Offered a lot of features at an offordable price and better sound quality than my existing system

Blew power transistors twice under warrenty which were repaired under warrenty. Notice the third failure two days after warrenty expired and sony in burbank california refused to fix it under warrenty.

This Sony prodcut their customer supoort is absolutely the worse thing I have encountered as long as I have been buying electronics products over last 20 years. The STR-DE915 reciever is a piece of SH-1-T. All the common problems with heating up and blowing up power transistors, resulting in loosing speaker output, front, rear center etc. Anybody know about any class action lawsuite going on against Sony through Consumer Union or similar organizations to force Sony to recall this product. One of the reviewers mentioned that the unit actually caught fire while in use which is a big safety concern.

By the the transistors are readily available at electronic component stores and can be replace if you know how to use a soldering iron. Getting the units repaired for over a hundred dollars, does not make sense because this is a design problem and the transistors will go out again anyway. Maybe a cooling fan (similar to the one used by computer power supplies) may help the heating problem.

Good luck and stay away form this other sony products.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz, Panasonic and Technics amplifier used for many many years without encountering any failures at all.

Good sound quality with DVD movies.

Runs hot and front rear channels blow out!!!!!

I am the newest victim of this lemon now that i've read all these reviews. After owning it for 3 years, my receiver went out on me last week while we were watching Space Cowboys on DVD. The front and rear channels just flat out died. No sound, nada! I too feel like i've been majorly dissed by Sony since the STR-DE915 should have had a product recall.

Can someone tell me about the circuit protection feature on the DE915? I couldn't find anything in the manual about it. Just for grins, i'll have my electronics savvy friend see if a diode and/or resistor blew out.

I will go with a different brand from now on. Avoid this model at all cost! I will check into the Onkyo line of A/V Digital receivers. Even a refurbished Onkyo would outlast the STR-DE915.

Similar Products Used:

None

Free loaner.

Remote. Sound quality. Controls. Bewildering array of mediocre soundfields.

I have this receiver on loan from a friend (who was given it by another friend...), and have no money to replace it, so if I want to listen to home theater, this is what I get.

By the way, like most home theater receivers, this unit can run quite hot, so make sure it's at the top of the stack, and well-vented, because overheating can have awful consequences.

While it hasn't fried any of my speakers or blown out any channels (though I'm planning to put some fuses inline to the rear speakers after reading all these reviews), I find that I wouldn't recommend this receiver to anyone at any price. Well, maybe if the price were "free" and an upgrade were soon coming -- I'm sure this receiver will get loaned to someone else next...

What an awful design, a huge array of surround modes that all sound pretty much the same, a confusing remote, poor front-panel controls, a lousy manual...

The sound coming out of the receiver isn't really very engaging, this reciever manages to make speakers that I've had and enjoyed for many years, and that sound very nice on a 30-year-old Sansui Eight receiver sound dull, lifeless and lame, even when I fiddle around with the EQ (which is, of course, a cryptic task on the STR-DE915)

When I get the money to spend on a nice Marantz or NAD to replace it, I won't miss it at all.

Similar Products Used:

none. (I prefer old Sansui gear for stereo setup)

Affordable, Good sound fields, adequate inputs.

Surround speakers blow, constant protection circuit, gets hot, volume control crackling.

I purchased a STR-DE915 from Crutchfield in Nov. of 1998. Listened to it daily for about 2 years and then the rear speakers quit.(Just after warranty expired.) I took it to an authorized service center and waited 2 1/2 months for repair. Sony kept sending the wrong parts for repair. When I finally got it back I rushed in and hooked it up for a long awaited audio fix. Well what would you know, it sounded great for every bit of 4-5 minutes and then the protection signal flashed on and an audible pop followed by a wisp of smoke. I immediately turned the unit off and unplugged it. The case was extremely warm. While looking for solutions and another service center, I came upon this sight and read that everyone else is having the same problems I am and have had them for quite sometime with no help from Sony in correcting an obvious defect. I think I see class action on the horizon with this product. As for me I am going to purchase an Onkyo cut my losses, and put this monster to bed. I have never had the problems with other products that I have had with this one. A word to those who have purchased a Sony STR-DE915, keep your proof of purchase and if you have lost or misplaced it then find it, your probably going to need it.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood, Jvc

back then it was a good price for Doby digital and 100Watts

rear channels quit and runs quite hot

Not and audio expert so I can't compare the sound. But it quit after the warranty ended. I also had a Sony beta VCR that died when it was new and a Sony CD player with a sticky CD drawer. I am beginning to have doubts about Sony's realiability. I hope their TVs last longer.

I won't buy another Sony receiver, looking for something more realiable.

Don't waste your time looking at comparable receivers from Pioneer, Yamaha, or Kenwood. The wicked truth is that all these receivers are slightly more expensive, yet can't hold a candle to the capabilities to the STR DE915. When I was first in the market for a Doulby Digital receiver, I was a little discouraged. After listening to several different models, I was convinced that it was impossible to get anything decent for less than $1000. Thank God for Sony. This receiver is everything I dreamed of...and more. The imaging is remerkably clean, and I notice virtually no distortion in any range when it is cranked. Unless you're Bill Gates, Steve Forbes, or August Busch, this is the Doulby Digital receiver for you.

Great sound...don't bother with the different surround settings -- they're worthless. If you don't want to burn $1000 and wanna great bang for your buck, then this is the receiver for you.

I'm Film student at USC, needless to say I love movies and dolby digital has really impressed me thanks in part to this particular sony receiver. In my opinion when matched with the DVP-S3000 DVD palyer, it does the job. I paid $539 for it, and although this is my first venture into home audio/video I am very pleased with my purchase. I think most of the 41 DSP sound fields are superfluous, I only really use Dolby Digital and the Sony cinema soundfields, and I wish there were S-video connections, but those gripes aside, I would recommend this to anyone, especially those just getting in to all this home audio madness. Now if I could just find affordable speakers that I actually like.

I must agree that this is an impressive deal. I compared it to the lesser Sony's i.e. the DE815's and below and this one has superior internal components. The only drawbacks are that the DE915 does not have an s-video input or a coaxial s/pdif input only optical s/pdif and coaxial RF. Although those drawbacks probably don't affect or matter to most people. Overall, for what it offers I'm really impressed.

In my quest for the ultimate affordable home theater, I came across this sony reciver. Good Lord! AC-3 decoding built-in, 41DSP soundfields built-in, 100w x 5, and a pleasing, easy to understand interface. All for a retail of $700. Hmmm... well
maybe the fact that i got this beauty for about $450 (barely used) has influenced my well trained ears. This is the best
(bang/buck) receiver I have seen yet.