Good first receiver
Written: May 14 '02 (Updated Apr 10 '03)
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Pros: Good sound, many sound modes, cheap, good looking.
Cons: No S-video.
The Bottom Line: If don't have much cash to spend, this unit would be worth buying. You'd be surprised at the sound quality, and features it provides.
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| zoist's Full Review: Sony STR-DE475 5.1 Channels Receiver |
Specs
• 80 Watts x 5
• 5.1 Channel Input
• 8 32-bit DSP Modes
• Digital Cinema Sound™ Processing
• 1 Digital Coaxial Input
• 1 Subwoofer Pre-Amp Output
• 1 Optical Input
• Simplified DSC Modes
• 30 AM/FM Presets
Package contents
Receiver, Remote control, two AA batteries for remote, AM loop antenna, FM antenna wire, manual, and warranty card.
Reason for purchase
I bought this receiver because I wanted to set up a home theater in my bedroom, and also have a serious surround sound computer amplifier. I, like many people didn't want to watch movies in ordinary stereo sound, so I went out hunting for a cheap, but good receiver to start off with. I didn't have $800 to spend, and I looked at this Sony with a Panasonic priced about the same. It was a hard choice and I bought the Sony.
Other reasons for purchasing it was good looks, theater modes, black in color and 80 watts was enough for me. I have a 5 speaker set of TDJ Studio acoustics which aren't the best speakers in the world, but still create thunder.
The manual
The manual isn't the best around. It is a pretty cheap printed book which doesn't even have thicker front and back pages to protect it. I am sure Sony didn't bother making a quality manual simply because it is a low priced receiver.
The manual has 51 pages and has all the information you need to set up your speaker cables and signal cables and explain to you the different sound modes. There is also a trouble shooting section which could come in handy.
Set up
Set up was very easy. Plugging in the cables at the back of the unit was the easiest because everything at the back is marked, so even your grandma could set that part up.
The first thing I did after attaching all the cables was to set up the radio stations and give each radio station a "name" simply by pressing the "Setup" button, you can scroll through the number of settings and modify each one by using the left, right, up and down arrows.
Sound modes
With this receiver, you can change the type of sound to suit your mood etc.. For example; you can select "Game mode" if you are playing a game to add extra "oomph" if you like, and other ones such as 'Hall' or 'Studio' to make it sound like you're in a music hall or Sony music studios plus many others.
Guns 'n Roses' "November Rain" sounds excellent in surround sound.
The remote control
The remote is very nice. All the buttons seem to be placed nicely and several of the buttons can be seen in the dark, which is good for adjusting things during a movie if needed.
The size
I never thought the receiver would be so big either! The thing is really fat and looks fantastic sitting in my hi-fi cabinet.
One thing to be careful of is making sure the unit doesn't have anything on top of it covering the vents, especially during times when the music is really pumping, which would cause a lot of heat coming out of it.
Recommended
I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't got a lot of money to spend. You won't be disappointed.
Even for a average lounge room it would be more than acceptable for the average hi-fi person. Unless you have $800+ to spend on a more advanced unit, this would be enjoyed by most, including me.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 250
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Epinions.com ID:
zoist
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Location: Australia
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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