Value for money Versatility and power versus the DVD/Amp alternatives available in Oz (for those who don't have the energy and audiophile-ear to look for custom speaker setups)

Lack of an optical output, lack of S-video output Speaker wire

I had no idea this unit existed in Oz as none of the major chains carry it, and to contain costs I was looking to buy an all-in-one box such as the Sony DAV-S500 system, or similar. But I noticed the 8330 when looking through Strathfield Car Sound's website - they normally carry only no-name Chinese brands - so my guess is they are grey importing the system(?). Anyway, for the same money as the DAV-S500 I was able to get this system (with significantly more power and future versatility) and the new entry level slimline Sony DVD (the DVP-NS305), which matches the aesthetics of the amp. I have a reasonably large lounge room and the sub is more than adequate for an apartment building if I want to keep my lease. But as almost everyone else pointed out, the speaker wire needs replacement - it's about as thick as dental floss.

Similar Products Used:

Technics midi pro-logic system

Remote, sound, Features and manual

no S-Video

This system rocks. I looked for 6 months before finding this system at a price I couldn't pass up. I purchased 18 gauge speaker wire, digital cable and a new sub cable because this was a out of the box sale. The manual was very good and it was quick to setup. I had to change the setup on my dvd player so the auto detect would work. The dvd's sound great I had no idea what I was missing until I played some of my dvd's after hooking up The Home Theater System. The speakers have great sound and the sub is good for a small room. The system has options I havn't even got to yet and I'm already happy with my choice to purchase this system. I can't imagine anyone needing more features than this system offers.

Similar Products Used:

None

DTS support, full sound for a budget price, lots of features on the reciever.

No s-video, cheap speaker wire, not a TRUE center channel speaker, no tweaters in any of the speakers.

This review is going to be similar to all the other reviews, and that means that the system is consistant in all the reviews. This means you can trust us and buy this system if you are looking for all of the stuff described in the reviews. First of all this system is GREAT for the PRICE. I got mine for under $300. I ended up paying $321 because I bought new speaker wire, when you see the stuff you get in the box you will want to do the same thing so save yourself a second trip to the store and grab some 12 or 16 gauge speaker wire. All 5 speakers that come with the system are exactly the same so you do not have a TRUE center channel speaker. The reciever is almost exactly the same thing as the DE575 from Sony, the only difference is 4 more DSP sound choices and I think you get 2 S-Video in/outputs. I was not going to use them so I was not missing them. I am happy with the system for what I paid, obviously it will not perform as well as a $500 reciever and $300 speakers that you can get from tons of other systems but for $300-$350 for a complete system, you really can''t go wrong. There are other buget systems out there from Pioneer and the like but I could not find a comparable system at any of the local stereo stores I shop at in my area. I bought mine at Best Buy and there were 2 other systms that were less in price, an Aiwa and an RCA, neither sounded nearly as full as the Sony. If you are thinking about buying this system and you have compared it to others I believe you will not be dissapointed.

Good features user friendly remote and interface good sub

weak power

I think overall its a good value for the price. I recently upgraded the speakers and that made a lot of difference. I have one question for anyone that has this system, I have turn my volume up to 30 to get some serious power coming out of my speakers. I have a friend with a older editon sony reciever and he only has to turn up to 18-20 to get the same output. I was wondering why

Plenty of inputs, great sound, easy operation, I like the sub just fine in my room. Good value

No S-Video, speakers, cheap speaker cables, no a/c plug ins,

To be honest, I was not at all sure about buying a Sony when I went shopping for a system and I was willing to pay a lot more than I did. What sold me on it was the sound that the system produced in the middle of a warehouse. While I do watch movies, my primary motivation for purchasing a system was music. After getting it home and figuring out all the different settings and configurations I was pleased with the over all sound but it was lacking some midrange. I remedied this by purchasing a good pair of mains (JBL, N38''s) and have been completely happy ever since. If you are buying just for home theatre, the original speakers sound great. As a Home theatre package this is a great value;the sound is extraordinary (especially in DTS). I find the surround modes even make my tv (not digital) sound impressive. I recommend using audio DVD''s recorded in DD5.1 or DTS to really appreciate the quality of the sound output. I could have spent more money but I didn''t need to.

Recevier is DD 5.1 and DTS, sounds great for the price.

Subwoofer and in-box cables.

This is a great system for the money. It sounds great and has support for my favorite, DTS. It took me about 30 minutes to go through the manual and set up the endless list of features. You can adjust everything from speaker size, height, depth and location, as well as frequencies. The speakers are very small which for me was a must b/c I didn't want the speakers to stick out like a sore thumb. I don't know what the guy in the review before me was talking about when he said the speakers made a "popping" noise. I have yet to experience this and I have watched about 20 DVD's while using it. My guess is he didn't take the time to read the manual and set up the system correctly. You must read the manual if you want to take full advantage of this system.
One of the biggest weaknesses with this system is the subwoofer, 50W just won't cut it in a big room. I have it in a room that is about 15'x20' with no open doorways and it is still a little weak. If you were think of putting this in a larger room or a room with alot of openings you may want to look elsewhere or buy a bigger sub. I bought another identical sub from Best Buy and hooked them both up through a Y-splitter and it sounds 10x better. The other weakness is the speaker cable. It's extremely thin and cheap, I would recommend that you buy some Monster or Acoustic Research wire when you purchase this system. I would also recommend buying a better sub cable. I like Acoustic Research cables, they are very good quality and alot less than overpriced Monster Cables. Unless your looking to piece together a sytem, you can't beat this system for the money and I don't think anyone looking for a home theater system would be disappointed.

Similar Products Used:

Sony Pro Logic System about 3 years old.

Receiver, and the Speakers

None

At first I was not going to buy this product, until I heard the sound from these speakers. I was shocked as well as my daughter, once we heard them. We could not beieve it. I do not know why the other guy said the speakers made a "pop" sound. I do not think he connected it up correctly. Be that as it may, for the price of this system, you cant go WRONG.....

Similar Products Used:

None

small, convenient, easy to mount

sub

Overall, I enjoy using this package. It sounds pretty good considering its relatively low price. One thing I noticed is that while watching regular tv (albeit digital cable) I get some distortion periodically. Its something I dont see while watching dvds. Anyone else have that problem, or have any suggestions for me??

Using with Panasonic DVD RP-56...pretty good sound

Small Speakers, easy to understand remote, phosphorescent buttons on remote, sound is excellent for home theater, but it's just ok to listen to music.

-Subwoofer miss power.
-No affordable Sony "silver color" DVD compatible CD-R CD-RW
-No AC power plugs behind the amplifier (to plug DVD or Tape Deck)

Like Mike from Oxford, I installed one more subwoofer (Sony model # SA-W10) and the sound is really better.

I was really disappointed when I saw that there was no affordable Sony "silver color" DVD compatible CD-R CD-RW to match with my amplifier. There was only one model avalaible at 400$ US...

Powerful receiver and subwoofer, remote

speakers

Sounded great at first, but after a couple of days the speakers started to "pop", so I returned it. The subwoofer, although only 50 watts, sounded great, though. The remote is also well laid out. But, they're not enough to make this package worth buying.