none so far

I got it at www.acousticsounddesign.com and they are the best price around and great service i have bought speakers from them since and i am very pleased

Lots of inputs (A & V), Plenty of power, Awsome quality construction and look, comes with an additional remote for second A/V out.

Kinda heavy. I use a Sony touchscreen, so I really can't say much about the included remotes.

I have to say, I've been a Sony advocate for quite some time. This is my third Sony receiver over the past 5 years. I usually have nothing but good things to say about them. To be honest, I did have a problem with the first V444ES that I purchased. Sometimes you get a lemon. It happens. OneCall.com took good care of me and made sure I had a replacement in a timely manner. The first reciever had some issues with the center channel output and onscreen programming. I can live without the OC programming, but well, you get the picture. My second receiver has been functioning without a hitch. I was very upset with Sony, but I firmly believe that they will correct any problems that they've had in the past year or so in future products. Obviously Sony has been around for years and you can't just give up on them after a few glitches. For the money I paid for this receiver and the abundant features it offers compaired to higher priced units, I wouldn't mind going through it all again to get what I have now. I am very happy with my new receiver and I plan to keep buying Sony products in the future.
My System:
Sony V444ES Receiver
Sony TC-WR565 Tape Deck
Sony SLV-R1000 VCR
Sony DVP-C650D DVD Player
Monster Cable HTS2500 Power Center
Acoustic Research Speakers all around

Similar Products Used:

Sony DE-935

many useful features: tons of input jacks, 120 wpc, 0.005% THD, clean sound. OVerall great music and HT receiver

remote can be more ergonomic, remote is too slow and not th emost practical. I still find myself using my DVD remote when htis one should replace all my remotes. Manual sucks.

This is my second review of the V444ES after owning it for over a month and I just wanted share my humble opinion with those who have bought it or are planning on buying it. I am aware of the problems that some of the reviewers have had from overheating to hissing. I am pleased to say that I have not encountered those problems and am very pleased with my receiver.

I must start out by saying that I like my Receiver. I wanted a receiver with a clean sound, the ability to push a lot of watts per channel (120 wpc) and great home theater setup. The V444ES satisfies those needs. It is by no means a high-end unit but for the money it competes well with others that cost hundreds more. Music is very clean. It separates the various sounds very nicely. I am able to pick up instruments that were not audible previously giving great presence to my CD recordings. Some audiophiles tell me that there are other receivers that are even better at separating sounds, putting you in the middle of the performance. That may be true but I am not willing to spend $2000 for a receiver right now. Home theater is also a treat as the V444ES does a great job of managing DVD playbacks.

The V444ES has a multitude of great features but would even be much better if Sony had thought about adding a built in fan, and integrating DTS-EX and THX on some of its ES line (probably the V555ES). I think if Sony wants to be a major player in this price range ($800 - $1400) it has to consider true 6.1features (virtual 6.1does not cut it). Nevertheless this is a great system for the money – meaning loads of features including component video in and out, two way remote, etc. Therefore, comparing the V444ES to others in its class merits a five star from me.

Comparing this to my dream receiver, Marantz SR 18EX, is futile which some reviewers want to do. That is like comparing apples to oranges and is not fair. For now the Sony V444ES exceeds my expectations at making my music a pleasure to listen to and putting me in a theater setup without having to spend $20 for a movie ticket and popcorn.

Plenty of power. Very good DSP modes

HISS

I had this receiver for about a week before I returned it to the store. The receiver was hissing so much I could hear it anywhere in the room. I was so pleased with the receiver from other aspects though, that I tried everything to get rid of the hiss. I disconnected and reconnected all other equipment and speakers. Still hissing. I moved it to another AC outlet to get it away from the TV set and cable box. Still hissing.

Although many seem happy with their Sonys the hiss noise was driving me crazy. When I returned it to the store they would not let me have a new one but rather gave me my money back.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 575X

Lots of power. Clean sound. SONY.

DB series build quality. 2nd remote not learnig or 2-way.
Poor manuals. SONY.

