Sony latest slew of receivers seem to be pretty much the same.

[Seth=L]

I was looking at the Sony STR-DA5300 ES (no, not to buy, just looking at stuff) and realized that their latest receivers are fundamentally the same with a few slight variations.

STR-DA5300 ES
STR-DA4300 ES
STR-DA3300 ES
STR-DG2100
STR-DG1100
STR-DG1000

What do each of the receivers above have in common? Well according to Sony's website, and they should be the authority on their receivers, they all weigh pretty much exactly the same. Low and behold the most expensive receiver, the STR-DA5300, and the cheapest one, the STR-DG1000, are rated for 120 watts per channel. All other units are rated at 100 watts per channel. It makes one wonder, does Sony even test their receivers anymore to find out how much power they put out, or just throw a number out there that sounds nice?

Each receiver fundamentally looks the same, and has the same physical dimensions. Each unit weighs 34 pounds 3 ounces and has a W*H*D of 17*7*17, at least according to Sony's site.

Now each one has a different set of features to offer. The STR-DA5300 and STR-DG1000 are the only ones that offer S-Video switching. All units offer Faroudja DCDi Cinema upscaling to 1080p aside from the STR-DG1000. The STR-DG1000 has only 2 HDMI inputs, all other units have 3 HDMI inputs aside from the STR-DA5300 which has 6 HDMI inputs. The STR-DG2100, STR-DA4300, and the STR-DA5300 are the only units that feature HDMI 1.3a and all the HD audio processing that comes with it (all units can utilize 7.1 LPCM from an HDMI source that can process HD audio). The STR-DG1100 and STR-DG2100 do not have 7.1 preouts, all other units support this feature. All units have 7.1 analog inputs, in the event of a SACD or DVD-Audio player.

So, you could spend 3 times the street price of the STR-DG1000 to get the STR-DA5300 ES, or you could get a very similar product for around $500. This isn't to say the STR-DA5300 is a bad receiver or lacks features, lets just say someone really needs 6 HDMI inputs or a few extra analog inputs, but the STR-DG1000 really seems like a good deal at street price. Lord knows I don't need HDMI 1.3.

 

[fmw]

Not much of a surprise there. Yes there are always several differences between the various models in a line of receivers but the main difference is in the profit margin the manufacturer earns. I would image the difference in production cost between the bottom and top of the line is less than $30. Just a guess but probably not far off the mark.

 

[Seth=L]

Not much of a surprise there. Yes there are always several differences between the various models in a line of receivers but the main difference is in the profit margin the manufacturer earns. I would image the difference in production cost between the bottom and top of the line is less than $30. Just a guess but probably not far off the mark.

I guess the Onkyo TX-SR805, TX-SR875, and TX-NR905 are quite similar in principle design. The 875 offers the Reon HQV processing and the 905 has a toroidal power supply. Each unit has slightly more features, but not enough to warrant the huge increase in price IMO.

 

[PENG]

The older models seem to have greater variations in weight.

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/displayreviews.php

The 5200ES also weighs a little over 34 lbs but it has more impressive specs (5X130W into 4 ohms) than the 7100ES that weighs almost 52 lbs.

 

[Seth=L]

The older models seem to have greater variations in weight.

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/displayreviews.php

The 5200ES also weighs a little over 34 lbs but it has more impressive specs (5X130W into 4 ohms) than the 7100ES that weighs almost 52 lbs.

Can't beleive I missed a post.

I am dissapointed with Sony about this (as if they weren't already a major let-down) but it is downright lame that they do things like this.

 

[Soundman]

Can't beleive I missed a post.

I am dissapointed with Sony about this (as if they weren't already a major let-down) but it is downright lame that they do things like this.

I agree. A friend of mine has a Sony receiver. I forget the model number, but it looks like a cheap piece of crap compared to my Emotiva products. For the price, it definitely doesn't look like a value to me.

 

[gus6464]

I agree. A friend of mine has a Sony receiver. I forget the model number, but it looks like a cheap piece of crap compared to my Emotiva products. For the price, it definitely doesn't look like a value to me.

I still have a 6 year old 5.1 Sony receiver that still works like a charm. It is now in the bedroom and still works just like the day I got it out of the box. I don't know about their new stuff but the old Sony receivers have very good build quality.