Sony STR-DA777ES A/V Receivers

Sony STR-DA777ES A/V Receivers 

DESCRIPTION

120wX5/200wX2 Dolby Digital/DTS A/V Receiver (multi-room)

USER REVIEWS

Showing 41-50 of 217  
[Mar 24, 2000]
busboy
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Everything, I think everyone here has highlighted the strengths. Power, Construction, Warranty.

Weakness:

??????

Before I go on talking about this unit. I need to say that I think John Mitchell makes a very poor review of this unit stating that the 777 isn't worth an additional $500 because the sound is not 50% better than the 555. That seems like a really ridiculous comment to make. How can you justify that? He claims to have spent $12,543 on equipment last year. I've spend around $4,000, does that mean that his equipment sounds 3X better than mine? I think not. The diminishing rate of return is accomplished pretty quickly (IMHO) and I don't see how he can justify his comment. Also, the person who posted after him, the audio enthusiast from sacramento should know that this is a review, not a discussion forum.

Now, I'll be brief with my review, I was deciding between the denon 3300, the sony 555 (which is the replacement for my da50) and the 777. I chose sony over denon because of sound quality although I must say I was impressed with the 5 channel stereo. Between the sony units though, The 777 seemed like a better unit in auditioning at the shop. This may be strictly mental, but I'm totally happy with this unit. I've been using it for the past three months and have been super happy with the sound. I use mine for 70% stereo and 30% home theatre.

I purchased mine for $1050. Couldn't be happier (well, maybe if it had 5 channel stereo I could give it 6 stars!)

Similar Products Used:

Sony DA50ES; Technics (model??)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 02, 2000]
Frank Smith
Audiophile

Strength:

5yrs waranty 120watts of clean power remote and user freindly

Weakness:

Getting used the romote

I had this receiver for 11 weeks just a nice Sony product. Sony has not been on my best list but listen to the 777 an you will be impressed it's a very clean sound.I really didn't want to spend over 1,500 bucks for a receiver but would have. I had compared a good amount of AVR's that's when I heard the 777 I stopped and knew that's the one to get I only paid 1,025 bucks out of the catalog. I'm pleased with the price looks and most important the sound for that price it's the best buy out.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz 18 Denon 5700

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 15, 2000]
Aaron
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Solid Construction; Parallel Push/Pull Amplification; Multi-Room capability; Powerful Learning/multibrand 2-way "Touchscreen" remote; 4 Optical/2 Coaxial inputs that are 32kHZ, 44.1kHZ, 48kHZ and 96 kHZ frequency sampling compatible with 24 bit word length; 1-Optical output; Dedicated 2-channel (stereo) mode; RS-232C port for future upgradeability; Plenty of audio and video inputs/outputs (s-video & composite); Purchase price from $1025.00 to $1200.00 versus $1500.00 MSRP; 5 yr. warranty.

Weakness:

No volume (position) indication; No component video switching; No "main" inputs (from subwoofer); No 5-way speaker binding posts.

The DA777ES is by far the best receiver Sony has built to date. It has features and performance that rival units costing much more which makes it an even more outstanding value. The quality and sonic excellence of the 777ES approaches that of Sony separates the TA-E900ES preamplifier and TA-N900ES power amplifier in a refined, friendlier all-in-one unit. The strengths of the 777ES far out weigh any weaknesses. Although, I do wish it had some type of volume indicator!

To setup my 777ES I used a "forklift" to get it on top of my stereo rack. Just kidding,...but at 54 pounds it's no light weight. Did I mention that this baby was built!? The 777ES has some interesting features such as component naming. Component naming is nothing new. However, Sony was thoughtful enough to incorporate the product "call letters" of Sony manufactured products into the 777's memory...all you have to do is add the model number. For example the Sony DVD model 7700 is listed as "DVP xxxx".

