Sony STR-DN1000 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black)
032 4 I bought this receiver to replace a Pioneer VSX - 816 which was not HDMI capable . I read the reviews and was concerned about the problems that some had hooking it up , as well as the overheating issue , since it was going into an entertainment center . However , the price was right , and I have had and still have Sony components with no problems before , so decided to go with this unit . The hookup issues proved to be only minor , and mainly my fault , since I missed a step heading in the GUI instructions during calibration . Also , make sure that the auto-calibration mic is firmly plugged in , otherwise you will get an error code during speaker calibration . Also , I didn't use them , but I would suggest using banana plug adapters for the speaker wire connections . Those knobs are hard to manipulate and if you can't get behind the unit to make the connections easier , it's hard to get the wire ends around the plugs . The overheating issue has not arisen , and I typically load up my 5 - disc changer with CD's and let them play through in the background as I'm working on other things around the house .
I agree with the other reviewers about the manual . It seems to be dis-organized , and you do have to jump back and forth from section to section during setup and getting to know the unit . But again , I've had Sony products before , and this is not atypical . The GUI is also a little confusing at times . I was having difficulty locating the proper input assignment for my 5 - disc DVD / CD changer , and actually stumbled into it accidentaly . I still don't know exactly how I got there , I just suddenly had sound . I've been learning a little bit more by scrolling through the menus since then , but they're still a little bit vague in descriptions sometimes .
As far as performance goes , the sound is great with the new HDMI hookups . I now have consistent sound from my subwoofer and all 7 speakers , even with the direct cable broadcast signals , which run from my TV to the receiver via digital optical cable . I haven't watched a real slam-bang action movie yet , but Angels & Demons sounded pretty good despite not being a straight action movie . The glossy front is a prime dust magnet , but a quick blast from the canned air can will clean it off without scratching it . It matches the front on my Panasonic blu-ray player , too , style-wise . The remote is also a little unwieldy , but it's a small issue at worst .
Bottom line , the performance of the unit , for me , far outweighs any of the design and instruction flaws .
021 4 In terms of value , I don't think any other receiver can compare . Another writer noted that the ability to assign inputs and remote keys is limited . That said the receiver has so many standard configurations there is very little need to do that . This is especially true if all you connecting devices have Bravia . In my application all my connected devices , except airtunes , have Bravia . Drop a disk in the BD player , the receiver and TV turn on and configure for playing the bluray disk . Punch in a channel number on the TV and the receiver configures for TV . Turn up the volume on the TV remote and the receiver responds . You don't need to point at the receiver . Except for internet TV through the BD player I almost never need to use any controller but the TV controller . One has to remember that receiver accepts airtunes as a cd player . The lack of configuration options is not really a problem , especially with Bravia sync .
Sound quality is very good for my 13X22 room with Harmon-Kardon HKTS - 18 speaker system .
Harman Kardon HKTS - 18 5.1 Channel Speaker System
My only complaint so far is the binding posts for speakers seem fragile and are hard to use do to the spacing . The entire back side of the receiver is full of connections , so a little crowding should be expected . It is not like one uses the speaker binding posts daily .
036 4 Great sound - depending on your speakers . Cheap speakers still sound . . . well - Cheap . No magic bullet .
Set-up was easy . Set-up of the remote was another story - Directions suck . Still working on getting all the components dialed-in and working with the remote .
Overall great value .
041 4 Well , i bought this receiver after testing a friend's DENON 2310ci with my 5.1 speaker setup . I can say that the Denon , has more features BUT NOT A BETTER SOUND . The sound quality of this Sony DN1000 , is amazing if not better than other more expensive receivers . The GUI is pretty good , setup is very easy and it has all the more important things to configure and don't have tons of things to setup . I can't say about the upconvertion feature , since all my sources are already 1080 HDMI .
If you are looking for a excelent sound quality , easy setup , wants to setup once and forget the receiver , look for the more important features but not ALL the features , don't go for other than Sony - DN1000 .
ps . : i replaced a old 5.1 Yamaha in a box , and compare this Sony with a Denon 2310ci in my house . Use a PS3 , a Samsung DVD Player , Macrovision HD cable box and a Philips 42 LCD 120 Hz all connected with HDMI cables .
061 4 Wanting to make the HD upgrade , i shopped around for recievers for about a month before decieding on the Sony str-dn1000 . Was looking at the onkyo tx sr607 , but being buget minded went with the sony instead , and using the extra money to buy HDMI cables . Amazon had the lowest price on the Sony and couldn't be happier , still playing around with it , but everything seems great with this reciever . if your looking for a great reciever with HD capabilities , give this one a shot
071 4 I wish people would stop knocking this receiver just because they don't know how to hook it up properly . There are definitely better receivers out there but not at this price range . This receiver is a very good bang for the buck . Plenty of inputs , GUI . Setup is easy unless you can't follow instructions . The piano finish is very nice , compliments your stereo system especially with piano finish speakers and plasma or lcd screens . I am running them with B & W speakers and it sounds great . The people who are complaining about the sound are probably running them through crappy speakers . Speakers are a huge factor when it comes to sound quality . $10000 receiver + crappy speakers = crappy sound .
078 4 I purchased this unit on Novembwer 27th , 2009 and within 3 months of just using this receiver for nothing more than the occasional movie ( surround sound ) , light music playing , etc . ( It has never been cranked up , or abused ) , it blew 2 integrated circuits ( Microchips ) . After contacting Sony Customer Service , they told me it had to be shipped to the closest repair center ( Laredo , TX from Ohio ) . It cost me $52 out of pocket to ship it , and Sony was unwilling to send a prepaid shipping label , although product was still under warranty . ( only 3 months old ) . It was repaired and finally received back to me about 3 weeks later ( April 25th , 2010 ) . I hooked it back up when I had time ( May 2nd , 2010 ) and as of May 24th , 2010 , it is doing the exact same thing . It turns on for a couple of seconds before shutting off and displaying Protect on the screen and making a loud popping sound . I called Sony today ( June 1st , 2010 ) , and they are unwilling to do anything except have me send it in for repair again . I asked to speak to a manager 5 times and had the customer relations representative dance around the subject before flat-out telling me that she would NOT put me through to a manager . This unit clearly has something else wrong with it , and Sony is completely unwilling to do anything except for again repair it . The only benefit this time is that they agreed to pay for UPS Ground Shipping . This receiver is a lemon and while I've owned Sony products before ( from other receivers , to computers , to cameras ) , I'm completely dissatisfied with the way Sony support handled this situation . So botttom line is , if you decide to purchase through Sony , hope for a quality product because if not , they will have it longer than you have it .
083 4 I ordered after seeing so many 5 * reviews on Amazon . I had a Onkyo 506 released in 2007 which did not do audio decoding via HDMI and wanted to upgrade to the latest technology . I was very excited and eagly waiting for its arrival . I had it setup quickly ( less than a minute using the automatic setup ) . The distance and level wee very accurate . When I first listetened to the sound cable 5.1 DD , it sounded great . The sound was more detailed , on the brighter side than my onkyo which impressed me right out of the gate . However when I used my iPOD ( connected via Analog input on CD ) to listen to music , my enthusiasm vanished . There was hardly any bass for music which sounded very flat . I tried to increase the bass from 0 to 10 and still did not notice much change . Then I checked my receiver setup for speakers . All my def tech speakers were setup as LARGE and that seemed OK ( Sony recommend setting them to large in the manual even though they may be small ) . Another issue was that in the Music Mode DSPs , the sound was either comming from fronts or the center predominantly , not a very good mix that I was accustomed on Onkyo .
I would say this is a great receiver for mostly movies . Music not so much . . .
089 4 I upgraded to this receiver from a 12 year old Dennon receiver . The previous surround sound receiver could not handle HDMI switching and did not have digital inputs . The improvement in sound can only be described as night and day .
This Sony receiver is exactly as advertised . Sound is excellent - nothing that I need that this receiver cannot do . Set-up is very simple and HD Upscaling is fantastic . Not sure why I did not do this a couple years ago .
And the price was right , $330 . I was in a Big Box store this past week , and they were asking $459 for the same receiver .
Definitely no buyers remorse here !
120 4 Works great , sound is great . For my needs this receiver was perfect .
I have been using it for over two weeks without any issues . My primary use is for TV and watching movies and for that job it does the job well .
My HD picture quality improved and it is very easy for me to remember what is connected to HDMI 1 , 2 and 3 . While not everyone seems to enjoy this receiver I have no complaints .
I have also been very impressed with the sound separation in Dolby digital mode . I have looked over my shoulder more than once thinking something was behind me while watching HDTV that broadcast in Dolby digital .
This is my opinion and mine only but I will not be returning this receiver .
130 4 I thought this would be the best mid-range receiver : the many HDMI inputs and features , and especially how it'd work well with my other Sony products , but I found some issues - - quickly .
Cons : The GUI is very slow . Finding optimum sound settings wasn't the easiest , and the instructions weren't too clear . The sound wasn't very pleasing . I had a Sony DVD player / receiver before this , and the sound was much better . The sound especially was disappointing . What was most frustrating was when , after a month of purchase , while playing a DVD and later a Blu-ray game on my PS3 , it displayed Protector and turned off . I couldn't find a way around it . I called Sony's support , and after being heavily directed towards their website for support , I spoke with a rep who was anything but helpful and kind . Her suggestion was to simply unplug it . And if that didn't work , unplug everything , leave it for a few hours , and slowly plug items back in until I find the problem . Even on a day when I'd have time to troubleshoot that long I wouldn't want to . I returned it . While searching for fixes , I found a lot of people had problems with their Sony displaying Protector , and it seems once it starts it won't stop .
Pros : Looks good . Great price . Bravia Sync is great .
133 4 My first unit ( shipped directly from Sony ) I used Credit Card rewards points was damaged and immediately went into protection .
My 2nd unit worked with no problem . The quality over all is poor . No offense here to anyone , but if you are a real basic home theater person who sits with the family and kids and watches tv , or kids DVD's then this receiver will be OK for you . If you are more on the experienced and knowledgeable Home Theater end of things and want good to great audio / video ( which I am and have been messing with Home Theater before it was main stream ) you will most likely be disappointed by this flagship receiver by Sony .
The sound quality is poor , the set up is a pain ( the onscreen GUI is nice , but responsiveness is slow ) as the manual is garbage , so it is all trial and error . The EQ is non-existent ( only treble and bass , not for individual speakers but for the entire system and all speakers ) , so no real EQ .
Speaker set up and sound is horrible , as there is no real LFE output but only simulated LFE from the receiver so bass echo's and is not solid or deep ( I use a 450 watt Polk dual 12 side firing sub which pounds with clarity and volume with my other receivers Denon Onkyo and Pioneer ) .
Also the lack of manual controls on the unit is a major annoyance . The shiny black face plate does not matter to me . I plan on listening to my receiver not staring at it sit idol .
The highs sound very flat and there is no liveliness to the mid range so the highs and mids sound scratchy and very simulated , not life like sound at all .
The HDMI inputs are not nameable or assignable , so you have to always memorize what HDMI1 , HDMI2 . . . etc are , BD , DVD , Satellite , etc . . .
I am very disappointed by this receiver over all and would recommend against purchasing it . Look at Denon , and Pioneer in the 500 - 550 price range for much better quality and sound . I was always skeptial about Sony receivers but figured I would give this one a try , and my thoughts are pretty much confirmed , that Sony sells inferior receivers with poor quality sound and less than mediocre design .
038 4 I purchased this item from Amazon on December 5th , 2009 . At first I was very happy with it . The sound quality was higher than I thought it would be . It has plenty of connections , including four assignable HDMI inputs . The video up-conversion worked very well . The channel separation in the HD audio formats was distinct and clear . I did not use the auto cal feature as I like to set the audio levels manually . Now for the bad part , I returned this unit on December 28 , 2009 . The power amplifier shorted out causing an EXTREEMLY loud feedback loop through all seven speakers and subwoofer . I had to unplug the receiver to get it to stop . Luckily I stopped it before any of my speakers were damaged . I have always had good luck with Sony in the past . I own a Sony Bravia 1080p T.V . of which has had zero problems . I firmly believe I simply got a defective unit . I am waiting for the replacement and hoping this one will last . I would recommend this to anyone looking for a moderate priced receiver with plenty of power and connections . The problem I had seems to be a fluke and Amazon was quick to help rectify this issue .
028 4 When buying one of these AVRs you need to do a lot of research . I fortunately did and it really paid off . I had a previous low model sony AVR before I bought this one and this one just blows everything away . The sound is big and full and you can adjust each speaker to your own settings . This unit eliminated all the component cables behind my setup and even though I am TWC subscriber and could not use the HDMI cable on my new Sony AVR . . . you can still go direct HDMI into the TV and use the optical cable for audio . This I have to say sounds equally as good and if not , better . The extra wattage is a tremendous help when listening to music as well .
040 4 Had the DN1000 a month without any problems.Except for connecting speakers , hooking it up was easy.Initially , after auto-calibration i thought the sound was thin.A post on Amazon indicated that cnet advised turning the dynammic compression to off which i did and the sound was much better . For speakers i'm running two floor standing klipsch's with 8 powered subwoofers . sc - 5 center channel a pair of Advent surrounds . And Onkyo back channel.My tv is Sony 55 projection lcd 720p . Behind the set is an HSU 10 sub . Why all these speakers for this receiver ? Because my 805 Onkyo is in for repair again and i need a spare.A fair comparison would be a Sony es series to the 805 . I didn't think the fundamental or bass was there at all untill a movie on Comcast { Home Alone } A church organ was reproduced quite powerfully . The imaging in the surrounds are noticebly more clear and the back speakers because of a setting on the receiver more active . I liked the GUI . It's fast and i increased the bass and center channel to my liking . Getting the hdmi to 3 dvd players sometimes is thorny as i have to scroll for them to connect . The hi-def sound from the Panasonic 35 is effective
059 4 This was an upgrade for me I purchased this receiver after 12 months of research . My previous AV reciever was a Sony and I have nothing but praise for both of them . I'm using a Sony 52 SXRD 1080p and just recently upgraged my speakers to Magnolia marage prestige 7.1 and purchased a Sony digital media port for my Iphone , which is fantastic with this receiver.This receiver I rate with 5 stars as far as setup , sound , and performance . its quite simple if you read the manual.The autocal mic jack makes it very simple to set up the speakers . The HDMI inputs are great and make setup that much easier . I also have the PS3 plugged in through the receiver in HDMI . The picture and sound quality for the price of this receiver is worth every penny . Sony has this priced at $500 I bought it through Amazon for $294.00 great deal . Bottom line great receiver . I did notice it runs a little warm so I installed a fan in the entertainment center behind the unit and it really makes a big difference.For the price you can't beat it.It looks very classy also.I highly recommend this if you don't want to spend alot of money.A + + + +
116 4 I love this receiver ! It sounds great and looks great . My only complaint is hooking up the speakers is a little bit of a pain but that is all .
123 4 The item was shipped quickly and arrived in great condition . It works great and my famiily is very pleased with all features of it . My husband wanted it to go with a Sony CD player and it matches perfectly .
055 4 Very pleased with this unit . Sound is good , set up was easy , and unit looks good . I have a Sony HDTV , CD , Blue Ray DVD , VCR , and XM run through it and all were easily installed . I have a 5.1 speaker system , so can't address 7.1 , but the sound through my Bose speakers is plenty good enough for this non-techie . Only complaint is that the instruction manual , while thorough , has you skipping around some - could have been better organized . This is a minor complaint , and overall I would recommend this unit .
043 4 Purchased this to replace an early Yamaha 5.1 AV receiver . I have a Direct TV HD DVR , Sony blue ray , Sony 46 Bravia and an old multi-dish CD changer . Following the quick start directions made installation simple . Sound much improved as well as ease of operation .
