Super Simple Sony

In July I reviewed a Kenwood KRF-5050 receiver, it was a bargain, Dolby Digital and DTS processing, loads of features and a great sound performance, all for £180. However over the last few months I have had my eye on the UK Home Cinema market, and what I’ve seen is a landslide in prices. Now you can get Toshiba DVD players for only £80, and this, Sony STR-DE475 digital receiver for a mere £159.95 (Eq. $231.81) boxed. That’s £20 (Eq. $28.9) off the Kenwood which is now unavailable, not only that but there is a simpler version the STR-DE375 for only £99.99 (Eq. $143.47). At these prices there is no reason why anyone shouldn’t be into Dolby Digital today. Sony’s receivers at this end of the market, are slightly old, the STR-DE475 isn’t too old, it has all the features which will hold it up to modern connections and software and has been revised with a 32bit DSP.

Compared to the Kenwood, the Sony feels like a whole new level of class, the box is about the same weight (well, less one kg), but it feels better made. At 7.2kg, it is pretty light and speaking of light, the cool blue light that features on the black models is sadly not on the silver one. There are more buttons, and the interface is slightly more complex. The model I’m reviewing is the silver one, and it looks great, it doesn’t have jog dial, it relies on a D-pad, as the main controls. And the volume knob is a typical manual one, rather a digital one the Kenwood had. The biggest difference between the two models is that Sony’s is much easier to use, there are more buttons, unlike the Kenwood, which I found a fault when you want to change Radio presets without the remote. I don’t think the display is as good, it’s a little smaller, and doesn’t have a diagram of the speakers and which ones are “on”.

It features fully capable Dolby Digital and DTS digital decoding done through one set of optical and coaxial digital inputs. I could do with a second coaxial one personally, like the Kenwood had. There is also Dolby Pro Logic decoding, which covers all the line level inputs and the tuner. On the side of line level inputs, it’s disappointing to see only 3 line level inputs and no Phono stage either. There is a set of 6 line level inputs for the 5.1 channel input, and a single audio output for the Tape line-level. There is a line output/pre-out for a subwoofer, but none for the centre channel, and like the Kenwood, it’s pretty woeful on the side of video inputs, with three video inputs which are composite and a monitor output. With the three video inputs, you can assign each to a line level channel. But I would connect the DVD player direct to the TV, and have the cable/VCR/etc connect through the receiver.

Amplification for the receiver is modest, at 80w per channel; this remains whether in stereo or surround modes. And the rating is based on 4ohm loads, which means that it won’t get any higher. For most speakers this is very acceptable, it’s only when you buy a speaker with a low sensitivity that you need a higher power. On an 8ohm load it has a reasonably low 0.09% THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) from 40-20000Hz. A key point to note here is that the Kenwood was restricted to 14,000Hz, due to the higher power (100w), it’s also a good point to mention that a integrated amplifier typically has THD marks of less than 0.01%. You don’t know poor things with 10% THD sound, which is the maximum standard.

The tuner features a set of 30 presets; each one has RDS (Radio Data System) available, while EON (Extended Other Network) isn’t available. However with RDS you can view things such as scrolling bulletins the Radio station name, the title of the show and various other things. It’s a standard FM/AM radio, and comes complete with the usual FM wire and AM loop. I just attach it to the TV antenna, or to the cable boxes “FM” socket. The Auto Search is easy to use, and presetting stations into memory is also hassle free.

The DSP or Digital Sound Processor, has since been updated from original release, and now is 32bit from the previous 24bit. The DSP is for the DCS and Sony’s various Cinema settings, and DCS is Digital Cinema Sound. You have a number of DSP settings which range from the non-DSP’ed sources like Dolby Digital /Pro Logic and DTS to a further 8 DSP settings. A good thing here though is that you can re-name each DSP mode, so you can have things like Party Mode instead of Studio 3, or Dedicated for DTS. Each mode make a significant change to the amount of phase difference from the front to back and uses the centre channel as a depth enhancer, or some form of echo machine. Anyway it works pretty well in standard modes too.

The five speaker connections are made through spring clips, and there is only one channel for the front speakers – no bi-wiring. The layout on the rear panel is quite easy to navigate, the radio connections could be better. The menu system works to a great level of detail, so you can adjust the settings to suite your setup, all things from the distance width of the speakers to the output levels, are taken care of in the setup menus. You can turn individual speakers off or set them as small or big to redirect the bass.

The new 32bit DAC (Digital Analogue Conversion) system means that any sources get a full and detailed edge, which means that if you’re stuck deciding whether to use a DVD player’s decoder or the receiver, then the receiver is the better choice, since most DVD player’s are 16bit, rarely higher than 24bit. Analogue wise it is much the same story, the radio tuner sounds clean and crisp, the only downside is with Pro Logic, which needs a stronger source. Also you can’t switch to mono reception to reduce hiss. The FM section is very good as is the AM section if you need it.

With music it’s nothing spectacular, the STR-DE475 is adequate if not stunning with standard music. The treble and bass are well controlled and there is plenty of grip at high volumes. This isn’t the case with digital sources, which tend to grab a little more distortion when running in full surround mode. The sound stage with stereo sources is spacious although could be deeper, the DSP modes are great for adding effects to the stereo source, applying to other speakers. In Dolby Digital the STR-DE475 copes easily, I felt that highest volumes are out of reach, although anything up to 70% is fair enough anyway. Bass is deep without getting thumpy, and the treble section is clean and crisp. With such material as ‘The Matrix’ the digital sound effects make a real presence. Dynamics are what really grab your attention; the STR-DE475 is fast and can cope with the smallest whispers and the loudest explosions. I loaded ‘True Lies’ in Pro logic from a VHS tape, and was surprised by the quality of the surround channel. Pro Logic decoding is good too when watching TV or VHS as it adds that surround element. It would be harsh to ask Pro Logic II at this level, even so not many sources are including it yet.

Overall the sound for the STR-DE475 is quite impressive, the volume range doesn’t extend as far as the KRF-5050R, but does do a lot more at those levels. There are very few humps that stand out; the output range is pretty smooth. It could do with a similar “Cine EQ” setting the 5050 has, which adds a “THX” effect to the sound, by boosting the bass. The STR-DE475 doesn’t let you tamper around with bass or treble in the digital sections.

Conclusion

£159.95 (Eq. $231.81) isn’t much in comparison, for that money you could by a Sony portable TV in the UK or a budget DVD player. Considering the price, build quality and performance the STR-DE475 is one you should consider if you’re looking for quality and value at this section.

£ = British Pound (Sterling). Inc. Tax
$ = Equivalent US Dollar. Inc. Tax

Others to watch out for are:
Sony STRDE375 £99 $143.47
Yamaha RXV396RDS £139.99 $202.88
Yamaha DSPAX620 £199.99 $289.84