complaining about heating problems... and do something about it... you can either rewire the damn thing to have the fan run constantly... or you can have the technician do it next time you take it down... not that hard... or you could just mount a PC type fan right behind the previous one...

Similar Products Used:

sony... h/k... yamaha... denon... b&w...

Sound quality, competitive price

No coax digital input

I purchased this receiver when I brought my newly purchased Sony unit back to the store. (due to the INCREDIBLY crappy design with its constant HISSSSSSS on all channels)

The european version of the SA-DX930 appears to be better designed compared to the US one, as it does not run excessively hot. Sure, it runs warm, but so does almost all other receivers today. And, the manual DOES warn you NOT to place CD players or other equipment on top of the receiver, both for effective cooling of the receiver and the continued health of the CD player.

The european version is somewhat different from the one sold in the US:

- Banana plug jacks for front speakers
- RDS radio
- No switched AC outlet
- Optical DVD input insted of coax (But WHY couldn't they have kept the coax input as well??
- No DSS audio input

Reasons for not awarding 5 stars:

- No pre out
- No coax DVD input
- Remote could use improvement

Reasons for choosing the SA-DX930 (European version)

- NO useless features like flashing blue LEDs or a million sound field modes that you don't use anyway
- Phono input
- Good sound quality

Summary:

Sure, it won't stand up to brands like NAD, but for <$400 this is a good buy!

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DE545, JVC mini ProLogic system

Great sound. DTS is excellent. Teamed with Cambridge Soundworks Movieworks 308 makes an excellent package for watching DVD's at a super price.

Has preformed flawlessly in about a full year of operation.

This unit has performed flawlessly. Have had people with much more expensive systems buy this one for a second system for the basement, master bedroom, etc. Sounds like a lot more money than it is. Have no idea about all the complaints with overheating. I keep it on the top shelf in a large entertainment armoire above a 36" TV. Nothing sits on top of the unit and I have had no heating problems even with the doors to the unit closed. I wouldn't recommend stacking anything on top of any unit in this power range. This goes down as one of my better purchases -- and I am a guy known for making good purchases -- friends always call me before making any technical purchase.
Buy one and play Apollo 13 or Saving Private Ryan in DTS. Mind blowing. Highly recommend the Cambridge Soundworks 308's as well.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz, Sherwood, JVC, Sony

Great sound. DTS is excellent. Teamed with Cambridge Soundworks Movieworks 308 makes an excellent package for watching DVD's at a super price.

Has preformed flawlessly in about a full year of operation.

This unit has performed flawlessly. Have had people with much more expensive systems buy this one for a second system for the basement, master bedroom, etc. Sounds like a lot more money than it is. Have no idea about all the complaints with overheating. I keep it on the top shelf in a large entertainment armoire above a 36" TV. Nothing sits on top of the unit and I have had no heating problems even with the doors to the unit closed. I wouldn't recommend stacking anything on top of any unit in this power range. This goes down as one of my better purchases -- and I am a guy known for making good purchases -- friends always call me before making any technical purchase.
Buy one and play Apollo 13 or Saving Private Ryan in DTS. Mind blowing. Highly recommend the Cambridge Soundworks 308's as well.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz, Sherwood, JVC, Sony