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Sony STR-DA4ES vs. 5ES Receivers (1 Viewer)

Seth_L

Screenwriter
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Apr 5, 2002
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1,553
My DA5ES does not have an EX logo on it. It does have a DTS-ES logo and a DPL II logo on it however.

Seth
 

Brett Miles

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Apr 22, 1999
Messages
106
Aaron, both of those links point to the 5es. The pic for the 4es is here . For the record, my 5es does not say DD-EX, but it doesn't look like the Crutchfield pic either. Mine has "pro-logic II" under the DD logo and "ES" added to the DTS logo.
I'm confused about all the talk of bits. Both units are listed as "96/24 capable" but DTS 96/24 is only on the 4es. What exactly does this mean, i.e. what is the difference and what would happen if I attempted to play a title that was encoded (?term) in DTS 96/24 on a 5es. Also, could all these arguments about the unofficial DD-EX processing (and DTS 96/24 for that matter) be solved with an upgrade from Sony? Anyone know how long it was before they did the upgrade for that pre/pro, and how did the owners of that unit find out?
 

AaronBatiuk

Second Unit
Joined
Aug 23, 2002
Messages
333
I'm confused about all the talk of bits. Both units are listed as "96/24 capable" but DTS 96/24 is only on the 4es
The 5ES is capable of playing back a stereo (2-channel) PCM 96 kHz, 24 bit signal that is input through a digital input. It is not capable of decoding a dts 96/24 signal at 96 kHz and 24 bit resolution. It will decode it though, because dts has made sure that the new format is backward compatible. So the 5ES will decode it at 48 kHz, 24 bit, just like all other dts decoders that do not support dts 96/24.

The 4ES can also play back a 96/24 PCM signal, and in addition, it will decode the new dts 96/24 format at full 96 kHz, 24 bit resolution. Whether this makes and audible difference is debatable.

Note that the manual of the 5ES states explicitly that it will downsample a 96 kHz signal to 48 kHz if a multi-channel soundfield (including DPL, dts NEO:6, DPL-II, Digital Concert Hall, Cinema Studio EX, etc.) is turned on. It will process the signal at 96 kHz only in 2-channel mode. I do not know whether the 4ES has the same limitation, but it possibly does not, due to its support of the dts 96/24 multi-channel format.

(Thanks for the correction on the link; I've updated my previous post.)
 

Gil D

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 15, 1999
Messages
577
I bought a 5ES last year to replace my V444es and needless to say the 5ES went back in a week. It was a pretty steep downgrade.
I don't agree with this. I have used the V444es and now DA5es. If your only using DD, DTS, and CS, you probably won't notice much of a difference IMO, but the 5es is noticably quieter.
 

Gil D

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 15, 1999
Messages
577
If any of you DA5es owners not using the Sony 2-way remote are interested in getting rid of it, PM or E me as I am looking for a replacement.
 

SvenS

Second Unit
Joined
May 5, 2002
Messages
257
No 5ES I have ever seen has the DD-EX emblem on it. Check out the pics of the 5ES at Crutchfield and compare that to those of the 4ES which proudly displays the DD-EX logo, in addition to dts-ES and 96/24. Of course it is entirely possible that they have updated the front panel silkscreening since the time that those pictures were taken, so more recently produced units may have that logo. The one in my local Sony Store's showroom does not.
Well, you are incorrect about DA5ES because as shown below in a picture of my DA5ES it clearly DOES have the DD-EX emblem on it. The Crutchfield picture is merely a pre-production picture before they got DD-EX & DTS-ES licensing done.
 

Greg Schwabacher

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 31, 1999
Messages
173
Sven, that looks almost just like my DA4ES, stickers and all! However, the DTS-ES logo on the DA4ES doesn't say "extended surround" around it but it DOES say "96/24" after it. I still haven't decided whether I'm going to take the stickers off or leave 'em alone, though. :p)
 

Seth_L

Screenwriter
Joined
Apr 5, 2002
Messages
1,553
I bought mine at the end of 2001. No idea on the serial # and I'm too lazy to look.

Seth
 

AaronBatiuk

Second Unit
Joined
Aug 23, 2002
Messages
333
Did you see Greg's thread Aaron?
Yes, I certainly did, and I believe that I also made the comment there that Greg did not compare the 4ES to the 5ES. Nor did anyone else in there. I see no reason to believe that the 5ES is any quieter than the 4ES based on anything that I read there or anywhere else in this forum. If anything, the 4ES should be quieter because of its higher precision DSPs and new gain control circuitry. (Don't try to point me to Audioholics' review of the 4ES... it is so full of gross technical errors - still uncorrected I might add - that it is utterly useless).
 

Seth_L

Screenwriter
Joined
Apr 5, 2002
Messages
1,553
Well Aaron, my DA5ES has less hiss than Greg does in his DA4ES. However, my comment was intended more or less as a joke. I don't really think that the Sony's has a hiss problem. It is only amplifying what it sent into it.

Seth
 

AaronBatiuk

Second Unit
Joined
Aug 23, 2002
Messages
333
Well Aaron, my DA5ES has less hiss than Greg does in his DA4ES
It really depends on the speakers too. Greg has amazingly efficient Klipsch speakers that will reproduce all input (hiss too) at around 10 dB louder than a "typical" speaker (~98 dB vs. ~88 dB efficiency). So if you are noticing the hiss 10 dB higher on the volume dial, that may be why. Anyway, you are likely right... both receivers are very quiet and are only amplifying input hiss and/or A/D converter quantisation noise (unavoidable in either case).
 

Alex Dydula

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Nov 1, 2002
Messages
170
Hey Seth,
Have you listened to joni mitchell's hissing
"The Hissing Of Summer Lawns "???
This recording is the definitive answer for the hiss'ability' of a system....
Oh by the way this is meant to be a joke too!! ;)
Alex
(PS: theres a marketing opportunity here...design a
Boose (yes its mispelled!)...anti-hisss cancellation deveice!!)
 

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