Great build, inputs/outputs, 5.1 Sound, looks

LCD Remote!!!

I went from wanting a Sherwood R-945 to this, then wanting the Nakamichi AV-10, then going back to this finally. I haven't looked back once though. This receiver is nothing short of great, especially when you look at the $999 price tag. This thing sounds fantastic in Dolby Digital 5.1, and even better in dts 5.1. 2-channel music reproduction is supurb. I couldn't believe the soundstage that my speakers put out with this thing. The 120 watts can really control a speaker quite well. The only beef I have with this thing is the remote. It'll do everything for Sony gear, but I only have one piece of Sony gear, and that's the receiver, so all my other stuff if a pain in the butt to use. I can't access the menu on my stupid Toshiba DVD player! Can't change channels on the TV, and can't switch inputs either. Plus the screen gets dirty and it eats batteries like nothing I've ever seen before. All in all though, a great product with all the features the everyday guy needs, and some.

Similar Products Used:

Sherwood Newcastle R-945, Nakamichi AV-10

5 year warranty, plenty of power, easy on the eyes

Remote needs some help,instruction manuals note completely comprehensive

Impressive...sound quality is top notch and this is after comparing it to Dennon, Pioneer Elite and Yamaha. For what this unit costs it has a lot of bang for the buck. It works well with all the other SONY componets I have, which I admit influenced my decision on the unit. It was not so much the "name" but compatability, in both operation and cosmetics. I paid retail for the unit and I realize it can be had for less, but what gives... the warranty, taking a chance on receiving a "b" line unit or worse spending days or weeks waiting on repairs that I HOPE it will never need. When you purchase a system and spend the kind of money that a NICE home set up can cost it is worth getting the "customer care" that comes from buying locally. I was amazed at the time it took to get it tweaked.....the manual is helpful but falls short of being complete, it could be a lottle more user friendly. I am one of those people that actually READS the manuals. I have had the unit for a month and I think I have read the manual at least 3 times to be sure I understand most of the functions. I must say that the other reviews are right on when they talk about the S-link cable...using it will stop the remote from performing certain functions. Which leads us to the remote..It turns itself off way too quick, and going thru the first screen each time you use the remote is one of those little annoying things you have to get used to. The remote display is near impossible to see if you don't use the back light. Also you cannot use the control function keys on the left side until it lights up because they ARE NOT backlit. The remote is way up on the COOL factor though. Once I got it programed it does it ALL. It took several attempts to get the remote programmed correctly. This manual is not very good either. The receiver on the over-all review is right up there with the other top dogs. I compared this to a $2800 Dennon unit. Differences yes but thats a lot of money for the subtle differences. It could use at least one more video in-put in the back though....who is gonna have cables hanging out the front inputs? So I rate the receiver itself a 5 but it falls short of perfect on manuals and the remote. I have to give it a 4 rating overall. Still people hear me now it a excellent buy for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood Dolby Surround Receiver

Good bang for the buck, many many features. For the same price the Yamaha 995 wins.

For my location the tuner was a weak point.

Great receiver, many features, many inputs/outputs, digital inputs and output. I have the Klipsch legend series speakers KLF-30 C7 and S6, very efficient speakers and yet this thing still got hotter than I liked.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 777 Yamaha 995

Great looking door stop.

Drain on my credit card, waste of my time, couldn't tell you about the audio quality (because it never played for more that 5 minutes before quiting!)

I'll make this as painless as possible...

Purchased the unit new. Correctly hooked it up, only to have it go into PROTECTOR mode repeatedly. Shipped the item into Sony for repair. The item returned, only to have the same problem every 10 minutes. Shipped the unit back to Sony. They replaced the receiver with a new one. This one had the PROTECTOR problem fixed, but the display began to fail within one week. Have shipped this one back and am in the process of having my lawyer submit a letter to be completely compensated for the cost of shipping and money back from the purchase.

A previous post indicated that Sony's quality control had gone to the dogs. I couldn't agree more! There are 24 Sony products in my home. I have had to repair or replace 8 in the last two years. NO MORE SONY FOR THIS HOUSEHOLD! Beware if you intend to buy a Sony item! Too bad there isn't a "black hole" rating. A single star is way too much praise.

Similar Products Used:

Many other soon to be replaced Sony products.

input video switching, display, many functions controlled by the "knobs"

QUALITY, QUALITY, QUALITY. (and that friggin remote)

I have a previous review on this unit, but now after the THIRD TIME it has broken, I feel compelled to warn people about the reliability and customer service side of the equation. In a nutshell, they SUCK.

This will be the 3rd time in a year since I purchased the unit (new) from Oade. (Oade was great) But at the time I was tossing back and forth between the sony and the comparible Onkyo. I have older Onkyo components and have never had an ounce of trouble with any of them.. But I wanted to give the Sony a try. But there is nothing I'm aware of that I'm doing to the unit that is breaking it. Each time it seems to be working fine, then the next day I go to turn it on--and NOTHING. So be warned.

