Just purchased mine from netmarket.com for $699 plus $32.50 S/H minus $34.95 cash back. (Used the cash back to get a 25' subwoofer cable for free!
Nice, real nice....do wish it had the inputs for external decoder,who knows what else will come down the road (DVD-Audio?, MPEG-4?)

On a day off, I like going to audio stores and check the new Home Theater and audio gears. On a Sound Advice store, I was lucky to witness a SONY 50 ES versus YAMAHA 2092 receivers face off. Three people participated: myself, one salesperson and te manager of the store. The plan was to decide which unit was best against the YAMAHA 2095 DTS(they didnt have one yet, but buzz is that it sounds identical to 2092, minus DTS. So thats the unit used on the face off) We locked the doors of the room and the fun begun, using Eagles Hell Freezes Over DVD. Gear used was B&Ws speakers, Monster cables and Pioneer DVD player. On Dolby Digital, these were the findings:1-Noise: Volume turned all the way up on 12 oclock position, Sony had a hiss. Yamaha was dead quiet.
Sony 50 ES= 0. Yamaha 2092=1.
2-Remote: Sony remote was big, difficult to read and stupid to use. Yamaha was also big, but easier to use.
Sony 50 ES=0. Yamaha 2092=1.
3-Type of sound: Sony was laid back. Yamaha more aggressive. On movie soundtracks, laid back is always preferable(because movies are already bright and foward enough). Both were smooth, clean, powerful, dynamic and punchy. However, on cybilants(the reproduction of the "s" and "t") Sony did better. Also, human voices sounded slightly better on the Sony,
Sony 50 ES=1. Yamaha 2092=0.
4-Built quality: Sony is made of plastic, Yamaha is heavier and built like Mike Tyson.
Sony 50 ES=0. Yamaha 2092=1.
5-DSP modes: Both units had plenty of DSP modes, and both units harshed human voices when DSPs were engaged.
Sony and Yamaha=0
6-Price: Yamaha was more expensive, but it wasant better sounding.
Sony 50 ES=1. Yamaha 2092=0.
Final score: Yamaha wins(3 X 2)
We talked later and decided that the Yamaha 2095(DTS) and Sony 50 ES(DTS) are very good units and are within the same price range. HOWEVER, if we were to buy one, we all agreed that Yamaha would be our choice, due to the Sony's ridiculous remote even if it was the best sounding of the two.
I hope this face off will help you on your purchase.
P.S.: My Rotel separates sound better(and cost only a little bit more than those receivers. No DSPs of course)
Happy holidays.

I've had the str da50es for about a month and a half and other than the remote I am more than satisfied. Actually I think the remote is kinda cool but if you have a girlfriend, wife or family friends spending some time with you and they want to work your system, FORGET ABOUT IT! Only the owner of this system will even have the patience to work this remote. The remote is to bulky and down right intemidating to the average joe. The sound fields are excellent. In stereo mode the sound through my B&W 603's is amazing.The option of being able to hook up two subwoofers in scary and i would not recommend doing so unless you don't mind getting complaints of disturbing the peace! I am the type of person,however,that is never satisfied and will be taking this reciever back in the next couple of weeks to up grade to the Yamaha 2095 and soon after that I hope to move up to the DSPA1.

to yamaha lovers do they get 5 yrs warranty no? idin't thinkso,yamaha only give you 20 bit dsp while SonyES gives you 32+24 bit dsp /EQ/tweenpoewer supply/adjustment for all 5speakers/5optical/120watt x 5 usa model.buy the way do yamaha owns any movie studio Sony does so who would know better in making a home theater receiver beliveit or notSony is a much biger company then yamaha so they could offer you more & better for less Sony Str-Da50Es the best in value & feature. yamaha rxv-2095 over rated over price.

Well, all the bad reviews of this receiver led me to cancel my order with Uncle's ($649 shipped). The stories of it running hot scared me and made me question the potential reliability of the unit. With that in mind, I wondered what the real story would have been with the warranty of an ES unit bought through mail order like Uncle's. Does anyone know? When purchasing from an authorized retailer, ES equipment has a 5 year warranty. What is it from a non-authorized mail order company like Uncle's. Would love to hear comments about this. Thanks in advance. (I put down 4 stars to avoid affecting the average of 3.92 too much)

I have had the STRDA50ES since mid november. This is a great machine and nothing comes even margenally close for the money. The touch screen icon driven remote operates 'all' of my components and turns sony gear on and off automatically. It also downloads all of the stations you preset at the recever and the cd's loaded into your sony player 'with tracts' and lists them 'by name', allowing you to scroll to the one you want and select it. It is backlit and great for home theater. In poor light (as in poor for reading a newspaper) its hard to read but its good in all other situations.
It has digital inputs available for all 10 inputs, not 3 or 4 like other machines and all video ins & outs have S-connectors for better resolution. And theres a seperate monitor out so that the video can go to tape and to the sceen at all times.

People have complained about the heat and past sonys have run hot. This one is much cooler. I have JBL speakers with 87 sensitivity and have been able to keep my hand on top of the unit regardless of the volume with no discomfort.
Also, using the old school, this thing is heavy it weighs 35lbs. and the transformer and heat sink are very large.

