Sony BDV-E300 Theater System

I don't want to make this sound completely negative from the get go...Sony makes some great consumer level products, so with that said, I'd like to NOT slughter this product *(like I did to MY Sony 1075 receiver) because you need to look at this product for that it is: I higher-end consumer grade all-in-one solution...AND NOT an audiophile grade powerhouse which will fulfil all your system wishes for less than a grand!

In short, Sony has made one hell of a product - It certainly looks quite trick and to be fair, it sounds very decent, however if you've experienced true high-end home theatre grade systems and you're expecting that level of performance out of one neat box, sorry, look elsewhere. When the system came to market, with a price of 1000 bucks, it would be fair to say it was way overpriced. However in light of the recent price drops, at under 700 bucks, this is one great deal. If you want an all in one solution that not only comes with a great price, but with great convenience, than indeed, you have come to the right place.

The system comes with only 1 color option - A trick looking hi-tech silver which matches current VEGA televisions very nicely. The 4 satelite speakers aren't really satelites after all, as they come with an integrated stand system which (theoretically) places the speakers at the correct level for theatre-surround relpication in your own viewing room. The center channel is reasonably sized and fairly unassuming in appearance. The subwoofer is active and is very sleek looking, unlike some of the past Sony offerings, such as in my own HT-5000D which I use in my den. Regardless that I do use an audiophile grade system in my viewing and listening rooms, the HT was a great unit for a quick no-nonsense all-in-one which I could throw in the den, stick the VCR, the PS2 and all the other goodies and it makes for a great accompaniment for entertaining guests in an open room, especially when you're having guests and would rather keep your guests in open space, rather than sticking yourselves in a home theatre room.

Flexibility: I could easily get very critical here, considering the lack of inputs Sony has included - typically they're not so stingy. Particularly in terms of optical digital ins, why not have 2? Sony has included only one - and the sad part is that if you'd like to integrate a game system, like a PS2 box, you'll have to do it with the standard RCA left/right channels - and sadly, you won't reep the benefits of the 5.1 surround capability PS2 has for games encoded with this format. Sad indeed. " composite video ins 1 out, same for S video is plenty to keep you happy with your standard DVD and VCR setup. 2 RCA pair ins for audio is convenient for a tape deck (gosh, do those thing still exist anymore) and a (gulp) turntable or other external deck or accesory using RCA outs.

Performance: Picture wise, there's no complaining. Images are crisp and clear- response is great and there's virtually no mavering or box-up for DVD playback. With all the standard 5.1 formats and goodies, the theatre experience is fairly covered, with DTS and Dolby 5.1 (*No 6.1, but who cares?) FINALLY - Sony has released an all-in-one system that can actually READ CDR and CDRWs!!!! THANK GOD...it's been long enough- kudos for waking up Sony! Anyhow, despite the very nice convenience of being able to play back CDRs, inexplicably, Sony has not built in an MP3 player...I won't get down on them too much, I mean at least they got the CDR thing right. However an MP3 player would've been a welcome addition.

Sound quality and speaker performance: For movies the system is impressive. Good transients, excellent response - the sub is a little weak for my taste, but I like the mix a bit bass heavy - all in all, it's a fair deal at sub 700 bucks! One complaint I will voice is that the satelites in general are a little weak...It doesn't become too obvious until you start digging into your listening collection, but a quality jazz or fusion recording or better yet, a vocal track with some stunning highs will demonstrate why there's such a major difference between paying 700 bucks for an all in one or dishing out thousands for a system that can reproduce virtually any sound...The speakers can be tinny and even irritating at times, and since *(of course) Sony hasn't included an A/B speakers switch with seperate speaker outs, you cannot incorporate a second set of fronts for music. ALSO bear in mind that since this is an all-in-one receiver/player, the RMS output (wattage wise) is really not enough nor is it pure enough to drive a set of high-end floorstanding speakers - so in a matter of speaking, you're kind of stuck with everything as you get it. This may be a very good thing, most people shopping for these systems do not WANT to waste money and time upgrading, they want it good from start and want it to stay. For me, I like to tweak and play and add... The 'dream box' is not quite conducive to this kind of playing around, so before you invest AUDITION this system thouroughly with a solid base of music and movies and run it through it's paces.

One accesory that I would have liked to see with this system is a TV/audio stand. My HT-5000 came with a stand and it was very trick looking, glass and tubular steel - really cool. For the price of this system, and the fact that you do not get a seperate receiver/DVD player, I think such a piece is in order. All in all all the creature comforts packed in here (even sans TV stand) certainly warrant the (now) discounted price tag of about 700 beans and at this level Sony still has a winner, despite my minor complaints.