053 4 I like this receiver . I have a complete surround 7.1 system installed in my media room . With this receiver I can transfer all HD programing from TiVo , DVD , Blu-Ray DVD into my HD television and control the sound from the TV as well as the receiver . A little complicated for people who don't want to fuss , but very good for the enthusiast . I would recommend for a lower priced receiver .
114 4 So far everything is okay . I have only used it for a half dozen movies so far . I got this to go with a Sony blu-ray player and because it had 7.1 sound . I am still figuring out how to adjust all the settings . The unit sounds good with my home theater setup .
093 4 It's beautiful and is now the heart of my system.DP - 790 Denon table , Epicure 20 speakers , Gemini PA - 7000 preamp , Belkin PF30 power filter , MXR fifteen-Band EQ.Most of my listening is in stereo.The Sony DN - 100 also has a DVD player , B.I.C . Beam Box FM antenna , Haier - HL32P1 TV , Compaq Presario connected.Audio and Visual - sounds and looks great.On-screen menu , ( via remote ) makes navigation set up simple .
100 4 I paid under 300 for this unit and I am happy with it . The remote is not nice at all but nothing is perfect . It is easy to set it up and use it and it looks great . I was considering this unit or the pioneer 1019 but the pioneer is 500 dollar and this is 300 . So I chose the sony . There is one thing that bothers me though , it does not play sound higher than 44 khz . Not sure if it is normal but I have it connected to a computer via HDMI and does not play this sound . In order to do so you have to convert the sound via software like k lite codec . The size of the unit is great too . Does not get too hot . I would recommend it for this price , considering that when it was first released it was 500 dolars .
030 4 Sony did a good thing when they redesigned this head unit series to include this non-pedestrian looking version of an already quality sounding head unit . I don't have anything bad to say about this unit . Buy this , good speakers , good wires , and enjoy the best sound quality without breaking the bank .
065 4 The Surround sound and clarity were much better than I expected ! The surround setup with the included microphone was simple and quick !
087 4 This receiver was purchased after I had problems with an older Sony . I like this one better because of the HDMI inputs . The instructions for set up are a little misleading , but my computer engineer son was able to assist in directing me to the beauty of this set up . Great price for a powerful product .
108 4 Great product ! The features and setup is very easy to use . the only issue I have is that when I got it the composite input and outputs do not work on it . I called Sony and they told me I would have to send it in . I already have ran all my cables through my wall , therefore I would have no sound or video for anything until I got it fixed or a new one from Sony . I decided just to deal with it , but that's my problem . Also once when I tried to switch over to another component it wouldn't recognize it until I unplugged the HDMI cable and than plugged it back in . Haven't had that problem since . Other than those issues I love the product .
112 4 I have always loved sony products but at this point in my life found them to be very expensive . Saw this on an amazon deal and ordered it . Not disappointed at all . The best feature was the speaker set up . It automatically set the speakers up and the sound quality is great ! I have smaller lower end sony speakers as well and you would never know that they are lower end . The menu system is a nice feature but seems slow to respond .
125 4 being a novice , regargding home theatre systems , this is a nice addition to my system . very sleek black looking , it doesn't over power the room with its looks . i had problems getting the gui to come up , but i finally figured it out . very powerful , great sound
102 4 If you are looking for a fantastic receiver that is super easy to set up then this the is the one for you . It sounds like stereos that cost several times as much and gives you many options to optomize your sound field .
127 4 This purchase was made easy by Amazon . It was timely deliverer and the unit has worked flawlessly . The price was the lowest at Amazon . It was a great buy . Thanks Amazon !
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I bought the STR-DN1000 as an upgrade to my old Yamaha receiver that didn't have audio decoding through HDMI which I really needed since I've recently added a couple additional HDMI components to my set-up and needed HDMI switching . I bought it based on reviews of sound quality ( anyone saying this amp has anything less than great sound doesn't know what they're talking about or doesn't have their amp set up correctly ! ) , price , and features ( 4X HDMI being the most important ) . I am relatively pleased with my new receiver . Sound and video processing are both excellent , and aside from a few issues , this is a great receiver . Before I go into more detail , here is my home theater set-up :
1 ) 5.1 surround sound consisting of :
Polk Audio TSi200 L + R speakers
, a
Polk CS20 Center Channel Speaker
, and a Yamaha subwoofer and two Yamahah back channel L & R speakers .
4 )
A Sony DVP-NS700H / B DVD player
5 ) Toshiba 42 Regaza LCD
6 ) Comcast Digital Cable box
7 )
WD TV Live HD Media Player
All devices connected using
Version 1.3 Category 2 HDMI Cables
.
Setting things up :
Set-up is a breeze . Everything is laid out well enough , and the included wire-map which gives a blown-up overview of the connections makes things even easier . The wire screws for connecting the speakers are made of plastic and are not as easy to turn as I might have liked , but this was a minor issue at best . They do support Banana jacks if that's your thing . I had all my speaker wires and HDMI cables connected in about 10 minutes ( all of them were already in place so it might take significantly longer if you are running new wire ) . Just a note for reciever set-ups : give yourself an extra 3 - 4 feet of wire for each speaker so you can connect your amp OUTSIDE your AV cabinet / rack . This will make things much easier because you can work on the amp with it's back facing you !
GUI ( Graphic User Interface ) , Programing , and Auto Calibration :
The DN1000 comes with a built in GUI for adjusting settings . It is a rudimentary text based interface in black , white and blue , but it is easy to navigate and use even if it isn't pretty . I was easily able to program in radio pre-sets , assign inputs * More on that to come * , and run the Auto Calibration . Auto Calibration involves connecting a provided mic and placing it in the correct location and then letting the amp put out some test tones to each speaker and the amp . The whole thing takes about 30 - 40 seconds . The manual states that this will involve very loud sounds , so I was a bit worried what that would be like . Thankfully it wasn't loud at all , so don't get freaked out when the manual warns you to watch out for small children , dogs , and angry neighbors . The GUI could be a bit more intuitive ; you are frequently required to git an ' option ' button that is on the remote itself . It would have been much simpler to just have that button in the layout of the GUI itself .
Programing custom inputs and renaming inputs was my biggest complaint with this amp . First , you CANNOT re-map the TV , Satelite , DVD , etc . , buttons to be linked with the HDMI inputs . Each time you re-map an input it asks for both an audio and video input . I wanted to re-map the DVD button on the remote to work with my HDMI DVD player . I was able to choose the correct HDMI in , but because the amp also requires an audio input , you are FORCED to choose from coaxial , analog LR channel or digital . Choosing any of these overrides the HDMI's sound , and gives you video but no sound ! This is incredibly frustrating and very stupid on Sony's part since the amp supports HDMI sound processing natively and all they would need to do is tweak the GUI to allow the user to select either HDMI or ' None ' for sound input ! I called Sony tech support to verify this is the case and they said they have no plans to issue a firmware update to correct this issue . I was able to re-name the HDMI inputs to DVD , WD LIVE , and COMCAST so that the amp displays the correct input when one of the HDMI buttons is pushed , but that isn't ideal considering the layout of the remote :
The Remote :
On first glance , the remote appears to be well laid out and to have excellent built quality ( no squeeks when you hit the buttons , feels nice and solid in your hand , responsive buttons , etc ) . It is solidly made , but functionally it has some major flaws :
1 ) Because there are nice big , well labeled DVD , TV , Satelite , etc . buttons on the top third of the remote , it will be highly confusing to have to explain to non-tech savvy people when you want to watch a DVD you hit HDMI 3 , not DVD or something similar due to the inability of the receiver to re-map those buttons ! Basically the usefulness of having ' quick launch ' buttons on the remote is destroyed by not being able to map them correctly !
2 ) The mute button location is horrible . It is at the bottom lower third of the remote on the left side . It is also the smallest button on the remote and a real pain to hit with your thumb since it requires balancing the very end of the remote in your hand or using two hands . In my opinion , the button you're most likely going to use more than any other should be easily accessible !
Sound Quality :
I put the amp through its paces with the following :
1 ) Comcast TV ( College Football ) with Dolby Digital Surround
2 ) Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers ( DVD ) & The Matrix ( DVD )
3 ) Various lossless audio files streamed over my WD media streamer
4 ) Battlestar Galactica HD streamed over my WD media streamer
Surround sounds is just about perfect . Crystal clear highs , nice punch with the bass ( although my sub really isn't anything to write home about ) and excellent , authentic reproduction of even complex sound files like Feist and Metallica playing from a FLAC ( Free Lossless Audio Codec ) file . I ran through a few excellent ( in my opinion ) surround sound movies and all sounded fantastic . Orcs screaming from behind me , thunderous sounds of war , the steely tones of Mr . Smith threatening Neo , all sounded lovely .
Video Quality :
HDMI video pass through was great . Suffice it to say that I didn't use this receiver to decoded low-res video files ( something it does , but according to other reviews not that well ) . The video decoder in my WD media streamer does that job . I can confirm that the receiver did not affect inherent video quality to either good or ill .
Aesthetics :
This is a slick receiver and looks great on my AV rack . It matches my DVD player which I guess is a good thing , and even ( sort of ) matches my Toshiba TV . The LED screen is adequate if not amazing . It is easy to read from across the room ( about 12 feet in my smallish living room ) . Text is clear and crisp which is all I really need .
Heat :
This unit does produce more heat than my old Yamaha , but much less than my friend's Onkyo ( you could fry an egg on that thing ! ) . In a well ventilated AV rack or cabinet it should never be an issue .
Conclusions :
For the price ( sub $300 range ) there isn't a better option out there as of this review . You could spend a hundred more and get a Pioneer ( which does come with an ipod connect wire included in the price ) but you're not gaining anything other than a few more connection options . Sound quality wise , this receiver is very , very good . If you can live with the crap remote and a few problems with the GUI , it's well worth the price . I'll probably just get a Harmony remote to make things simple for my family and friends .
4 / 5 Stars .
Thanks for reading my review . Feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them in the comments section .
001 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I bought the STR-DN1000 as an upgrade to my old Yamaha receiver that didn't have audio decoding through HDMI which I really needed since I've recently added a couple additional HDMI components to my set-up and needed HDMI switching . I bought it based on reviews of sound quality ( anyone saying this amp has anything less than great sound doesn't know what they're talking about or doesn't have their amp set up correctly ! ) , price , and features ( 4X HDMI being the most important ) . I am relatively pleased with my new receiver . Sound and video processing are both excellent , and aside from a few issues , this is a great receiver . Before I go into more detail , here is my home theater set-up :
1 ) 5.1 surround sound consisting of :
Polk Audio TSi200 L + R speakers
, a
Polk CS20 Center Channel Speaker
, and a Yamaha subwoofer and two Yamahah back channel L & R speakers .
4 )
A Sony DVP-NS700H / B DVD player
5 ) Toshiba 42 Regaza LCD
6 ) Comcast Digital Cable box
7 )
WD TV Live HD Media Player
All devices connected using
Version 1.3 Category 2 HDMI Cables
.
Setting things up :
Set-up is a breeze . Everything is laid out well enough , and the included wire-map which gives a blown-up overview of the connections makes things even easier . The wire screws for connecting the speakers are made of plastic and are not as easy to turn as I might have liked , but this was a minor issue at best . They do support Banana jacks if that's your thing . I had all my speaker wires and HDMI cables connected in about 10 minutes ( all of them were already in place so it might take significantly longer if you are running new wire ) . Just a note for reciever set-ups : give yourself an extra 3 - 4 feet of wire for each speaker so you can connect your amp OUTSIDE your AV cabinet / rack . This will make things much easier because you can work on the amp with it's back facing you !
GUI ( Graphic User Interface ) , Programing , and Auto Calibration :
The DN1000 comes with a built in GUI for adjusting settings . It is a rudimentary text based interface in black , white and blue , but it is easy to navigate and use even if it isn't pretty . I was easily able to program in radio pre-sets , assign inputs * More on that to come * , and run the Auto Calibration . Auto Calibration involves connecting a provided mic and placing it in the correct location and then letting the amp put out some test tones to each speaker and the amp . The whole thing takes about 30 - 40 seconds . The manual states that this will involve very loud sounds , so I was a bit worried what that would be like . Thankfully it wasn't loud at all , so don't get freaked out when the manual warns you to watch out for small children , dogs , and angry neighbors . The GUI could be a bit more intuitive ; you are frequently required to git an ' option ' button that is on the remote itself . It would have been much simpler to just have that button in the layout of the GUI itself .
Programing custom inputs and renaming inputs was my biggest complaint with this amp . First , you CANNOT re-map the TV , Satelite , DVD , etc . , buttons to be linked with the HDMI inputs . Each time you re-map an input it asks for both an audio and video input . I wanted to re-map the DVD button on the remote to work with my HDMI DVD player . I was able to choose the correct HDMI in , but because the amp also requires an audio input , you are FORCED to choose from coaxial , analog LR channel or digital . Choosing any of these overrides the HDMI's sound , and gives you video but no sound ! This is incredibly frustrating and very stupid on Sony's part since the amp supports HDMI sound processing natively and all they would need to do is tweak the GUI to allow the user to select either HDMI or ' None ' for sound input ! I called Sony tech support to verify this is the case and they said they have no plans to issue a firmware update to correct this issue . I was able to re-name the HDMI inputs to DVD , WD LIVE , and COMCAST so that the amp displays the correct input when one of the HDMI buttons is pushed , but that isn't ideal considering the layout of the remote :
The Remote :
On first glance , the remote appears to be well laid out and to have excellent built quality ( no squeeks when you hit the buttons , feels nice and solid in your hand , responsive buttons , etc ) . It is solidly made , but functionally it has some major flaws :
1 ) Because there are nice big , well labeled DVD , TV , Satelite , etc . buttons on the top third of the remote , it will be highly confusing to have to explain to non-tech savvy people when you want to watch a DVD you hit HDMI 3 , not DVD or something similar due to the inability of the receiver to re-map those buttons ! Basically the usefulness of having ' quick launch ' buttons on the remote is destroyed by not being able to map them correctly !
2 ) The mute button location is horrible . It is at the bottom lower third of the remote on the left side . It is also the smallest button on the remote and a real pain to hit with your thumb since it requires balancing the very end of the remote in your hand or using two hands . In my opinion , the button you're most likely going to use more than any other should be easily accessible !
Sound Quality :
I put the amp through its paces with the following :
1 ) Comcast TV ( College Football ) with Dolby Digital Surround
2 ) Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers ( DVD ) & The Matrix ( DVD )
3 ) Various lossless audio files streamed over my WD media streamer
4 ) Battlestar Galactica HD streamed over my WD media streamer
Surround sounds is just about perfect . Crystal clear highs , nice punch with the bass ( although my sub really isn't anything to write home about ) and excellent , authentic reproduction of even complex sound files like Feist and Metallica playing from a FLAC ( Free Lossless Audio Codec ) file . I ran through a few excellent ( in my opinion ) surround sound movies and all sounded fantastic . Orcs screaming from behind me , thunderous sounds of war , the steely tones of Mr . Smith threatening Neo , all sounded lovely .
Video Quality :
HDMI video pass through was great . Suffice it to say that I didn't use this receiver to decoded low-res video files ( something it does , but according to other reviews not that well ) . The video decoder in my WD media streamer does that job . I can confirm that the receiver did not affect inherent video quality to either good or ill .
Aesthetics :
This is a slick receiver and looks great on my AV rack . It matches my DVD player which I guess is a good thing , and even ( sort of ) matches my Toshiba TV . The LED screen is adequate if not amazing . It is easy to read from across the room ( about 12 feet in my smallish living room ) . Text is clear and crisp which is all I really need .
Heat :
This unit does produce more heat than my old Yamaha , but much less than my friend's Onkyo ( you could fry an egg on that thing ! ) . In a well ventilated AV rack or cabinet it should never be an issue .
