Solid build, DTS, good speaker connection posts

MANUALS (Also, "demo" mode in initial setup confusing, but you just use this feature once...)

This initial 5 star rating is just to counteract the idiot who has posted two 1 star ratings for this receiver. I have owned this receiver for about 7 days and will post a more complete review once I have tested more features and various HT setup options.

From reading the Bulletin Boards and reviews, it seems this STR-DB930 is the best receiver for under $500 while the Denon AVR-3300 is the best receiver for under $1000. I wanted to spend under $500 for a receiver, I chose this unit.

IMO, the DTS feature for playing DTS formatted DVD's such as Antz or Saving Private Ryan, is far superior to these same DVD's being played using the DD format. Some suggest this improvement stems from the DVD itself, but IMO the DTS feature itself is also responsible for this improved audio performance. Review the message board posts for comments on DTS vs. DD.

Similar Products Used:

My HT Setup is:
STR-DB930
Energy Take 5 with ESL8 Sub
Toshiba 3109
Older Sansui Hi-Fi VCR

Good value, excellent DD and DTS

manuals

It's obvious that anyone trashing this receiver hasn't used it- that's true no matter how many reviews he posts- this receiver does a great job with movies and music. Other receivers also do a fine job but this one suits me and a lot of people it seems. If you can afford to pay more and that's the way you want to spend your money go ahead and enjoy! It's just nice to know that don't have to spend over 500.00 for a solid enjoyable receiver. I brought a Sony 333ES home for a few days but returned it because I needed s video switching, the salesman told me it could but it couldn't. I couldn't tell the difference in sound quality between these two units and I ended up saving a lot of money with the mail order DB930. At first some DD discs were showing up as DPL and I didn't know why, then I checked the discs themselves and found that often the dvd will default to DPL and you have to change that in the set up screens. Got mine shipped from One Call for 425.00.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 333ES

all the bells and whistles you'll ever need

poorly written manuals

this receiver does about anything you could ever want for way less than comparable models. the guy below says go with denon and i'm sure the denon is higher quality but i paid $416 delivered for my str-db930 while he recommends the denon avr-3600dts which i've seen listed at $1485!!!! they are both beautiful units and i suppose the denon has higher quality componentry inside, but i think i'd much rather save that $1000 for a pair of speakers. all in all, i couldn't be more pleased with the unit though the guys at soundcity need to learn to quit playing phone tag with their customers.

customizable features(tons)good sound quality dts,digital etc.well built

no remote tuning,difficulty in setting up non sony cd..poor manuals

bought this receiver from sound city through buying edge.com .Buying edge found 2 places to get the db930 for $389,but sound city answered my emails promptly,so I went with them.(excellent service from sound city,,contact Rich Hansen.Three days from order it arrived,securely packaged and double boxed).
The first thing I noticed was how heavy this receiver was.Really well made!! After connecting everything(no help from the manual..)I powered up and set the radio stations.Everything was fairly straightforward.However,when attempting to connect my Pioneer 25 disk changer I ran into a problem. I attempted to connect the remote jack from the cd to the 930's A1/11 control jack,but was unable to control my cd player(if anyone knows how to accomplish this please email me)so now I can use the cd but I am unable to use the remote control.I have to get up and use it manually.Speaking of remotes,this one seems to grow on you the more you use it..it doesnt seem to offer am/fm tuning up and down,however,just presets or direct input of the numbers.
The sound fields seem quite effective,but can drive you bonkers trying to adjust for that perfect sound quality.Some people(like me)love to tinker,so having this many possible adjustments could even be considered a perk. I've noticed that this unit gets a little warm,but not enough to be of any great concern.
All in all, the receiver seems to be of good value,especially for the price I paid. I'm no "audiophile",my expertise
in audio is as limited as my budget,but I think this receiver is of quality.

Similar Products Used:

pioneer vsx series

power, flexability, features, and sub 500 dollar price point (online).

not a well laid out remote. instruction manual. sub pre-out(s) crossover not adjustable.

this is an initial review since i just got the receiver a couple of days ago and there's lots to be digging into before i post a full review. but upon first look and listen, this receiver is big and brawny for a sub 500 dollar unit. weighs about 30 lbs, and looks great. has a flip down front panel which i like alot so there's less backlighting to distract from movies, etc. power is plenty for an apartment dweller like myself (110 watts x5 in surround, and 110 watts x2 in stereo). speaker posts for all speakers is a big plus- no more clip style or spring style connectors. plenty of s-video ins for s-vhs, game consoles, etc. 2 subwoofer pre-outs. and NO that's not ONE too many! soundfields galore.....which i have yet to try ALL of them. i could probably do without the thin, blue "decoding" light on the unit. kinda bothersome to see out of the corner of your eye. from what cd's i've played on it, the sound is spacious, albeit a little on the bright side- which i prefer. will post a more in-depth review as i get more use out of it. (work is a b*tch, isn't it???)

