I have had my DA50 for about 3 months now. I am very impressed. It is the most powerful one in its price range. I had the same complants with the remote as every one else, but I ordered the "fix" kit from Sony and installed it myself. That was you have less time without the remote. I would only recommend this if you have electronics background, as it requires some soldering. My only complant is the lack of a 5 speaker sterio mode. I love the sound of music in DTS and would like the same binifits of standard CD's. I sometimes run music in Cinima mode but would like a 5 speaker sterio mode. I am running it with Energy A3+2's, Energy e:XL C, Energy e:XL R, Energy e:XL 12.
I give the 50ES prase it is a very nice receiver for the money.

I bought my Sony about a mont ago and I love it ! Excellent sound quality and enough power to drive most speakers. Haven't got one problem with it.. The remote is very fancy, but you need a bit of time to get used to it.

I bought my receiver earlier this year and took my remote in to the nearbysony repair center...they knew about the problem everybody in here's been
complaining about, and simply gave me batteries to last me until they come
up with a better remote control. About three weeks ago, I got a package in
the mail from sony with a brand new remote control (looks identical but
supposedly works better/last longer). They also included a audio/video
calibration dvd, and all this was free of charge. I don't need to return
my old remote control, but if I did, they're going to send me a $50 rebate
form good for any future sony es product purchase (they even included a
postage paid return box for me!). Not bad for customer service.

I would like to thank all of those who took the time to prepare an "accurate" review. I have owned this unit for 25 days. The str-da50es is a very nice piece of equipment, likely the best that Sony can offer. There is a "new update" (as of aug 8th) and I have sent my remote to Dallas. We'll see. As to the unit itself, I am very impressed. The construction is top notch, but it could use a cooling fan(easily added to the top of the unit for $12). I primarily listen to cd audio(through my dvd/digital, of course)in stereo through Paradigm 7semk3 towers. The sound is rich and full. I had no idea the phonic quality that me speakers reproduced until powered by this quality amp(was using a Kenwood kr-v7080{giggle}). DD/DTS modes are amazing. The sound fields, though numerous, accomodate a variety of speaker types, size, and quality. In line straight mode, it easily compares to anything IN THE PRICE RANGE!! It does not compare to flagship Onkyo, Denon, and Yamaha units, and was perhaps not meant to. It is available at half the price, yet exceeds half the quality of many other components. For the price, it is as good a product as avialable on the market. When considering items of its class, the conclusion is a matter of preference. This is a quality unit deserving of higher rankings than many other units that preceed it in the rankings.

Scaled from 1-10, I rank the unit a solid 9 for value, performance and build
I vote ***** to compensate for some inaccurate reviews

Features

Remote

I bought this a few months ago. I've been very happy with the sound primarily for watching movies. The receiver gives quite a few options for sounds field settings. The remote has something to be desired. I bought a Phillips Pronto which works well. Overall, I've been pleased with the value/performance combination and feel I would probably need to spend quite a bit more for better performance.

Sound quality, hookups, fields.

Remote,Device-to-Device connections

First let me say that I have had this receiver for about a year connected to a pair of Polk 7300 speakers and never have I heard such depth and clarity out of a system. When I first connected the system and played "Godzilla", my wife and son who were in another room thought it was actually raining outside. Hooking it to a digital 5.1 satellite receiver, the sound is far superior to the local theater (I compared the train moving out). Even though I'm not what I would call a true audiophile, I can appreciate the various sound fields provided. Thanks to the many reviews I have read here, I had planned the remote to be bad and everything negative that I've read about this remote I've found to be true. This did not keep me from buying this receiver.

That being said I am in the process of hooking a CD, DVD, and tape deck to the DA50ES when I discovered (in the fine print) that it is impossible to record from a CD to the tape deck directly through this receiver. Sony cleverly allows you only to record a CD to a Midi player (presumably a Sony Midi since they are the main drivers behind Midis). You cannot record from CD to tape. The receiver will allow only recording from one analog device to another (essentially your radio), digital to another digital device, but NOT a digital device to an analog device.

