It's 500, not 300!
Written: Apr 28 '02 (Updated Feb 18 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: pretty good setup for relatively cheap price; sony leads electronic aesthetics-just gorgeous!
Cons: not enough watts; picture quality
The Bottom Line: I recommend for the average person. You get what you pay for plus cool design. For first-time home system and/or dvd buyers, it'll blow you away, cake.
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| addickt8's Full Review: Sony DAV-S300 Theater System |
I'm pretty sure I'm writing about the same set everyone else has, but the product number in this category says "DAV-S300" while mine is "DAV-S500." In fact, I don't believe a S300 exists, as the Sony website doesn't have it listed. However, there is a "S700" in this Dream System line which is about 100 dollars more for a bit more wattage and a 5 disc changer instead of one.
The list price for the S500 is $599.95; however, I bought mine at Costco for a hundred dollars cheaper! At the time I purchased the system, every other place was selling it at list price including 5 free dvds. That is the deal the Sony website has at the time of this writing. For dvd collectors, this really is a deal since the list price of 5 dvds would be about $125. So basically, you'd save 25 bucks.
IMAGE
Okay, enough beatin' around the bush... The main problem I have with this system is the picture quality. Previous to buying the S500, I had a RCA dvd component that was $170. While I had occasional buzzing noises with that player, the picture quality was quite noticeably better. Images were crisp and colors were rich. The S500 seems to cast a sort of whitewash over the picture. This isn't terribly noticeable or intrusive, but sometimes, it's a bit irritating for me- especially in scenes with actors who are supposed to be under great lighting and scenes that are bright, like sunlit shots (I first noticed the difference while watching "Meet Joe Black"- the movie has gorgeous cinematography). With the S500, there is noticeably less of a "true" black, such as with the borders of a widescreen. The real p*sser is that, as much as the menu lets you tweak the specs of the speaker settings, there are no options for the image quality. In the end, the lesser image quality isn't too upsetting as you get used to it. It's overall still quite good, and for first-time dvd buyers, the different aspects of this system should keep you quite busy to even notice. This could even be a plus for avid documentary/indie fans, as it makes Hollywood actors seem just a little bit more real since skin imperfections are more noticeable with this whitewash effect.
SOUND
The system comes with 5 satellite speakers and a very cool-looking subwoofer. Now, I've never owned a subwoofer before, so this was a real treat- very impressive! Hooking up the cables was very user-friendly. Each speaker had a color designated with its corresponding cable and placement into the receiver. Personally, I find all these cables to be a mess; I haven't yet properly placed the cables along the wall corners (I don't even have stands for the surround sound) so I keep all the speakers with the component and move them back and forth each time I use the system. Tis the price you pay for mediocre surround sound! The system has a total of 280 watts, which is not enough for my tastes. It's plenty for regular movie viewing and relaxing audio use, but it ain't enough when you really want to crank it! The speaker system has a pretty good options menu. No equalizers or anything, but you can designate the amount of volume you want in each speaker from left to right/ front to back and the standard treble/bass controls. Lots of options with controlling sound through each individual speaker in relation to their placement and coordination with where you sit. There are a number of preset sound settings to fit the type of audio you are playing (i.e. small/large hall acoustic effects, 2-channel stereo, normal surround, and many other surround settings that emphasize video games, musicals, sci-fi film sounds, etc.). I haven't had much to compare on, but I'd say the subwoofer quality goes right along with the rest of the system- mediocre, just like the price you paid for it in relativity; however, like I mentioned before, it's my first so it makes me happy=) It probably isn't the best for boom bass music such as electronica or hip hop (since listeners of those genres are incline to blast what little wattage this system has to offer), but it's got a great, clean tight bass for music like jazz. The system also came with a sampler of SACD (super audio cd) tracks Miles Davis, Roger Waters, James Taylor, and a orchestra concerto.
RECEIVER/ COMPONENT
The system plays dvd, cd, vcd and sacd (only one disc at a time) and has a radio w/ presets. It's built impressively sturdy- not what I'd expect Sony to churn out for a mediocre, mass-produced set since I expect they may or may not engage in unethical manufacturing practices (I need to protect myself from litigation). Anyhow, the component has a pretty solid metal frame. The physical aspects are sure to win you over. I'm not sure when this new silver fad is gonna die out, but for this beauty, I made the exception and gave in. The front panel display has a thick glass with a hind mirror over it; same goes for the slide out disc tray- probably the most distinguishing physical characteristic. Another neat part about the display panel is that it has a dimmer if the display bothers you while watching movies in the dark. Big volume knob with some resistance so that it gives the allusion of being a heavy duty metal knob- though in reality, I think it's hollow. The width of the component is smaller than the standard cabinet fit; however, it is longer in length to accommodate the amplifier within. Another minus is the amplifier placed inside the component. While it does make it a all-in-one conveniency, the system heats up dramatically, and I feel uneasy about leaving it on too long. Also, there's a headphone jack with what they call "Headphone Theater Mode," which I'm pretty sure is just a fancy wording.
REMOTE CONTROL
Before I start another elongated description, I want to mention that the remote is a great aesthetic. It's got a flat surface with rubber buttons. It could've been the ultimate sleek remote if it weren't for the bulk one the bottom side for the battery compartment, but that just makes it more comfortable to hold. The surface has a green-tinted clear plastic (glows in the dark, too!) layered over the gray base with the button descriptions written under the clear top. The remote pretty much operates everything as the receiver only has the basic command buttons; however, the remote only has a standby button for the receiver. The power switch is a manual push button on the main component. Lots of shortcut buttons on the remote which cuts the hassle of going through onscreen menus as with some other dvd players. Finally, the remote is semi-universal. That is, it can control one other component- it's geared for tv control. If you happen to have a Sony tv, all the better since the remote is pre-programmed for Sony sets.
Here are the specs from the Sony website for further techno geeks:
280 watts total system power (3 ohms, 120 - 10 kHz, 10% THD)
2-Way Front speakers with 2-3/8" woofers
Center and Surround speakers with 2-3/8" full-range drivers
Subwoofer with 7" driver
Dolby Digital, dts and Dolby Pro Logic decoding
Digital Cinema Sound™ system recreates the acoustics of Hollywood dubbing stages
Space-saving full digital amplifier
Frequency synthesis tuner with 20 FM + 10 AM presets
10-Bit video digital-to-analog converter
SACD stereo and multi-channel playback
CD-R/CD-RW playback
S-Video output and cable
Optical digital audio input for DIRECTV receiver
On-screen graphical user interface (GUI)
Preprogrammed A/V remote control with One Touch Play
Getting Connected Guide
Dimensions: (WxHxD)Main Unit Approx. 14" x 2 3/4" x 14 5/8" (355 x 70 x 370mm) Front/Center/Rear SS: 4" x 4" x 4 3/8" (100 x 100 x 110mm) Sub Woofer:7 7/8" x 14" x 15 3/8" (200 x 355 x 390mm)
Weight: Front/Center/Rear SS: Approx. 1 lb. 14 oz (0.85 kg) Sub Woofer: Approx. 13 lbs. 14 oz (6.3 kg)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
addickt8
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Location: san diego, ca
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
professional student.
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