Excellent choice for entry level
Written: Jul 20 '01
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Pros: Sound quality, AC3 and DTS 24 bit
decoding, control layout
Cons: No S video connectors, no remote
light, no FM signal strength
The Bottom Line: Excellent sounding cost effective receiver for entry to
mid level systems if you can live without S video
connectors.
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| subspace's Full Review: Sony STR-DE475 5.1 Channels Receiver |
I bought this as a second system for my PC which has a DVD player and a Real Magic Hollywood+ DVD card with AC3 and DTS digital output. I just have some old ADS L300 bookshelf speakers for the mains, and some el-cheapo KLH center and surrounds (and no sub woofer yet). Even with this inadequate speaker setup the surround sound was great. Just a few years ago the features in this Sony would have been considered ultra high end. Now its an entry level.
I connected my sound blaster card to the 6 direct inputs (5 speakers plus sub) and I use this for games. I connect the Real Magic card to the digital coax input. An optical input is also available.
I sort of wanted to play around with and get familiar with surround sound before possibly spending major bucks on my main system. And the Sony is perfect for this. The price was great at $189. For this you get AC-3, DTS 24 bit decoding, Dolby Pro Logic, and various sound processing modes. The controls are well laid out and the display is informative. The blue LED that lights when decoding surround is cool looking. The setup is a little confusing at first but within 10 minutes I had everything set up. The manual is good but not great. It covers the basics. The front panel display is very informative and shows all kinds of useful info.
The sound is excellent. I used a several AC3 DVDs and a DTS encoded DVD of Twister. Being new to surround I can only say Wow! It sounded great. You can set it up so that it knows you have no sub woofer connected and the size (small or large) of the other speakers. It will then route the lows to whatever large speakers you have selected. For a small room setup like mine you can go without the sub if your on a budget.
Stereo sound quality was that of the speakers or headphones so there is not much I can say here. The FM/AM tuner was typical for today's receivers, so this is not unique to Sony. That is, the FM works great when there is enough signal but struggles to pick up the weak stations. Even with an active FM antenna you will struggle to pick up fringe stations. You can preset and name up to 30 stations.
The other problem with this receiver is that there are no S video or component video connectors. So if you are planning on a new TV or a DVD with component video outputs or possibly a HDTV in the future, this receiver will not be able to switch your high resolution video and in this case I would suggest getting a more expensive model with these connections.
Some other features I didn't like are the remote has tiny buttons and no lights and is not a universal. The plastic face plate attracts dust. The metal enclosure is kind of flimsy so you may have a problem if you want to stack something on top of the Sony. The top is vented so I guess it needs air flow for cooling. It is a very light weight box (15 lbs 14 oz) and this is a good thing. The AM/FM tuner has no signal strength indication.
After two weeks of listening my conclusion is that even entry level surround is far superior to stereo for watching DVD video and the Sony is the perfect cost effective solution for those with older TVs or PC setups.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 189
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Location: W. of Boston, MA, USA
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
A jack of all trades and master of one or two.
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