Conclusions :
For the price ( sub $300 range ) there isn't a better option out there as of this review . You could spend a hundred more and get a Pioneer ( which does come with an ipod connect wire included in the price ) but you're not gaining anything other than a few more connection options . Sound quality wise , this receiver is very , very good . If you can live with the crap remote and a few problems with the GUI , it's well worth the price . I'll probably just get a Harmony remote to make things simple for my family and friends .
4 / 5 Stars .
Thanks for reading my review . Feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them in the comments section .
002 4 I bought the STR-DN1000 as an upgrade to my old Yamaha receiver that didn't have audio decoding through HDMI which I really needed since I've recently added a couple additional HDMI components to my set-up and needed HDMI switching . I bought it based on reviews of sound quality ( anyone saying this amp has anything less than great sound doesn't know what they're talking about or doesn't have their amp set up correctly ! ) , price , and features ( 4X HDMI being the most important ) . I am relatively pleased with my new receiver . Sound and video processing are both excellent , and aside from a few issues , this is a great receiver . Before I go into more detail , here is my home theater set-up :
1 ) 5.1 surround sound consisting of :
Polk Audio TSi200 L + R speakers
, a
Polk CS20 Center Channel Speaker
, and a Yamaha subwoofer and two Yamahah back channel L & R speakers .
4 )
A Sony DVP-NS700H / B DVD player
5 ) Toshiba 42 Regaza LCD
6 ) Comcast Digital Cable box
7 )
WD TV Live HD Media Player
All devices connected using
Version 1.3 Category 2 HDMI Cables
.
Setting things up :
Set-up is a breeze . Everything is laid out well enough , and the included wire-map which gives a blown-up overview of the connections makes things even easier . The wire screws for connecting the speakers are made of plastic and are not as easy to turn as I might have liked , but this was a minor issue at best . They do support Banana jacks if that's your thing . I had all my speaker wires and HDMI cables connected in about 10 minutes ( all of them were already in place so it might take significantly longer if you are running new wire ) . Just a note for reciever set-ups : give yourself an extra 3 - 4 feet of wire for each speaker so you can connect your amp OUTSIDE your AV cabinet / rack . This will make things much easier because you can work on the amp with it's back facing you !
GUI ( Graphic User Interface ) , Programing , and Auto Calibration :
The DN1000 comes with a built in GUI for adjusting settings . It is a rudimentary text based interface in black , white and blue , but it is easy to navigate and use even if it isn't pretty . I was easily able to program in radio pre-sets , assign inputs * More on that to come * , and run the Auto Calibration . Auto Calibration involves connecting a provided mic and placing it in the correct location and then letting the amp put out some test tones to each speaker and the amp . The whole thing takes about 30 - 40 seconds . The manual states that this will involve very loud sounds , so I was a bit worried what that would be like . Thankfully it wasn't loud at all , so don't get freaked out when the manual warns you to watch out for small children , dogs , and angry neighbors . The GUI could be a bit more intuitive ; you are frequently required to git an ' option ' button that is on the remote itself . It would have been much simpler to just have that button in the layout of the GUI itself .
Programing custom inputs and renaming inputs was my biggest complaint with this amp . First , you CANNOT re-map the TV , Satelite , DVD , etc . , buttons to be linked with the HDMI inputs . Each time you re-map an input it asks for both an audio and video input . I wanted to re-map the DVD button on the remote to work with my HDMI DVD player . I was able to choose the correct HDMI in , but because the amp also requires an audio input , you are FORCED to choose from coaxial , analog LR channel or digital . Choosing any of these overrides the HDMI's sound , and gives you video but no sound ! This is incredibly frustrating and very stupid on Sony's part since the amp supports HDMI sound processing natively and all they would need to do is tweak the GUI to allow the user to select either HDMI or ' None ' for sound input ! I called Sony tech support to verify this is the case and they said they have no plans to issue a firmware update to correct this issue . I was able to re-name the HDMI inputs to DVD , WD LIVE , and COMCAST so that the amp displays the correct input when one of the HDMI buttons is pushed , but that isn't ideal considering the layout of the remote :
The Remote :
On first glance , the remote appears to be well laid out and to have excellent built quality ( no squeeks when you hit the buttons , feels nice and solid in your hand , responsive buttons , etc ) . It is solidly made , but functionally it has some major flaws :
1 ) Because there are nice big , well labeled DVD , TV , Satelite , etc . buttons on the top third of the remote , it will be highly confusing to have to explain to non-tech savvy people when you want to watch a DVD you hit HDMI 3 , not DVD or something similar due to the inability of the receiver to re-map those buttons ! Basically the usefulness of having ' quick launch ' buttons on the remote is destroyed by not being able to map them correctly !
2 ) The mute button location is horrible . It is at the bottom lower third of the remote on the left side . It is also the smallest button on the remote and a real pain to hit with your thumb since it requires balancing the very end of the remote in your hand or using two hands . In my opinion , the button you're most likely going to use more than any other should be easily accessible !
Sound Quality :
I put the amp through its paces with the following :
1 ) Comcast TV ( College Football ) with Dolby Digital Surround
2 ) Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers ( DVD ) & The Matrix ( DVD )
3 ) Various lossless audio files streamed over my WD media streamer
4 ) Battlestar Galactica HD streamed over my WD media streamer
Surround sounds is just about perfect . Crystal clear highs , nice punch with the bass ( although my sub really isn't anything to write home about ) and excellent , authentic reproduction of even complex sound files like Feist and Metallica playing from a FLAC ( Free Lossless Audio Codec ) file . I ran through a few excellent ( in my opinion ) surround sound movies and all sounded fantastic . Orcs screaming from behind me , thunderous sounds of war , the steely tones of Mr . Smith threatening Neo , all sounded lovely .
Video Quality :
HDMI video pass through was great . Suffice it to say that I didn't use this receiver to decoded low-res video files ( something it does , but according to other reviews not that well ) . The video decoder in my WD media streamer does that job . I can confirm that the receiver did not affect inherent video quality to either good or ill .
Aesthetics :
This is a slick receiver and looks great on my AV rack . It matches my DVD player which I guess is a good thing , and even ( sort of ) matches my Toshiba TV . The LED screen is adequate if not amazing . It is easy to read from across the room ( about 12 feet in my smallish living room ) . Text is clear and crisp which is all I really need .
Heat :
This unit does produce more heat than my old Yamaha , but much less than my friend's Onkyo ( you could fry an egg on that thing ! ) . In a well ventilated AV rack or cabinet it should never be an issue .
Conclusions :
For the price ( sub $300 range ) there isn't a better option out there as of this review . You could spend a hundred more and get a Pioneer ( which does come with an ipod connect wire included in the price ) but you're not gaining anything other than a few more connection options . Sound quality wise , this receiver is very , very good . If you can live with the crap remote and a few problems with the GUI , it's well worth the price . I'll probably just get a Harmony remote to make things simple for my family and friends .
4 / 5 Stars .
Thanks for reading my review . Feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them in the comments section .
003 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I have had this receiver since Aug . 1 , 2009 , and am very happy with it . It is missing some features like S-VHS inputs but none that I care about . I purchased it to use with HDMI devices in a 5.1 setup in one room . It works great for me and I highly recommend it .
PLUSES :
* Excellent audio .
* Good GUI that is easy to use , but you must read the manual first and consult it as you go ( at least I had to ) .
* Good readable front and on-screen display with options for what is displayed while unit is operating ( device , sound field , etc ) and nameable inputs .
* Four HDMI inputs .
* Attractive design .
* Exceptional Auto Format Decoding that produces very good sound from 2 - channel sources with clear centered dialogue and some LFE output . I use this setting exclusively for all devices and it unfailingly detects the proper format .
* Very easy and very accurate auto speaker setup using included microphone . It set my front speakers to large instead of small but other than that I didn't have to change any of the settings .
MINUSES
* Poor manual . Too small in size , not well-written . This seems like a common problem with electronics these days , but maybe it is just because devices are more complicated .
* You must purchase a separate device to use with iPod / iPhone .
* No S-VHS inputs ( not at all important to me , but might be to some users ) .
* Somewhat confusing speaker input placement on back of receiver . ( I would have put the front speaker inputs above the surround back inputs and next to the center channel input . )
I use the receiver with a Sony LCD TV , Samsung Blu-ray player , Cox Cable DVR , Tivo HD , Energy Classic speakers and Infinity subwoofer . No compatibility problems encountered . I use it is a smallish room ( 11 x 13 ) and hardly ever set the volume above 35 , so it seems to have plenty of power .
Before I bought this receiver , I tried a Pioneer VSX - 919 , which is a good receiver that gets excellent reviews . However , I could never get it to sound right to me . The Sony sounded good to me from the get go . That doesn't mean one is better than the other , but for me the Sony was the better-sounding receiver . One feature I really liked on the Pioneer was iPod / iPhone support without having to buy add-on devices . Sony and other manufacturers should do that !
I am very happy with this purchase and would recommend it to others who want a mid-range receiver with good sound , good features and nice appearance .
004 4 I have had this receiver since Aug . 1 , 2009 , and am very happy with it . It is missing some features like S-VHS inputs but none that I care about . I purchased it to use with HDMI devices in a 5.1 setup in one room . It works great for me and I highly recommend it .
PLUSES :
* Excellent audio .
* Good GUI that is easy to use , but you must read the manual first and consult it as you go ( at least I had to ) .
* Good readable front and on-screen display with options for what is displayed while unit is operating ( device , sound field , etc ) and nameable inputs .
* Four HDMI inputs .
* Attractive design .
* Exceptional Auto Format Decoding that produces very good sound from 2 - channel sources with clear centered dialogue and some LFE output . I use this setting exclusively for all devices and it unfailingly detects the proper format .
* Very easy and very accurate auto speaker setup using included microphone . It set my front speakers to large instead of small but other than that I didn't have to change any of the settings .
MINUSES
* Poor manual . Too small in size , not well-written . This seems like a common problem with electronics these days , but maybe it is just because devices are more complicated .
* You must purchase a separate device to use with iPod / iPhone .
* No S-VHS inputs ( not at all important to me , but might be to some users ) .
* Somewhat confusing speaker input placement on back of receiver . ( I would have put the front speaker inputs above the surround back inputs and next to the center channel input . )
I use the receiver with a Sony LCD TV , Samsung Blu-ray player , Cox Cable DVR , Tivo HD , Energy Classic speakers and Infinity subwoofer . No compatibility problems encountered . I use it is a smallish room ( 11 x 13 ) and hardly ever set the volume above 35 , so it seems to have plenty of power .
Before I bought this receiver , I tried a Pioneer VSX - 919 , which is a good receiver that gets excellent reviews . However , I could never get it to sound right to me . The Sony sounded good to me from the get go . That doesn't mean one is better than the other , but for me the Sony was the better-sounding receiver . One feature I really liked on the Pioneer was iPod / iPhone support without having to buy add-on devices . Sony and other manufacturers should do that !
I am very happy with this purchase and would recommend it to others who want a mid-range receiver with good sound , good features and nice appearance .
005 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
For what it is , a mid-range priced receiver , it's really good . Are there better receivers ? Sure . Am I an audio-phile ( or whatever ) ? No . Can I tell the difference between loud-and-distorted and loud-and-clear ? Yes . Am I going to drop more than a grand for a receiver ? No . Am I going to spend the least amount possible for the basics in a receiver ? No . Am I happy with this receiver and it's performance ? Yes ; very much so .
The context -
I have a medium to small size living room , 14 x 19 feet , hardwood floors , carpet with some natural shades ( helps with reducing reverb and echo ) , a pre-wired system , hooked up to a PS3 with HDMI cables ; and to the cable box with HDMI . More importantly I have this receiver hooked up to the Mirage Nanostat 5.1 speaker system ( with the sold-separately center channel ) . And it sounds flippin ' great ! The receiver has enough power to fill our living room with sound loud enough to wake the neighbors , but we don't ever need to have it that loud . More importantly , it's clear and sharp . . . no muddled noise . The first movie we watched with this receiver was Braveheart . . . a good test in music , chaotic battle scenes , and discerning heavy Scottish accents . It passed with flying colors , the girlfriend and I smiled at the quality of the sound ; it really is nice having a theater experience at home .
The rating -
I haven't explored all the features yet , and since I only have two components connected . . . probably won't anytime soon . But I think the up-conversion will be nice when I steal back the Wii from my parents .
I rated the Ease of Use around the half-way point . The good thing is that the included mic and auto-setup is pretty slick and neat ( and was easy to use ) , but as with all the receivers I've ever had , some of the terminology is difficult to understand . Many settings I probably won't ever use . And there exists the potential for endless weekends of complicated audio tweaks . When I was younger , stuff like that would turn me on . Now , I'm happy to get everything set up and watching a blu-ray as fast as possible ( and why I loved the auto-setup ) .
It also looks great . The piano-black-almost-button-less-front-plate looks sharp , real sharp . . . a welcome detraction from the sneezed-on-overload-of-buttons of regular receivers .
So , all in all . 5 stars . In my opinion , it does what it does extremely well . Sounds great , looks great , at a price I was comfortable with .
006 4 For what it is , a mid-range priced receiver , it's really good . Are there better receivers ? Sure . Am I an audio-phile ( or whatever ) ? No . Can I tell the difference between loud-and-distorted and loud-and-clear ? Yes . Am I going to drop more than a grand for a receiver ? No . Am I going to spend the least amount possible for the basics in a receiver ? No . Am I happy with this receiver and it's performance ? Yes ; very much so .
The context -
I have a medium to small size living room , 14 x 19 feet , hardwood floors , carpet with some natural shades ( helps with reducing reverb and echo ) , a pre-wired system , hooked up to a PS3 with HDMI cables ; and to the cable box with HDMI . More importantly I have this receiver hooked up to the Mirage Nanostat 5.1 speaker system ( with the sold-separately center channel ) . And it sounds flippin ' great ! The receiver has enough power to fill our living room with sound loud enough to wake the neighbors , but we don't ever need to have it that loud . More importantly , it's clear and sharp . . . no muddled noise . The first movie we watched with this receiver was Braveheart . . . a good test in music , chaotic battle scenes , and discerning heavy Scottish accents . It passed with flying colors , the girlfriend and I smiled at the quality of the sound ; it really is nice having a theater experience at home .
The rating -
I haven't explored all the features yet , and since I only have two components connected . . . probably won't anytime soon . But I think the up-conversion will be nice when I steal back the Wii from my parents .
I rated the Ease of Use around the half-way point . The good thing is that the included mic and auto-setup is pretty slick and neat ( and was easy to use ) , but as with all the receivers I've ever had , some of the terminology is difficult to understand . Many settings I probably won't ever use . And there exists the potential for endless weekends of complicated audio tweaks . When I was younger , stuff like that would turn me on . Now , I'm happy to get everything set up and watching a blu-ray as fast as possible ( and why I loved the auto-setup ) .
It also looks great . The piano-black-almost-button-less-front-plate looks sharp , real sharp . . . a welcome detraction from the sneezed-on-overload-of-buttons of regular receivers .
So , all in all . 5 stars . In my opinion , it does what it does extremely well . Sounds great , looks great , at a price I was comfortable with .
007 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
After much reading and researching , I found the Sony STR-DN1000 to offer the most features and best sound in the $300 price range .
I just decided to upgrade from my 3 yr . old Pioneer receiver because it didn't decode HD audio on Blu Ray discs . I was looking for something reasonably priced that did and that would have enough features to last awhile . After alot of reading and looking around , the choice was between the Sony STR-DN1000 and the Sony STR-DH800 . The DH800 was $50 less but the DN1000 had more features and it just looked much nicer . I was tempted to save $50 but I had to just get what I wanted and I have no regrets about it . Especially after hearing it , I'm really happy I chose the DN1000 .
