Sony BRAVIA Theater System (DAVHDX576WF) - Black

I purchased this product for xmas and it's a very nice one. There were too many components when i unpacked it but when i followed the instructions, it was easy to assemble and i could connect my TV, Cable/Sat and DVD player in 4 hours.

The wireless speakers are great and removes the mess of running wires all over. The wireless receiver and transmitters are very small and easy to setup. The S-Air system is a very nice one. We installed it in the kitchen and it makes cooking easier :)

All in all this is very great product. Would definitely recommend.

BOUGHT THIS AND PAIRED IT WITH THE SONY BRAVIA 46 INCH Z SERIES--SETUP WAS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN I SEE IN SOME REVIEWS, DID NOT TAKE 5 MIN!NO COMPLAINTS, SOUND EXCELLENT IN ROOM THAT IS ABOUT 20 BY 15 FT. PRICE IS RIGHT FOR THIS SYSTEM--WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH BOTH PURCHASES---MY DOG WILL AGREE THAT SOUND AND PICTURE ARE TRUE TO LIFE

I replaced an older Sony receiver with this system. My older receiver had far more features and capabilities, but didn't offer DTS decoding so I decided to "upgrade". Since I was trying to keep my costs down I decided this system would fill my needs for now. Despite some shortcomings, I cannot imagine getting a better system for this price. In addition to this system - a Sony HDTV, a satellite receiver, a standard definition DVD player, and a PS3 round out my entertainment system.

The package arrived very quickly and all the components were well packed within the box. It took me approximately an hour to physically assemble the speaker stands and arrange the system to where I wanted it. This I did without having to use the instruction manual since everything is color coded and labeled. I used the quick setup feature which attempts to calibrate the system with a microphone to determine the speaker's distance from your listening position automatically. It was an easy process, but not entirely accurate. I manually tweaked the system through the system menu to get the sound more to my liking, which was fairly easy to do with the manual's help. As noted in other reviews, the surround speakers aren't truly wireless, as there are wires running from the S-Air unit to the speakers, but it still beats running wires through your walls, ceiling, or under the floor!

My system is in my basement family room, and I placed the remote wireless speaker in our first floor kitchen. It works fairly well, and I like that you can listen to an input different from what the receiver is tuned to. For example, if my wife is cooking she sometimes listens to my iPod on the remote speaker while I may be downstairs watching a ball game. The speaker does cut out occasionally for a split second, and I'm not sure why yet. It's not enough to be completely distracting, but the issue is there. I have a 2.4GHz wireless router also in my basement, so I wonder if that may be the cause... Other than that, I have not noticed any other issues that may be related to being wireless. My cordless phones are on a different frequency than my router, so they apparently don't cause any interference at all. In the summer I hope to be able to use the wireless speaker outside if the signal strength is strong enough.

Since I generally use my PS3 to play movies, I didn't necessarily care that this system featured a 5 disc changer, but now that I've used it I'm glad to have it. A single disc player would have been all I need since I almost never load up more than one CD, but I do like that fact that it features DVD upconverting. Again, not necessary for me but at least I don't have to also fire up my PS3 to watch a standard def movie. The upconverting definitely improves picture quality, but contrary to what another reviewer wrote, the video quality is NOT as good as Blu Ray. At least not on my 1080p TV.

The audio quality is good, but it will not blow you away. The lows are nicely emphasized with the dynamic bass turned on, but it is not the same as having a high quality powered subwoofer. The other speakers all sound fine, but again not up to standards set by higher quality (and higher priced) components. I like to listen to action packed movies and football games really loud, and this system is not quite powerful enough for an ideal listening experience for my tastes, but it is definitely sufficient for most of my other needs. And plenty loud enough for my wife. :)

As noted in other reviews, the lack of inputs on the receiver is somewhat limiting, but again, this is a budget system that is capable of quite a bit for this price. I hooked up my satellite receiver to the optical audio input of the receiver, and my TV to the analog inputs. My PS3 and satellite receiver are input to my TV's HDMI inputs but for some reason I cannot output the audio from my TV's optical audio out. I called Sony and was told that it is because I use satellite instead of cable for my TV reception, but I don't know why that makes a difference. And why it would matter at all for my PS3. But I'm not a techie, so I will have to research that issue more.

The instruction manual and the onscreen menus aren't the easiest to use, but I'm getting used to them. Since this is designed to be a simple budget system I don't have a problem with the lack of sound fields that bothered some other reviewers. My older Sony receiver had far more, but that receiver alone probably cost more than what this whole system costs. If you don't want to deal with figuring out different sound environments it doesn't get any easier than this system's "Movie" or "Music" automatic modes! Although I wouldn't mind at least a few sound fields for music, such as Rock, Classical or Jazz since there is no equalizer.

Overall, this is a nice all in one one package, fairly simple to set up and use. If you are an audiophile or videophile looking for the highest quality you will not find it in this budget system. But for substantially less than 400 duckies I don't think you can do any better than this system. When I replace the carpeting in my basement I will run high quality speaker wire under the new carpeting along the walls in preparation for the day when I may have a couple thousand dollars to spend on a high end amp, receiver, and speaker system, but for now I am very happy with this system.

My title explains the only dissatisfaction I have with the H.T. System.
It took hours (several reads) for me to figure out the various Audio
sections (see Emma's review). Also agree with Emma about the poor
control/remote ( In the manual they call the remote the HDMI Control in
the Bravia section). Remote way to complicated and illogical in layout.
Otherwise, we love the system. Sound is great. DVD/CD work super. Love
the 5 CD capacity. The S-Air Receivers (both the Surround Sound and the
true wireless unit) work great. We have the wireless unit in a second
room and it works fine. Also, no interference from my 2.4Ghz wireless
router in my nearby computer office. All in all, a great system for the
money. I would rate it a 5 if someone else would set it up for me and
save me the hours of reading the manual.

Nice to use. Takes some work to figure out how to use it with the tv. We have the HDMI cable going up and it will project information to the tv for you.