I have only had the unit a few hours but wanted to get this up for any potential buyers.
Nice looking unit. ES Series quality (supposedly).
Looking through the slots on top the only indication that the inside is any different from the DB-940 I returned is the BIG transformer with the ES sticker on top. The unit is not very heavy (37lbs) so I question the power supply circuits.
The unit sounds GREAT! very clean/crisp and can be tweaked to your liking. I returned a SONY STR-DB940 receiver to wait for this one and I must say I am a little dissapointed.
Guess I expected it to be more like the 777ES with an MSPR of $999. Sony did gold plate all the jacks, add 6.1 channel matrix surround (Dolby EX decoding) composite video switching and a few more setup options. The 2nd remote advertised to work from another room will only do so with an optional IR repeater and is not the 2-way learning unit, it is a simple volume control/source selection unit. Overall I am pleased with the unit but wish I had been able to get more info before the plunge. Will review again after I have had more time to play with it. D.

Similar Products Used:

SONY STR-DB940

Before I receive another 3000 emails, I need to clarify a little on my last post. The 6.1 Dolby EX decoding is VIRTUAL MATRIX ie:CINEMA SOUND, there is no amplifier or output for the rear channel, however according to the manual if you do not use a front center channel speaker the unit will output the 6th/rear channel sound thru that output.
Also I meant to say COMPONENT not composite video switching.
Sorry for the confusion, it was late.

looks, features, and crisp sound when working

gets very very HOT

I had this receiver for about 6 hours until it burned and died. Before it overheated the sound was crisp. The flexibiliy and features are also great and probably more than you will ever need.

I had on the tuner (at a low to middle volume - about 3 on the knob) and started to noticed a burning unpleasant smell. When I touched the top of the receiver it was buring (and I mean burning) HOT. I lowered the volume figuring to lessen the load but as I was doing that it went into PROTECTOR mode and could not be reset.

Crutchfield is a great place to deal with. They gave me a RMA # immediatly and shipped me out a STRV333es. After I received the STRV333es, I plugged everything in and believe it or not I had NO VIDEO. I could not believe it I could hear everything (tv, dvd, vcr) but NO PICTURE. I called Crutchfield walked through all connections - eliminated all connections except one and nothing worked - NO PICTURE. So needless to say that unit also went back.

I have decided to give up on Sony (and I'm a longtime Sony fan) and look elsewhere. Currently I am trying the Marantz SR8000. So far so good - I have sound, video and I could touch the top without burning my hand.

It appears to me that Sony is having some problems with these new models. I'm sure if you find one that actually works - it is probably a quality unit and a good value for the money but for me it was time to move on.

Similar Products Used:

strv333es, marantz sr8000

setup and sound ... great for Home Theater!!!

remote

I've had my unit for 3 months and I turn it on every day. I use it mainly for HT, but a occasional CD also sounds wonderful. The multitude of input/outputs on the unit allows me to connect every piece of a/v equipment I have to it with some to spare.

The sounds is strong and I have had no problems with it. I was concerned about the over-heating mentioned about this unit, but it has never been a problem. It has plenty of overhead room in my cabinet and open in the back to get plenty of circulation. The unit does get warm, but so does every unit on the market when you push it... and trust me...I like to be "involved" in the movies/music. I had some JBL S312's that really make the unit sound strong and clean.. just ask my neighbors. I am very pleased with this unit and would recommend it to anyone looking for a lot of bang for his buck.

Tons of features: 2 component in and one out plus all the other jacks. 5 year warranty. Clean sound, no distortion

The remote needs to be revamped to make LCD clearer to read.
Poorly written operation and remote instructions

I bought this receiver yesterday and after setting it up it is clear that Sony needs to go back to the drawing board on their manuals. The operating manuals are poor in their guidance. They need to be more expansive, especially for the uninitiated. I should not have to try to figure some things out on my own. That is one glaring deficiency. The unit certainly gets hot but not alarmingly so. I have the receiver hooked up to Def Tech. BP2006Tl bipolar speakers and am amazed by the cleaness and clarity of sound. Becasue it is still ealry for me I will reserve complete judgement until later

This is a follow up to my past review. That particular batch had some problems with it and was recalled. I have since upgraded to the Denon AVR 3801.