What really strikes me is how it looks and sounds like a receiver that costs 2 - 3 times more . It's really easy to set up using the GUI ( on screen menu ) and auto calibration . All the auto calibration requires you to do is hook up the included microphone , turn it on , and a minute later , your speakers are calibrated and your ready to go . One thing of note though , Sony automatically set the Dynamic Range Compression to on and the speaker size to large . Be sure to set the DRC to off so your movies will sound better and your speakers to small , as most everyone's are . This doesn't mean small in size but rather that it'll properly route the LFE signals to your subwoofer instead of the speakers .
Other that that , I was able to eliminate alot of wires by having everything hooked up via HDMI cables , it runs ALOT cooler than my old Pioneer , and the manual isn't nearly as complicated as some people say . I had it set up to play movies / music really quickly and all else was just extra settings that I could read up on in my leisure . I just didn't find the manual to be that much more complicated than my Pioneer's and I'm nowhere near a brainiac . Just take your time , go step by step and you shouldn't have a problem .
I'm really excited about finally having a receiver that can play all the lossless audio on Blu Ray movies . It makes me want to watch every movie all over again just to hear how it sounds . Terminator Salvation blew me away ! The capper has to be the awesome price here on Amazon , which is $160 less than Best Buy . I call that a no brainer if there ever was one . For home theater and movie enthusiasts , I can't recommend this receiver enough . It's a beast , it looks great , has tons of options , 4 HDMI inputs , is easy enough for beginners but deep enough for audiophiles , can do anything audio / video wise for the forseeable future , and has a fantastic price . Easily Recommended .
008 4 After much reading and researching , I found the Sony STR-DN1000 to offer the most features and best sound in the $300 price range .
I just decided to upgrade from my 3 yr . old Pioneer receiver because it didn't decode HD audio on Blu Ray discs . I was looking for something reasonably priced that did and that would have enough features to last awhile . After alot of reading and looking around , the choice was between the Sony STR-DN1000 and the Sony STR-DH800 . The DH800 was $50 less but the DN1000 had more features and it just looked much nicer . I was tempted to save $50 but I had to just get what I wanted and I have no regrets about it . Especially after hearing it , I'm really happy I chose the DN1000 .
What really strikes me is how it looks and sounds like a receiver that costs 2 - 3 times more . It's really easy to set up using the GUI ( on screen menu ) and auto calibration . All the auto calibration requires you to do is hook up the included microphone , turn it on , and a minute later , your speakers are calibrated and your ready to go . One thing of note though , Sony automatically set the Dynamic Range Compression to on and the speaker size to large . Be sure to set the DRC to off so your movies will sound better and your speakers to small , as most everyone's are . This doesn't mean small in size but rather that it'll properly route the LFE signals to your subwoofer instead of the speakers .
Other that that , I was able to eliminate alot of wires by having everything hooked up via HDMI cables , it runs ALOT cooler than my old Pioneer , and the manual isn't nearly as complicated as some people say . I had it set up to play movies / music really quickly and all else was just extra settings that I could read up on in my leisure . I just didn't find the manual to be that much more complicated than my Pioneer's and I'm nowhere near a brainiac . Just take your time , go step by step and you shouldn't have a problem .
I'm really excited about finally having a receiver that can play all the lossless audio on Blu Ray movies . It makes me want to watch every movie all over again just to hear how it sounds . Terminator Salvation blew me away ! The capper has to be the awesome price here on Amazon , which is $160 less than Best Buy . I call that a no brainer if there ever was one . For home theater and movie enthusiasts , I can't recommend this receiver enough . It's a beast , it looks great , has tons of options , 4 HDMI inputs , is easy enough for beginners but deep enough for audiophiles , can do anything audio / video wise for the forseeable future , and has a fantastic price . Easily Recommended .
009 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Bought this to replace an 11 year old 5.1 Nakamichi . The surround and digital output using all HDMI produces thunderous bass and crystal clear highs . My mom was watching Angels and Demons on Blu Ray last night and 700 watts of the exploding Volkswagen made the walls resonate and she jumped out of her chair ! Unit is ' expensive ' looking and the GUI seems pretty decent so far . Still have not programmed the FM stations yet , but thus far for CD audio , FIOS cable , DVD and Blu Ray this thing is an unbeatable product for under $300 . One note for users of HDMI : you may experience a delay in signal between the movement of the actors lips and the actual vocal sound produced from the receiver . This is easily fixed via the audio control menu A / V m / s delay settings . I set mine at 200 and the lip movement-to-sound-sync is now perfect .
011 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
The Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) is a awesome sight to look at for sure , but even novice audiophiles understand that you don't purchase a receiver because she looks better than your old girl . You purchase a receiver b / c you want to know if she can perform well at all task . Well , let me tell you . . . she can , this receiver is well equipped and performs very well .
The sound quality is pure and there are a variety of listening modes to suit multiple taste . The GUI is relatively simple and easy to use . You also have the ability to assign inputs , however , if you choose to use the most current connection ( HDMI ) , there really is no need . My setup contains a 52 inch Samsung LCD , PS3 , Xbox 360 , Onkyo speaker package , and Verizon FIOS .
* * * Attention * * * Please take note of these items to save you some headache .
1 . Please make sure your cables have the latest specs . HDMI Version 1.3 Category 2 . I failed to take note and did not have any picture until I realized I had an earlier version of HDMI cable that could only handle 480p . Amazon sells the best low price HDMI cables by Mediabridge .
2 . Banana Plugs . . . an absolute headache saver . There is not a lot of space behind the unit and the banana plugs are so much easier to use .
The only thing that would make this baby truly PHAT would be a front HDMI input . However , that's just a small gripe and takes nothing away from the way this baby blows . I'm sure that next year's model will have that . At any rate the feature set on this receiver will keep my old girl jealous for quite some time ! ! !
012 4 The Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) is a awesome sight to look at for sure , but even novice audiophiles understand that you don't purchase a receiver because she looks better than your old girl . You purchase a receiver b / c you want to know if she can perform well at all task . Well , let me tell you . . . she can , this receiver is well equipped and performs very well .
The sound quality is pure and there are a variety of listening modes to suit multiple taste . The GUI is relatively simple and easy to use . You also have the ability to assign inputs , however , if you choose to use the most current connection ( HDMI ) , there really is no need . My setup contains a 52 inch Samsung LCD , PS3 , Xbox 360 , Onkyo speaker package , and Verizon FIOS .
* * * Attention * * * Please take note of these items to save you some headache .
1 . Please make sure your cables have the latest specs . HDMI Version 1.3 Category 2 . I failed to take note and did not have any picture until I realized I had an earlier version of HDMI cable that could only handle 480p . Amazon sells the best low price HDMI cables by Mediabridge .
2 . Banana Plugs . . . an absolute headache saver . There is not a lot of space behind the unit and the banana plugs are so much easier to use .
The only thing that would make this baby truly PHAT would be a front HDMI input . However , that's just a small gripe and takes nothing away from the way this baby blows . I'm sure that next year's model will have that . At any rate the feature set on this receiver will keep my old girl jealous for quite some time ! ! !
013 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I recently updated much of my home theater equipment , and needed to replace my Sony STRE - 985 receiver , which did not have any HDMI connections.I checked CNET's review and they rated a Pioneer receiver the best , but no one had any in stock , so I took a hard look at the STR-DN1000 . At $180.00 less than the Pioneer unit , this was a steal . The unit looks very upscale with it's shiny black faceplate and minimal controls.Using the HDMI connection eliminated 50% of all the cables that I had previously used , and that improved my video performance also . This unit also runs cooler that my old Sony . The only negative , is trying to utilize the video upscaling . Don't even bother running a 480p signal thru it , the 1080i signal looks terrible , but this is common in most upscaling receivers on the market today , unfortunately . Otherwise I would have given the unit 5 stars .
014 4 I recently updated much of my home theater equipment , and needed to replace my Sony STRE - 985 receiver , which did not have any HDMI connections.I checked CNET's review and they rated a Pioneer receiver the best , but no one had any in stock , so I took a hard look at the STR-DN1000 . At $180.00 less than the Pioneer unit , this was a steal . The unit looks very upscale with it's shiny black faceplate and minimal controls.Using the HDMI connection eliminated 50% of all the cables that I had previously used , and that improved my video performance also . This unit also runs cooler that my old Sony . The only negative , is trying to utilize the video upscaling . Don't even bother running a 480p signal thru it , the 1080i signal looks terrible , but this is common in most upscaling receivers on the market today , unfortunately . Otherwise I would have given the unit 5 stars .
015 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Currently listening to the new Jimmy Buffett album on my Sony STR-DN1000 receiver . Sounds GREAT !
My Set up :
Sony Bravia 52 inch KDL - 52V5100
Bose Acustimas 15
Yamaha NS-iw960 in wall center channel speaker
Time Warner cable DVR box
Monoprice HDMI Cables
Monoprice wall mount
Chose this receiver because I've always liked Sony and wanted my components to match . Looked at every receiver and read every receiver review . This unit is as advertised . Plenty of power , HDMI is great , surround is crisp and clear . The GUI takes some getting used to . I'm old school and like to be able to make changes while sitting in front of the unit . . . but once I got the hang of the GUI it works great . If your looking to replace the old 32 inch and jump into the big screen , HD world and want to use a receiver for surround sound . . this is the best for the money . Yea , you can spend $1000.00 but I don't see the need .
Amazon made the purchase seemless . Got the best price , free shipping , no tax and it was delivered on time . The product reviews were very helpfull and made me more comfortable in my purchase .
Thanks Amazon for helping me get into HD .
016 4 Currently listening to the new Jimmy Buffett album on my Sony STR-DN1000 receiver . Sounds GREAT !
My Set up :
Sony Bravia 52 inch KDL - 52V5100
Bose Acustimas 15
Yamaha NS-iw960 in wall center channel speaker
Time Warner cable DVR box
Monoprice HDMI Cables
Monoprice wall mount
Chose this receiver because I've always liked Sony and wanted my components to match . Looked at every receiver and read every receiver review . This unit is as advertised . Plenty of power , HDMI is great , surround is crisp and clear . The GUI takes some getting used to . I'm old school and like to be able to make changes while sitting in front of the unit . . . but once I got the hang of the GUI it works great . If your looking to replace the old 32 inch and jump into the big screen , HD world and want to use a receiver for surround sound . . this is the best for the money . Yea , you can spend $1000.00 but I don't see the need .
Amazon made the purchase seemless . Got the best price , free shipping , no tax and it was delivered on time . The product reviews were very helpfull and made me more comfortable in my purchase .
Thanks Amazon for helping me get into HD .
017 4 Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black )
I purchased this on August 4 as an upgrade to a receiver that was not capable 1080p pass through . I received it and hooked it up on Friday August 14 . I connected a Sony PS3 and a TiVo HD using Philips HDMI Gold cables Version 1.3a . I used the same type cable to connect to a Vizio 1080p True HD TV . I got sound but no picture .
I checked the settings on the TV and the receiver to make sure it was on all the right settings . I even tested the same cable by connecting it directly to the PS3 and I got picture immediately . I contacted Sony online customer support and went through the power reset and unplug hard reset - - nothing . I was told to call the customer service line because I would have to send it in for repair . I called , and went through the procedures again , and they told me to ship the entire thing , box and all , to Texas for repair . At least they sent me a shipping label so I didn't have to pay for that , but that was because I asked for it .
They called me a week and a half later and said that they could not duplicate the problem and asked for the exact components and models that were hooked up . They said they would attempt to duplicate my configuration as best as possible and call me back . They didn't . Instead , I received it back 4 days later ( Friday September 4 ) .
Due to poor packaging ( they put the remote and book directly against the top of the receiver without any bubble wrap in between , so when any pressure was put on the top of the box . . . ) the entire top of the receiver is dented in . Plus they didn't send back my original box . Oh , and to make matters worse . The batteries they sent it back with were dead . And of course it was a Friday night that I discovered all of this and had to wait until Tuesday morning to call them back ( Labor day weekend ) .
Over the weekend I looked through the instructions and saw that it specified HDMI 1.3a Category 2 . I did some research and I even called Phillips , the cable manufacturer , to confirm that the cables were indeed HDMI 1.3a Category 2 . But they didn't know because it isn't printed on the wire . So I did some more online searching and discovered the two different category specifications didn't come out until October last year , and that if the cable is not specified as Category 2 , it is a standard Category 1 . Well , I had purchased my cables last May , 2008 . However , the HDMI website has stated that many HDMI cables under 5 meters of length that were made before the HDMI 1.3 specification can work as Category 2 cables , but this is not guaranteed ( HDMI Knowledge Base [ . . . ]
So out of a hunch that it would only work with a Category 2 cable , I went and purchased a Sony HDMI 1.3a Category 2 cable at Walmart . I hooked it all up and it WORKED . It is interesting that it works with HDMI 1.3a Category 1 cables hooked up from the components ( PS3 and TiVo HD ) , but requires the Category 2 for the output signal to the HDTV . But now , I have a physically damaged unit . . .
Today I called the Sony Service Center in Laredo , Texas and he said , It had nicks and scratches all over it when we received it from you . That's patently false , because it doesn't have any nicks or scratches on it NOW , just the dent .
I also asked about my box , and he said that I SHOULD have been told not to send my original packaging box if I wanted to keep it , because they recycle them . I asked if I could get another one and he said they don't have them there .
To save time and trouble , I asked if I could simply get a new housing or cover sent to me to fix it myself , instead . But I was told that it's against policy and I would have to ship the whole thing back again and they would repair the damage . However , the CSR also told me he could give me the parts catalog and I could purchase one myself . Really , you mean I could spend even more money for this receiver buying a part and paying for shipping to fix something that they caused ? ! Awesome ! Thanks for that .
Frustrated , I asked him to go ahead and send me another shipping label , but then he said that they would have to see pictures of the damaged unit as well as the undamaged box so they can investigate it first . And he also warned that if they don't have the part , they would have to get it from Sony and it could take a long time !
So now , at best , I will get to start USING my new receiver on the 28th of September ? Almost 60 days after purchasing it ? That's 2 months of my warranty gone as well . . .
And now , I checked online today ; and the current price for the receiver is a full $100 LESS than what I paid . Heck , if I ordered another one today , I would probably get it SOONER !
This was my first Sony receiver . . . I will probably never purchase a Sony stereo or TV product ever again . PS3 is awesome , but I just hope It doesn't ever need repairs .
018 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
There are already in depth reviews on here so I will just include observations
Just finished setting this up with a Energy RC-Micro 5.1 system , PS3 and 52 Samsung LCD . This is a great receiver and you will be hard pressed to find something better for the price .
Pros :
Easy setup with the auto calibrate feature . Make sure to check that it selects the correct size for your speakers , Large vs small .
Sound quality is excellent comparing it to my friend's Pioneer VSX 1019 .
Someone else mentioned that it takes a while when switching inputs ( longer than 7 seconds ) , it only takes 3 - 4 seconds for me when switching from different HDMIs , I have not tried with different types of inputs
Can adjust the subwoofer freq however you want compared to Pioneer which only lets you adjust it according to presets .
Looks great - very clean and minimalistic with a cool soft white light underneath the display .
Does not run extremely hot even with the cramped quarters of my entertainment center .
The GUI is great and makes setup a lot easier . It wasn't terribly slow and you will probably never touch it again once everything is tweaked correctly .
Cons :
The instruction manual as others have mentioned is terrible because the information for what you are trying to do may be spread over many different sections . Also some of the information is just wrong . For example , it states that HDMI 3 has better audio quality than the other HDMI inputs .
I tried using the remote for a little while but the layout is lousy with the button labels being so small . I replaced this with a Logitech Harmony 700 .
