The SONY STR-DA555ES, it IS that good!
Written: Apr 24 '00 (Updated May 15 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quality power, superior construction, premium electronics, ease of use, aesthetics
Cons: Remote switches off too quickly
The Bottom Line: Simply another shining example of what the ES line is all about, PERFECTION!
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| AVaddict's Full Review: Sony STR-DA555ES |
Brief Background
I have been a long time SONY buyer for several reasons. I believe that SONY makes a good product, whether it is a CD player or a TV. The SONY products I have bought have lasted as long as I had them or untill I passed them on to friends or family. This is not to say there are no other decent brands out there, there are, but none that I considered as solid an investment as the 555ES. The Harman Kardon AVR-7000 was a serious consideration and so was the Onkyo 777, but the key reasons I chose the SONY are below, and I think you will find they are fair, unbiased, and researched.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is, or in my opinion should be, an important factor in this type of purchase. Ideally this is something that will, in effect or directly, be "displayed". It certainly stands to reason that it would be a more desirable product if it simply looks good, the 555 excells in this area. The face of the unit is very clean and uncluttered with excessive amounts of buttons and knobs. I like bells and whistles, something SONY has always had a lot of, but sometimes more IS too much. In the case of this SONY, almost all except absolutely essential buttons and such are located behind a simple, and visually clean, "door" toward the bottom, below the flourescent display on the face of the unit. For the vast majority of necessary functions, the two dials on the front are really all you need; one for volume, one for input selection, simple and clean.
The two way remote is also aesthetically pleasing, in addition to its tremendous functionality. There isn't a plethora of buttons on the front, just a few, volume, mute (a rare feature on remotes, but highly useful), sleep, the backlight button, and a(function selectable)on/off switcher at the front. Simple and to the point. The finish is a smooth texture in a greyish/anthracite color, nice! The volume and mute buttons are "chromed", though the jog dial is not. The jog dial is a GREAT feature, just like a mouse w/ a dial.
Construction
There are many terms that SONY as well as other retailers will throw around regarding its construction, like "frame and beam", "double thick", and other terms of the like. Honestly, I have never seen a schematic of this so I could not comment as to how something like this may lend to worth of the product other than the obvious advantages in structural rigity. I can tell you what I have observed.
When I first pulled this almost 40 pound monster out of the box it was as firm and nonflexing as a piece of solid aluminum. The outer casing is obviously thicker than your average component and the "panel gaps" are the smallest I have ever seen. The workmanship is outstanding. All of the seems and joints between metals, or metal and plastics, whether on the top or front are even and clearly thought out, they fit perfectly. There is not even the hint of a rattle. There also seems to be a great deal of reenforcement on the inside.
The back of the unit is clearly laid out and easy to understand, though there is a lack of extra Control A1(II) outlets, and NO control S at all. This would've been useful though sometimes redundant. The S-Video as well as the RCA's aren't gold plated. That's puzzling to me considering the lower priced DB-930 (look for my review, I returned that for the 555) has all gold in/outs, RCA and otherwise. The optical and coaxial digitals are easy to get to and use and in the case of this unit, the opticals sound just as good as the coaxial. This receiver could greatly benefit from having an additional coaxial input for your DBS/SAT/CBL. A lot of the SAT boxes on the market don't have optical outs, neither does my land line digital cable box. There is a way to get around this, but there shouldn't have to be, one more digital input wouldn't kill SONY to put on. Overall, its a good layout with only one or two wish-it-had's.
The amplifier section is monstrous and quite a distance from the majority of the processors/circuits. The power cord alone will tell you what this unit plans to draw at full power; it is substantially larger than most, including the DB-930. By the way, I have a long way to go before I get to there, my living room is ample, but even at half volume on the dial, the sound pressure levels are already a threat to ones hearing. Even so, the sound is shockingly clear. I am hearing things in movies and music that I have never heard before now; the clarity of this receiver is nothing short of head-turning. This leads us into the world of pure opinion. . . .
Qualitatives
I purchased this receiver for 799.99 plus tax (.085). I could have gotten it cheaper off the net, but I have the advantage of face-to-face contact, the ability to take it right back for a return/exch/refund, which I did with the DB-930, and local service w/o having to ship it. All of these things meant more to me than saving $100 on a unit that was worth more than I paid for it to begin with, and hey, it was still $200 less than Crutchfield.
The sound out of this receiver is phenomenal, period. It is in the top class of receivers on the market, and without a doubt the very best in its price class, let's say 700-800 dollars. It is clear without being too bright, the lows are strong and deep with no distortion. The ability to actually adjust the FREQUENCY of the area you want to boost is very convenient and really allows for fine tuning of your listening environment beyond a single treble and bass control. This is in addition to the ability to program the receiver for the position and distance of all the speakers hooked up. Great features!!
The remote is well thought out, easy to use, and easy to understand. For those owners of older SONYs with GUIs (including 805, 905, some ESs)it is almost identical to what used to be on your screen when you'd execute various functions. I don't yet know how fragile or durable it is, I don't plan to find out so I've been really nice to it and plan to be in the future. I add to that, only that I have had a multitude of SONY remotes, some have been dropped, tossed, launched at high speed. . . none have ever malfunctioned, but this is obviously a different situation. This remote is far more like a personal organizer than a remote, and for that I love it even more. If you love bells and whistles, this is the unit for you. If you are a spec-hound, go to the sony site (sony.com) for the #'s, they are all fantastic.
My overall recommendation is this: If you have the means, I highly recommend it, it's so choice!
.....05-16-2000
.....Because there has been no catagory created for the DB-930 (or the 935 for that matter) please see the review section of the STR-DE925 for my review of the STR-DB930.
Thanx, The Addict
.....08-05-2000
.....Previous to writing this and previous to buying this unit I heard a lot of scuttlebut about the remote tearing through batteries at an alarming rate. It has been close to 3.5 months and the batteries are still strong. The display is not as sharp as it was when they were new, but it legible, bright, and easy to read. Just thought I'd share.
.....05-14-2001
.....This receiver is still available for around $550, search the net and use epins, you'll find one!
Recommended:
Yes
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Location: Texas
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