Sony STR-DE 975 A/V Receiver

.../> My front speakers are Sony SS-MF515, and they are a good match. They can handle up to 200 watts, and I'm putting 120 watts. Not only can they handle what I'm giving them, but they also respond well at lower volumes too. My rear speakers are some much smaller wall mount Aiwa's that work very well for their purpose. I think anything larger would be too much for the rear. My center is a wonderful Infinity, that sounds so well, you would think the ...
...are also MANY others that Sony put a LOT of research into, in order to deliver the effects that will satisfy anyone,

It has all the hook ups in back for several different components. Analog, digital, optical, s-video, etc. You'll also find that it has 2 outputs for subwoofers. One is enough for me, but if you want this thing to crack the plaster in your walls, then you can sure give it a shot! It also has a connection to have the sound ... more

I've had several systems in the past, all of which I've paid quite a bit of money for. My favorite out of them was the Onkyo. But the Onkyo was getting ready for retirement.

After several trips to the electronics stores, I came across this model, and was amazed at what it could do for the price range it was in. There were many other top name units for a lot more money, that probably sounded as good, but they did not have all the features this one did.

After I navigated through all the settings, and believe me, you need to read the book! I even named them what I wanted, so it would be more personal. There are so many controls, and settings for the audio, it will take a little time getting it set up for the way you like your sounds.

What else is very nice is how it saves all my settings, no matter if the unit is unplugged. I unplugged it, and left it that way for over a month, and I though I would have to start over, and reset all my settings, but that was not the case, it kept all my settings saved. What a relief that was!! I didn't think I could recall the way I had it.

The settings for each selection can be different as well. For instance, if I like my CD player to have it's own sounds; it will allow me to do so. And it will let you have different settings for each component plugged into it! That is great, because I always had to change my settings when going from watching a movie, to listening to music, because what works for movies, does not work for music alone. Believe me, that is GREAT. All my settings for each component are saved in the unit, and selecting your component with one button, brings up all your audio selections, just the way you like it!

The audio levels for bass mid & treble, can all be adjusted for each channel! With that, you can set this to just about anyone's liking! This is a great feature, because if you are like me, your front center, rear, & subwoofer, are from different manufacturers. So it becomes necessary to bring out the highs a little more in my rear speakers, more midrange from my front, and both from the center at times.

My front speakers are Sony SS-MF515, and they are a good match. They can handle up to 200 watts, and I'm putting 120 watts. Not only can they handle what I'm giving them, but they also respond well at lower volumes too. My rear speakers are some much smaller wall mount Aiwa's that work very well for their purpose. I think anything larger would be too much for the rear. My center is a wonderful Infinity, that sounds so well, you would think the person talking is truly right in front of you. I've increased to mid range & treble for the center, so it would give me that "realistic" sound I was shooting for.

What gets me the most, is the capability of changing audio separately on each channel. Not only can bass, mid & treble be changed, but also each channel can be adjusted for volume. That makes for a great surround system that has the flexibility to be installed in any room, or when it's time to rearrange, you can adjust it to fit that room, and configuration. That, I think is one of the top selling features of this receiver.

Even my Wife loves it, and she's just as picky as I am when it comes to this stuff. We've even re-watched movies, just to hear it through this receiver, and I'll tell you, it's like watching it for the first time! Sounds come out of this unit that I never knew existed, making the movie watching experience top notch. Watching movies that have DTS capability are the ultimate movie watching experience with this receiver, I cannot tell you how much I really like it!

I also was surprised at the amount of different DSP settings that were available. So many, that I know I'll never use them all. If this thing won't satisfy your surround sound needs, then you’re a very hard person to please. There are many different Cinema modes, and others, to give you the effect you are looking for. The Church mode is great for those times when you want to listen to your favorite spiritual CD's, it adds a beautiful background echo, that makes it seem as if you were right there in your place of worship, hearing it live. There are also MANY others that Sony put a LOT of research into, in order to deliver the effects that will satisfy anyone,

It has all the hook ups in back for several different components. Analog, digital, optical, s-video, etc. You'll also find that it has 2 outputs for subwoofers. One is enough for me, but if you want this thing to crack the plaster in your walls, then you can sure give it a shot! It also has a connection to have the sound sent to a 2nd room. I have yet to use this feature, and cannot comment on it at this time. But I'm sure it's great!

The remote control has SO MANY functions, and also controls a Sony television. Every function that can be performed on the unit itself, can also be done remotely. It is a little large, but because of the capabilities, it is necessary.

It is an attractive unit, and really delivers some unbelievable sounds. Sony is no longer in the same category as far as receivers go, they've definitely moved up several notches!!
 

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