Dynamic compression comes turned on by default , I have no idea why . Most people may not even notice its on unless you dig through the manual . Make sure you turn it off .
Not a con but something I didn't know when using the PS3 as a Blu-ray player , if you set the PS3 to output PCM ( the PS3 does the decoding of the movie soundtrack ) then the receiver will display that it is receiving PCM and not show what specific format you are hearing . If you turn the PS3 to output bitstream ( the receiver decodes the the audio ) then the receiver will display the audio format it is decoding .
019 4 There are already in depth reviews on here so I will just include observations
Just finished setting this up with a Energy RC-Micro 5.1 system , PS3 and 52 Samsung LCD . This is a great receiver and you will be hard pressed to find something better for the price .
Pros :
Easy setup with the auto calibrate feature . Make sure to check that it selects the correct size for your speakers , Large vs small .
Sound quality is excellent comparing it to my friend's Pioneer VSX 1019 .
Someone else mentioned that it takes a while when switching inputs ( longer than 7 seconds ) , it only takes 3 - 4 seconds for me when switching from different HDMIs , I have not tried with different types of inputs
Can adjust the subwoofer freq however you want compared to Pioneer which only lets you adjust it according to presets .
Looks great - very clean and minimalistic with a cool soft white light underneath the display .
Does not run extremely hot even with the cramped quarters of my entertainment center .
The GUI is great and makes setup a lot easier . It wasn't terribly slow and you will probably never touch it again once everything is tweaked correctly .
Cons :
The instruction manual as others have mentioned is terrible because the information for what you are trying to do may be spread over many different sections . Also some of the information is just wrong . For example , it states that HDMI 3 has better audio quality than the other HDMI inputs .
I tried using the remote for a little while but the layout is lousy with the button labels being so small . I replaced this with a Logitech Harmony 700 .
Dynamic compression comes turned on by default , I have no idea why . Most people may not even notice its on unless you dig through the manual . Make sure you turn it off .
Not a con but something I didn't know when using the PS3 as a Blu-ray player , if you set the PS3 to output PCM ( the PS3 does the decoding of the movie soundtrack ) then the receiver will display that it is receiving PCM and not show what specific format you are hearing . If you turn the PS3 to output bitstream ( the receiver decodes the the audio ) then the receiver will display the audio format it is decoding .
020 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
In terms of value , I don't think any other receiver can compare . Another writer noted that the ability to assign inputs and remote keys is limited . That said the receiver has so many standard configurations there is very little need to do that . This is especially true if all you connecting devices have Bravia . In my application all my connected devices , except airtunes , have Bravia . Drop a disk in the BD player , the receiver and TV turn on and configure for playing the bluray disk . Punch in a channel number on the TV and the receiver configures for TV . Turn up the volume on the TV remote and the receiver responds . You don't need to point at the receiver . Except for internet TV through the BD player I almost never need to use any controller but the TV controller . One has to remember that receiver accepts airtunes as a cd player . The lack of configuration options is not really a problem , especially with Bravia sync .
Sound quality is very good for my 13X22 room with Harmon-Kardon HKTS - 18 speaker system .
Harman Kardon HKTS - 18 5.1 Channel Speaker System
My only complaint so far is the binding posts for speakers seem fragile and are hard to use do to the spacing . The entire back side of the receiver is full of connections , so a little crowding should be expected . It is not like one uses the speaker binding posts daily .
022 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
This SONY is easy to set up use Bannana plugs for your speaker connections .
I was up and enjoying in 20 minutes .
Good clear sound and makes you think someone else is in room it keeps you looking over your shoulder .
Auto Calibration is a excellent plus .
The GUI is in black and white but is excellent
I just enjoyed TRANSFORMERS and it was FANTASTIC .
My Setup :
52 inch SAMSUNG LCD ( HDMI )
SONY STR-DN 1000 ( HDMI )
SONY bdp x1 ( HDMI )
FIOS BOX ( HDMI )
B & W CENTER
BOSTON FLOOR STANDING FRONTS
BOSE 601 SURROUNDS
JBL 10 WOOFER
The black piano finish matched TV and BLU RAY player
Set it up correctly and you have a awesome receiver .
I hopes this helps buy from amazon.com and save .
023 4 This SONY is easy to set up use Bannana plugs for your speaker connections .
I was up and enjoying in 20 minutes .
Good clear sound and makes you think someone else is in room it keeps you looking over your shoulder .
Auto Calibration is a excellent plus .
The GUI is in black and white but is excellent
I just enjoyed TRANSFORMERS and it was FANTASTIC .
My Setup :
52 inch SAMSUNG LCD ( HDMI )
SONY STR-DN 1000 ( HDMI )
SONY bdp x1 ( HDMI )
FIOS BOX ( HDMI )
B & W CENTER
BOSTON FLOOR STANDING FRONTS
BOSE 601 SURROUNDS
JBL 10 WOOFER
The black piano finish matched TV and BLU RAY player
Set it up correctly and you have a awesome receiver .
I hopes this helps buy from amazon.com and save .
024 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
So I'm the worst about leaving reviews , and probably one of those people who rely upon them the most ! I am also extremely research driven . . . sometimes into paralysis ! So with that said I am going to give you some insight into what I was looking for and than the review .
I wanted a HD receiver that :
Multiple HDMI inputs
100 watts per channel
Upgrade Firmware ( potential )
iPod Compatible
upconversion ( potential )
A / B speaker setup
GUI
Decent speaker clips ( knobs )
Heat ( minimal )
Oh yeah . . . and a budget of about $300 - 350
Than I had a few other wants as well
Decent look
Not too complicated
iPod Dock compatible
Component Hookups ( minimal 1 )
So , as you can see for the money I was really limiting myself . But that's what happens when your the only one who wants this in your family !
Ok , so I narrowed it down to the Sony DN1000 and the Pioneer vsx919 . I kept going back and forth from one to the other . . . they both had what I thought was the best features for the money and they both got great reviews . I kept watching the price of each of them and saw that the Sony had dropped substantially so I jumped on it . ( With Free Shipping as well I saved $100 )
Review : Day 2
Setup took about an hour and half with some hole cutting into the back of my shelving unit for the speakers ( Polk's rti4 ' s - limited by spacing of shelves ) , running speaker wires , quick run for an additional HDMI cable , and hooked up my DVD player . . . . all went perfectly smooth .
The sound was great , nothing fancy , but I placed the speakers about head level while seated and everything was crisp and sounded fantastic . The picture was flawless , though my DVD does 1080i anyway . . . . it seemed to actually work faster than a direct hookup to my TV . . . which was always annoying waiting for the picture to show up .
The GUI has not style to it , but matches most basic GUI's and is easy enough to use . You need to use it to set all of your radio stations , weird , but I did it fast enough . What's great about this receiver is that you don't need to use an additional composite cable to view the GUI , it ran through the only HDMI connector I set up so far .
So that is my 2nd day review , I plan on updating once I get a few other items hooked up . . . I will be getting an Apple TV for Christmas and plan to stream music through it . . .
so stay tuned !
025 4 So I'm the worst about leaving reviews , and probably one of those people who rely upon them the most ! I am also extremely research driven . . . sometimes into paralysis ! So with that said I am going to give you some insight into what I was looking for and than the review .
I wanted a HD receiver that :
Multiple HDMI inputs
100 watts per channel
Upgrade Firmware ( potential )
iPod Compatible
upconversion ( potential )
A / B speaker setup
GUI
Decent speaker clips ( knobs )
Heat ( minimal )
Oh yeah . . . and a budget of about $300 - 350
Than I had a few other wants as well
Decent look
Not too complicated
iPod Dock compatible
Component Hookups ( minimal 1 )
So , as you can see for the money I was really limiting myself . But that's what happens when your the only one who wants this in your family !
Ok , so I narrowed it down to the Sony DN1000 and the Pioneer vsx919 . I kept going back and forth from one to the other . . . they both had what I thought was the best features for the money and they both got great reviews . I kept watching the price of each of them and saw that the Sony had dropped substantially so I jumped on it . ( With Free Shipping as well I saved $100 )
Review : Day 2
Setup took about an hour and half with some hole cutting into the back of my shelving unit for the speakers ( Polk's rti4 ' s - limited by spacing of shelves ) , running speaker wires , quick run for an additional HDMI cable , and hooked up my DVD player . . . . all went perfectly smooth .
The sound was great , nothing fancy , but I placed the speakers about head level while seated and everything was crisp and sounded fantastic . The picture was flawless , though my DVD does 1080i anyway . . . . it seemed to actually work faster than a direct hookup to my TV . . . which was always annoying waiting for the picture to show up .
The GUI has not style to it , but matches most basic GUI's and is easy enough to use . You need to use it to set all of your radio stations , weird , but I did it fast enough . What's great about this receiver is that you don't need to use an additional composite cable to view the GUI , it ran through the only HDMI connector I set up so far .
So that is my 2nd day review , I plan on updating once I get a few other items hooked up . . . I will be getting an Apple TV for Christmas and plan to stream music through it . . .
so stay tuned !
026 4 I was looking for a receiver to get some decent sound for music that could also pass all the inputs ( analog also ) through the HDMI connection to the TV . Also was looking for a living room friendly way to get AM / FM radio .
This unit met and exceeded all of my expectations . That being said , I can't comment on the ease of surround sound setup yet ( future upgrade possibly ) but other reviews cover that pretty well .
What I can say is that this sounds fantastic paired with two Polk Audio bookshelf speakers . All of my music sounds great , movies sound great , and it looks great in my entertainment center . Some will say that you need to go analog to get good sound for music , but this sounds fantastic to my ears ( and I'm used to a home recording studio with studio monitors . ) Just pair it with some good speakers and you'll be enjoying it thoroughly .
The only cons I can speak of aren't very important , but I will list them here anyway :
- I would have liked either a VGA or DVI input for a pc
- Would have liked integrated HD Radio
- It's pretty large , just barely fits in my entertainment center's ' hole '
- The AM antenna is rather short , I will eventually have to replace it , as I can't get it far enough away from the TV to avoid interference .
- The menu system is pretty clunky and complicated , but if you're buying this type of AV receiver you can probably handle it regardless .
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an A / V receiver that sounds good , passes all input through the HDMI out , has plenty of input options , and looks great .
027 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
When buying one of these AVRs you need to do a lot of research . I fortunately did and it really paid off . I had a previous low model sony AVR before I bought this one and this one just blows everything away . The sound is big and full and you can adjust each speaker to your own settings . This unit eliminated all the component cables behind my setup and even though I am TWC subscriber and could not use the HDMI cable on my new Sony AVR . . . you can still go direct HDMI into the TV and use the optical cable for audio . This I have to say sounds equally as good and if not , better . The extra wattage is a tremendous help when listening to music as well .
029 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Sony did a good thing when they redesigned this head unit series to include this non-pedestrian looking version of an already quality sounding head unit . I don't have anything bad to say about this unit . Buy this , good speakers , good wires , and enjoy the best sound quality without breaking the bank .
031 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I bought this receiver to replace a Pioneer VSX - 816 which was not HDMI capable . I read the reviews and was concerned about the problems that some had hooking it up , as well as the overheating issue , since it was going into an entertainment center . However , the price was right , and I have had and still have Sony components with no problems before , so decided to go with this unit . The hookup issues proved to be only minor , and mainly my fault , since I missed a step heading in the GUI instructions during calibration . Also , make sure that the auto-calibration mic is firmly plugged in , otherwise you will get an error code during speaker calibration . Also , I didn't use them , but I would suggest using banana plug adapters for the speaker wire connections . Those knobs are hard to manipulate and if you can't get behind the unit to make the connections easier , it's hard to get the wire ends around the plugs . The overheating issue has not arisen , and I typically load up my 5 - disc changer with CD's and let them play through in the background as I'm working on other things around the house .
I agree with the other reviewers about the manual . It seems to be dis-organized , and you do have to jump back and forth from section to section during setup and getting to know the unit . But again , I've had Sony products before , and this is not atypical . The GUI is also a little confusing at times . I was having difficulty locating the proper input assignment for my 5 - disc DVD / CD changer , and actually stumbled into it accidentaly . I still don't know exactly how I got there , I just suddenly had sound . I've been learning a little bit more by scrolling through the menus since then , but they're still a little bit vague in descriptions sometimes .
As far as performance goes , the sound is great with the new HDMI hookups . I now have consistent sound from my subwoofer and all 7 speakers , even with the direct cable broadcast signals , which run from my TV to the receiver via digital optical cable . I haven't watched a real slam-bang action movie yet , but Angels & Demons sounded pretty good despite not being a straight action movie . The glossy front is a prime dust magnet , but a quick blast from the canned air can will clean it off without scratching it . It matches the front on my Panasonic blu-ray player , too , style-wise . The remote is also a little unwieldy , but it's a small issue at worst .
Bottom line , the performance of the unit , for me , far outweighs any of the design and instruction flaws .
033 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I purchased this reciever right after Christmas . It is connected to our new Bravia 46 LCD ( 120hz ) TV , our Sony BlueRay ( BDPN460 ) player , our TimeWarner DVR and our WD Media player . I have some hold-over speakers from an all-in-one theater package from Onkyo for sound ( want to replace them ) .
Eerything is pluggedin via HDMI to the receiver and then one hdmi cable for the A / v receiver to the TV .
I am still being challenged getting down to a single remote ( at least for the Sony products ) , but have made some progress controlling it . The problem I started having about a week ago is the receiver shutting down . the unit displays a Protected or Protection message on the front panel and then shutsdown . I thought it was just an issue with my WD player when I used the surround sound features ( which still would have been bothersome ) , but I am experiencing the issue with the BlueRay , too .
Sony support gave me a list of things to try , including making sure nothing is sitting on top of the receiver ( heat build up issue ) , verifying connections and leaving it unplugged for two or three hours . I did have my center channel speaker sitting on the unit ( has been since purchase ) so I moved it to humor tech support . The shutdowns did quit . So we shall see .
i really like the look of the unit . The GUI interface is not too bad to manipulate and the auto speaker adjust system works great . If the Protected shutdown issue is corrected , I am really going to like this unit ( especially when I get some higher quality speakers ) .
Right now I would recommend the unit , at least to someone who is not an audiophile . I am sure they have all sorts of problems with the unit . But I have a spare HDMI port right now and am not using any of the other connections , except the front panel plugs ( white / red / yellow ) for a wii player .
I am looking forward to getting to spend some more time with the reciever , tweeking it and attempting to get my remote situation under control , at least to the point my wife snarls at me less .
034 4 I purchased this reciever right after Christmas . It is connected to our new Bravia 46 LCD ( 120hz ) TV , our Sony BlueRay ( BDPN460 ) player , our TimeWarner DVR and our WD Media player . I have some hold-over speakers from an all-in-one theater package from Onkyo for sound ( want to replace them ) .
Eerything is pluggedin via HDMI to the receiver and then one hdmi cable for the A / v receiver to the TV .
I am still being challenged getting down to a single remote ( at least for the Sony products ) , but have made some progress controlling it . The problem I started having about a week ago is the receiver shutting down . the unit displays a Protected or Protection message on the front panel and then shutsdown . I thought it was just an issue with my WD player when I used the surround sound features ( which still would have been bothersome ) , but I am experiencing the issue with the BlueRay , too .
Sony support gave me a list of things to try , including making sure nothing is sitting on top of the receiver ( heat build up issue ) , verifying connections and leaving it unplugged for two or three hours . I did have my center channel speaker sitting on the unit ( has been since purchase ) so I moved it to humor tech support . The shutdowns did quit . So we shall see .
i really like the look of the unit . The GUI interface is not too bad to manipulate and the auto speaker adjust system works great . If the Protected shutdown issue is corrected , I am really going to like this unit ( especially when I get some higher quality speakers ) .