Calibrating your speaker system with the 777ES is phenomenal. I have at my disposal the "Video Essentials" and "AVIA" home theater calibration discs. DID NOT USE THEM! The sophistication of the test tone sequences in the 777ES which allow you to sustain the tone at each speaker individually for as long as you like; or go back and forth between two speakers is more than adequate. I do recommend the use of a sound level meter (set at 70db; C-weighting and "slow" response) such as Radio Shacks model 33-2050 for that procedure. Other parameters let you adjust speaker size and distance; rear speaker height and position; speaker roll off frequency from 40Hz - 200Hz, subwoofer phase, LFE high cut and mix level (same for DTS); bass, midrange and treble management; wall type, surround effect and more. A feature I especially like is the "screen depth" adjustment for the front speakers which shifts the sound into the screen. You can even change the digital filter fequency response of the 777ES's D/A converter! This feature is factory set to "standard" for a flat response. I found the "slow" response which smooths the curve of the treble range more to my liking.

The overall control layout of the 777ES is user-friendly and logical. The protection circuitry is top-notch...you can hear the sequential start-up and shut-down clicks. For a unit of its' size it runs fairly cool; but I wouldn't place it in a tight enclosure.

A little bit about the remote. I have heard praises and @#$%&*!#@$ about it. The biggest complaint is the quick display time-out (about 10 seconds). That CAN be annoying. However, I can honestly say that this remote (the RM-TP503) is a great improvement over the previous model (the RM-TP501) which came with my Sony DA50ES receiver. This is a two-way remote that sends and RECEIVES information. If you take the time to read the separate instruction manual (yes,...I said "separate"....) you'll find this remote to be a very powerful tool. Affording you complete control of your home theater system and its' setup. If you own other Sony components with Control A1 or A1-II capability you are really in for a treat!

I could probably go on singing the praises of the Sony DA777ES receiver. You owe it to yourself to audition this unit if you are considering purchasing a new receiver and want hign-end performance without mortgaging your home. I'm sure you'll make this one your choice.

Connected equipment and accessories:

Front Speakers - Definitive BP 10's
Center Speaker - Definitive 2002
Rear Speakeres - Definitive BPX's
Subwoofer - Definitive PF 1500

Sony MD - JA20ES
Sony CD - C79ES
Sony Tape - WR99ES
Sony DVD - DVP7700
Sony TV - 36 Wega XBR
Sony MDR 5000 Surround Headphones

Mitsubishi VCR - HSU69

Bang & Olufsen Beogram RX2

AudioControl - C101 Series III EQ

Monster Power - HTS3500 Power Center
Monster Power - HTS1000 Power Center
Monster Cables & Interconnects

Similar Products Used:

JVC and Technics receivers; Sony D2090, GX909ES and DA50ES receivers.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 08, 2000]
Rahul
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Well built, very clean a cut look, sound is outstanding

Weakness:

too big read (summary)

I have had this reciever for less than a week and I love it. I has so many options and the inputs and outputs are unbelivalble, but I do wish Sony did include and componet video input and output, but oh well I will survive. I sounds wonderful, there no background nosie what so ever. I was planning to by 555ES then I heard about this one, I am glad I waited and spent the extra money. The only major drawback if you see this as one is it is BIG, really big, in fact it is so big (I don't mind the weight as much) I couldn't fit it on my A/V cabinet without covering up the speaker hookups. So I have to put it on some wood on the floor. It is really well built and does its job wonderfully.

Similar Products Used:

older sony recievers

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 06, 2000]
Kevin Margraves
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Power, Tweakability, Build Quality, Overall Sound

Weakness:

Can't find any

I have bought a lot of electronics over the years but none has brought me more satisfaction that this unit. I am not a Sony freak, I just buy what I feel is the best value for what my eyes and ears like. The 777ES is the best value and quality for a higher end receiver period. I compared it to Denon and Nak and it beat them both in soundstage, precision, clarity, tweaks, configurability and overall pleasure to the ear.

I have never heard such immense power with the delicacy to produce the most minute nuances in music or home theater sources. The circuitry is amazing... specially the bass redirection controls, absolutely too cool. Sony built this thing like a tank and it shows. If you like to tweak everything yourself, you'll love the bazillion controls for fine-tuning every possible aspect of your setup. Top notch build quality and design. This is the receiver to have, and if you don't believe me, try to find a dealer that can keep them in stock!

