Sony STRDG820 7.1 Audio Video Receiver - Black

Many reviewers have already mentioned the strengths of this unit therefore I will not repeat all the features most of you already know about but I will review the audio quality. I am reviewing the European model but it should be identical to the US model ( except for the power transformer ).

I will agree with most reviewers that this unit is a good bang for the buck. Then why did I award it with only 3 stars ? I deducted 1 star because mine was a defective unit. It took me 2 weeks to notice but under prolonged use ( > 90 minutes ) the power transformer made a buzzing noise. The noise was only audible during silent scenes but it was annoying. I don't know if I got a lemon or this was a characteristic of the STR-DGxxx series ( cheap power transformers ). Be aware that many people may find this noise acceptable so be sure to give the unit a good workout before you buy. I returned my unit and did not get another one so I can't confirm mine was a lemon. There was some hum from the speakers as well but that was at an acceptable level and did not get amplified by turning the volume knob up.

The other star I deducted because of Sony's exaggerated power ratings. Before buying the product I had read somewhere that Sony made poor amplifiers with power specs that were quite far from the actual sound output. Unfortunately I ignored the reviewer because I thought he was just another audiophile trying to justify his Onkyo purchase by bashing consumer electronics brand names like Sony and Pioneer. Although he was wrong in regards to Sony's sound quality, he was spot on when it came down to power.

As a first time home cinema receiver buyer, I had no idea most manufacturers rate their amplifiers by outputting a test signal from ONLY one or two channels simultaneously. Now driving all 7 channels, thats a whole different story. Many people probably already know this but I'm pretty sure the majority doesn't. I usually read the user manual of every product I'm interested in very thoroughly, despite that I missed it. Why ? Because Onkyo is the only company that is honest about their rating procedure ( their manuals indicate they drive only 2 channels ). The STR-DG820 continous electrical power consumption is 230W. No amplifier can output more power than what is input. So if you ignore heat loss & efficiency, the 820 can drive 7 channels with no more than 230/7 = 33W continously. That is quite a dissapointment when Sony leads you to believe it can drive 7x85W undistorted.

I know many people will say that power is not that important. Unfortunately they are wrong because of the relationship between power and volume. In order to double the perceived volume, the amplifier has to consume 10 times the power. Peaks in the signal may cause the amplifier to distort from a sine wave to a square wave which can damage your speakers so any extra wattage you can squeeze out of your amplifier is a bonus in order to obtain a clean signal.

I tested this receiver with 2 pairs of Sony SS-F6000 floorstanding speakers ( 2 front, 2 surround ) with no subwoofer. The front and surround speakers were placed 3 and 1.5 meters from my listening position respectively. At these distances the amp appeared to deliver the required power but it was operating close to its limits. Most amplifiers reach their maximum clean output at 50-60% of the volume knob's total range. The range for the 820 is 0-74 and with some films ( Dolby Digital tracks ) I had the volume knob at 35. If you have a larger living room than mine I suggest you buy another receiver or connect very sensitive speakers ( > 90db ). If you have satellite speakers with a powered subwoofer this amplifier will probably cover you as you will get more headroom by redirecting bass frequencies to the subwoofer's amp - make sure you set your speakers to SMALL in that case. I had all my speakers set to LARGE and although they can definetely deliver good bass weight the receiver has to consume significantly more power.

Now lets get to the pros. This receiver is very clear sounding and I'm not saying "for the price". Some hifi magazines have pointed out that it sounds better than the Onkyo SR-606 or Denon AVR-1909 in stereo mode and I could only agree. A reviewer described the 820 as "dull". I personally think the receiver's flatter response curve is a plus, it won't exaggerate any frequencies and will cover a wider range of music while presenting it as the artist intended. Of course the frequency response is not entirely flat, I felt the bass and treble were stronger than the midrange but it was nothing to worry about. AC/DC still sounds warm and not like Metallica. Even without a subwoofer I never felt a lack of weight in the sound ( my speakers are 4-way though ). At volume set to 30 I could shake the apartment.

Here are some amplifiers I had a chance to make a head-to-head comparison at the store ( stereo only - analog direct mode or similar on all amplifiers for equal terms ) :

Yamaha RX-V361: The 820 destroys it. Period.
Yamaha AX-497: This is a stereo amplifier and the 820 sounded very similar. In fact a friend of mine's first comment upon hearing was that they must be using the same curcuitry ! The Yamaha was more powerful despite both being rated at 85 watts per channel.
Onkyo TX-SR605: The 820 sounded slightly more detailed. The Onkyo was brighter overall.
Denon AVR-1709: This was a bit bassy for my tastes. Will suit the hip hop crowd better.
Sony STR-DA1200ES: This model is not sold in the US, think of it as a 2400ES without the HD audio decoders. The STR-DG820 sounded identical in stereo. The "Elevated Standard" models are more powerful beasts though.

I could describe the STR-DG820 as balanced and detailed for music. The fact that it could hold its own ground against a Yamaha stereo amplifier was a big selling point for me. Some of these attributes do translate to surround as well. I tested the receiver with the "Bridge of Khazad-dum" scene from the "Fellowship of the Ring". This is a very taxing scene with both orchestral music and loud bass heavy earth shattering FX. I turned the volume up to 30 which is sofa-shaking level for that movie in DTS. At the point where the staircase was demolished the music managed to remain detailed and there was no clipping from the amplifier. A definite plus !

I didn't test many of the sound fields as I generally like unprocessed sound. The only one I used was "portable" for mp3 playback. I suggest you use it with 128 kbps mp3 files. For 320 or 256 kbps mp3 files, "portable" mode will sound harsh. The Dolby Pro Logic music decoders sounded OK, they created a good sound stage at the loss of some clarity. "Multi-stereo" mode ( same output from front and surround speakers ) would be good for parties but there will be a slight delay between the output of each speaker which can feel weird. You can't have your system calibrated perfectly. The A + B parallel front speaker connection did not give me more decibels ( I have not tried placing the speakers side by side though ) it just appeared to distribute power to more speakers. That can be a good thing at loud levels. It is interesting to note that the amplifier allows you to hook up two 8 ohm speakers in parallel ( 4 ohms total impedance ) but does not allow you to hook up a single 4 ohm speaker, there is no impedance selector.

I hope I have not been too harsh with my rating but I do feel it was deserved despite the favorable price. This is a good receiver but buyers should be aware of its shortcomings, I tried to present a balanced view. I would probably have kept the unit if it didn't have the buzzing issue.

Great product at a great price!

I was a little scared at first about my purchase because the seller was a fairly small outfit in New Jersey who was selling the item for so cheap. Although, shipping was fast and item was brand new!

The receiver itself suits all my needs, especially with the 4 HDMI pass through inputs. I do not have any analog sources to worry about, except my Wii, but I plug that direct to my tv. I could see it being a problem with the 820 model because it does not support it when outputting through HDMI. Auto Calibration makes it extremely easy with great adjustments.

This was mentioned in a previous review but is worth saying again. When I used an HDMI-DVI adapter the picture worked but sound cut out immediately. Unplug the cable and sound comes back. I called Sony about this and they referred me to the manual where it states do not use HDMI-DVI adapters. I ended up returning the product and purchased a different brand.

This is my first Sony receiver. I replaced a five year old JVC receiver. Sound is excellent. Receiver weighs significantly less and seems to run a LOT cooler. Paired with a PS 3 and dish dvr. Difference in sound HDMI vs. optical is subtle but noticable.

This new Sony product is so much more versatile in managing our sound system,from t.v. feed to stereo.