Right now I would recommend the unit , at least to someone who is not an audiophile . I am sure they have all sorts of problems with the unit . But I have a spare HDMI port right now and am not using any of the other connections , except the front panel plugs ( white / red / yellow ) for a wii player .
I am looking forward to getting to spend some more time with the reciever , tweeking it and attempting to get my remote situation under control , at least to the point my wife snarls at me less .
035 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Great sound - depending on your speakers . Cheap speakers still sound . . . well - Cheap . No magic bullet .
Set-up was easy . Set-up of the remote was another story - Directions suck . Still working on getting all the components dialed-in and working with the remote .
Overall great value .
037 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I purchased this item from Amazon on December 5th , 2009 . At first I was very happy with it . The sound quality was higher than I thought it would be . It has plenty of connections , including four assignable HDMI inputs . The video up-conversion worked very well . The channel separation in the HD audio formats was distinct and clear . I did not use the auto cal feature as I like to set the audio levels manually . Now for the bad part , I returned this unit on December 28 , 2009 . The power amplifier shorted out causing an EXTREEMLY loud feedback loop through all seven speakers and subwoofer . I had to unplug the receiver to get it to stop . Luckily I stopped it before any of my speakers were damaged . I have always had good luck with Sony in the past . I own a Sony Bravia 1080p T.V . of which has had zero problems . I firmly believe I simply got a defective unit . I am waiting for the replacement and hoping this one will last . I would recommend this to anyone looking for a moderate priced receiver with plenty of power and connections . The problem I had seems to be a fluke and Amazon was quick to help rectify this issue .
039 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Had the DN1000 a month without any problems.Except for connecting speakers , hooking it up was easy.Initially , after auto-calibration i thought the sound was thin.A post on Amazon indicated that cnet advised turning the dynammic compression to off which i did and the sound was much better . For speakers i'm running two floor standing klipsch's with 8 powered subwoofers . sc - 5 center channel a pair of Advent surrounds . And Onkyo back channel.My tv is Sony 55 projection lcd 720p . Behind the set is an HSU 10 sub . Why all these speakers for this receiver ? Because my 805 Onkyo is in for repair again and i need a spare.A fair comparison would be a Sony es series to the 805 . I didn't think the fundamental or bass was there at all untill a movie on Comcast { Home Alone } A church organ was reproduced quite powerfully . The imaging in the surrounds are noticebly more clear and the back speakers because of a setting on the receiver more active . I liked the GUI . It's fast and i increased the bass and center channel to my liking . Getting the hdmi to 3 dvd players sometimes is thorny as i have to scroll for them to connect . The hi-def sound from the Panasonic 35 is effective
042 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Purchased this to replace an early Yamaha 5.1 AV receiver . I have a Direct TV HD DVR , Sony blue ray , Sony 46 Bravia and an old multi-dish CD changer . Following the quick start directions made installation simple . Sound much improved as well as ease of operation .
044 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I have not dealt with a modern video receiver before , so the complexity of setting one up by myself was a real challenge . However , the Sony phone support was fantastic . In a one-hour session followed by a 30 min . session , their customer support people talked me through the intricate setup proceedure .
The only caution on the wiring is to use banana plugs for the speaker connections . Their twist knobs connecting bare wires give intermittent contacts .
Otherwise , now that I have everything set up , the audio and video performance is great !
045 4 I have not dealt with a modern video receiver before , so the complexity of setting one up by myself was a real challenge . However , the Sony phone support was fantastic . In a one-hour session followed by a 30 min . session , their customer support people talked me through the intricate setup proceedure .
The only caution on the wiring is to use banana plugs for the speaker connections . Their twist knobs connecting bare wires give intermittent contacts .
Otherwise , now that I have everything set up , the audio and video performance is great !
046 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I bought this receiver with a little trepidation because I read quite a few uncomplimentary forum postings . I've always had good luck with Sony products , ( laptop , every gen of playstation , digital camera , ) and based on the experience I've had with a friend's older ES line receiver I figured I would go for it . I am extremely happy that I did .
My setup consists of this receiver and a full set of the Energy take classic 5.1 system , coupled with a Sharp Aquos gaming tv .
The receiver was a breeze to set up . I installed all of the speaker wire with banana plugs to make it easy , and the connectors on the back of the sony fit nice and snugly . The auto calibration worked pretty well , but you DEFINITELY will want to go back into the manual settings and check the speaker size , since it listed my tiny little satellites as large . This is about the only complaint that I have shared with the forum postings . Also , I would use the HDMI option under the setting menu and set the subwoofer to + 10db , otherwise it's a bit weak .
The sound is great ! There is a convenient Night Mode , which dims the background channels but keeps the dialog clear . Blu-Rays are totally sparkling . The hdmi switching is a piece of cake , because I knew from my friend's unit that I should use the hdmi 1 , 2 , etc . buttons for switching . It does make a bit of a clunky noise when switching inputs , but it's the same on my friend's ES line .
I saw many people complain that the sound went away or that for one reason or another they had to use optical cables along with hdmi to get sound to pass through . The end result on the forum is that someone eventually posts about a little known trick used by Sony techs to initialize the settings , and set them factory neutral . People always say , Oh , I tried that and it worked . Thank God ! ! or some such thing .
The instruction for initializing is right there on page 5 or 6 of the instruction book , and says clearly to do that first . . . .
I just wanted to clear up for anyone unsure . This receiver sounds , looks and performs great ! I was unsure , but I am a true convert . Don't let some dummies on forums scare you away .
047 4 I bought this receiver with a little trepidation because I read quite a few uncomplimentary forum postings . I've always had good luck with Sony products , ( laptop , every gen of playstation , digital camera , ) and based on the experience I've had with a friend's older ES line receiver I figured I would go for it . I am extremely happy that I did .
My setup consists of this receiver and a full set of the Energy take classic 5.1 system , coupled with a Sharp Aquos gaming tv .
The receiver was a breeze to set up . I installed all of the speaker wire with banana plugs to make it easy , and the connectors on the back of the sony fit nice and snugly . The auto calibration worked pretty well , but you DEFINITELY will want to go back into the manual settings and check the speaker size , since it listed my tiny little satellites as large . This is about the only complaint that I have shared with the forum postings . Also , I would use the HDMI option under the setting menu and set the subwoofer to + 10db , otherwise it's a bit weak .
The sound is great ! There is a convenient Night Mode , which dims the background channels but keeps the dialog clear . Blu-Rays are totally sparkling . The hdmi switching is a piece of cake , because I knew from my friend's unit that I should use the hdmi 1 , 2 , etc . buttons for switching . It does make a bit of a clunky noise when switching inputs , but it's the same on my friend's ES line .
I saw many people complain that the sound went away or that for one reason or another they had to use optical cables along with hdmi to get sound to pass through . The end result on the forum is that someone eventually posts about a little known trick used by Sony techs to initialize the settings , and set them factory neutral . People always say , Oh , I tried that and it worked . Thank God ! ! or some such thing .
The instruction for initializing is right there on page 5 or 6 of the instruction book , and says clearly to do that first . . . .
I just wanted to clear up for anyone unsure . This receiver sounds , looks and performs great ! I was unsure , but I am a true convert . Don't let some dummies on forums scare you away .
048 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I've had this A / V receiver for a couple of weeks . I purchased it for a couple of reasons . First , I have a Sony Bravia LCD and the Bravia sync , which allows you to control the TV and A / V receiver with a single remote is very nice . Therefore , I was only considering Sony receivers . The second reason I chose this receiver was because I wanted S-Air support because I purchased a Sony S-Air SA50R wireless speaker system for a second room . I was considering the Sony STR-DA4400 or 5400 , both much more expensive , because of their wired multi-zone support but chose the DN1000 because it supports S-Air and the others do not . When I received the SA50R , I quickly got it connected wirelessly to the DN1000 and I was able to listen to FM / AM stations . The quality was quite good . However , I really wanted to stream audio from the other components attached to my A / V receiver including , a DirecTV DVR and an Apple TV . Both of these components are connected to the DN1000 through HDMI . After my unsuccessful attempts to listen to these components on the SA50R , I called Sony Support . I spent 3 hours on the phone with them until the 3rd support person discovered that the DN1000 won't wireless transmit audio from components connected digitally ( HDMI , TOSLink ) to the DN1000 . However , if you connect your audio components through the analog jacks on the DN1000 , they stream nicely to the SA50R . This is useless for me because I have all of my components connected digitally . Therefore , it looks like I am going to get the DA4400 or 5400 and connect other rooms through a wire .
049 4 I've had this A / V receiver for a couple of weeks . I purchased it for a couple of reasons . First , I have a Sony Bravia LCD and the Bravia sync , which allows you to control the TV and A / V receiver with a single remote is very nice . Therefore , I was only considering Sony receivers . The second reason I chose this receiver was because I wanted S-Air support because I purchased a Sony S-Air SA50R wireless speaker system for a second room . I was considering the Sony STR-DA4400 or 5400 , both much more expensive , because of their wired multi-zone support but chose the DN1000 because it supports S-Air and the others do not . When I received the SA50R , I quickly got it connected wirelessly to the DN1000 and I was able to listen to FM / AM stations . The quality was quite good . However , I really wanted to stream audio from the other components attached to my A / V receiver including , a DirecTV DVR and an Apple TV . Both of these components are connected to the DN1000 through HDMI . After my unsuccessful attempts to listen to these components on the SA50R , I called Sony Support . I spent 3 hours on the phone with them until the 3rd support person discovered that the DN1000 won't wireless transmit audio from components connected digitally ( HDMI , TOSLink ) to the DN1000 . However , if you connect your audio components through the analog jacks on the DN1000 , they stream nicely to the SA50R . This is useless for me because I have all of my components connected digitally . Therefore , it looks like I am going to get the DA4400 or 5400 and connect other rooms through a wire .
050 4 Just got this receiver on Thursday . Installed it yesterday . I wanted to purchase a receiver that did not look like EVERY receiver on the market . This was definitely the receiver for me . The piano black finish looks great . Very clean . It goes great with the Harmon Kardon Speakers ( HKTS 18 ) which also have a piano black finish to them . Overall , the whole system looks great . . . and sounds just as good . Audio is very crisp . Dolby HD and DTS HD sound great !
Not only does the reciever put out great audio ( 110 watts per channel ) . . . but another selling point for me was the GUI . It gives me the option of cycling through menus and setting on the TV , which is nice because i don't have to get my glasses to change radio stations or rename outputs .
Overall , i'm very happy with my purchase . This receiver looks unique . It looks clean . It sounds great . Like I said , ' clean design is the name of the game .
051 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
The unit was remarkably easy to set up and the sound quality is great . The programmability is also great - the only caveat there is that since HDMI is expected to carry sound as well as video , a separate sound source can't be associated with an HDMI video-only source ( I was trying to set up a DVI-I video signal from my PC which , perhaps because it is an older model , doesn't also carry sound . Ah well ) . Other than that small inconvenience , this unit has been a joy to own .
Oh , one other inconvenience : of course the remote is only marginally cross-compatible , even with other Sony devices . But that's why the Tech Gods made universal remotes .
052 4 The unit was remarkably easy to set up and the sound quality is great . The programmability is also great - the only caveat there is that since HDMI is expected to carry sound as well as video , a separate sound source can't be associated with an HDMI video-only source ( I was trying to set up a DVI-I video signal from my PC which , perhaps because it is an older model , doesn't also carry sound . Ah well ) . Other than that small inconvenience , this unit has been a joy to own .
Oh , one other inconvenience : of course the remote is only marginally cross-compatible , even with other Sony devices . But that's why the Tech Gods made universal remotes .
054 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Very pleased with this unit . Sound is good , set up was easy , and unit looks good . I have a Sony HDTV , CD , Blue Ray DVD , VCR , and XM run through it and all were easily installed . I have a 5.1 speaker system , so can't address 7.1 , but the sound through my Bose speakers is plenty good enough for this non-techie . Only complaint is that the instruction manual , while thorough , has you skipping around some - could have been better organized . This is a minor complaint , and overall I would recommend this unit .
056 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Upgraded from a Yamaha surround system to Sony STR-DN1000
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver + Accessory Kit
and I was blown away . The ease of setup was outstanding . Simply plug in speakers , attach optimizer microphone to Auto-Cal jack , place microphone at your listening position and press start . . . waa-laa . . . the system is set up to match the room and seating position . Could not be any easier . Outstanding sound in an instant . The 1000 controls everything ( DVD , Blu-Ray , Satellite tuner , Camcorder , Video game , etc . ) via input jacks to the TV . Everything performs perfectly .
057 4 Upgraded from a Yamaha surround system to Sony STR-DN1000
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver + Accessory Kit
and I was blown away . The ease of setup was outstanding . Simply plug in speakers , attach optimizer microphone to Auto-Cal jack , place microphone at your listening position and press start . . . waa-laa . . . the system is set up to match the room and seating position . Could not be any easier . Outstanding sound in an instant . The 1000 controls everything ( DVD , Blu-Ray , Satellite tuner , Camcorder , Video game , etc . ) via input jacks to the TV . Everything performs perfectly .
058 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
This was an upgrade for me I purchased this receiver after 12 months of research . My previous AV reciever was a Sony and I have nothing but praise for both of them . I'm using a Sony 52 SXRD 1080p and just recently upgraged my speakers to Magnolia marage prestige 7.1 and purchased a Sony digital media port for my Iphone , which is fantastic with this receiver.This receiver I rate with 5 stars as far as setup , sound , and performance . its quite simple if you read the manual.The autocal mic jack makes it very simple to set up the speakers . The HDMI inputs are great and make setup that much easier . I also have the PS3 plugged in through the receiver in HDMI . The picture and sound quality for the price of this receiver is worth every penny . Sony has this priced at $500 I bought it through Amazon for $294.00 great deal . Bottom line great receiver . I did notice it runs a little warm so I installed a fan in the entertainment center behind the unit and it really makes a big difference.For the price you can't beat it.It looks very classy also.I highly recommend this if you don't want to spend alot of money.A + + + +
060 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Wanting to make the HD upgrade , i shopped around for recievers for about a month before decieding on the Sony str-dn1000 . Was looking at the onkyo tx sr607 , but being buget minded went with the sony instead , and using the extra money to buy HDMI cables . Amazon had the lowest price on the Sony and couldn't be happier , still playing around with it , but everything seems great with this reciever . if your looking for a great reciever with HD capabilities , give this one a shot
062 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I've had the STR DN - 1000 for a little over a month now . Sound quality is great and hookup was fairly simple . However , banana clips would be best for hooking up your speakers as inserting the speaker wire is tight as other reviews have noted .
GUI interface is nice , but a little disappointed in the ease of use . May be just me getting used to a GUI interface . HDMI hook up is nice and cuts down on the number of cables . I have a DVD , PS3 , and a HD satellite receiver hooked up to HDMI with great picture quality and no problems . VCR is hooked up via the old RCA cables .
All in all a great receiver for the price . Price seems to fluctuate regularly on this item . Since I bought it on Black Friday , I actually pruchased the receiver for a little under $200 . Hasn't been that low since .
063 4 I've had the STR DN - 1000 for a little over a month now . Sound quality is great and hookup was fairly simple . However , banana clips would be best for hooking up your speakers as inserting the speaker wire is tight as other reviews have noted .
GUI interface is nice , but a little disappointed in the ease of use . May be just me getting used to a GUI interface . HDMI hook up is nice and cuts down on the number of cables . I have a DVD , PS3 , and a HD satellite receiver hooked up to HDMI with great picture quality and no problems . VCR is hooked up via the old RCA cables .
All in all a great receiver for the price . Price seems to fluctuate regularly on this item . Since I bought it on Black Friday , I actually pruchased the receiver for a little under $200 . Hasn't been that low since .
