Tag : de897 audio, sony str, black, video receiver

Company : Sony List Price : $399.99 Amazon Price : Used Price : Average customer review :

Features

• 7.1-channel audio/video surround receiver with 30 radio presets, HD video switching, and 110 watts per channel x 7
• Dolby Digital EX, DTS ES/Neo:6, and Dolby Pro Logic II surround processing for lifelike, exciting audio from any source
• 7.1-/5.1-channel analog audio inputs accommodate high-resolution multichannel formats like SACD and DVD-Audio
• 6 digital-audio inputs, 1 digital output; includes phono input for turntable and preprogrammed/learning Remote Commander remote control
• Measures 16.9 x 6.2 x 14.6 inches (W x H x D)

Product Description

The new STR-DE897/B Audio/Video Receiver features a 32-bit Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic and dts Decoder, a Digital Cinema Sound System, 30 Station Presets and a 32-bit DSP with 13 Acoustic Environments. Keep your components connected with the STR-DE897/B.

Customer reviews

Stricly 8 ohm and annoying hum
I expected better from Sony but this unit only accepts 8 ohm speakers. It was not listed as so and there is a 60HZ ac hum which shows poor filterig. Other features are fine but falls short in quality sound.

blown pre-channel
This receiver was a massive upgrade from the Magnavox I had for 10 years. Sounds decent, lots of inputs, I felt the setup was easy. The remote is tedious to operate and program indeed. The receiver is not even a year old and the pre-channel for the front right side blew and was sending distortion for both A and B speaker sets. One thing that annoyed me was that there was no Optical input for DVD audio. Only SA-CD, MD/Tape and Digital Satellite had optical inputs. The opticals are assignable but only assignable within the inputs listed above. Can’t assign to DVD input…

SONY makes great TVs and that’s it
My best friend has this receiver and every time we’re at his house watching a movie I can barely keep from cringing during any musical peaks, this receiver is so unpleasant.

For the same or just a tiny bit more you would be much better off getting an Onkyo or best of all, Harman Kardon receiver. In fact if you go to eBay you can buy refurb HK receivers direct from them with full original warranty and for the price of this Sony POS you can get an HK AVR-135 or 235 which would blow this out of the water.

About the only thing Sony still makes well nowadays is their TVs, with everything else they’re just cashing in on their huge brand name recognition. Visit any audio newsgroup/forum like ecoustics dot com, avsforum dot com or home theater forum dot com and you’ll get much better suggestions.

Edited to add: now that Panasonic has released the two hundred thirty dollar SA-XR55 pure-digital receiver, that’s what I’d strongly recommend over ANY receiver under $2000. The only caveat is that you must have decent speakers that are not overly bright and that can put out quality midrange otherwise all the extra high frequency detail the Panny brings out may be overwhelming.

Despite the remote, this receiver is a gem.
Yes the remote is difficult to use for things other than the most basic functions. But, once you get the receiver hooked up, select the modes and sound fields you like, and enter your local radio stations, it’s just fine.

For such a great price, how can you go wrong? I have my unit hooked up in Dolby 6.1 mode with DCM front speakers, and BOSE center channel, surround and subwoofer. Put in a DTS encoded movie and you living room is transformed into the theatre. Nothing really can match the excellence in sound quality from this reciever. At 100 watts per channel, everything is crisp. And what a difference from my former Dolby Surround system! Low frequency effects to the subwoofer are great. When I recently watched “Saving Private Ryan” it was as if I was really in the landing craft at Omaha Beach. Amazing.

Needed a special digital audio coaxial cable to route the audio signal from the DVD player to the receiver. There is a way to send a digital optical signal to the receiver, but no input for this when input is set to DVD. Must route this cable to Video 1, 2 or TV input. (a minor gripe)

The reciever has a blue indicating light that shows you when input signal is Dolby Digital–nice feature.

Money well spent. Took only five days to reach me in Hawaii after I placed my order–free shipping, too.

The remote is difficult to program
My main issue so far is programming in other components. I have a combination VCR/DVD. There are no codes provided for this, and Sony provides only the helpful suggestion, just try some other combinations if the few codes we provide don’t work. That’s nice…but 900 plus codes with a remote that you try to get into program mode and it takes 4 to 5 attempts just to get it to accept a code…..horrible. And Sony support in this matter….nonexistant.