Sony Digital Receiver STR-DE1075
Written: Nov 21 '01 (Updated Nov 21 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Sound: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
|
|
|
Pros: It has more features for the price than other models I compared.
Cons: Some of the tried-and-proven features of older models have been discontinued.
The Bottom Line: I'm a long-time Sony lover, and this unit did not let me down. I would had rated it excellent, had they not eliminated the A+B speaker selection capability.
|
|
|
| bwhitehead's Full Review: Sony STR-DE1075 6.1 Channels Receiver |
This is about the eighth or ninth Sony receiver I’ve owned over the last twenty years or so, and the second digital receiver. I purchased the model STR-DE915 a few years back and was very happy with that product. Unfortunately, one of the back surround channels went out, so I relegated it to a back room and purchased the newer “1075”.
The STR-DE1075 is a beautiful unit, with well laid-out controls and an abundance of digital features. The controls are appropriately placed and most are easy to locate and use. Unfortunately, with any piece of electronic equipment containing this many bells-and-whistles, it is a little confusing to use, at first, and one must “learn” the controls as they would on a new car or other new device. The only other visual feature I would like to see on future Sony units is to offer the unit in silver, as well as black, for those of us now purchasing silver cased DVDs and VCRs. I always like a choice.
The remote commander is visually similar to the one for my “915”, and allows the user access to virtually all of the digital receivers functions and features. I have always liked Sony remotes, they give one a feeling of control and power, they are sturdy, sleek, fully functional, well laid-out, and allow the user to feel totally in control of the electronic device. Other remotes, such as the RCA I recently rated as part of my Satellite Dish system, are left in the dust by Sony.
While shopping for the “915” replacement, I looked at other brands, like JVC, Pioneer, and Yamaha. Feature-for-feature and price-to-wattage, the Sony won hands down. The other units were nice and I came close to choosing the JVC, but in the end I opted once again for a Sony. Maybe it’s simply brand-loyalty, but I hope it's more than that, I like to feel I evaluate products fairly and give everyone a chance to earn a piece of my income.
FEATURES
The Sony STR-DE1075 Digital Receiver offers a clean 100 watts per channel (WPC) RMS for 6 channels driven. Alternately, this unit can produce 110 WPC for the usual 5-channel digital surround setup. The sixth channel offers a middle (or center) rear-channel, in addition to the front center channel used primarily for the voice track. This allows a further separation of the rear effects channels and provides a noticeable distinction of the rear signals. This becomes increasingly important for DVD source material coded in DTS or other more advanced multi-channel audio systems. This newer model offers more Digital-In/Out audio capabilities than previous models. Also, more S-Video In/Outs, as well. So, the great sound and picture can be shared among more sources than ever before.
Speaking of DTS, this unit offers DTS decoding in addition to Dolby Digital. My first impulse was “so what”, who needs another multi-channel audio source. That was until I played my Jurassic Park DVD using DTS instead of Dolby. I could not believe the difference! The sounds were more distinctly located in different parts of the room than any movie I’ve heard using the Dolby audio system. That was the point at which I decided that the 6th channel was more than a gimmick. If I could hear this degree of separation with five channels, think of the possibilities using six! Additionally, for those movies (most at this point), not offering six-channel decoding, the “1075” offers a virtual six channel capability. Honestly, I haven’t used this feature, as I am usually disappointed anytime the signal is “simulated”. I had much rather hear five discrete channels than six virtual ones, any day.
The hardest part of the setup was determining which of the 27 or so different sound field effects offered on this unit I would select as my “default”. I spent the better part of an hour listening to the often subtle distinctions between the effect modes. In the end, because my primary source material is progressive-scan DVD in Discrete Dolby Digital or DTS, I selected the basic “Normal Surround” mode. Only later did I read in the manual, that this is the recommended mode when you wish to play back multi-channel audio signals “the way it was recorded”.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
While there are only a few disappointments with the “1075”, theses are major in my mind and certainly worth mentioning in this analysis. First and foremost, for some unknown reason (cost?), most of the manufacturers are beginning to discontinue the audio A+B option which allows you to setup two sets of speakers from the single receiver. My older “915” and all previous models support multiple speaker pairing but the new “1075” does not. It has been replaced with some half-baked “second room audio” feature that is about as confusing to setup as it is “hokey”. I had to go out to Radio Shack and purchase a multi-speaker selection box to enable me to attach my outdoor deck speakers to the unit. I am not happy with this arrangement as it introduces another component into my already complex configuration, and the speaker volume is noticeably diminished when the second speakers are selected. This did not occur when the speaker selector box was contained within the primary component. The only earthy reason I can figure for this feature elimination is to save a buck. Boo Sony for cheeping-out on this important feature!!
The other change over the “915” is the elimination of the ability to select your own levels for the center and rear-channels directly from the remote. While the remote is very similar to the older “915”, it replaced the “rear” and “center” level buttons with other functions. There is a feature called “level parameters” that will allow these settings to be modified, but I liked the ability to do this dynamically, at will. This is a very minor “convenience” feature, and once you’ve worked with the “level parameters”, you can get the sound levels pretty accurate for the center, rear surround and the woofer. But, it is a nuisance to do this while a movie is actually playing, so you now need to set these for the “average” movie, whatever that is.
CONCLUSIONS
I like the Sony STR-DE1075 a lot, despite the disappointments I’ve listed. There are a lot more features I haven’t even touched on (db incremented Master Volume Control, Second Room Audio, Display Dimmer, sleep timer, Control A1, etc.). The fun is in the finding, and I will continue to explore these new features as time goes by, and the mood strikes. Overall I would have to conclude that for the money, the Sony can’t be beat, in my opinion… of course.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 485
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
bwhitehead
|
|
Member: Bruce Whitehead
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
Health care computer consultant, electronic & sports car enthusiast.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.