064 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
The Surround sound and clarity were much better than I expected ! The surround setup with the included microphone was simple and quick !
066 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Bought it here at Amazon this holiday season and I highly recommend it . The set up took me almost an hour which is typical to any digital surround receiver set up . One of the things I like about this product is the auto calibration of your surround speakers . It has plenty of room for my HDMI needs . I have a PS3 , Toshiba A35 HD DVD player , a Mitsubishi 73 HDTV WD73C9 and a 5.1 JBL surround sound speakers . The black glossy finish added to the taste . It looks awesome . The price is not bad as well , only $ [ . . . ] , no tax and free shipping ( got it in two days ) . Other resellers are selling it for way more . I replaced my old Kenwood surround sound receiver which is 11 years old .
Highly recommended .
067 4 Bought it here at Amazon this holiday season and I highly recommend it . The set up took me almost an hour which is typical to any digital surround receiver set up . One of the things I like about this product is the auto calibration of your surround speakers . It has plenty of room for my HDMI needs . I have a PS3 , Toshiba A35 HD DVD player , a Mitsubishi 73 HDTV WD73C9 and a 5.1 JBL surround sound speakers . The black glossy finish added to the taste . It looks awesome . The price is not bad as well , only $ [ . . . ] , no tax and free shipping ( got it in two days ) . Other resellers are selling it for way more . I replaced my old Kenwood surround sound receiver which is 11 years old .
Highly recommended .
068 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I've had a Sony STR-DA333ES receiver for about 10 years and it finally died . I couldn't afford to get another ES series receiver and was afraid I wouldn't be happy with this one . I'm happy to report this new receiver sounds even better than my older high end unit . Using the same Sony Blu-ray player , Sony SXRD monitor , DirecTv HD DVR , and same Polk speakers , the sound quality of this new receiver is much better . Connecting everything with HDMI cables is a breeze and the system works together very well . Using the supplied microphone to auto-calibrate the settings was a snap . It adjusts the speaker distance and size , adjusts the crossover to the sub woofer and takes all the guesswork out of a manual setup . I'm not crazy about the high gloss front of the unit . . . it seems to attract dust like a magnet . Other than that one little complaint , I'm very satisfied with my purchase . Thanks Amazon ! !
070 4 I purchased the Sony STRDN1000 , Sony XBR 52 LCD TV and Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray Player for our new home in November 2009 as a set . The XBR 52 and Blu-ray matched up perfectly . The STRDN1000 was not so easy . The manual is not easy to use at all . I made several phone calls to Sony support . . . one . . . just to understand how to set up the speakers . The sound from the receiver is fine . The controls are a bit hard to use , just to change the Bass . . . you have several things to do . It can not be done while you are watching a movie or no one at Sony has explained how yet . I compared several of the more expensive Sony receivers . . . ES series and if I had the time to do it all over . . . would have spent the additional dollars for the ES . It is good quality receiver so far , just not easy to set up and use .
072 4 Decided to replace the old Sony receiver with a newer one so I bought this one because of good reviews it has received . For the price , and if you have the patience , I think this would be a decent model to choose . You MUST have patience setting up this receiver though . There are very few / limited buttons on the face of the receiver so you must make sure that you don't misplace the remote . The biggest problem I had was with the set up of the receiver . In order to get this unit set up properly , you must be able to access the GUI menu which will come up on your tv . I have a brand new LG tv and the menu did not want to come up on it properly . You MUST have all other dvd , etc NOT playing otherwise you can't enter the GUI menu . . . . . so needless to say , you can't make changes while watching a movie . This was a major problem for me . If you do some research , you will find that just this particular model has this problem with the GUI menu . I would suggest at looking at other sony models .
The sound was good but I didn't spend a lot of time setting everything up because of the GUI menu . Ended up returning the receiver because I was so frustrated with the setup and buying a Pioneer instead .
073 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I purchased the Sony STR-DN1000 after reading many reviews by both end-user and critics , I decided to purchase this unit to replace my Onkyo . I will not comment about the problems I had with Onkyo , but I will never purchase that brand again ! I have been a Sony Guy for decades and realized I made a mistake with Onkyo and decided to come back to a quality product that delivers .
I had an issue with my Sony receiver and my PS3 after playing MW2 . The picture would flicker and the sound would switch from Multi-Channel to 2 channel . I got frustrated and did some investigating by searching forums . Long story short . . . the HDMI cable I was using was a cheap bundle cable that came with the PS3 as a start-up bundle . I replaced the HDMI with a Sony PS3 cable and the problem was solved . Check your cables ! !
The only issue I currently have is the remote must be pointing directly at the receiver , unlike my other components which register in the vicinity . I am very satisfied with my purchase and will remain a Sony loyalist .
074 4 I purchased the Sony STR-DN1000 after reading many reviews by both end-user and critics , I decided to purchase this unit to replace my Onkyo . I will not comment about the problems I had with Onkyo , but I will never purchase that brand again ! I have been a Sony Guy for decades and realized I made a mistake with Onkyo and decided to come back to a quality product that delivers .
I had an issue with my Sony receiver and my PS3 after playing MW2 . The picture would flicker and the sound would switch from Multi-Channel to 2 channel . I got frustrated and did some investigating by searching forums . Long story short . . . the HDMI cable I was using was a cheap bundle cable that came with the PS3 as a start-up bundle . I replaced the HDMI with a Sony PS3 cable and the problem was solved . Check your cables ! !
The only issue I currently have is the remote must be pointing directly at the receiver , unlike my other components which register in the vicinity . I am very satisfied with my purchase and will remain a Sony loyalist .
075 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I just received this unit yesterday , and so far it has met all my expectations . however , I haven't yet received my HDMI cables ( they're due today ) so I can't yet comment on the features that utilize the HDMI . This thing looks great , and not only that , I signed up for the super saver shipping , and got it 2 days after I ordered it , which is awesome ! Since I have never used HDMI , I was a little confused at the back panel , there was no component hookup that was labeled DVD so I just plugged my DVD player into the BD hookup , which I assume is for Blu-Ray , but it works great . I also hooked up my xbox 360 and Wii . I have a Logitech Harmony One remote and it only took me about 3 minutes to re-configure it with this new receiver . Overall , so far , I am very happy with this purchase . I have owned the same Sony A / V receiver ( can't recall the model ) since 1999 and have always been very pleased with Sony's performance and reliability .
This thing looks great , not a lot of buttons on the front , very sleek and fits in well with the rest of my stuff . I have some older Bose Acoustimass 5 speakers that I've owned since 1998 , probably time for an upgrade to a 5.1 system , but for now , I am happy with this purchase .
UPDATE : I just got my $0.03 HDMI cables from Amazon , that's right 3 cents for each and they are awesome ! Why anyone would pay $30 - 100 for these things is beyond me , but when I got it all hooked up ( it was very easy ) I was blown away by the picture on my TV . Sweet ! !
076 4 I just received this unit yesterday , and so far it has met all my expectations . however , I haven't yet received my HDMI cables ( they're due today ) so I can't yet comment on the features that utilize the HDMI . This thing looks great , and not only that , I signed up for the super saver shipping , and got it 2 days after I ordered it , which is awesome ! Since I have never used HDMI , I was a little confused at the back panel , there was no component hookup that was labeled DVD so I just plugged my DVD player into the BD hookup , which I assume is for Blu-Ray , but it works great . I also hooked up my xbox 360 and Wii . I have a Logitech Harmony One remote and it only took me about 3 minutes to re-configure it with this new receiver . Overall , so far , I am very happy with this purchase . I have owned the same Sony A / V receiver ( can't recall the model ) since 1999 and have always been very pleased with Sony's performance and reliability .
This thing looks great , not a lot of buttons on the front , very sleek and fits in well with the rest of my stuff . I have some older Bose Acoustimass 5 speakers that I've owned since 1998 , probably time for an upgrade to a 5.1 system , but for now , I am happy with this purchase .
UPDATE : I just got my $0.03 HDMI cables from Amazon , that's right 3 cents for each and they are awesome ! Why anyone would pay $30 - 100 for these things is beyond me , but when I got it all hooked up ( it was very easy ) I was blown away by the picture on my TV . Sweet ! !
077 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I purchased this unit on Novembwer 27th , 2009 and within 3 months of just using this receiver for nothing more than the occasional movie ( surround sound ) , light music playing , etc . ( It has never been cranked up , or abused ) , it blew 2 integrated circuits ( Microchips ) . After contacting Sony Customer Service , they told me it had to be shipped to the closest repair center ( Laredo , TX from Ohio ) . It cost me $52 out of pocket to ship it , and Sony was unwilling to send a prepaid shipping label , although product was still under warranty . ( only 3 months old ) . It was repaired and finally received back to me about 3 weeks later ( April 25th , 2010 ) . I hooked it back up when I had time ( May 2nd , 2010 ) and as of May 24th , 2010 , it is doing the exact same thing . It turns on for a couple of seconds before shutting off and displaying Protect on the screen and making a loud popping sound . I called Sony today ( June 1st , 2010 ) , and they are unwilling to do anything except have me send it in for repair again . I asked to speak to a manager 5 times and had the customer relations representative dance around the subject before flat-out telling me that she would NOT put me through to a manager . This unit clearly has something else wrong with it , and Sony is completely unwilling to do anything except for again repair it . The only benefit this time is that they agreed to pay for UPS Ground Shipping . This receiver is a lemon and while I've owned Sony products before ( from other receivers , to computers , to cameras ) , I'm completely dissatisfied with the way Sony support handled this situation . So botttom line is , if you decide to purchase through Sony , hope for a quality product because if not , they will have it longer than you have it .
079 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Seems to be of good quality . Also has quite a few features which are nice now and will be nice in the future . The auto calibration seemed to work good enough for me .
081 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I bought this Sony STR-DN1000 receiver mainly due to its price and features . Unfortunately once I hooked up the receiver I found it to be defective . It would not output video to my TV regardless if I use HDMI or component cables . I connected my Xbox 360 to the receiver with component cables and had a HDMI cable connecting the HDMI output of the receiver to the HDMI input of my TV . No video from the Xbox is shown on the TV . To rule out the possibility of a defective HDMI cable I then connected the receiver to the TV by component cables , again the TV shows no signal on the screen . I tried to connect the Xbox to a different set of component connectors on the receiver to see if it makes a difference and it didn't . I then bypassed the receiver and connect the component cables from the Xbox to the TV directly and it works perfect . No doubt I got a lemon and I'm ready to return it and get a Yamaha instead !
082 4 I bought this Sony STR-DN1000 receiver mainly due to its price and features . Unfortunately once I hooked up the receiver I found it to be defective . It would not output video to my TV regardless if I use HDMI or component cables . I connected my Xbox 360 to the receiver with component cables and had a HDMI cable connecting the HDMI output of the receiver to the HDMI input of my TV . No video from the Xbox is shown on the TV . To rule out the possibility of a defective HDMI cable I then connected the receiver to the TV by component cables , again the TV shows no signal on the screen . I tried to connect the Xbox to a different set of component connectors on the receiver to see if it makes a difference and it didn't . I then bypassed the receiver and connect the component cables from the Xbox to the TV directly and it works perfect . No doubt I got a lemon and I'm ready to return it and get a Yamaha instead !
084 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I own an older Sony A / V receiver , and needed to upgrade due to HDMI and DVD upscaling required to maximize my HD experience with a newly acquired Samsung LCD Television . I researched many A / V receivers , looked at many user reviews . From a feature and value standpoint the Sony STR-DN1000 came out on top .
Amazon did not disappoint , shipping the receiver in record time and also ensuring it was well packaged . Hooking up this receiver was a bit of challenge , the quick setup and detailed manual proved to worthless . After playing around with connections for a couple of days , I finally gave in and called Sony Support . I have read some negative comments about Sony support . The support representative was very helpful and had my receiver hooked up and running within 20 minutes , taking me through speaker hookup and diagnostics , and then video connections . When deliberating on whether to purchase this receiver , I was concerned about running my Dish SAT HD Cable box and DVD player through the receiver and wondering whether their would be some distortion or resolution issues . The HD picture through the receiver is crystal clear , with both devices . The surround sound through my Bose speakers is outstanding . Great product Sony !
085 4 I own an older Sony A / V receiver , and needed to upgrade due to HDMI and DVD upscaling required to maximize my HD experience with a newly acquired Samsung LCD Television . I researched many A / V receivers , looked at many user reviews . From a feature and value standpoint the Sony STR-DN1000 came out on top .
Amazon did not disappoint , shipping the receiver in record time and also ensuring it was well packaged . Hooking up this receiver was a bit of challenge , the quick setup and detailed manual proved to worthless . After playing around with connections for a couple of days , I finally gave in and called Sony Support . I have read some negative comments about Sony support . The support representative was very helpful and had my receiver hooked up and running within 20 minutes , taking me through speaker hookup and diagnostics , and then video connections . When deliberating on whether to purchase this receiver , I was concerned about running my Dish SAT HD Cable box and DVD player through the receiver and wondering whether their would be some distortion or resolution issues . The HD picture through the receiver is crystal clear , with both devices . The surround sound through my Bose speakers is outstanding . Great product Sony !
086 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
This receiver was purchased after I had problems with an older Sony . I like this one better because of the HDMI inputs . The instructions for set up are a little misleading , but my computer engineer son was able to assist in directing me to the beauty of this set up . Great price for a powerful product .
088 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I upgraded to this receiver from a 12 year old Dennon receiver . The previous surround sound receiver could not handle HDMI switching and did not have digital inputs . The improvement in sound can only be described as night and day .
This Sony receiver is exactly as advertised . Sound is excellent - nothing that I need that this receiver cannot do . Set-up is very simple and HD Upscaling is fantastic . Not sure why I did not do this a couple years ago .
And the price was right , $330 . I was in a Big Box store this past week , and they were asking $459 for the same receiver .
Definitely no buyers remorse here !
090 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
After doing some research online and looking at some of the big box stores , I decided on Sony for te S-Air to handle my wireless rear speakers . I look at this model in a big box store where they were charging $300 more for it . So I had it set in my mind to buy a lower model . Then searching amazon for freestanding Sony speakers , I found this model cheaper and bundled with speakers that I wanted , and it was all cheaper than the unit at the big box store . After getting everything and hooking it up , the sound and ease of use is amazing . I still have some sound tweeking to do , but the auto calibration works like a charm ! I would recommend this to my friends that want a great sounding system for a resonable price
092 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
It's beautiful and is now the heart of my system.DP - 790 Denon table , Epicure 20 speakers , Gemini PA - 7000 preamp , Belkin PF30 power filter , MXR fifteen-Band EQ.Most of my listening is in stereo.The Sony DN - 100 also has a DVD player , B.I.C . Beam Box FM antenna , Haier - HL32P1 TV , Compaq Presario connected.Audio and Visual - sounds and looks great.On-screen menu , ( via remote ) makes navigation set up simple .
094 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
This Sony has great sound . DVDs and HD broadcasts with surround rock the house . Many ports to handle components . Easy menu .
097 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
This is the first receiver I've ever purchased and was really worried setup would be a pain . Setup was super easy and the sound is excellent .
099 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I paid under 300 for this unit and I am happy with it . The remote is not nice at all but nothing is perfect . It is easy to set it up and use it and it looks great . I was considering this unit or the pioneer 1019 but the pioneer is 500 dollar and this is 300 . So I chose the sony . There is one thing that bothers me though , it does not play sound higher than 44 khz . Not sure if it is normal but I have it connected to a computer via HDMI and does not play this sound . In order to do so you have to convert the sound via software like k lite codec . The size of the unit is great too . Does not get too hot . I would recommend it for this price , considering that when it was first released it was 500 dolars .
101 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
If you are looking for a fantastic receiver that is super easy to set up then this the is the one for you . It sounds like stereos that cost several times as much and gives you many options to optomize your sound field .
