soundly built,clean power,plenty of inputs.

remote as we all

When I read reviews of this reciever I was really impressed. I am really not a big sony fan when it comes to audio products,but I was looking for a good reciever with DD and DTS so I figured I would give it a try. I bought at uncle stereo in Manhatten. At first I wasn't very impressed,but after tweaking it for a few weeks. This reciever has awesome sound for the money,360 bucks was a bargain. I have had yamaha and onkyo and this matches up very well. Don't get me wrong you can find better recievers,but it will be in the price range of 600.00 or more.
I am also looking for some good SAT speakers i am using infinity 325,s for the fronts and have old bose 2.2 in the rear right now. if anyone has a good suggestion please let me know

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Yamaha rv670

Number of inputs, features

Stereo sound quality, remote

After quite a bit of research, I picked up the Sony DB-830. I was definitely impressed by the features:price ratio; tons of inputs, outputs, controls, etc. I had been without a receiver for about two months when I got it, and thought the stereo sound was pretty good. But after a few days of listening, I had the nagging suspicion that the sound wasn't quite right. After experimenting with settings, and listening to some CDs I knew very well, I decided to exchange it for a Denon AVR-1800.

The Denon, while slightly more expensive, and with fewer bells and whistles, was a noticable improvement even to my non-expert ears.

Bottom line, the DB-830 is a good, feature-rich receiver, but may disappoint if you plan on using predominantly for music.

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Denon AVR-1800

Power,Auto Format Decoding, variety of soundfields, excellent DTS & DD5.1 sound

The remote blows - need to memorize frequently used buttons for use in low light.

Equipment Used - All Infinity Speakers-> Front: RS3, Center: CC3, Surround: QPS-1, Sub: BU-120. DVD -> Sony S550D. CD -> Sony C7ESD

I purchased this unit from One Call back in December 99 for $345 after reading the reviews on this board. Incredible value considering all of the features this unit offers. I've primarily used it for viewing DVDs and have been very pleased with the DD 5.1 and DTS performance.

Performance in 2 channel stereo mode is not as crisp as the DTS, DD 5.1, or Pro-Logic formats - and definitely not as clean as my old (circa 1975) Marantz 2238B stereo receiver.

A previous review stated the unit could not be powered up with the remote - not true. If you hit any of the input device buttons (e.g. TV, VIDEO 1, etc.) this will power up the unit and set the input device to the corresponding selection. The remote is somewhat useful for adjusting the soundfields - front & rear db; however, there is no adjustment for the sub. It is possible to change soundfields with the remote - which I tend to do primarily when I'm watching TV or a VHS tape in pro-logic format.

An additional comment for those with other Sony Components. The S-Link feature is very cool - If I power up my Sony DVD and insert a disc, it automatically powers up the DB830 and sets the input to DVD. Sony will get first consideration when I look at additional components for my system - this level of integration is nice. For more info on S-Link check out http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/s-link/features.html

Similar Products Used:

Marantz

Great feature set - outstanding movie sound - quality construction

No S-Video on DBS/Cable in - Manual really sucks at explaining how the thing works

Got the STR-DB830 after ordering and not receiving an STRDE-835 from Tatum Electronics (stay away from them). So glad though that Tatum didn't ship after reading reviews here and other places. The 830 is a joy to use once you figure it out. The manual basically is very bad but at least the controls are fairly intuitive. The Sound is great and the separate parametric EQs on all speakers is wonderful. My Rears and Center are not as good as they should be, but you can compensate for a lot with EQ and bass routing. My only complaint is the absence of an S-Video in on the DBS/Cable input - you have to get the 930 to get that. I would rather have it on DBS than on the front panel. Anyway, I highly recommend this receiver to anyone looking for reasonably priced HT setup - I think it is the best value in DTS out there. It is not an audiophile grade component, but it doesn't try to be. Wonderful bargain for the quality.

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Sony Pro-Logic receiver

Clean sound, more features than you probably want, Excellent DD surround.

Remote (can't read the component buttons).

I have had the unit for a couple of months now and have zero complaints with its sound or function (except the remote). I have NHT SuperZeros on LR, Center and SLR with a NHT SW1P (powered 8") subwoofer. This unit sounds 3 times better than my old Kenwood prologic unit. I can't describe the difference enough between Dolby Pro Logic and DD (AC-3) for people who haven't upgraded. My living room sounds as good as the local theaters on DVD's now. Just incredible!!

The sound quality of the unit is excellent. It is very clear and hiss free. It has a very good sound stage in my opinion. I don't know what is causing the hiss for some of the people, but I don't have the problem. Don't let the negative reviews keep you away from the DB830 or DB930 either. People who consider themselves to be audiophiles are never pleased with anything that cost under 2000 dollars. This is the best receiver I have ever owned, period!

Personnaly, I keep the EQ turned off. I want the speaker and subwoofer crossovers to handle the sound directly.

Go get the Cinema 7 universal remote. It works better than the one that comes with the unit, except you can't control the surround sound features with it. So you still have to use the supplied remote for some functions.

Overall though 5 stars.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood KR-V8540, Onkyo (before surround).

Price/Performance, Sound quality, Features, Construction, and Flexibility.

Source selection legends on lower half of remote (minor), Manual readability, in some cases.

This thing is the Bee's Knees, man!

Far and away the best receiver that I have ever owned.

I chose the STR-DB830 based primarily on reviews of it and the STR-DB930 on the Audio Review website. We concluded that the 830 was better suited to our needs and budget than the 930. This is also my first major audio equipment mail-order purchase. It was a double "leap of faith" on my part, and I couldn't be happier with my decision.

