Sony STR DA5300ES 7.1 channel Receiver

This receiver exceded my expectations, particularly in the area of up-conversion. Non-HD satellite programming is MUCH clearer when viewed through the Sony receiver. Plenty of inputs for all my audio and video equipment, too. Manual leaves a bit to be desired for sorting out zone set-up, but that's my only ding.

Before i give my general review, a few disclaimers: I own a Sony 65" hi-def TV, a Sony PS3, and a Sony CX777ES 400 disc DVD changer, and was upgrading from an eight year old 895 Sony receiver.

That said, I know that Sony is no longer a guaranteed great buy. Many of their products are mediocre, forcing you to buy the upper echelon of their range in order to get the features and quality they were once known to provide with each and every product that once happily rolled off their production lines.

I bought the 5300ES for a few reasons; Six, yes SIX HDMI inputs, the second to none graphical user interface, which is nearly identical to that on the PS3, and the bulletproof compatibility with my other Sony products.

Currently, I have a pair of Pinnacle Black Diamond BD1000 speakers up front, four Sony surround speakers, a Sony center channel, and a Sony subwoofer handling bass duty.

The sound is amazing, with clarity my audiofile friends had assured me for years existed, but I had never heard. Hookup was relatively easy, keeping in mind the bulk of the system itself, weighing in at a hefty 33 pounds. It is nearly twice as heavy as the 8 year old Sony 895 receiver it replaced.

There are several receivers that have come on the market recently that have some of the features of the 5300ES, and a few which it doesn't, most noticeably, 1080p upscaling for all video sources, as opposed to the 5300ES' 720P upscaling of some sources. I deemed those features secondary to the compatibility with my existing componentry, and the sheer number of HDMI connections it can manage. My FiOS broadcasts in 720P anyway, and the other components output at 1080, so no upscaling is needed. Add to that the 45% discount from MSRP you can find here on eBay, and it was a no-brainer choice for me.

I went to cnet.com to read their review of the 5300ES and its chief rivals from Onkyo, Denon, and Yamaha. I'd urge anyone looking to do the same.

Hope this helps some of you on the fence.


Happy Hunting!

CN

This unit is a replacement for a STR DA30ES(circa 1999), which has served me well without any repair problems. I hope this one does the same. That goes in the den now....

The unit has a great many features, one of which is up converting old analogue to 1080P resolution. This feature works so well, I am not sure I will buy a blu-ray unless DVD dies out altogether. It even makes analogue 480i cable look good! Digital channels look great! HD, well, it even makes the 1080i look better still!

The menu is very easily understood, once you find everything. The auto speaker set up does a great job of setting the speakers for different seating areas. The sound is wonderful.

My only gripes with this unit are 1) that there are no longer any switched AC outlets. The 12V triggers are nice, but if you are setting up something of your own, not a purchased item such as a auto screen or curtains or the like, it makes it much more difficult. The 12V trigger only puts out 12 milliamp according to Sony, which may make it difficult to find an SCR (relay) for which it is capable of actuating. I hope not, but.... 2) the unit has only a single sub woofer output for the front speakers. I have separately powered subs in the left and right front speakers. The old STR DA30ES had a left and right channel discrete output. Seems to me that was a step backward. There is however a surround center sub, which may make up for that. Once I get all the wiring in the walls and hooked up, I will surely find out. Had it hooked to my 5.1 set up, but will shortly have everything installed for the 7.1 with two sub outputs. 3) the remotes do not work in tandem quite as well as I would have expected. I also purchased a Sony KDL-52XBR4 on here. They work well together, but not as slick as I would like. Still the best I know of, and maybe once I really figure things out, it will be more slick.

This unit built was after the firmware upgrade,(Jan 2008) so I had no issue with any alternate service and or cable and the audio.

The unit has more than ample inputs and outputs, which are more than I need, at least for right now. All in all, this seems to be an awesome unit. Would I buy it again. Yes. Would I recommend it to a friend or family member? Absolutely. Now, I hope they stop changing stuff! Either that or I will have to wear blinders! Worth easily what I paid here. Great deal for a great product.

After receiving this receiver, I was as pleased as I hoped I would be. After reading the manual I was lost. When I hooked up the unit and started doing the GUI on screen setup, I was surprised how easy it was to go through the setup.
The unit does put off a lot of heat and I would sugggest good ventilation.
The upconversion looks very good to me. I would definately recommend this receiver at the price and the company I purchased it from was top notch! I will buy from them again!