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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User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Great amount of bang for the buck
Pros
Ease of Use, Photo input, extremely versatile
Cons
"MultiBrand" remote isn't completely universal, FM sensitivity isn't great
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
It may not be Harman-Kardon or Onkyo, but it's a great choice for a family system.
I'm a frustrated audiophile at heart... years ago music was a major part of my life and I was anal-retentive about it. Now with kids in the house I feel that I'm lucky to have a working stereo, and I rarely get to hear the minute audio details in music.
This is the first brand new receiver I've ever owned. I used to sell electronics, so I did my homework on this one.
My first criteria was that the system MUST have a phono input for my LPs. This was the least expensive in the Crutchfield search that had that feature.
I also enjoy finding out what radio stations I can pull in with my outdoor antenna, and the FM sensitivity, while not stellar, is adequate to draw in stations from over 100 miles away.
The receiver features Virtual Matrix 6.1, which simulates a rear center channel speaker without the need for a sixth speaker, but if you want to upgrade later to true 6.1, all you have to do is connect an amp and speaker to the Preamp Output.
There are 8 different video surround modes and 10 audio surround modes.
The unit includes 3 video sources, 5 audio sources. One thing I really like about them is that you can rename the LED-displayed title of each source so that it's easier to control. Similarly, you can rename the radio presets with user-friendly names or call letters.
The system has a built-in video switcher that is a huge asset for me. Our TV only has 75 Ohm coaxial and one set of inputs, and we have a DVD with Macrovision, so we can't feed it through the VCR to the TV. I used to use a video-source switch box and my wife hated it.
Now she spins the knob to "VCR/TV" {I renamed VIDEO1 to make it easier for her} and the kids can watch TV or VHS, or she spins it to "DVD" and puts in a disc.
Also of note is the ability to customize the size/placement of each speaker. Through the setup, you can tell the system whether you have Large or Small speakers at each position so that the correct power is applied to each. You can also tell it if the surround speakers are mounted High or Low.
The MultiBrand remote has the ability to perform nearly all of the front panel operations. Like most multi-device remotes, the buttons and writing are small, so you really have to pay attention when you press a button, especially in a dimly lit room while watching movies! The remote will control my Magnavox TV, Emerson VCR, and Pioneer CD Changer, but not my RCA DVD player.
The sound reproduction is very good, even with my mongrel collection of speakers (Bose, Realistic, & Pioneer). I believe that with a higher priced matched set of surround speakers and sub, the sound would be theater quality.
The best synopsis of the total set of features I have found is located at http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-SlQ3oI98A7c/ProdView.asp?a=&s=0&cc=01&g=10420&id=detailed_info&i=158STR885B.
This is the first brand new receiver I've ever owned. I used to sell electronics, so I did my homework on this one.
My first criteria was that the system MUST have a phono input for my LPs. This was the least expensive in the Crutchfield search that had that feature.
I also enjoy finding out what radio stations I can pull in with my outdoor antenna, and the FM sensitivity, while not stellar, is adequate to draw in stations from over 100 miles away.
The receiver features Virtual Matrix 6.1, which simulates a rear center channel speaker without the need for a sixth speaker, but if you want to upgrade later to true 6.1, all you have to do is connect an amp and speaker to the Preamp Output.
There are 8 different video surround modes and 10 audio surround modes.
The unit includes 3 video sources, 5 audio sources. One thing I really like about them is that you can rename the LED-displayed title of each source so that it's easier to control. Similarly, you can rename the radio presets with user-friendly names or call letters.
The system has a built-in video switcher that is a huge asset for me. Our TV only has 75 Ohm coaxial and one set of inputs, and we have a DVD with Macrovision, so we can't feed it through the VCR to the TV. I used to use a video-source switch box and my wife hated it.
Now she spins the knob to "VCR/TV" {I renamed VIDEO1 to make it easier for her} and the kids can watch TV or VHS, or she spins it to "DVD" and puts in a disc.
Also of note is the ability to customize the size/placement of each speaker. Through the setup, you can tell the system whether you have Large or Small speakers at each position so that the correct power is applied to each. You can also tell it if the surround speakers are mounted High or Low.
The MultiBrand remote has the ability to perform nearly all of the front panel operations. Like most multi-device remotes, the buttons and writing are small, so you really have to pay attention when you press a button, especially in a dimly lit room while watching movies! The remote will control my Magnavox TV, Emerson VCR, and Pioneer CD Changer, but not my RCA DVD player.
The sound reproduction is very good, even with my mongrel collection of speakers (Bose, Realistic, & Pioneer). I believe that with a higher priced matched set of surround speakers and sub, the sound would be theater quality.
The best synopsis of the total set of features I have found is located at http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-SlQ3oI98A7c/ProdView.asp?a=&s=0&cc=01&g=10420&id=detailed_info&i=158STR885B.
