Sony STR-DE885 5.1 Channels Receiver
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- Surround Sound: Dolby Digital® DTS® Dolby Pro Logic II
- THX Certification: No
- Number of Channels: 5.1 Channels
- Type: Receiver
- Surround Mode Power: 100 Watt @ 8 ohm
- Stereo Mode Power: 100 Watt @ 8 ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, THD: 0.09%
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Easy to use, Wrong Input Blues
Pros
Power, Price, Ergonomics, depth of functionality, ease of use, nice remote
Cons
Needs more versatillity in inputs, remote can't control RCA components
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Great for the advanced user. TONS of settings. Errgonomic. Great remote but wont control RCA components. Lots of inputs/outputs, not much wiring versatility though.
The Sony is great for it's easy of every day use. Just turn a knob to select your source and it does the rest, automatically choosing the optimal setup (5 channel,stereo,ect.) It sounds amazing, with lots sound setup options like speaker size and distance. There are tons of customizable sound fields for both stereo and surround, finding them can be a little tough.
The remote controls most of my components with no codes or programing. Functions used often have their own buttons on the remote and the receiver itself making this item more ergonomic than others I have used. I love the knob that selects the source to be played. Even my roommates who dread complex electronics have no problem using the receiver to watch DVDs, TV or whatever. Using the remote is just as easy with dedicated buttons for each source.
The universal remote is great for its easy of use, and functionality. When purchasing a receiver, the remote seems to have a big influence on price. While not necessary, a good universal remote is usually worth the price. I was pleased to discover the remote the Sony came with controlled my Sony VCR and my Panasonic TV with no programming. I was VERY DISSAPOINTED to discover it didn't control my RCA DVD player or my RCA CD player(which I happened to have lost the remote for). I attempted to program the components but there were no codes for any RCA equipment(RCA owners beware) Other manufacturers seem well represented and if the TV and the VCR are any indication, the remote may already be programmed for many. Bottom line, remote is great but not for RCA owners.
Setting up receivers like this can be quite a task. The Sony has tons of inputs. The 4 optical inputs are great. A feature I like are the video inputs for audio/video components like DVDs and Satellites receivers. All the video is routed through the receiver and then a single out is sent to the TV. This allows you to push 1 button on the receiver to switch audio and video to the desired component. The receiver also allows you to watch video from any source with sound from another. The Sony DE885 documentation is not bad. The problem is that on almost all the setups I have hooked up, and that's quite a few, I never wire things the way the instructions say. They are good for simple setups, but when many items are wired, one starts to run into problems. One GLARING problem is that the DVD inputs only include digital coax input for the audio, not an optical which would be best. They do include an optical for the TV/Satellite input, so I made that my DVD input. Cable TV then needed to be wired into (Video 1). The next issue was my Play Station 2. Since it has and optical out, I wanted to use an optical input on the tuner, so it went into (Video 3) which for some reason has an optical in on the front of the receiver, but not on the back. The last item was a Nintendo 64 which had to be wired through the last available input, (TV/Sat). Owners of MD players or CD player/Burners will love the optical input/output for those components. The VCR hookups are great (Video 2). The CD hookups are great(CD). A Subwoofer preout is also included. To Sum up, I hooked up allot(DVD, CD, Cable, PS2, N64, and VCR) successfully, BUT, I had to make a little cheat sheet and tape it to the remote to remember what source to select when I wanna watch something. I have seen receivers that allow the user to name each source whatever they want, this is a feature the Sony doesn't have.
As for advanced functionality, it never ends. There are tons of customizable sound fields, settings to play stereo sources in surround, even settings for the type of walls you have. Basically for advanced users who want to fine tune every aspect of their home theater, the Sony DE885 REALLY SHINES. If you don't want all the advanced functionality, you can probably spend less for a model with fewer bells and whistles that still performs well. I would recommend this receiver for the advanced user who likes to "play" with every setting.
The remote controls most of my components with no codes or programing. Functions used often have their own buttons on the remote and the receiver itself making this item more ergonomic than others I have used. I love the knob that selects the source to be played. Even my roommates who dread complex electronics have no problem using the receiver to watch DVDs, TV or whatever. Using the remote is just as easy with dedicated buttons for each source.
The universal remote is great for its easy of use, and functionality. When purchasing a receiver, the remote seems to have a big influence on price. While not necessary, a good universal remote is usually worth the price. I was pleased to discover the remote the Sony came with controlled my Sony VCR and my Panasonic TV with no programming. I was VERY DISSAPOINTED to discover it didn't control my RCA DVD player or my RCA CD player(which I happened to have lost the remote for). I attempted to program the components but there were no codes for any RCA equipment(RCA owners beware) Other manufacturers seem well represented and if the TV and the VCR are any indication, the remote may already be programmed for many. Bottom line, remote is great but not for RCA owners.
Setting up receivers like this can be quite a task. The Sony has tons of inputs. The 4 optical inputs are great. A feature I like are the video inputs for audio/video components like DVDs and Satellites receivers. All the video is routed through the receiver and then a single out is sent to the TV. This allows you to push 1 button on the receiver to switch audio and video to the desired component. The receiver also allows you to watch video from any source with sound from another. The Sony DE885 documentation is not bad. The problem is that on almost all the setups I have hooked up, and that's quite a few, I never wire things the way the instructions say. They are good for simple setups, but when many items are wired, one starts to run into problems. One GLARING problem is that the DVD inputs only include digital coax input for the audio, not an optical which would be best. They do include an optical for the TV/Satellite input, so I made that my DVD input. Cable TV then needed to be wired into (Video 1). The next issue was my Play Station 2. Since it has and optical out, I wanted to use an optical input on the tuner, so it went into (Video 3) which for some reason has an optical in on the front of the receiver, but not on the back. The last item was a Nintendo 64 which had to be wired through the last available input, (TV/Sat). Owners of MD players or CD player/Burners will love the optical input/output for those components. The VCR hookups are great (Video 2). The CD hookups are great(CD). A Subwoofer preout is also included. To Sum up, I hooked up allot(DVD, CD, Cable, PS2, N64, and VCR) successfully, BUT, I had to make a little cheat sheet and tape it to the remote to remember what source to select when I wanna watch something. I have seen receivers that allow the user to name each source whatever they want, this is a feature the Sony doesn't have.
As for advanced functionality, it never ends. There are tons of customizable sound fields, settings to play stereo sources in surround, even settings for the type of walls you have. Basically for advanced users who want to fine tune every aspect of their home theater, the Sony DE885 REALLY SHINES. If you don't want all the advanced functionality, you can probably spend less for a model with fewer bells and whistles that still performs well. I would recommend this receiver for the advanced user who likes to "play" with every setting.