Similar Products Used:

sony str-d1090

Amazing Sound Field Options, ES Looks, I/O's out the ass!!

Amplifiers are not as clean compared to ES.

This is the best reciever you could ever hope to get for this price ($475.00 OneCall.com) and as with all of sony's products you get unbelevable control over everything. the remote could have been better but it still gets a 5 from me.

Similar Products Used:

STR-925

Good sound, lots of S-VHS inputs

Remote

Incredible value for the money. Unfortunately I
paid $475 w/2nd day Fedex from onecall.com, but if I
had waited for www.buyingedge.com I could have gotten it
for $415 ground from soundcity.

The primary reason I got this over other receivers was the
number of S-VHS inputs. Not quite on every input, but enough
to handle DVD, Satellite, and S-VHS VCR, and in addition
has a front-panel S-VHS input for the camcorder.

Have just started playing with it, but so far it has
great sound, lots of features.

I can't say I like the remote. It may be powerful, but
is not very usable. For instance, the Guide button for
the satellite is located under the cover - what sense does
that make? That's the number one button I use on my
satellite remote! I would have preferred lots more buttons -
maybe higher learning curve, but saves time over the long
run.

Similar Products Used:

Replaced older Sony, also have older Pioneer with
just Pro-Logic

Sound and versatility of the remote

None

I finally received my STR-DB930 from Sound City, $407.00 delivered. The hookup was quite simple. The receiver is, however, equipped with quite a lot of tweaks and a thorough reading of the manual is a must. The same goes for the remote's manual. It has always been my position to appreciate the technical and engineering decisions made by a manufacturer, especially one with Sony's reputation. On this topic, I have noticed many reviewers finding the remote to be a weak feature of this fine receiver. Quite the contrary. Once the manual is mastered, the remote becomes quite sophisticated in the tasks it will perform. Though video switching from the remote does not seem to be mentioned in the manual, it can be performed by simply pointing the remote at the receiver when the appropriate video mode is selected and pressing the Easy Scroll Key. I must confess that I was quite satisfied with the sound from my Kenwood receiver. . . that is until I hooke up the STR-DB930. The difference in quality and sonic impact is palpable. I have been an audio enthusiast for more than ten years and have had Pioneer and JVC receivers in the past and a Carver 250-watt per channel amp. I have experimented with various speakers, including Boston Acoustics and B&W. Never, and I repeat, never have I experienced such a noticeable sound transformation as when I hooked up the Sony to my system. No noise, plenty of power, impeccable design. Considering the cost of the real high-end components, it seems trivial to debate the merits of one receiver over another in this price range, and even those receivers costing twice as much. We must remember that this receiver sells for $600.00 at the local Good Guys, and my favorite high-end dealer carrying the ES line had it listed for $699.00. Therefore, reviewers are making a mistake by downgrading this receiver because it can be purchased for $400.00. Obviously, Sony is making a marketing move and trying to popularize its sonic equipment with the discriminating purchaser. Otherwise, why would the STR-DB930 be the exclusive domain of ES dealers? To sum up, this receiver is a fantastic buy. Remember, Sony has not even placed this product on its website. Finally, I am somewhat surprised that some of us think that they can tell the difference between a Denon 3300 and the Sony STR-DB930 by simply listening to them. Sonic memory is of extremely short duration, and unless the A-B switching is lightning fast, which it isn't, the only way to truly appreciate the sonic differences in receivers is to listen to each one at length, in an identical setting, while a favorite and well-listened-to CD is playing. And even then. One need only read the reviews comparing DTS and Dolby Digital to realize that not everyone agrees the DTs is superior to Dolby Digital. You cannot go wrong with this receiver!

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood 1080

Good bass end and fun to use

Under study

I own this machine for more than one week now.
It turned out to be a well designed device, especially
the bass end and the fun remote. I am still
studying it and may report what I find in here.

The questionable thing to me right now is the power rating.
The specification says it is 100w/ch. Thus, for 5 channels and RMS rating, the entire machine will draw
at least 500w power from the wall. Why the machine is
only rated 290w in the rear panel name plate?

Under $500. Incredible sound. More than ample power.

None

There is nothing bad to say about this reciever. Stay away from the DE935. It is horrible. Sony fixed the problems and added more with this model.

Similar Products Used:

Older Sony's