Most importantly it has loud clean sound and it remembers all of your settings. There is a noticable hiss, but only when the volume is cranked up very loud (its loud at 12o'clock)and you mute the sound, something a lab tech would do to to brag about the amp, but thats not a real world situation. Most people want good sound with no,'zero', noticable noise in the background, thats what youll get.

Most of the sound modes are actually worth using and tone can be adjusted at 3 frequency set points which you choose, bass/mid/treble. Three buttons allow you to bypass the bass boost,soundfield or equallization at any time. And unlike any other recever to date it remembers 'all of your settings'. Yamaha and frankly almost everthing else is adjust for rock, adjust for jazz, adjust for home theater, adjust for the game, and then do it over and over and over again because they remember absolutly nothing.

People are complaining that they can get a Yamaha this or that for another $200. No you cant, the sony lists for $1,000 but it can be had for $650 to $700 mailorder, the Yamahas list for over a thousand and thats what youll pay 'everywhere you look'. And none of the Yamahas will do what this recever will do at any price. The good news is every one is compairing this thing to the best models Yamaha has to offer and say its not quite as quite. Some complain about the star wars remote. All high end remotes will be like this within a few years just read a audio magazine.

If you like to tweek you can spend the extra time it takes to learn to do it. You want see only three icons on the remote touch pad? Just turn the others off. You want to display the station call letters instead the frequency or to display the name of your components instead of video3? Just set it. You want to manage the bass? Do it. You want the sub on with a music soundfield? Set to the soundfield. You you want the sub off? Turn off the soundfield. You want the sub on and the music soundfield off? Set it to autodetect. You want to add some dynamics to that old lifeless cassette? Get into one of the trully good soundfield and tweek. On the other if you dont like to fiddle with the multiple levels of settings available just listen to the factory settings and enjoy.

If you want a receiver that you can turn all the way up and then mute the sound and hear nothing, get Yamahas best for another $600. If you want something that does home theater at all levels, from sci-fi and loud to cary grant oldies to evita and also does sports and musicals. But also does music at its best at all levels. But also has more features, more connections, more control and is something you wont likly ever outgrow, congratulations this is it.

I HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR A NEW RECEIVER THAT SUPPORTS S-VIDEO INPUTS AS I NOW HAVE A SONY 3000 DVD AND WILL BE PURCHASING THE NEW SONY SATELITE AD4 SYSTEM NEXT MONTH AND MORE TO COME, SO I NEEDED SWITCHED VIDEO. HAD SONY REFORE BUT ALSO LOOKED AT DENON AND ONKYO, OTHERS. PURCHASED 50ES IN EARLY DECEMBER AND WOW, WHAT A RECEIVER!! GOT AT UNCLES FOR $ 650 SHIPPED, WHERE IT RETAILS LOCALLY FOR $ 1000. ONLY THING I DO NOT LIKE ABOUT IT IS REMOTE, BUT FOR PRICE, IT IS STILL GREAT. I DID ALSO PURCHASE THE SONY 2000 REMOTE OVER CHRISTMAS AND I LIKE IT ALOT. THERE WILL NEVER BE PERFECT REMOTE FOR EVERYTHING.
I HAVE A TRUE AUDIOPHILE WHO LIVES NEXT TO ME AND TO SHOW YOU HOW GOOD SONY IS, THIS PERSON HAS TRIED OVER 6 AMPS/RECEIVER/PRE-AMPS, ETC, LOOKING FOR BEST SYSTEM AND HE BUYS COMPONENTS IN THE $1000 TO $ 2000 RANGE. ONE 30 MINUTE LISTEN TO MY SYSTEM AND HE PURCHASED A SONY PRE-AMP (THE NEW 9000), AND THIS ONE HE IS KEEPING. THE 50ES HAS MUCH OF ITS DESIGN FROM THE 9000.

EVEN AT $ 1000 THE 50ES BEATS ANYTHING AT THAT PRICE AND AT $ 650 IT IS A
MIRACLE..!

best receiver on the market nothing else compares to it pioneer elite'yamaha'onkio'hk'kenwood'technics'nad';don't come even close but don't take my word for it hearit for your self & yo'll see what i mean.

I really like this reciever. I quickly retired my old one, a Sony STR-G3. It came with the VisionTouch on screen menus and one button remote. The remote for the STR-DA50ES is no harder to deal with. I have it connected to a pair of Klipsch KLF-20s and will probably have to go for an ear test after a week of auditioning it. Has anyone experimented with the Cinema Surround modes? That will be next. The raw power and clarity have to be heard to be believed. This unit will keep me rockin for a while.

I purchased my 50ES yesterday from Sound Idea in Arlington,TX. I paid $950.00 but I liked the security of buying from a local dealer. I'm very happy with this receiver. I had also looked at a Denon and Yamaha in the same price range. The Sony is a very clean sounding receiver. So far I have not had any problems with the remote. Time will tell if it is a battery hog. I've owned H/K, Onkyo and Yamaha products in the past but this is the first Sony ES product I've ever owned. I can assure you it will not be my last.
Come on Sony use that powerful marketing machine and spread the word. This is a GREAT Rreceiver !!!!!