da4es power (1 Viewer)

[Nathan Porteous]

I would just like to say to all the people who say sony over rates there amps "Shut up Jack" hehe. I just happened to pick up a jan. issue of sound and vision where they reviewed and tested the 4es and i was very pleased to hear that it has quite a bit more juice than it says. 140/209 8/4 ohms on 2 ch stereo
and up to i cant exactly remeber but close to 180/271 8/4 ohms
on the dolby test but they didn't do the full 7 ch test sony said it wasnt designed for that or something o well whatcha gonna do. I know some probally already know this but i just found out today and have had my 4es for 4 months(love it) so if someone didn't know now you do mabey you'll get just a bit excited like i did.

 

[Thomas Smailus]

Ok, way late to resond to this post - unlike some folks, I don't read this forum every hour or even day, maybe every month or two when I'm curious about someting. I was just doing some reading on the 4ES as I'm on the verge of jumping on one of the remaing few since Sony has told me (via a message I sent to Japan that produced an answer relayed from Japan to a Sony USA rep that called me to let me know ) that the chance of a black DA3000ES comming to the US was practically zero. As I'm NEVER going to buy a silver component, I must either buy the 4ES I had planned on (but am not really in need of just yet) or hope that the next years models (Aug 04) come in black. Given that Sony may be on a silver only kick for many years, I'm even more leaning to the 4ES - and given the stock markets performance over the past 10 months, I'm thinking, its a good place to invest my earnings.

Anyway, one thing on the power ratings and specs of manufacturers.

1) The specs are a 'sales pitch' by the maker - always and for all makers. How accurate those specs are for your listening situation depends on what you use it for.

2) 7x110w is them saying, each channel can drive 110w. It is not saying (which it would if everyone was 100% honest and forward - but the average consumer wouldn't buy things with honest advertising - thats why we have sales tax not added in in the prices of items at stores and we have prices of 5.99 rather than 6.00 (or 6.15 with the tax added in)) - again, not saying that you can drive all 7 channels at 110w at the same time. That would mean it must deliver 770w of power to the speakers. Power from the units supply is consumed in 2 primary forms - mechanical movement of air in the speaker, and in heat generated by the resistive part of all the electrical components (I'm not counting the negligible use on light and mechanical vibrations inside the reciever). The 7x110 is likely an 'average rating' based on what you would likely do with it.

If the unit can provide a total of P power, and it says 110w per channel, then it can probably theoretically run P/2W per channel in 2 channel mode and P/7 in 7 channel mode. Of course it can practically deliver more per channel in 2 channel mode than it can per channel in 5 channel mode and thats more than per channel in 7 channel mode. I suspect if the test drove all 7 channels with a solid equal signal, the thing might well shut-down in some protect mode at a setting. Still, I'd like to know what level that was, and wich the magazine mentioned had tested it anyway. I beleive Sony was saying, there is no theater soundtrack that drives all 7 channels at the same power level - the main speakers are the front right, left and center, the other 4 are effect speakers and should not be driven to the same power. What the true limits of the system is, who knows - since the mag didn't run the test I guess.


However, the complaint against the 4ES and Sony is still valid since, the average consumer, reading the spec of 7x110w will interpret that to mean you can runn all 7 channels at 110w at the same instant in time. That, we know, is not true. But the same consumers also believed former Pres. Bush when he said, "Read my lips. No new taxes!", while the smarter fellows (who know the 7x110w claim is not believable as an absolute but is a guide), knew that old George could no way make such a promise since its not the president but congress that passes spending laws and the public and economy that drives the need for them.

 

[Joe Tilley]

Nathan, I am with you one the Sony bashing crap. I have a 5ES and it alaways seams that no matter what you have of theres someone will alaways tell you its a piece of crap. But myself I am very happy with mine & would take it over any other brand on the market in the same price range.
Something you may find interesting Harman Kardon which is so highley praised has alot of there parts manufactured by Thompson corp or rather RCA. Also infinity & JBL are tyed with H/K & look into some of the crappy products they are putting out lately. So the truth be told everyone has some junk in there lines its just easyer to hit a bigger target.

And I have alaways found it funny that everyone puts down the power output all the time but when someone dose a test rating on them they alaways seam to shine.
I say it time for someone to put up a side by side test of say Sony 7ES, H/K525, & Onkyo TSXR800 in a 2ch than 5ch than all ch match & see who comes out on top.