I can see no other reason for this bizarre configuration except for Sony to push Midi players. I've purchased the Sony TA-W8ES tape deck to make dups for the cars from the satellite and CDs without having to buy Midi players for the cars. It's not the expense, although buying two Midi systems for the cars would be expensive. Midis are too new of a technology for me and I'd like to wait to see if they actually catch on. We've already had tape decks in the cars that we're satisfied with.

Fortunately for me my TV provides enough jacks for inputting and outputting audio signals. After fooling around with this problem most of yesterday, I was able to connect the REC IN on the tape deck to the TV. Once the CD players arrive I will have to hook the Toslink cable to the receiver to give me the digital quality and the Left and Right channels to the TV for recording to tape. Routing the signal through the TV will allow me to record CDs and satellite music to the tape deck but I will not be able to record from the radio.

No one should have to go through all of this on a receiver of this caliber. Through dumb luck when I put this system together I bought devices that allow me to solve my tape problem. But there is no doubt in my mind that this recording limitation is nothing but pure market exploitation from Sony. I give this receiver a 4 because of this limitation.

overall sound quality and ease of use

remote control

i've bought the Strda 50 es a month ago, and it really is
superb.
The facility of use , sound quality and the connection-
possibility is great
Concerning the remote control: it is really a mess!!
I've contacted sony belgium to replace it but they denied it, so i have to take to the nearest service center and they will repaire it without charge.
For that reason i will not be using the remote control because the main reason for bying the receiver is the sound
quality.
For the rest all great sounding with my dvd player TOKAI

Many greetings and a happy millenium!!!!!!!!!

Features and inputs

remote

I have been extremely satisfied with this unit with the exception of the remote. I have two problems with the remote, it has an appetite for batteries, and you have to scroll through several buttons to get to functions.

When I purchased it about six months ago at uncle stereo for 659.00, it had the most features and inputs for the money. Overall, I think its a pretty good receiver.

Great sound quality

Worthless Worthless Worthless Remote Control

I purchased this receiver almost a year ago today. I am still getting the runaround with the remote. That remote is garbage and Sony should have known better than to issue it with the 50ES receiver !! Come on, all these posts about getting a new "learning remote" and getting a soldering gun to do the repair on the remote yourself may solve the problem but my point is that "You should not have to do that with a Sony ES receiver". The remote should work ! I have lots of Sony products and have been very satisfied up until this purchase. Thats not to say that its a bad receiver,its just that I didnt expect such a poor quality remote control with a flagship receiver.
The remote was sent in first to the local dealer for a fix.
Didnt work, then I get a letter saying Im getting a new remote. Well, 6 freakin' MONTHS later, its finally here. Whoopy doo,, guess Im going to have to buy a philips remote rather than deal with all this .. Its going to take time to program it to do all the functions of the ES.
There is not a day that goes by where I havent cussed that remote. Im just glad sony offers 5 year warranties on ES products.
YET ANOTHER point to ponder about this remote... (I would love to have emails with your comments to print and give to my local dealer who says Im crazy)
Has anyone noticed that if that remote is sitting on your coffee table or wherever, and your getting ready to reach for it to do something,and all of a sudden,, BOOM, you hit that poorly placed power button !! BAM, lights out, start the movie over ,or find your place in the dvd movie,, point is that it shuts everything off.. Its happened to us on more than a couple of occasions.
THAT is one of my major complaints other than the battery life and poor contrast. AND my reasoning for a new philips or marantz remote I guess because the dealer said the remote looks exactly the same .. *SIGH*
Sony might be getting the whole thing shipped to them in a box with a nasty letter attached.
Well, those are my views of 50ES
**PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU HAVE ACCIDENTALLY SWITCHED EVERYTHING OFF WITH YOUR REMOTE. ID LOVE TO HEAR THE STORIES**

*LAUGH*

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha

crystal clear sound plenty of power all the options

None possibly the remote

I am glad I bought the Sony ES its the best reciever I have ever owned and would recommend it to anyone. I think the new year model is the DA555, but it is the same thing