Sony Bravia DAVHDX500 Theater System
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- Front Speaker: 2 Way
- Main Speakers Power Output: 25 Watts
- Included Components: DVD Player
- Number Of Speakers: 5 Speakers
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An "All-In-One" That's "All That"
Pros
Superior audio and video performance. Well worth the cost.
Cons
No frame-by-frame. Lacks CDR/CDRW/MP3 support and component output.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The SA-VAD900 is an exceptional value. You';ll enjoy the fantastic home-theater experience it delivers along with the quality and reliability that is Sony.
I?ve experienced the Sony SAVA 500 and SAVA 700 series speaker systems and all performed outstandingly. The SAVA D900 takes the system to the next level. With the D900 comes a built-in DVD player/decoder and a reconfigured sub-woofer. This system may list for $999, but it is worth every penny and far exceeds the performance of the lesser-priced Sony and all other theater-in-a-box brand home-theater packages.
The original SAVA systems contained two powered 6" sub-woofers: one in each front speaker enclosure. However, because of the delicate nature of the DVD-player, one sub-woofer was removed from the left DVD enclosure, and the 6? driver in the right DVDless speaker enclosure was replaced with an 8" driver. Losing one entire sub sounds dramatic, but the new design picks up the slack.
The bass response and range of sound is fantastic. I'm a total movie buff, and nothing is more thrilling than watching a full-on 5.1 digital-mix of bullet-showers and explosion-fests. Of course, the audio system has built-in DTS and Dolby Digital decoders (Pro-Logic is included, but who cares). The bass is very deep and rich and the highs are crisp and crystal-clear.
The picture quality is what you would expect: exceptional. It?s DVD, after all. However, don?t think you are going to get exceptional quality out of cheap composite (RCA jack) inputs on your older TVs, even if you do use Monster-brand Cable. If you must use them, which I did for a couple months, you?ll notice a better picture than from your VCR, but you will also notice pixelation around objects and light sources. This occurs on all DVD players. For superior picture quality, always use the S-video output from the DVD player. That $20 dollar S-video cable may seem like a waste, but believe me, you WILL notice a difference.
As with everything, there are a few downsides to this system. One, it does not have frame-by-frame slow-motion. This I do not understand. It has slow-motion, super-slow-motion and pause, but not frame-by-frame. Two, it does not read CD-R or CD-RWs and does not support MP3s. No matter, though. You can hook up your old CD player to the system and play your CD-Rs through any of the available audio inputs. Three, there is no component video output, only S-video, which is still excellent. And four, you cannot output to any other receiver or audio source. That?s what you get when you buy an all-in-one system. However, by the time you ?need? to upgrade any individual component, it will have delivered years of quality performance.
The basic system functions are intuitive and pre-sets are all set to "Auto" right out of the box. A few "what-happens-when-I-push-this" and you'll figure out the more advanced features, which are plentiful.
As with the previous reviewer, I also matched the price with Sears and purchased the unit for around $800, including the 5 year in-home warranty (which I HIGHLY recommend for any complex unit). Even for the full-sticker price, the SA-VAD900 is an exceptional value. You?ll enjoy the fantastic home-theater experience it delivers along with the quality and reliability that is Sony.
The original SAVA systems contained two powered 6" sub-woofers: one in each front speaker enclosure. However, because of the delicate nature of the DVD-player, one sub-woofer was removed from the left DVD enclosure, and the 6? driver in the right DVDless speaker enclosure was replaced with an 8" driver. Losing one entire sub sounds dramatic, but the new design picks up the slack.
The bass response and range of sound is fantastic. I'm a total movie buff, and nothing is more thrilling than watching a full-on 5.1 digital-mix of bullet-showers and explosion-fests. Of course, the audio system has built-in DTS and Dolby Digital decoders (Pro-Logic is included, but who cares). The bass is very deep and rich and the highs are crisp and crystal-clear.
The picture quality is what you would expect: exceptional. It?s DVD, after all. However, don?t think you are going to get exceptional quality out of cheap composite (RCA jack) inputs on your older TVs, even if you do use Monster-brand Cable. If you must use them, which I did for a couple months, you?ll notice a better picture than from your VCR, but you will also notice pixelation around objects and light sources. This occurs on all DVD players. For superior picture quality, always use the S-video output from the DVD player. That $20 dollar S-video cable may seem like a waste, but believe me, you WILL notice a difference.
As with everything, there are a few downsides to this system. One, it does not have frame-by-frame slow-motion. This I do not understand. It has slow-motion, super-slow-motion and pause, but not frame-by-frame. Two, it does not read CD-R or CD-RWs and does not support MP3s. No matter, though. You can hook up your old CD player to the system and play your CD-Rs through any of the available audio inputs. Three, there is no component video output, only S-video, which is still excellent. And four, you cannot output to any other receiver or audio source. That?s what you get when you buy an all-in-one system. However, by the time you ?need? to upgrade any individual component, it will have delivered years of quality performance.
The basic system functions are intuitive and pre-sets are all set to "Auto" right out of the box. A few "what-happens-when-I-push-this" and you'll figure out the more advanced features, which are plentiful.
As with the previous reviewer, I also matched the price with Sears and purchased the unit for around $800, including the 5 year in-home warranty (which I HIGHLY recommend for any complex unit). Even for the full-sticker price, the SA-VAD900 is an exceptional value. You?ll enjoy the fantastic home-theater experience it delivers along with the quality and reliability that is Sony.
