 Easy Plug & Play with HDMI and Harmony One |
| Review Date: April 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: W. Mackain-Bremner, Houston, Texas USA |
I'll be the first to admit that I have not used all of the features of this device (7 speakers, wireless, ipod connection), but based on my experiences to date, I am VERY happy with this unit.
My configuration:
Westinghouse 37" LCD - connects via HDMI
Comcast DVR - connects via HDMI
Oppo DVD - connects via HDMI
Roku Netflix box - connects via HDMI
Harmony One remote control - manages all of the above
Setting up all of the above was a breeze - took about an hour, most of which was adding the receiver to my existing hardware on the Harmony One (which I also love, by the way). All the HDMI connections worked first time and there have been no issues.
I'm using an older Bose 3-speaker setup for now but will ultimately add a 5 or 7 speaker system, maybe utilizing the S-AIR link. Part of the reason I bought this unit is because I want some future expansion flexibility.
Just one very minor gripe - the remote sensor is a bit picky, even with the Harmony One, so I have had to reposition the unit accordingly.
For ~$250, this was an easy purchase and an easy setup. |
Excellent Value and Full Featured
|
| Review Date: May 18, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Thomas L. Mcgovern, High Desert, CA |
| One of the least expensive yet full featured 7.1 A/V systems on the market. The setup time was negligible and the performance has been stellar. The only area of opportunity is better integration of remote control of other devices; I ended up acquiring a Logitech integrated remote control in order to control my overall home theater from a single device. |
Perfect replacement for burned out 10yr old unit
|
| Review Date: December 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Russ A. Zeisler, Plano, TX |
| I've used Sony for years now and finally my older Sony receiver died on me. Actually it didn't die, one of the surround channels went out. I wanted an excuse to update my receiver so I did with this unit and I love it. I like having the extra HDMI connections available. I do wish the display was a little easier to see from a distance such as left, right and rear speaker levels for setup. Also my previous unit had a blue confirm light when it was on a surround tv station and this one has just nothing I can see from across the room. Other then those minor issues I'm very pleased with this unit. |
great receiver
|
| Review Date: December 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Keith Jackson, Gainesville, Florida |
| Very nice receiver with excellent sound quality. The surround sound on music, dvd is awesome. I smile every time I listen. PS3 Rock Band 2 sounds great. I am a pretty discriminating listener and this receiver is wonderful. |
Go Your Own Way
|
| Review Date: January 25, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Thomas J. Goodwill, |
Short version: I really like it and would buy it again. And might.
Long version: I'm firmly a Sony fan. I have two set-ups. Both are using Sony bookshelf speakers for the front speakers, and each has a Sony powered sub-woofer that I wouldn't want to be without. I bought the Center/Surround speaker kit, as well, and split it up. The tiny surround speakers are better-suited to my family room, with a Sharp 5.1 receiver. The Sharp sounds pretty good, but I may buy another Sony 7.1 for the family room. I also have a couple of Sony CDX-CX455 gigunda CD players in that system, and will add another soon, if those stinkers quit out-bidding me. The living room set-up has the new Sony 7.1 receiver, using bookshelf speakers for the front speakers and the surround speakers. I used the Center speaker from the kit, but found I had to tone it back a little. Not a problem! The manual takes a little digging to find how to adjust the speakers individually, but they're done now, and suit me just fine.
I have a TV, a satellite DVR ("Tivo") and a DVD recorder to add to the mix. That's where I ran into minor trouble. I used the SAT jacks for the Tivo, but couldn't seem to get it to work. So, I did it my own way, and you shouldn't be afraid to do so. There are plenty of choices on the back of this baby. My DirecTV Tivo has two outputs, so one went to the system as "Video 1" and the other went straight into the DVD recorder, to allow me to "burn" my favorite shows. I ran the DVD recorder output to "Video 2". The only downside that I found is that I can only hear Video 2 through the system. That's not a biggie, because I use it to play DVD movies. The Tivo and TV can use either the TV sound or the Sony sound. The TV is ten years old (Mitsubishi rear projection) and has decent sound (apologies to audiophiles). The TV will be replaced by HDTV when it gives up the ghost, but for now it's working fine, and wouldn't sell for much, so I'll keep using it. Our other two TVs are Sony WEGA Trinitrons. Can you guess what brand of HDTV I'll be buying?
I'm recommending the 7.1 receiver to a co-worker. I see her nearly every day, so I wouldn't want to recommend something that I wasn't sure of. And she's, um, "frugal" and should like the price, well under two hundred bucks!
UPDATE: My quest for another Sony CDX-CD455 changer is over. Bids on "that auction site" kept coming in around $150 for the product plus shipping, and that's for a used 6-8 year old machine. I discovered that Sony is still selling the CDX355 changer (300 CDs), so I chose to buy a NEW one, with warranty. It was $199.95, and FREE shipping from Sony. Yes, I am aware of MP3s, and have copied many of my CDs to that format for general portability, but for home use, I still prefer CDs. |
Best buy for " Sony STR-DH700 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver (Black) ", Lowest Price Sony STR-DH700 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver (Black) + Free shipping. Get Sony STR-DH700 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver (Black) Now! |
No video reviews found for this product.