Incredibly "tweakable", unbelievable sound when connected to the SA-VE315 speaker package, options options options

no light on volume dial, rear speaker his when they are set above 3dbs.

(Hey, there is a T-Rex in my living room!) I have the Sony STR-DE845 and the Sony SA-VE315 surround sound speaker package. I must say that I'm completely blown away. I had previously owned a 7 year old Onkyo and a nice pair of Cerwin Vega speakers. I loved that system to death, often boasting that it was the best I'd ever heard. Playing DVD's on it was a blast but nothing prepared me for what I was about to experience with my new Sony setup (Hey, my walls are crumbling!).

The first thing I noticed was the amount of options and the level of tweakability the Strde845 has. I mean you can play with everything. Equalization on each speaker, bass cutoff points, speaker distances, speaker volumes levels, and on and on. By the time I was done tweaking everything, I had this beast roaring like a lion (Hey, a heard of elephants just trampled my carpet!). It has 10 or 15 surround modes that are interesting to play with as well as the basic array of acoustic environments (hall, stadium, arena, game, etc.). To some, all these options and tweaks may be a negative, but I especially enjoy being able to tweak the sound based on the acoustics of my room. I spent over 4 hours on that aspect alone. So if you are like me, you'll be in heaven with this system. Another nice feature was the ability to create different equalization for each selected sound source. So I have one equalization setting for my DVD player, one for my digital cable input, one for my video game input, and so on (Hey, I think my patio door window just exploded!).

As for the remote, it was an adjustment, albeit one I liked. You can operate virtually every function of the receiver from the remote, which makes it really nice when you are customizing the sound. Some have complained about the fact that to get to most of the most important buttons you have to flip the cover open. I found it to be a good idea since any accidental button pushing could result in a dramatically different sounding system. Besides, after tweaking the sound, I rarely ever need to change anything.

As for the sound of the receiver, I hooked it up to the aforementioned Cerwin Vega speakers and it produced result slightly less impressive than my Onkyo. It is obvious that this system was primarily made for home theater use, and let me be the first to tell you that it is here that this receiver shines. After connecting the Sony SA-VE315 speaker package to it, my movie watching experience entered another dimension. The sound reproduction is simply astounding. Crystal clear highs, bellowing lows, sound fields so realistic that I frequently am confused by what are real sounds and what are sound coming from my system. The sound imaging is so remarkable that many times nothing seems to be coming from the speakers themselves. For instance, a herd of stampeding elephants seems to run a across the floor in front of me as opposed to the sound merely panning from a speaker on one side of the room to the other (Hey, someone just ignited three grenades in the middle of my living room!). Or an exploding stick of dynamite appears to blow up behind and to the right of the TV as opposed to one side or the other. These types of effects are most evident in the surround sound marvel that is Saving Private Ryan (see the sound review at Amazon.com/dvd). The explosions are so real and BOOMING and coming from so many places in the room that after turning it off, you'll feel a slight adrenaline induced "buzz", as if you'd been on the beaches of Normandy yourself. Simply UNBELIEVABLE!

I bought these two items separately at Sears. Sears will match Internet prices but the salesmen don't like it because it cuts into their commissions. They also add shipping to the price. However, I did save about $150 off the retail price for both items. My recommendation on this system? Go get it. Now! (Aw man, a lion roared and scared my wife and kids upstairs... hmmm... cool!)

For any more questions about this package, email me.

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None

Power, Sound, DTS and DD, versatility, NO HISS!!!!!!!!!!!

None

OK I LIED!!! I put up a review of the 545 and said the hissing was a big deal. Then I started hearing it more and more. I guess I was in hiss denial. I went to sears took back the 545 and purchased the 845 (It didn't cost me a cent more because on the internet a site was selling it for 299 wow the same as the sears had the 545) Anyhow this reciever rules!!! It looks much better than the 545 with the dot matrix display. Te sound is unbelievable. It has way more power than the 100 watt 545. I didn't think tehre would be a difference but silence in silent scenes is a god send compared tot he hiss of the 545. Do yourself a favor, get rid of the 545 and buy the 845 you will be so glad you did!

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Sony 545

Great sound, powerful, lots of features, great equalizer (although a little weird, you can control the bass/treble and volume through each channel), good manual...hell, you name it... I like the remote, too :)

There is a little hiss at high volumes (only audible above half way when you're at a normal listening distance, and only at silent moments). It remains clean though past half so nothing to worry about there. Is a little decieving in that the Auto Format Decode will add the subwoofer in stereo when you're listening to stereo music, but when you specifically set 2 channel stereo it takes it off. One other thing which I've found a solution for regarding using an RCA video input and an S-Video outout to the monitor. Explained below.

Before you read this, let me say that this is a top of the line product. Worth every cent I payed for it. Now for the details.

The sound in DVD/VHS is fantastic. You have to hear Gladiator or MI:2 on this to believe it.

Great musically. I will note that if you let it use the Auto Format Decode feature, it will set stereo and use the subwoofer, but when you specifically set the reciever to 2 channel stereo it takes it off. Weird.

As explained in the weaknesses, there is a little hiss at high volumes (above half) but you can only hear it if you have no input signal or in silent moments. It's not very bad. Beyond that it goes high and clear with the sound above half.

Now, for those users who are having no video output when using an RCA video input to the reciever, and an S-Video output to the monitor: All you have to do is run an extra RCA cable from the monitor out to your monitor and it will go without a hitch. It has some problem sending the RCA signal through the S-Video cable.

Hope that helps you all out.

As for features, you can't ask any more of it. It's loaded.

Equalizer on all channeles, different sound fields, intuitive setup for speakers, great manual, I like the remote because I lack a universal remote that is better (there are a few, but not many) and it looks cool, DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, that cool blue light, you name it.