Overall it's a nice receiver. But I'd definitely give the Onkyo (or whatever) a long, hard look before getting the Sony. The simple fact is that there are quality issues with this (and other??) units. If you read some of the other unhappy reviews--believe me, they are very accurate. It's literally a horror dealing with Sony service and it's customer service center. I would guess that I've put an excess of 20-25 hours into preparing the unit for "reservicing". This includes hooking/unhooking, phone calls to the service ctr., mailing (fedex), etc. It simply ain't pretty.

I hope this helps someone's decision.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo.. (Would buy the Onkyo if I had it to do over again)

ES Quality. Great sound quality, Built-in 3 channel equalizer per "zone" (Front / Center / Rear). Auto Sound Field

Remote Control does not offer an adjustible backlight timeout. The remote also has no "learning" ability (I hear that the 777 will offer this feature.) Unit does not support "old" Control S (minor since the remote switches most equipment automatically)

I am very impressed with the quality , both in construction and sound re-production of this unit. The remote control takes time to get used to (a day or two). It's the best "bang for your buck", at a street price of about $800 (MSRP $999), and a low price of about $645 through the internet.

Similar Products Used:

None

construction, inputs and outputs, features, value

none for me

I must have been one of the first people to get this unit. Ive used it and abused it. No problems. Its on almost all the time. Its one hell of a toy. I had the 50es before this.
It makes movies come alive and music sounds great. As far as the remote goes i like it(except for the amount of time the backlight stays on). It works well with my other sony equip. The macro is a very nice feature to show off with.
i love this reciever.

Similar Products Used:

sony str-da50es

Very Powerful. Rich Sound. DD/DTS, Pro Logic and Stereo Modes. Auto Switching & Sleep Timer!

Gets Hot! Remote Sucks and you have to manually turn off the center channel in stereo mode.

This is an excellent unit. This receiver delivers great power and quality sound. Dolby Digital and DTS modes are very rich. Pro Logic and Stereo sound great also. One of the best features of this unit is that you can control the kHz ranges. This allows you to fine-tune the STR-DA555ES for your speakers. In addition, you can run two main speaker sets - (A & B) or (A or B) in all modes. Most high end receivers now days only have (A or B). The few drawbacks are as follows: The remote; it isn't a learning remote which means it will not grow as your equipment grows. Center on/off; you have to manually switch the center channel on or off for desired listening. Unfortunately, most receivers are like that, but I think this feature can be improved. It should automatically turn off in stereo mode or give you a memory option. Another upside to the STR-DA555ES is that all of the 5.1 outputs are activated even if you have speakers connected to there ports; i.e. if you want to have a Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES set up, you can run a line out of the rear outputs to a pro logic receivers' CD input, then connect a center channel to the pro logic receiver and boom, you'll get simulated surround ex or dts-es. Even with that connection, your surround speakers will have output. This setup will also allow you to run two pair of surrounds. I'm running this setup now with the Technics SA-AX6 receiver and it sounds great in all modes, including stereo. Besides the two previous weaknesses mentioned earlier, this receiver is well worth the money. I believe the STR-DA555ES will be discontinued soon because the newer Sony models are coming out; the STRV444ES and STRV555ES, so you may find some excellent deals. The newer models offer a few upgrades, like component switching, virtual 6.1 sound and a learning remote. I've listened to Surround EX and DTS-ES enough to know that they are gimmicks, but if you must have it, go ahead. At least you'll get a learning remote. (I would suggest that you purchase the Marantz RC-2000 MKII or the RC-5000; those are serious remotes) As I mentioned earlier, I have a simulated EX and ES setup and it sounds fine, but I don't think its worth spending an extra $500 bucks to have a rear center channel. If you decide to purchase this unit instead of the newer models, I would suggest that you purchase the STR-DA555ES from an authorized Sony dealer in case you get a bad one. The five-year warranty is a plus. I believe Sony is the only company that gives you a five-year warranty on high end products. That’s a plus!

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RX-V2095 & Technics SA-AX6.

Here's a new one for those who don't like the remote.
Being left handed, I tend to grab the remote with my right hand, typically from above. Guess where the button that turns everything off is located? Yup, right under my right hand ring finger. Caught on to this quickly, but it is still an inconvience and I feel discriminated against. Oh, well, almost everything from Palm Pilots to can openers seems backwards to a lefty. Reciever still at doctor, just wanted to throw this in.

solid 120 hi-current watts to all five
channels.5-year waranty.

hard to use,exspensive remote.

I compared the strda555es against the
new strdb930 for the past two weeks at
my local tweeter etc. stores,after end-
less in store listening and comparing
features,the 555 sounds more solid so-
nic-ly than the 930. the 930 just had
to much of an echo noise. I also noticed
that the 555"s e.q. goes all the way down to 100 hz where as the 930"s only
goes to 400 hz. I have to say, go take a
listen for your self,you will hear a di-
fference. I love the 555 its definantly
a winner. I was planing on getting the
930 because of the price and good re-
views but power wise it falls short of
that hard core hi-current bass drive.
buy the way the 555 draws 390 watts of
a/c current to run its massive trans-
former and large amp chips compared to
280 watts for the 930. shop around alot
of companies have the 555 at agood price. good luck and have fun listening.

Similar Products Used:

new sony strdb930