Go listen to one at your local Sony dealer and make sure to check out the remote (which is great, it controls everything perfectly including my RCA sat receiver and Proscan TV) and especially check out the back panel. It has every possible input and output you could ever want. The DD5.1 and DTS decoding is specatacular. You won't be dissapointed. You should be able to find an authorized dealer to sell you this unit for $1050-$1200.

My Sony STR-DA777ES is the center peice for:
Sony 550D DVD
Sony 770 VCR
Infinty Overture 3 front
Infinity Overture 2 rear
Infinity CC3 center
Infinty HPS-1000 sub
Monster HTS3500 Power conditioner

p.s. e-me if you have any questions about this unit or my review.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3300, H/k, Nak 10

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 04, 2000]
John
Audiophile

Strength:

Sound Quality, Build Quality, this thing has POWER

Weakness:

Price

This is, hands down the best receiver I have heard. Just taking it out of the box gives you a feeling of value for the money forked out for it.

The sound is absolutely amazing. I can physically feel the amount of power it has. Crystal clear, clean sound.

I also found that the remote like to turn itself off pretty quickly, but I do not consider that a problem at all--it blends so well with my all-Sony system anyway. Also, the macros are excellent for putting my Wega into service mode to change it to anamorphic mode.

If you are thinking about buying this receiver, don't hesitate--you won't regret it.

My system:

Main A: Infinity Overture 1s (I am trying to sell these)
Main B: Energy Connoisseur 2
Center: Infinity CC3
Surround: Infinity Prelude QPS
Sub: Energy exls 12, Aura Bass shaker
Receiver: Sony STR DA777ES
DVD: Sony DVP S530D
VCR: Sony SLV675HF
TV: Sony Wega KV 27FV15

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR DE825, JVC RXV888, H/K AVR 5 & 35, Onkyo TSDX 575, Sony STR DB 930

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Apr 04, 2000]
Jeff C.
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Lots of power, great styling and looks, cool remote, EXTREMELY high quality sound

Weakness:

no THX certification

I just got the receiver about a week ago and have been very pleased with it so far. I feel that I may not have gotten the best deal on it after reading that some folks got it for just around $1000 (I paid $1200 for mine from a local Electronics superstore).

Like everyone has already said, the receiver is very, very heavy...I had to lug it up two flights of stairs...

The first time I heard the dts from this receiver, I was just blown away. I used the "Eagles-Hell Freezes Over" DVD and was just really impressed with the clarity and dimension of the sound. I also have yet to get the volume any higher than 3 out of 10...trying not to disturb the neighbors.

I spent a long time debating over the Onkyo or the Sony. I felt that the Sony just plain sounded better. I listened to them both with some of the same scenes from my favorite movies (matrix), and the Sony sound was just clearer. The Sony also had a greater number of optical inputs and S-video inputs. I did like the fact that the Onkyo had the THX certification(I realize that it's just a marketing gimmick...but I think it would just give me a warm, fuzzy feeling to know that it was on there).

After reading all the complaints about the remote, my expectations were low...however, I couldn't be any happier with it. It's just plain cool. It's definately an attention-getter and it serves its purpose well...I've programmed it to control every piece of my home theater, eliminating my previous 5 remotes (my girlfriend can even use it!!). I suggest using the provided pen on the touchscreen instead of your finger so as to avoid fingerprints on the LCD screen. The two-way features are really impressive as well...

In conclusion, even for the extra bucks I spent, I am very happy with the product. I have always been pretty content with my Sony products and this one has really overshot my expectations...highly recommended!!

