Sony DAV-S300 Mini Systems
Sony DAV-S300 Mini Systems
[Jan 26, 2002]
aht
Audiophile
Strength:
compact, all-in one, inexpensive, good picture
Weakness:
sound this system is adequate for playing dvds in a smaller room, where separate components and larger speakers are unwanted. for music, though, it is simply unacceptable. the speakers sound very thin, and the subwoofer is boomy. in addition, the dialogue on some movies is hard to hear. some movies attenuate the center channel, so that effects are more prominent, but i've never been annoyed by it on my main system, so the s300 may do some other signal processing that is making it worse. on the plus size, the dvd picture is very decent, esp if you use the s-video, and the component is small and not bad-looking. i just wish i'd waited until the newer models, which i'm told fixed many of these problems, and also play cdr, etc. |
[Sep 25, 2001]
Mihai Scortea
Audiophile
Strength:
Complete set, a lot of features for the money, clear warm and crisp image, lovely layout, excellent build and ease of use. Decent sound for a normal listening room.
Weakness:
Sound could be a bit better, Radio and CD should only be considered as "bonus" features. This is a convenience DVD kit. It does everything fine and does nothing wrong. It is meant to be an independent unit that is why there are only a few outputs for upgrading. The unit is quite easy to use and the DVD picture it provides is crisp-clear up to the point of being warm, without any trace of being digitalized. The sound is adequate; the amplifier does a fine job in separating the channels. This is a true Dolby Digital machine and no surrogate! The power and somewhat lack of mid-range frequencies are its only weaknesses. Don't get me wrong the speakers go loud enough to provoke complaints from other rooms. I only wish the bass were a bit more controlled, less inertia and boom. Overall this is a sleek system. If you want to get it louder, get an active sub. Similar Products Used: none |
[Feb 04, 2001]
Ryan M
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Great looks and sound.
Weakness:
Inputs. Where's the s-video inputs and component outputs??? So far so good. Great looking product with nice sound. I wish there was more video inputs and having at least one audio-only input would have been nice. Oh well, not a major issue. I would recommend this unit. Similar Products Used: Aiwa and Sony surround sound units. |
[Aug 02, 2001]
Sam
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Looks good, decent bass for small room
Weakness:
Horrible Satelites that creak Can't get the surround or center channel to work. Went through all the menu's and Sony's operator says that my call will be answere in approx. 80 minutes. The right and left sound good except for an occasional glitch. Similar Products Used: none |
[Jul 07, 2001]
Stan Hillier
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Easy to set up. Great directions, Remote fine.
Weakness:
Dialing up speaker adjustments. This was a great little unit for about two weeks then the DVD tray quit opening. GoodGuys.com has been the WORST to get help resolving a fix. Won't buy from them again. Sony and I are still working something out . I bought this unit for my 27' Airstream trailer, camping will never be the same.In this environment the sub is more than enough and 180watts is just right. Terminator2 rattled the trailer.Speaker adjustments work well once you get through the menu on the screen, could be a little frustating. But if you take the time to set it up the sound is great for what the system is. Overall finish of the unit is fine and don't let the size of the speakers fool you , they work well. Picture seemed good , Sony 27 Wega helps that. No jitter and the DVD setup is good . Now if I can just get the tray fixed.. I would not use this in a large room however if your wanting to get a taste of DTS and surround this is a good way to get started before you start spending big money. Similar Products Used: none |
[Mar 21, 2001]
Eric Hanson
Strength:
Price
Weakness:
Rear Speaker I love the compact sleek look. Fits well in my lower office. |
[Apr 24, 2001]
MIchael
Strength:
Does BOTH dolby digital AND dts
Weakness:
Non-powered sub (wish it was powered) This is a good solution for a small room setup /bedroom setup. I would not recommend it for a main room. The sound is adequate for home theater and passable for listening to music. This was purchased as a replacement for a cheap minisystem that went bad after many years and added dvd capability. Similar Products Used: Marantz SR-8000, Sony DVD S-330, NHT Superones, Superzeros, Supercenter and a Velodyne CT-120 (primary setup) |
[Mar 23, 2001]
M
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Small size, extreme ease of setup, you get DD in a box
Weakness:
Sound is tinny and with a bad setup you get very poor surround sound; sub is lousy I actually don't own this system; my friend does. He knows very little about home theater and he didn't consult me so I couldn't warn him about home theater packages. I was almost apalled when I picked up the tiny satellites: they are cheap plastic and sound fairly tinny. However, the system actually sounds much better than I expected, especially for dialogue. He also has an atrocious setup (since he doesn't know much about setup for DD). The sub is very weak; you definitely need a powered sub if you want significant bass. However, I think that if you know little about home theater and don't want to spend the time/money putting together a separates system, I suggest you check this out. Still, though, I put together a system with Yamaha HTR 5240 receiver, JBL ND310, N-center, and Yamaha speakers, Sony SA-WM40 sub, Sony S360 DVD, and Technics SL-MC4 cd changer for about $1300. I say put in the little extra money. Similar Products Used: JBL and Yamaha separates system |
[Feb 26, 2001]
james
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
good value for a surround sound DVD system, but not as a CD and tuner system
Weakness:
Poor mid range sound on almost any setting, poor tuner and cd sound unless you use Jass/Live mode This is a very good product for your DVD surround sound system, but as most of the others have said, the tuner and CD are not sufficient. I tried to supplement my system with a pair of Bose 301's (you just put the cable wire into the middle of the speaker connectors) and it brought out the mid range, plus it added even more bass. It still will not rattle your teeth like a powered sub, but it is much better. I think I will return it and get a Sony A/V system and DVD/CD player. If you want a DVD and Surround Sound system, this kicks butt, though you have to keep your other system for CD's :) Hope that helps all the potential buyers out there. Similar Products Used: jvc surround sound speaker system (worse) |
[Jan 16, 2001]
elias konstantinou
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
All in One, Dolby Pro Logic+Dolby Digital+DTS5.1, the price, quality
Weakness:
subwoofer could have more power, but it´s ok for middle-sized room!Doesn´t support CD-R Very easy Setup(color coded speakers).It is too small that i can carry to my bug!!...not exactly, but it coul be..!Doesn´t support CD-R, but it supports some CD-RW models.Enough in/outputs.FM receiver with 20 presets, that sound´s good.The speakers give a sense in your life, hearing play. |