Sony ES STR-DA5ES - Good choice?

[KyleY]

Hey all,

Many of you may recall I was getting hiss with my Denon 3802 + Klipsch RF3 II speakers (w/ no source) and the hiss got worse when a CD was playing (perhaps just CD hiss). Well, I went to a local store and listened to the Denon 3802 there, and the hiss was there too (as well as a buzz). I listened to a Pioneer Elite receiver as well, and also heard the hiss. I went to another store and listened to Sony & Marantz. I didn't hear the hiss at first, but it appears they are switching themselves off when no audio is coming in. When a CD was playing, I heard a good amount of hiss, but that was likely just CD hiss.

Anyway, I'm still thinking of trying out the Sony because it has all the features I want, I can probably get it for close to the same price, and it sounded good in the store. What I might do is bring it home and compare it directly to the Denon (and keep the one that sounds better). Before I do, I was wondering what others thought of this receiver? Is it worth considering over the Denon? I wasn't as impressed with the Harman Kardon, Onkyo, Pioneer, Marantz, or Yamaha in terms of features I'm looking for (powered multi-room / multi-source, DTS ES, DD II, etc.). I originally thought Sony to be a step below others in receivers, but I've heard some people recommend this one. It has mostly the same features as the Denon with a few minor additions. I'm sold on the features, but I was wondering what people thought of the build quality and sound quality. It will be used both for home theater and music, probably more home theater (DVDs). Thoughts? Thanks,

--Kyle

[avman]

build quality on ES products is generally good-a cut above the 'common fodder for the masses' stuff you find, and has lots of features. if you want one of imho-and others-the BEST receivers ever built, see if you can find a sony strda777ES used,and check software version,(you'll want v.2.02,you can do the upgrade yourself)serious power,62lbs.of made-in-japan receiver w/a great 'front-end' as well. avman.

------------------

1-pair klf 30's

c-7 center

ksps-6 surrounds

RSW-15

sony strda-777ES receiver upgraded to v.2.02 including virtual matrix 6.1

sony playstation 2

sony dvpnc 650-v 5-disc dvd/cd/SACD changer

dishnetwork model 6000 HD sat rcvr w/digital off-air tuner

sony kv36xbr450 high-definition 4:3 tv

sharp xv-z1u lcd projector w/84" 4:3 sharp screen

Bello'international Italian-made a/v furniture

panamax max dbs+5 surge protector/power conditioner

monster cable and nxg interconnects/12 gua.speaker wire

KLIPSCH-So Good It Hz!

[zandern]

You didn't like the Onkyo? They got lots of features, I consider them to maybe be the best receiver available.

------------------

I like my bass like I like my women, deep and tight.

[jdm56]

I think the ZA5 is a tremendous value. I'm a big Sony ES fan, and as such, I'm probably biased, but I must say I've had very good luck with all of mine. I do think the build quality varies from piece to piece - some are little different from non-ES components, other than the badge and the price - but many are really better.

As far as noise, my experience and many magazine reviews tell me that Sony builds some of the quietest audio equipment around - another big plus with me, as I am particularly sensitive to any extraneous noises.

I really love Sony's digital parametric EQ - I've got it in an old TA-E1000ES pre-amp.

Good Luck!

------------------

JDM

[KyleY]

Hey All,

(This is also posted in my other thread "Hiss in Reference Series with Denon 3802" but since it is important to both I posted it here too).

Well, I'm pretty convinced that all or at least most receivers have the hiss I have been experiencing. I heard it in another Denon 3802 in a dealer's setup as well as a Pioneer Elite (worse in the Pioneer).

I ended up buying a Sony 5ES to directly compare to the Denon at home. The Sony's hiss was almost completely inaudible at the lowest volume setting while the Denon's could be heard easier. On the other hand, the Sony's hiss was way louder at max volume than the Denon's was at max volume. So, that didn't decide anything for me. I listened to some music and DVDs, and I couldn't tell a whole lot of difference between the two. The Denon did seem to have better separation of the music, and it seemed to be a little easier on the ears at the same volume. The Sony seemed to scream at me more. The differences were *not* big though.

When listening to DVDs (scenes from The Matrix, Saving Private Ryan), I tried the Studio Cinema B that others love. Neither stood out to me as much better than the other, but the Sony did some odd things - speech normally included in the center channel only was heard in the left / right front speakers. For some reason, that speech sounded a little mechanical (like a slight echo). That was the only big difference I noticed. When watching The Matrix, I preferred the Sony sound, but when watching Saving Private Ryan the Denon seemed to sound better to me. Sorry, I can't really describe the differences...

Since I couldn't tell much of a difference between the two, didn't need the extra features of the Sony, and the hiss was present in both receivers, I decided to keep the Denon and save nearly $200. It would have been a toss-up, but the price difference made the choice easier. The Sony's remote is better, it's upgradable, has a 5 year warranty (vs Denon's 1 year), and the onscreen menus are much better. It also had a lot more controls (EQ, crossover frequencies, etc.), but I'm probably better off not messing with that anyway. At any rate, the Sony is clearly a more advanced receiver, but the actual sound wasn't much different from the Denon and seemed a little inferior in the music area...

BTW, I do plan to unplug everything from the house to see if that has anything to do with the hiss, but after hearing it in stores, I think it may just be normal. Later,

--Kyle