My home theater consists of:

TV = Sony 61" XBR300
Front speakers = JBL
Center = Infinity
Subwoofer = Infinity
Surround = Mirage
DVD = Sony 650
--all connected with Monster cables

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 777, also some older Sony receivers

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 17, 2000]
Mike
Casual Listener

Strength:

Flexibility, 5-year warranty, programmable remote, solid construction, and, of course, the sound

Note before I begin, for people that are looking at this listing for the first time--the review average for this piece should actually be slightly higher than it is, because the only reviews to give it less than four stars were posted before the product was even available, by people who clearly never listened to it (were reviewing it from spec sheets). Take a look; they're way down at the bottom of the review list and they have 1999 post dates. The 777 was not available in the US until January 2000.

I have been looking for a home theater receiver for nearly two years, ever since my old receiver was stolen (had been OK in the meantime with my roommate's system). I have taken home and auditioned with my own speakers (Monitor Audio Silver 5i's, Center 10i, Silver 3i surrounds, ASW210 sub) the Marantz, Pioneer and NAD. The Denon and Yamaha and the 555 I checked out against the Pioneer and the 777 at a store on another brand of speakers; Klipsch I think.

I was quite surprised that during in-store demos (2 of about 3 hours each), to my ears, on the speakers I was listening to, with whatever settings the United Audio folks had the receivers set on (is that enough disclaimers?) the Sony and Pioneer sounded far more natural and less harsh than the Denon and Yamaha. Two other stores I had been visiting had been pushing the Marantz and the NAD, however. So, finally, I checked them all out on my system.

--NAD: Sound was good, but not audio nirvana as some claim to experience with the piece. Also, no DTS, no programmable remote, short warranty. This latter became especially important to me when one of the speaker terminals broke as I was removing the banana plug from it. (Luckily I had bought the banana plugs from the store I was demoing the NAD from, so they couldn't give me any grief about it!) With its higher price tag ($1700), it was out.

--Pioneer: Good sound. Nice piece. Had a hard time finding it discounted much, but I would have been happy owning it.

--Marantz: Very good sound. Programmable remote (which honestly I didn't find quite as ergonomic as some on this site, but it was good, no question) and 3-year warranty. It was a difficult choice for me between this and the Sony. The warranty was shorter, it had less power, it was less customizable, and for me the sound was not quite as crisp as with the Sony, an attribute of the Sony which I like. Also, Marantz is very strict about their dealer policy--you buy from a non-authorized dealer, you get no warranty coverage at all. I confirmed this by calling Marantz directly. The only net dealer (back in February) that was authorized was HiFi.com, which didn't list the SR8000 at any meaningful discount.

--Sony: On the other hand, Sony would honor its 5-year warranty from no matter whom I bought it, so long as I had the original sales receipt. Numerous places offer substantial discounts on this piece. Many have already been mentioned on this site; I got mine from J & R Music World for less than $1100 shipped. It arrived in less than a week, double-boxed and in perfect shape. With a shipping weight of 28 kg (over 60 lbs), I was glad I had a gym membership when I was lugging the thing inside.

I love this piece. Very clear, crisp sound without being bright. In fact, I have found that I actually prefer the sound with a slight (0.5-1.0 db )treble boost in the equalizer. The bass management is also great--better than literally any other receiver I have seen and better than most separate pre-pro's. The cross-over can be set anywhere between 200 and 40 hz in 10 hz increments. This is very nice--you can listen and decide for yourself exactly where you want the bass to kick over to your sub-woofer. This is part and parcel of the extreme customizability of the 777. But even just plugging a dvd into the digital input and connecting up a set of speakers without tweaking a thing, it sounds great.

In the interest of complete disclosure,

Drawbacks: I agree with the previous review that it would have made sense to allow programmability of pre-named component functions (i.e. allowing the remote to learn a new code for 'play' on the DVD player) instead of having a separate section for learned codes. This does not bother me after having gotten used to it, however. In all, I like the remote, although it does turn off too quickly. And yes, it would be nice to have a lit volume knob--as far as I'm concerned, they could have shrunk that blue "multi-channel decoding" light and stuck it on there. Regarding that, a previous post mentioned that you had to have an optical connection to your dvd player to get the thing to light up--it really only has to be connected digitally (coax works too). I do not have the same problem with the manual that others have mentioned, though, and I am not a seasoned stereo veteran. It does take some time to set the 777 up, but the manual will get you through it.

