Sound reproduction, Sound Fields options, You gotta love the blue light indicator when it decodes Dolby Digital.

Get''s pretty hot, there is a slight hiss in the speakers at low volume and in the lull point of a song...but for a starter unit it this thing"romps hawad".

First off...for the money, you will not be able to find a better A/V receiver. The STR-DE845 was my babystep into the world of HT and this unit has spurred me into diving in and seeing what else is out there in the Home Audio world. In the past I had some bad experiences with Sony products, but this more than makes up for it. Sony did a great job of offering a quality product at a reasonable price. For those who are getting into the HT scene, use this to get your feet wet. Not only that, after you figure the capabilities of the remote you will actually raise your I.Q level at least 40 points.

Similar Products Used:

AIWA, Pioneer

For the price you would be hard pressed to beat this receiver, plus it has more digital inputs than higher priced receivers. Two sub outputs.

Just like most of the other reviews the remote sucks. Its pretty cool looking but its a pain to use.

I've had this unit for over 4 months using Sony speakers and have detected no hissing from the rear speakers. This unit has plenty of sound fields though I probably use only three of them. I love it and think its a better bargain than the STR-DE945 even though the sorry @ss remote is not two way. I control this receiver with a Sony RM-AV2100.

Similar Products Used:

Sony De545

It is a decent reciever, nothing special

Sound is not very clear and has some distortion when volume is turned up.

This is a great "starter" receiver for someone who is not to particular on having the best sounding system. It does well with separation of the channels. The remote sucks!! I got it for a great price($300) for dd/dts reciver. You can't use sub when in stereo mode, every other brand lets you use it!

DTS/Dolby digital/Pro-logic decoding, wide selection of DSP/surround modes, in-built Equalizer function, remote can control some other branded components and has a LCD screen for confirmation of selections, there is a six-channel input for future formats that may come out!

Not too many - the remote does not have learning capabilities and you have to scroll down in search of a particular component rather than actually having that button for you to just press! Does not a have a (LED)light indicator on the volume knob to tell you where you are.

When I first set-up the STR-DE845 and plugged it in, a colourful demonstration comes up on the display which was quite good to see it all light up and go through it's features and names on the display. Not knowing what and how to set up next, I consulted the instruction manual which got me on my way on setting up the speaker sizes, the viewing distances from each speaker and a few other parameters that it asks for. I really don't mind the blue light on top of the receiver and think it makes it look good, making it the main attraction of the all the components. The remote is fairly simple to operate and program in the other branded components although it does not operate a couple of my other components as they were not in the lists of brands in the remote(this is where the learning feature should come into it!). Other than this and what is mentioned above the remote is pretty good and the LCD is handy to see and change what DSP/surround mode you are on, and go through other lists and parameters within the remote.
Great sound and and plenty of sound fields to experiment with movies and music should keep most people satisfied. A great unit for the price with plenty of inputs and outputs and all the features you need. Nice power with 100W to each channel. Well recommended home theatre amplifier along with it's younger brother the STR-DE545. The best receiver out at the moment with these features at the price! Go get it..

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DE705, Pioneer A-107

Number and Flexbility of settings

None

Wonderful sound quality and it was a great value. Many surround modes and all are adjustable. Even remote allows tweaking. Recommend that you try the macro mode on the remote.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Onkyo

Great Bass, Very Clear Sound, NO HISS

Runs a little warm

I upgraded to the 845 because of the hiss I had coming from my 545 (which was a receiver I really disliked). I payed an extra $100 CAD for the upgrade and boy am I glad I did. This Receiver brought out sounds I didnt know my speakers could make. The sound is crisp and clear (and hiss free). Even my old tapes sounded nearly CD quality, with no hiss or background noise. The bass is very deep and clear. The bass boost really deepens the tone and turns up the sub. It looses a little clarity, but not too bad. It has many more surround environments than the 545 which is good because I was disappointed with the lack of selection on the 545. You can name your tuner presets which is great because I can never remember which station I have at which preset. Okay, I've only had this product one day, so I havent even played with all of the toys yet. But I had the 545 for 2 weeks and hated it. The two are night and day, in both sound and performance. After reading the other reviews I became nervous about buying this receiver because of the weakenesses that seemed prominent. Firstly was the remote... it does take a little getting used to, and there are a few things that I do dislike, but overall it works really well and suits the machines. The macro programming should be great fun to play with. Secondly, the volume knob is not clearly marked, and in a dark room it is very hard to tell how loud your system will come on. But so far this hasnt been any problem for us. Thirdly, the unit does run a little warm. I played the unit on tuner for 10 minutes and noticed the heat being generated through the top, but I havent noticed any adverse effects from this. I think that anybody considering an updrade from a 545 or lower unit should try this receiver out. It is a great value (at least at the deal I got for it) and a big step up!!

Similar Products Used:

STR-DE545

Plenty of Power,Great Looking, Small Size makes it easy to fit in tight places,Great sound quality

Definately not having a light on the volume knob.

I had the JVC 6500 with Cambridge Sound Works 308's. The sound was very tinny and the reciever did not power my center channel or sub-woofer to my liking. After talking to a sales rep from HIFI.COM I traded it for the 845. Wow! To say that there was a difference was an understatement! The sound quality is ten fold over the JVC and actually makes the JVC sound like junk. You have infinate adjustments, and even the stereo broadcasts can be made to sound great through the surround sound. I, unlike many others, do like the remote. If you take the time to use it, it is very logical. I would not expect a unit of this quality to come with a cheesy remote that did not do everything the system was capable of. I had a tight fit under a stand where I had to stack my DVD on top of the receiver. This receiver is one of the smallest height wise. This receiver and a Sony 560 DVD(23/4 inches tall)stacked to only 9 inches tall. I did install a fan just in case. This unit sounds great!!

Similar Products Used:

JVC RX6500

Clear sound, lots of features.

WEAK BASS and DTS not great.

This is a piece of junk. Its alright for the price but this reciever isnt powerful. I get barely any bass reponse from DTS and my Infinity speakers arent getting a workout like my Denon reciever does. If you are looking into a reciever go for Denon or Harmon/Kardon

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Older Sony

Dolby Digital,DTS

None

Awsome reciever Highly recomend it!!!

Similar Products Used:

Sony strde-v220

Dolby Digital,DTS

None

Awsome reciever Highly recomend it!!!

Similar Products Used:

Sony strde-v220