Sony STR-DE985/S
Written: Jan 18 '03
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Pros: A plethora of a/v connections, including component and digital.
Cons: More difficult to reassign digital connections than on inferior receivers.
The Bottom Line: This is a great receiver to complement your silver finished home theater system, or if your DVD has a coaxial output, OR if you want all Sony stuff.
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| mwl001's Full Review: Sony STR-DE985 6.1 Channels Receiver |
To start my review, I think it is important to state my criteria used for choosing it. Here is what I wanted from my A/V receiver:
1. Dolby Digital and DTS (and more decoding options were welcome, of course)
2. Component video switching
3. Analog surround hookup for SACD/DVD-Audio
4. Silver finish to match my Sony WEGA TV
5. A universal remote (this model also learns, which is a plus)
6. Multiple optical audio inputs.
I will admit that I feel there are better receivers out there, possibly even for a better price. However, I needed a silver finish and committed myself to Sony products not only for a uniform appearance but so that they will work "well" together. To this point I must say that going single brand has been worth it, and there are few companies which you can attempt this with. Now for the pros and cons.
Pros:
1. Look for a receiver with multiple digital inputs. This receiver has 3 optical in, 1 out, and a coaxial in for DVD (more on this later). More than enough for most people.
2. If you only have one component input on your TV, look for a receiver that has component video switching for when you add other component video sources. This receiver will switch between two component sources.
3. If you're going to someday add SACD or DVD-Audio, you won't be able to enjoy these without a receiver with analog audio inputs (due to digital copy protection). This unit has two inputs, one 5.1 and one 6.1
4. It will also decode Dolby Digital EX and DTS EX, which are six channel DTS signals. I think these are silly and rarely used, and I doubt that the advantages of six speakers over five are nearly as dramatic as having five instead of 2. However, it is there if you need it and will even simulate the sixth center rear channel with matrixed surround settings.
5. This receiver can handle many video inputs (TV,DVD, and 3 video) so it is great if you have multiple vcrs or game systems.
Cons:
1. It is slightly complicated to set up, although the on-screen display is helpful.
2. If you plan on using a universal remote, beware: this remote has two IR codesets for using two sony receivers in the same room. It is preset to the newer one, great if you are one of the few people who already own a Sony receiver. However, if not, no universal remotes have this codeset in their databases. Just make sure to switch from AV2 to AV1 on both the receiver and the remote. I would do this as soon as you set it up unless you already have a Sony receiver.
3. The instructions say that digital outputs are assignable, but they're not. They're all assigned to a particular video input or to audio only. I had to hook up my Playstation 2 up to DVD, then the audio to digital CD/SACD in, because the DVD input is coaxial only, with no option to switch. I have the option of hooking the PS2 up to video 3, which has an optical in, but it is located on the front of the receiver -- no thanks. Not a problem if you're DVD player has coaxial digital, but a disappointment on a receiver this advanced. I've seen much cheaper receivers with only one coax and optical digital input each that are more flexible.
4. The remote learns and even has macros, but those macros can't include button pushes from the amp remote. That made it incapable of replacing my other remotes and little more than a novelty. Don't expect it to do a capable job of replacing other remotes. It also has several useless TV buttons at the bottom. I say useless because I have a satellite dish, but couldn't retask the tv channel buttons to the satellite, even though I never need to change the TV channel.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $376 shipped
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Epinions.com ID:
mwl001
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Reviews written: 7
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