One other thing--there is NO 200w X 2 BTL mode on this piece. I have called and called and called and emailed Sony about this, and finally a few different people have told me the same thing, that this was an error in some of the early spec releases. (Got this info from a customer rep at the Sony Gallery here in Chicago, in one of my calls to the Sony "help" line and by an email to Sony's website) However, I got this info before buying the product and bought it anyway because of the numerous other features it has and the sound. If I want more power I can always buy an outboard amp, but I very much doubt I will want to do that because of the really substantial power this thing has.

Bottom line for me: listen to this piece. You might not like what I like, I might not like what you like. And the bottom line is the sound, after all. But give it a listen, because for the price at which you can get it, you get a lot.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz SR-8000, Pioneer Elite VSX-27TX, NAD T770, (Denon 3600, Yamaha 995, Sony 555ES)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 11, 2000]
Jose Otero
Audiophile

Strength:

Build Quality, Flexibility, Sound Quality

Weakness:

Remote, No built in RF for AC3 Laserdisc

Pretty much everything has been said about this product. I just wanted to point out the build quality of the DA-777ES.

This unit has one heck of an Amplifier, Given the fact that it is almost identical in build to the TA-N9000ES amp.

The DA-777ES contains these high quality traits:

1) Six Burr Brown PCM1704 24bit/96khz D/A converters.
2) Three Stereo Burr Brown DF1704 24bit/96khz 8x over sampling Digital Interpolation Filter
3) One Hitachi H8S/2134 Microcomputer w/Flash memory.
4) Two 1M Asynchronous ram.
5) One 256K Asynchronous RAM
6) Two 32bit Sony CDXX2712R DSP Processors.
7) One 24bit Sony CDX9511AQ DTS/AC3 Processor Chip
8) One Sony CDX8607A Pulse Converter.
9) Copper rail shields throughout.
10) Copper Transistor Heat Sinks Throughout.
11) Nichicon Fine Gold Capacitors in ever nook and cranny on the system inclusive of the power supply, digital and analog sections. This in itself is a very expensive set up.
12) High quality non-electrolytic caps.
13) Surface mounted Transistors.

Must I go on! And for $1400 list price. This is the steal and sleeper the year. ENJOY!

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer Elite VSX-29TX, Yamaha DSP-3090, Yamaha RX-V1

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 09, 2000]
Torben Andersen
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Clean power, awesome sound quality, very good bass control and all the settings you can fool around with.

Weakness:

No real indicator of volume level.

I decided to but this integrated amplifier, because of all the good things I heard about it, from reviewers in here. - I am very happy about my purchase, because this puppy (hard to call it that, if you try and lift it) really gets its job done.

I first connected it to some old crap speakers, with a equal crappy passive subwoofer, and they were brought new life by this wonderful product from Sony. It was like getting a whole new subwoofer, and the amplifier really showed how good it handled bass.

I use it both for musik (mostly rock/grunge, but more tame music, like Mariah Carey and Lene Marlin is also represented in my CD collection) and for movies. It handles both things with excelence.


My setup consists of:

Amplifier: Sony TA-VA777ES (that's the European modelname, it's the same thing inside)
DVD/CD player: Sony DVP-S7700
Front speakers: B&W 604S2
Rear speakers: B&W 602S2
Center speaker: B&W LCR6S2
Subwoofer: B&W ASW1000

The amplifier has enough power to really let the music blow out of the speakers, and I have yet to turn the volume above 50% of it's capabilities.

The amplifier got a ton of settings, that can keep anyone busy for months, tweaking and what not. - Gives the possibility for tweaking the system just right, if one has got the time and knowledge.

The remote takes some getting used to, since it's different from the regular remotes, but I find myself using it more and more.

All in all, this is one hell of a product, and nice to see that Sony got a product out there, that can really take on other high-end products in this price range, and actually beat most of them.
I would recommend this product to anyone, because of its quality and upgradability (the serialport on the back).

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 41-50 of 217  

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