A very solid performer
Written: Jan 23 '01 (Updated Jul 06 '02)
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Pros: solid unit, good sound quality, versatile
Cons: horrid remote control, versatility can be overwhelming, only 5 channels out
The Bottom Line: The unit is one of the best in its price class, especially considering its versatility and number of formats and inputs it supports. Well worth it.
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| xlugxmiop's Full Review: Sony STR-V333ES 5.1 Channels Receiver |
I bought the V333 to replace my aging NAD AV-716 receiver. In particular, I wanted a unit that would handle digital audio, DTS, provide a digital optical output and have enough inputs to anticipate future expansion. (The NAD did none of these things, but it was over 8 years old.)
My current setup is rather simple: DVD player, VCR, Playstation 2, analog and digital audio from a computer sound system, and MDR-DS5000 headphones; it's driving a set of B&W Matrix speakers. My TV supports progressive video, and fortunately the TV has two component inputs (PS2 and DVD player) so I don't have to actually switch any video sources with the receiver. (A few receivers support component video, but they tend to be rather expensive and the ones I looked at didn't provide enough component inputs to justify the extra expense.)
The physical layout of the receiver is very nice. The controls on the front panel are easy to use, and the rarely-used ones are covered with a door. The front display is the standard Sony fluorescent, and is very bright and readable. The receiver has one set of inputs on the front, which is a super feature if you need to temporarily connect something.
Hooking it up was straightforward enough; using digital audio simplfies things since there's just one cable to be connected. One nice feature is that the device names can be changed, so that the display says "PS2" or "VCR" instead of something generic like "VIDEO 1". (I hate trying to remember if "video 3" is the DVD or computer...)
I'll classify the sound quality of the receiver as "very good" and leave it at that. I don't hear any difference between it and the NAD when playing stereo or Dolby 5.1 audio. I can hear a slight difference between DTS and Dolby 5.1 material--it's not major, but it's definitely there. (Actually it matters quite a bit on the specific material--some DTS is far better than 5.1.)
The receiver supports a ton of adjustments, both for equalization and DSP features to simulate various types of listening venues. It'd be easy to spend a month fiddling with this stuff...It also provides a convenient way to get the front/back speaker delays into the right ballpark--you can input the speaker distances and it will set the delays based on that information. Other features include simulating multiple speakers (a la Qsound) and direct analog output (bypassing the internal digital processing entirely). I do wish it had an output for a rear center speaker, but I can live without it; also, it will optionally simulate the rear center speaker.
I use the optical out to drive the DS5000. This works fairly well, but not perfectly; in particular, no conversion appears to be done from analog inputs to digital outputs (tho I would've sworn this worked at some point...), and switching digital stream types (the PS2 outputs 48Khz PCM, DVD outputs 96Khz/24bit Dolby Digital/DTS) seems to confuse either the receiver or the DS5000. I often have to power-cycle the DS5000 to get it to start working again. I haven't looked into this enough to identify the specific problem, but I can live with it.
I haven't tried the video display from the receiver (it has a video output to drive a TV for making receiver setup easier). I also haven't tried running video through the reciever, so I can't say how well it works.
The remote control...gaaah. The basic idea is fine (it has a decent 4-line alphanumeric LCD with a set of hard buttons), but the implementation is horrible. Anytime I *have* to read the manual in order to do anything at all with the remote, there's a serious problem. The remote is 2-way which is neat (it'll upload configuration data from the receiver), and while it may be remotely (ok, bad pun) useful if you have some horribly complex setup, I only used it long enough to program a learning remote with the codes I needed. Everything else is easier to do from the front panel on the receiver, and I'd hate the thought of trying to use that remote to control the other components in my system.
In short: I think it was a good value, especially as I got a pretty decent price on it. It had all the features I wanted, the sound quality is solid, and I don't have any serious complaints. It was the best choice for my particular needs, and I'm not going to need to replace it for quite a while.
I'm going to give it a 5 for "ease of use" because once it's set up it just works. Getting it set up can be a bit of a pain, but it's less intimidating than other receivers I've used. It's not as simple as the NAD, but it does a lot more, and the additional complexity is well worth it--the NAD was too simple.
The only difference between the 333 and 444 is the number and types of inputs (and I believe the 444 has some component video support). The 555 is slightly different, and is supposedly a step up in terms of audio quality--it also has several more inputs. Which one to get will depend on your specific needs; for example, the 333 only has one coaxial digital input (and several optical inputs), while the 444 has as many coax inputs as optical.
Update after 18 months of ownership: I'm still completely happy with the receiver, and I see no reason to replace it anytime soon. I've become very familiar with the various DSP modes, and I'm continually impressed with how versatile the receiver is. I love the studio modes, and after a lot of comparing I'm convinced they significantly enhance the overall "audio experience".
It's a great buy, and I'm sure the price has dropped even more since I bought it. I haven't heard anything come out in the last 6-12 months in its price range that is spectacularly better.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 500
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Epinions.com ID:
xlugxmiop
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Member: Xlug Xmiop
Location: Berkeley, CA
Reviews written: 50
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About Me:
Eep, opp, oop, ah-ah!
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