103 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
It sounds very good for the price . You can spend $10000 on a home theator system that is way better but for under $1000 ( including blue ray and speaker ) this is the best out there .
Also for the guy who said component video is better than HDMI . . . HDMI is 1080P while component maxes at 1080I . This is NOT made up by sony but a fact . If your TV looks better on component its due to 1 of 2 things . 1 your TV doesn't have good 1080P or the more likely you used a $20 HDMI cable rated for 720P . Get a high end HDMI rated for 1080P and 7.1 . . . then the HDMI will be far better . Got to use the right HDMI and not just some cable off walmarts shelf that was cheap .
EDIT high end cable does not always cost more .
104 4 It sounds very good for the price . You can spend $10000 on a home theator system that is way better but for under $1000 ( including blue ray and speaker ) this is the best out there .
Also for the guy who said component video is better than HDMI . . . HDMI is 1080P while component maxes at 1080I . This is NOT made up by sony but a fact . If your TV looks better on component its due to 1 of 2 things . 1 your TV doesn't have good 1080P or the more likely you used a $20 HDMI cable rated for 720P . Get a high end HDMI rated for 1080P and 7.1 . . . then the HDMI will be far better . Got to use the right HDMI and not just some cable off walmarts shelf that was cheap .
EDIT high end cable does not always cost more .
105 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
KCMO . I recently purchase the Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 Channel . . . This is just what the Doctor Order for my Upgrade to my Home Theater System . . . I'm very impressed with the Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 and the sound quality is just simply awesome for the amount of money for this unit . . . This is DEFINITELY a GREAT BUY . . . You won't go wrong . . . The only thing that I didnt like was the GUI . . . It not as sharp looking as the Sony Playstation 3 . . . Okay Sony spend a little bit of money and upgrade it . . . Thank You . . . Amazon thank you as well . . .
106 4 KCMO . I recently purchase the Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 Channel . . . This is just what the Doctor Order for my Upgrade to my Home Theater System . . . I'm very impressed with the Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 and the sound quality is just simply awesome for the amount of money for this unit . . . This is DEFINITELY a GREAT BUY . . . You won't go wrong . . . The only thing that I didnt like was the GUI . . . It not as sharp looking as the Sony Playstation 3 . . . Okay Sony spend a little bit of money and upgrade it . . . Thank You . . . Amazon thank you as well . . .
107 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Great product ! The features and setup is very easy to use . the only issue I have is that when I got it the composite input and outputs do not work on it . I called Sony and they told me I would have to send it in . I already have ran all my cables through my wall , therefore I would have no sound or video for anything until I got it fixed or a new one from Sony . I decided just to deal with it , but that's my problem . Also once when I tried to switch over to another component it wouldn't recognize it until I unplugged the HDMI cable and than plugged it back in . Haven't had that problem since . Other than those issues I love the product .
109 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
really improved the sound coming from our existing speakers . then we replaced our existing speakers with the nanosat mirage system and wow ! very nice . . . the connections for the speaker wires were tricky and cumbersome . i read other reviews stating that the remote was confusing and difficult to use . i really have not found that to be the case . read generally good reviews on this receiver on cnet . found a great deal through amazon . about $200 less than at best buy and much of the competition . i would definitely recommend this receiver .
110 4 really improved the sound coming from our existing speakers . then we replaced our existing speakers with the nanosat mirage system and wow ! very nice . . . the connections for the speaker wires were tricky and cumbersome . i read other reviews stating that the remote was confusing and difficult to use . i really have not found that to be the case . read generally good reviews on this receiver on cnet . found a great deal through amazon . about $200 less than at best buy and much of the competition . i would definitely recommend this receiver .
111 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I have always loved sony products but at this point in my life found them to be very expensive . Saw this on an amazon deal and ordered it . Not disappointed at all . The best feature was the speaker set up . It automatically set the speakers up and the sound quality is great ! I have smaller lower end sony speakers as well and you would never know that they are lower end . The menu system is a nice feature but seems slow to respond .
113 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
So far everything is okay . I have only used it for a half dozen movies so far . I got this to go with a Sony blu-ray player and because it had 7.1 sound . I am still figuring out how to adjust all the settings . The unit sounds good with my home theater setup .
115 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I love this receiver ! It sounds great and looks great . My only complaint is hooking up the speakers is a little bit of a pain but that is all .
117 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
This fit right in with this rest of our surround sound system . We love it !
119 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
Works great , sound is great . For my needs this receiver was perfect .
I have been using it for over two weeks without any issues . My primary use is for TV and watching movies and for that job it does the job well .
My HD picture quality improved and it is very easy for me to remember what is connected to HDMI 1 , 2 and 3 . While not everyone seems to enjoy this receiver I have no complaints .
I have also been very impressed with the sound separation in Dolby digital mode . I have looked over my shoulder more than once thinking something was behind me while watching HDTV that broadcast in Dolby digital .
This is my opinion and mine only but I will not be returning this receiver .
121 4 I replaced an old Yamaha 6.1 receiver with this Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 receiver . The receiver is a great upgrade at a resonable price . The installation and setup was easy , the sound is wonderful , crisp and clean , and the upconversion is impressive . If I had a choice , I would purchase the same Sony model , STR-DN1000 . The advantage of this model is you get the most features and the best quality before one needs to look at receivers in the much higher price category . My opinion - - this Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 is best in class .
122 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
The item was shipped quickly and arrived in great condition . It works great and my famiily is very pleased with all features of it . My husband wanted it to go with a Sony CD player and it matches perfectly .
124 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
being a novice , regargding home theatre systems , this is a nice addition to my system . very sleek black looking , it doesn't over power the room with its looks . i had problems getting the gui to come up , but i finally figured it out . very powerful , great sound
126 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
This purchase was made easy by Amazon . It was timely deliverer and the unit has worked flawlessly . The price was the lowest at Amazon . It was a great buy . Thanks Amazon !
128 4 I bought this receiver to replace my beloved , 10 - year old Sony STR-DE925 which sounded magnificent and still worked nicely after ten years . I had to replace it when I bought a Blu Ray player ; the 925 ' s DTS chipset could not properly decode the 1.5Mbps DTS bit stream , resulting in garbled center channel dialog . I was heart-broken .
First I tried to go on the cheap and bought a STR-DH500 and hated the sound . Nowhere near as full sounding as my old 925 and very lean on features .
Which led me to the STR-DN1000 . I like the on-screen GUI , which made the receiver very , very easy to set up . The included optimizer microphone was another nice touch . Other than that , I can't say there were any redeeming qualities to this receiver other than it looked real pretty . The sound quality was barely better than the $200 STR-DH500 , if noticeable at all . The high-frequencies sound brittle , the midrange is thin and boxy and the low end lacks fullness , roundness and punch like you would expect from a $500 receiver . The equalizer , while looking very nice with its on-screen GUI control , is nothing more than a bass and treble control . They could have made this so much nicer . Lack of phono inputs wrap up my list of cons for this very mediocre receiver .
My saga ends with me returning the STR-DN1000 . I was in the right place at the right time and scored a $1,000 Yamaha RX-V863 floor display model for $350 ! My movies and music sound wonderful again and I couldn't be happier .
129 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I thought this would be the best mid-range receiver : the many HDMI inputs and features , and especially how it'd work well with my other Sony products , but I found some issues - - quickly .
Cons : The GUI is very slow . Finding optimum sound settings wasn't the easiest , and the instructions weren't too clear . The sound wasn't very pleasing . I had a Sony DVD player / receiver before this , and the sound was much better . The sound especially was disappointing . What was most frustrating was when , after a month of purchase , while playing a DVD and later a Blu-ray game on my PS3 , it displayed Protector and turned off . I couldn't find a way around it . I called Sony's support , and after being heavily directed towards their website for support , I spoke with a rep who was anything but helpful and kind . Her suggestion was to simply unplug it . And if that didn't work , unplug everything , leave it for a few hours , and slowly plug items back in until I find the problem . Even on a day when I'd have time to troubleshoot that long I wouldn't want to . I returned it . While searching for fixes , I found a lot of people had problems with their Sony displaying Protector , and it seems once it starts it won't stop .
Pros : Looks good . Great price . Bravia Sync is great .
131 4 This review is from :
Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black ) ( Electronics )
I'm a life-long , loyal Sony customer . I rolled the dice buying less than Sony's ES line of A / V receivers for the first time , and I wholly regret it . I bought this model mostly for its price ( on Amazon ) , its glossy black chassis that matches my XBR5 and PS3 , and because I wanted HDMI switching .
But this receiver looks better when it's turned off than when it's all lit up . The LED display is very cheap looking and poorly laid out , behind that smoked plastic front panel . The chassis is also fairly small and light weight , which doesn't evoke a sense of quality and substance compared to more serious ( and pricey ) components .
The speaker terminals on the back couldn't be flimsier or more difficult to achieve a good contact . I seriously spent an hour just connecting speaker cables to them because they're cramped and you need a flashlight and a mirror just to read their labels .
I bought this model to replace ( I thought ) a Sony STR555ES that produces flawless , silky-smooth sound through my Polk Audio and Infinity 5.1 speakers . But this unit makes EVERYTHING sound like 128k MP3 files . I'm serious - - it makes my $2,000 speakers sound like tinny little computer speakers . Complete MUSH ! I also use an Apple AirTunes , which sounded flawless on my old receiver but now it sounds like AM radio over this Bravia .
I haven't quite figured out whether this is due to substandard components inside this model , or the fact that I'm using HDMI for all my video components now , including their audio signals . I'm using four matching Sony HDMI 1.3a cables for all my connections . If there's some limitation to these cables , it's news to me .
The manual for this unit reinforces Sony's ridiculous claim that HDMI will get you the best audio and video quality possible . THAT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE . For every source I have every tried ( Comcast HD box , Sony DVD , Sony PS3 ) , the best video quality is carried by COMPONENT video cables , and the best audio is carried by optical cables . I really don't understand why HDMI is touted so much when it will downgrade your home theater experience just so you can simplify your cabling and input switching . Over HDMI , all DVD and HD video sources wind up over-pixelated on both of my Sony LCD XBR TVs . But over component cables , the image is much smoother and more lifelike . You just don't get that chunky screen-door effect using component video . For example , watch an HD program ( 1080p ) where someone is wearing certain textured clothing . With HDMI , you get an extreme moire-pattern effect . Not so with component . So why all the hype over HDMI if it's inferior ?
The biggest selling point of this receiver for me was Bravia Link . I get so sick and tired of having to program remote controls only to have them be unpredictable . But sadly , Sony continues to ship the most retarded remote controls with their products . Is it too much to ask to put a Play Game button on there ? Or one that's labeled Watch TV ? That would save me the grief of having to constantly explain to my girlfriend what buttons do what .
The microphone-based speaker setup feature did work very well . But it's all for naught if this receiver can't produce nearly as good a sound as Sony's ES line .
132 4 I'm a life-long , loyal Sony customer . I rolled the dice buying less than Sony's ES line of A / V receivers for the first time , and I wholly regret it . I bought this model mostly for its price ( on Amazon ) , its glossy black chassis that matches my XBR5 and PS3 , and because I wanted HDMI switching .
But this receiver looks better when it's turned off than when it's all lit up . The LED display is very cheap looking and poorly laid out , behind that smoked plastic front panel . The chassis is also fairly small and light weight , which doesn't evoke a sense of quality and substance compared to more serious ( and pricey ) components .
The speaker terminals on the back couldn't be flimsier or more difficult to achieve a good contact . I seriously spent an hour just connecting speaker cables to them because they're cramped and you need a flashlight and a mirror just to read their labels .
I bought this model to replace ( I thought ) a Sony STR555ES that produces flawless , silky-smooth sound through my Polk Audio and Infinity 5.1 speakers . But this unit makes EVERYTHING sound like 128k MP3 files . I'm serious - - it makes my $2,000 speakers sound like tinny little computer speakers . Complete MUSH ! I also use an Apple AirTunes , which sounded flawless on my old receiver but now it sounds like AM radio over this Bravia .
I haven't quite figured out whether this is due to substandard components inside this model , or the fact that I'm using HDMI for all my video components now , including their audio signals . I'm using four matching Sony HDMI 1.3a cables for all my connections . If there's some limitation to these cables , it's news to me .
The manual for this unit reinforces Sony's ridiculous claim that HDMI will get you the best audio and video quality possible . THAT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE . For every source I have every tried ( Comcast HD box , Sony DVD , Sony PS3 ) , the best video quality is carried by COMPONENT video cables , and the best audio is carried by optical cables . I really don't understand why HDMI is touted so much when it will downgrade your home theater experience just so you can simplify your cabling and input switching . Over HDMI , all DVD and HD video sources wind up over-pixelated on both of my Sony LCD XBR TVs . But over component cables , the image is much smoother and more lifelike . You just don't get that chunky screen-door effect using component video . For example , watch an HD program ( 1080p ) where someone is wearing certain textured clothing . With HDMI , you get an extreme moire-pattern effect . Not so with component . So why all the hype over HDMI if it's inferior ?
The biggest selling point of this receiver for me was Bravia Link . I get so sick and tired of having to program remote controls only to have them be unpredictable . But sadly , Sony continues to ship the most retarded remote controls with their products . Is it too much to ask to put a Play Game button on there ? Or one that's labeled Watch TV ? That would save me the grief of having to constantly explain to my girlfriend what buttons do what .
The microphone-based speaker setup feature did work very well . But it's all for naught if this receiver can't produce nearly as good a sound as Sony's ES line .
134 4 I join the many who have said . . . . . . . . . . . . I went with SONY against my better judgement . I have a main theater system using a Yamaha receiver ( which replaced an old Denon ) . I was running a Samsung HTIB for a small LCD I had in my sun room . Decided to upgrade . . . . . bought at BRAVIA 46 and BD - 360 and was about to buy another Yamaha receiver when I was caught by early reviews on the STR DN1000 . BRAVIA link and all the hype about one remote does it all hooked me .
After a week of fooling with set up on all components I have gotten the blu-ray to work with the receiver but 2 + hours with SONY level 1 and 2 support have left me with . We conclude our receiver is not compatible with your cable box . NOT COMPATIBLE ? ? It's a Scientific Atlanta ( granted not the sharpest tool in the shed ) 8300HD and Time Warner has them out there by the zillions . I was told just hook the cable box directly to the TV and use the optical to connect to the receiver . ( I really needed to buy a new receiver to get this SOTA hook up )
Blu-ray is great . . . . . . . . . trying to find motivation to calibrate speakers . . . . . and sort out my extra cables . . . . . . . . . . so much for HDMI .
135 4 I just received days ago and I still don't have everything working the way I want . I was not happy that the receiver will not do HD Upscaleing like Sony said , I even called support over this . When you go to buy this don't expect it to work because Sony tech . even said it doesn't work . This receiver was very complicated to set up . The auto setup sounded so bad and so weak my TV sounded better . Once again I called tech . support and manually had to set each individual speaker . Finally it looks nothing like my Bluray player like Sony said . This was the bad !
Once I got everything set up this receiver finally delivered and put out one of the best sounds I've heard , Sound quality it beats my Bose home theater and volume NO comparison Bose wasn't in the ballpark . I now have everything Sony except my JBL surrounds , sub , and 15 floor speakers . Everything from TV down is in Bravia sync TV is a Sony KDL - 46Z4100 , Bluray BDP-S350 , DVD / VHS combo SLV-D360P this receiver fits right in . I would recommend this product only to someone who knows what their doing .
136 4 Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 - Channel Audio Video Receiver ( Black )
Very disappointed - Bought this to replace a Harmon Kardon 2005 that failed . I expected that this Sony would be OK but not great due to the low price , however , the sound is in a word , simply Dull . It is almost as lifeless as using just the TV speakers .
