Sony STR-DE885 vs. Pioneer VSX-D811S (1 Viewer)

[Bozie E.]

Hi,


I'm new to the forum. I am also fairly new to HT. I am looking to purchase a new receiver. I have done a large amount of research through the forums and elsewhere. I have narrowed down my selections to the Sony STR-DE885 and the Pioneer VSX-D811S. They are the around the same price and have basically the same features. I am interested to see if anyone has any suggestions on the better model. Also, the Pioneer has DTS-ES and neo:6, while the Sony does not. Are these formats worthwhile, or are they just bells & whistles at this point? Thanks for any help.

 

[John Garcia]

Don't waste your time with the Sony DE line.

I was not completely impressed with the 41Tx (same as the 811) for music. It seems decently powered, and I would have no question about going with it over the Sony.

What you didn't mention is what your budget is, so that recommendations can be made.

 

[Steve Adams]

I had both, the pioneer is leaps and bounds better than the sony!

 

[Chris S]

I would have to agree with everyone here. At least to my ears the Pioneer is much better than the Sony. Most likely you should be able to find a store to do some A/B testing with these models.

Chris S.

 

[Bill Will]

Also don't rule out the Panasonic SA-HE100 which has been getting some great reviews & can be had online for around $250 delivered. I agree, stay away from the Sony DE line.

 

[Bozie E.]

I guess I don't understand why the Sony DE line is so bad. My main factors are reliability (I don't want a unit that will die in two months) and ease of use. I'm not a super audiophile and I probably won't be using awesome speakers until I get more money.

Thanks to all the people who have already responded. But, I really want to know more than Sony=bad. WHY does Sony=bad?

 

[Steve Adams]

Here is my personal experience with sony, Super hiss coming from the unit, dont play digital around half the time. when you set dts and digital on the dvd. overall sound quality is not near as good as the others mentioned!

 

[John Garcia]

WHY does Sony=bad?

No. Sony DE=bad. Sony ES=good.
The reasons? To keep costs down, components are cheap. This results in average processing, inferior amplification and very average sound at best, particularly when compared to other offerings in the price range. Sony has no better reliability than most other major manufacturers. We aren't talking about cars here.

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

I would also suggest the 811S. It's a great receiver in the price range. I had one, and it is (in my opinion) the second best receiver under $500 retail (behind the Denon 1803, which i have now).

As for the Panasonic HE100, it has all the features and sounds pretty good, but not as good as the 811S. I've A/B'd them, and the Panasonic seems to have a bit weaker amp section. It also has a very flimsy build quality compared to the 811S. The 811S is very well built for it's price range.

Hope this helps.

 

[John Garcia]

Under $500, I would also recommend the Marantz SR4200 and the Harman Kardon AVR125 (225 is $499 msrp).

 

[Alf S]

I currently own the 811 and really enjoy it for both music and DVD playback. having DTS ES etc really does add a bit more to the movie going experience.

As for the Sony, I had the DE 925 for over 2 years and never had a problem. Sounded great and had many features for it's day.

As years go by I think electronics get better, cheaper, and more reliable, but some folks consistently think because they heard bad things 3-4 years ago about a brand, it still holds true today. Not ALWAYS the case IMHO.

Go with whichever receiver sounds best with your home speakers etc.

 

[Bozie E.]

okay,


i'm convinced. . . except i did more research today and found the onkyo tx-sr600 for $434.14. This looks like a good unit, and i know that onkyo is a well reviewed brand. any thoughts on this unit and price? i found it at soundcity.com does anyone have experience with this site.

also, i started looking for speakers today, i know this is the receiver forum, but does anyone have experience with the onkyo sksht500 5.1 speaker system. i'm looking to get a 5.1/6.1 system for under $400 (i know, i just need something to start with.)

btw- much thanks to all who've helped me out. as a newcomer, i appreciate all the wisdom being shared on this forum.

 

[Steve Adams]

on ebay, you can pull off the vsx-811s for pretty cheap too, that is 6.1 then. also if you don't have speakers yet, have a look at the fluance, they seem pretty good for the price. good budget ht system!

 

[Thomas_Berg]

for under $500, i dont think the Harman/Kardon 320 can be beat. www.jandr.com still has a few, even though it isnt listed on their website. call them up and see what they can offer you. but, if you can afford an extra $100, grab the H/K AVR520 from J&R. if you call them and tell them you're ready to place the order, they can drop the price a little from $599 to maybe $575 shipped. that's a STEAL of a price!
one more comment on the Sony DE line: i've taken many of these apart (along with other lower-end receivers) and i must say that the Sony's have the LOWEST quality components of any of the manufacturers i've seen. the heatsinks were as thin and flimsy as aluminum foil! build quality is apparantly not a priority for non-ES Sony products.
for speakers, i'd give www.hometheaterdirect.com a look. for the money, i dont think they can be beat. good luck!