Sony STR-DA555ES Receiver

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, high-powered receiver, flawed
Review: The DA555ES does everything brilliantly, especially considering that it can be had over the 'Net for $680, a full $319 below retail. Only reservation so far: the two-way remote takes more than it gives. It self-cancels at awkward moments, needs both of your hands to operate, is heavy, takes up too much space, and once you get past the ititial set-up phase provides a pile of features that you don't really need. But in terms of providing brilliant sound (especially with Digital Dolby DVDs) I've found--or heard-- nothing better.

Rating:
Summary: All function and no form makes remote control a poor choice
Review: This is a great receiver. Excellent sound and lots of features. The remote control was the biggest disappointment. It requires two hands to use and the power button is located on the side where you are most likely to power off the receiver in the middle of a movie or song. The LCD display will power off after 10 seconds to conserve battery. This is annoying since accomplishing most tasks takes more than 10 seconds. There is no adjustment for this time-out. The most practical feature of this remote is powering the receiver off/on or adjusting the volume. Forget about using this remote with any Sony multiple CD/DVD changer. It only recognizes one disk. If you want to change disks you will need a different remote. Overall the remote is excellent for controlling volume and power but nothing else. It does look good on a coffee table and its futuristic appearnce will make a great conversation piece.

Rating:
Summary: Good receiver but poor quality
Review: This is the second in the row Sony ES product I buy that does not survive more than 2 months. The first one luckily broke 5 days after the purchase and I was able to return it and get a refund. I was so dissapointed that I did not want to buy another Sony ES product for a number of years. Finally I was convinced to buy this brand new Sony ES 555 receiver. I am not even going to talk about the remote control - it is useless and I had to use my Mitsubishi universal remote but the quality! Just when it was a little over a month old, my wife was watching a DVD movie when she heard a loud pop and smoke - the digital side of the receiver when out. Unfortunately I could not return it as it was over 30 days old so I had to take it to Sony center for repair. During the 5 minutes that I was there filling up the paperwork, I saw another two guys with 555s picking them p and bringing them in for repair. Anyway, 2 weeks 7 man-hours later (moving furniture, disconnecting and reconnecting) I got it back fixed. Sony center had replaced 3 blown resistors. I still have it but hope to sell it soon and get an Onkyo or something similar that has better component quality.

Rating:
Summary: Good receiver but poor quality
Review: This thing sounds great, I am constantly impressed with the sound quality and surround sound effects. The "concert hall" and "live" music settings are very realistic, unlike many I have heard. I wish there was some way to turn all those glaring LED's off so it's not so bright and distracting when watching movies in the dark. Also, some kind of "midnight" mode, automatic loudness -inhibiting function would keep my roommates in the next room from having to listen to all the cool explosion scenes with me in the middle of the night. The "universal" remote will not recognize my JVC television, but it does turn on my Sony shelf system every time I use the main power button to turn the reciever off! But it's worth a minor inconvenience to experience such wonderful sound quality.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent piece of equipment, silly remote control
Review: This thing sounds great, I am constantly impressed with the sound quality and surround sound effects. The "concert hall" and "live" music settings are very realistic, unlike many I have heard. I wish there was some way to turn all those glaring LED's off so it's not so bright and distracting when watching movies in the dark. Also, some kind of "midnight" mode, automatic loudness -inhibiting function would keep my roommates in the next room from having to listen to all the cool explosion scenes with me in the middle of the night. The "universal" remote will not recognize my JVC television, but it does turn on my Sony shelf system every time I use the main power button to turn the reciever off! But it's worth a minor inconvenience to experience such wonderful sound quality.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent piece of equipment, silly remote control
Review: This thing sounds great, I am constantly impressed with the sound quality and surround sound effects. The "concert hall" and "live" music settings are very realistic, unlike many I have heard. I wish there was some way to turn all those glaring LED's off so it's not so bright and distracting when watching movies in the dark. Also, some kind of "midnight" mode, automatic loudness -inhibiting function would keep my roommates in the next room from having to listen to all the cool explosion scenes with me in the middle of the night. The "universal" remote will not recognize my JVC television, but it does turn on my Sony shelf system every time I use the main power button to turn the reciever off! But it's worth a minor inconvenience to experience such wonderful sound quality.