I compare this to my father's setup with Meridian digital speakers and components of overall cost of 50k+, and there is a difference, but not major. I am using two excellent B&W Matrix 800's and Sony SS-MB215's in the back with an Infinity Interlude 25 Center.

For $372, you can't beat it. SuperbSony, just superb. Get this baby some nice speakers, too, while you're at it. It's deserves it.

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Old Yamaha integrated amp, was pretty good.

powerful clean sound

remote

Blows my old pioneer prologic out of the water.Much better bass and overall cleaner sound. Remote looks trick but is not very user friendly

price, power, DTS, lots of inputs

none in the price range

This reciver has given me no problems so far. The power is plenty and having DTS is realy nice. The remote is realy not all that great and there is alittle hiss at high levels (above 12 o'clock) for the money this is an great reciver

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na

Great power, bass boost, EQ, 3 optical input,
100wx5 discrete output, 32-bit digital cinema sound!! etc..

EQ hard to figure out at first...
remote looks cool, but it's hard to get used to

OK... This reciever ROCKS!! It has more than enough power for all five channels. The bass boost is fantastic and the EQ gives a more accurate tone to movies and music. The digital cinema sound is exceptional! I put it on mode B and tweeked the surround enhancements and I was in heaven... The channel separation is incredible, especially in DD or DTS, probably becuse of the discrete output. A very clean sound in every mode. Some other reviews say that it has a lot of useless features, but most of them are virtual enhancements that only apply to people without 5.1 channels. I doubt that I'll ever really use the opera house or the church, or any of the hall/room modes on this reciever. But it doesn't bother me that they're there. It just gives me more features to play with. There are 3 optical inputs! which is great! Also 5.1 channel inputs and 1 coaxial input. Not to mention all the regular A/V inputs which all have s-video options. Make sure you have good speakers! i cant stress that enough. speakers are the most important things in your HT!!!

My system:
Sony reciver STR-DE845
Sony DVD DVP-S530
Front Spkrs AR-328PS
Center spkr AR-225PS
Rear spkrs AR-226ps
SUB AR-S112PS
27'JVC TV D-Series
It comes down to this... buy this reciever! it's very very worth it!! You won't be disappointed.

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onkyo, other sony, acoustic research, bose

Lots Of Power,Nice Display,Cool Remote,Strong Bass In All 5 Channels,Price,Tons Of Input And Output Jacks.

Slight Hiss In Rear Channels,No Light On Volume Control.

I DID ALOT OF RESEARCH ON THE SONY 845 AND THE JVC 7000, I PICK THE SONY CAUSE FOR 1 THE PRICE, IT WAS IN MY PRICE RANGE. I ALSO PICK IT FOR ITS STRONG OUTPUT, FOR ONLY A 100 WATT RECEIVER THIS BABY PACKS A PUNCH. THE HISS IN THE REAR IS NOT A REAL BIG DEAL, THE 845 COMES WITH PLENTY OF I/O JACKS AND IS EASY TO SET UP, THIS IS MY SECOND RECEIVER MY FIRST WAS A TECHNICS PRO LOGIC SYSTEM SO YOU KNOW ITS GONNA SOUND BETTER. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS SYSTEM TO ANYONE THAT IS LOOKING FOR A NICE LOOKING AND COLORFUL AND MAY I SAY LOUD AND GOOD SOUNDING RECEIVER.

I USE THE SONY 845 ON TECHNIC SPEAKERS WITH A PANASONIC DVD.

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Technics,JVC.

highly customizable, good theatre system

abnormal distortion and hiss above halfway on the dial

Seems overall to be a good value. I am sure prices will drop though. As a home theatre system it is awesome. No complaints.
As a home receiver i am somewhat dissappointed. If I take it above halfway all my speakers pick up hiss that increases with volume. At about 2/3s volume the distortion is very annoying. I have not tested full volume yet because distortion and hiss is so annoying. I think hiss goes away substantially in 2 channel mode.
Some awesome customization available (EQ, Surround, Speaker Placement, Invidual speaker EQ, sound surface,etc. When I play my regular CDs in surround/ac3 mode (sony allows you to do this), the center seems too dominant. I take it down 6db and then it is more palatable. Overall, I am happy with the system for casual home listening, movies, and small dinner parties. But I am dissappointed with it as a serious receiver or even as a boom box party system--if sony capped the wattage rating (60 watts per channel is more accurate), I wound't have been let down.
You might want to try and find this baby online at a cheaper price. I have bought stuff through Hifi farm and Brandnamez.com. Both sites offer excellent personal service and quick ship times

DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding

Too much bass in Dolby Pro Logic mode. Remote does not controll enough non-Sony products.

A great receiver for both beginner and Audiophile. Easy to setup and has multiple adjustments so you can customize to whatever sound you are looking for.

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Pioneer 509s

Good sound, resonable price, good features, design

remote, could have more features,

I really like this receiver. It's my first receiver but it has all the necessary features I need. It was relatively pricey versus similar receivers that had more features at a lower cost. I must admitt, what steered me to buy the STR-DE845 was the name Sony. This is still a bargain compared to the top brand recievers. I had read good reivews about this reciever. I really enjoyed the LCD remote although pushing the knob up and down was difficult. The back of this receiver was basic but had the necessary connections I wanted. I don't usually crank the volume high so I can't comment on how it does at high volume. At low-mid volume, the sound is clean and crisp for movies. I would like to see more different level of bass other than just the 1 bass boast setting. Watching movies on certain modes puts out too much bass for my liking. I don't know if it's my speaker but there's too much boom which shadows the background sound and dialogue. Overall, in my opinion, this a good speaker. If you are a novice consumer like me, this should satisfy your needs and is relatively easy on the pocket for those with tight budgets.