We use our STR-DB830 upwards of 4 hours a day with the FM, TV, CD, DVD and VCR and have had ZERO problems with it. It is running "flat", as it came OOTB, and the sound is great with movies (2CH, ProLogic, Dolby 2.0, 5.0, and 5.1) and music (2CH and ProLogic). We tend not to use the Sound Fields very much. We like the sound so much that we feel no real need to experiment right now - maybe later on.

The (much maligned) remote is a very good remote, better that most that we have had, IMHO. The keys on the lower half of the remote are indeed difficult to read, but once we learned where they were, we were OK. It would be better if the legends were black instead of light green. However, my wife can operate the entire HT from this single remote without any difficulty. This is an important factor to me.

Connecting the STR-DB830 was simple and straightforward. I used Radio Shack Twist-Lock Banana Plugs for the speakers, and I am happy with that. Upside: positive mechanical and elecrical connections, neater installation, ease of assembly/disassembly; downside: additional expense, additional 1" to 2" footprint, soldering required.

The Auto-Input Select (coax vs. optical vs. analog) and Auto-Format Detect features are neat. I find the blue light "interesting", but could live without it. The display is good, with enough information available to adjust settings as may be required. The trick front panel cleans the appearance up nicely, and keeps the parameter controls out of sight - a good idea if you have kids or grandkids.

We bought our STR-DB830 from J&R Audio for just under $400, including overnight delivery. I would buy from them again.

Bottom line: The STR-DB830 is a solid, well-built unit, with many useful features, a good remote, and excellent performance at a reasonable cost. We are very happy and satisfied with it, and recommend it to our friends. This reciever is a serious contender, especially if one has budget considerations. Rating: 5 X 5, hands down.

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Heath AR-29, Sony STR-DE405, Sony STR-DE715/SDP-E800

great power, clean sound, impressive style

remote is tricky

this unit is great. i had shopped around for a dolby digital reciever for 2 months and stumbled across this one accidently. i considered the yamaha 5150, 1105, sony str-de835 and 935. my best friend has a str-de835, my brother has a str-de935 and this one is better than both of them!! i decided against the yamaha's due the the lack of a good sale price. the only thing the db-830 lacks is the cool remote you get with the 935 or the db-930. but so what!! the sound is fantastic in stereo mode or in a dvd/home theatre setup. i was blown away when i hooked it up. im using it powering mb-quart domain 55 towers and domain bookshelf rears. it really brings out the quality of these speakers. the sound is deep and realistic. i didnt experience any problems with high volume use. i played "the matrix" at a completely obscene volume and the speakers responded beautifully without clipping. i could never get them to that volume with my old pioneer unit. it is a fantastic looking piece too!! i completely recommend this unit for the home theatre user. i paid 399.00 at a sony store in a mall near me. what a find!!

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pioneer

Excellent soundfields, auto-switching, sturdy! construction, plenty of inputs

none for my listening tastes

I love it. I'm fairly new to home audio, but have been working on PC audio for years now. This receiver is able to handle the high volume of the optical out of my sound card with ease. It has an amazing level of settings, and is the perfect hook up for gaming, whether it be a console or the computer. The amazing amounts of adjustments really help me overcome the shortcomings of my speakers (my treble is a bit too harsh), and night theatre setting is a blessing since I am in a college dorm. For
***$360 DELIVERED*** from www.soundcity.com, nothing compares in sound and quality. As for the remote...I tend to agree with the others...what a pain to read that thing at night in the dark...

Rup

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Old, old Sony (first ever with digital volume control :o)
Kenwood vr3080,

Clean sound, inputs/outputs, s-video, binding posts for all speakers

Remote, sound quality.

I bought this receiver based on the reviews from this board. I was considering Onkyo 575, but its lack of s-video inputs shutted me off. Wish I had bought an Onkyo regardless of its lacking of s-video. You can't say anything wrong with this Sony receiver, but my old onkyo 454 simply sounds better and is more enjoyable to litsen to. My advice, trust your own ears.

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Onkyo 454

Good power, plenty of inputs, minimal hiss, DD 5.1, DTS

No digital input for CD player (so I used one of the others and renamed it) Remote is not great, but not as bad as its reviews make it seem.

As you will see, I like Sony stuff. It's not the greatest, but the prices are not bad, and I've only had one lemon VCR out of all the Sonys I've purchased over the years (and even that still works, it's just got a few bugs)
As for the DB830, I like it a lot. It gives me a much better listening experience than the D615 (which was, in turn, better than its predecessor) and that's all that really matters. Are there better products at this price point? (I paid $351 at J&R) Maybe. But I've got all this Sony equipment that I'm happy with, so it fits right into the mix. I was a little disappointed that I could have gotten the DB930 for $399, but I really didn't need the subtle upgrades, anyway. For my purposes, this is a fine unit at this price.
The upgrade from DPL to a 5.1 setup is truly remarkable! The output actually has my rear speakers doing something besides echoes and little ambient sounds. DVD viewing is much more involving as a result.
I usually use 2 channel stereo for music, and with decent, fairly forgiving speakers, this unit sounds fine to my non-audiophile ears. If you're using horns or other bright speakers, your results may vary.
If you're looking for a new receiver in the $400 ballpark, and would like decent HT capabilities, I recommend this unit highly. My thanks to the reviewers at this site who helped me narrow my shopping to the DB series-I otherwise would probably paid as much or more for the DE series.
My HT/music system as it sits today:

Sony: STR-DB830
KV-32V15 TV
CDP-C445 CDP
TC-WR545 dual cassette
DVP-S530D DVD/CD player
SLV-777HF VCR
PS-LX250H TT

Klipsch: KSW-12 sub.
IW-150 in-wall surrounds

B&W: DM-602 S2 mains
LCR6 S2

At $351, a top value rating for sure, and there may be better better receivers in this neighborhood, but I haven't heard them.

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This replaces a Sony STR-D615, to the benefit of my basement HT