Yes, I know, it's a Sony receiver. Yes, I know, it's a little older.
But guess what? Not all Sony receivers are crap.
The STR-DG platform arrived just on the eve of HDMI capable receivers replacing the STR-DB series. The STR-DG1000 is completely different from the rest of the series however as it shares the heart of the ES line. In fact, it shares so much with it that the transformer says "Sony ES" on the top of it.
The STR-DG1000 is a HDMI 1.2a repeating receiver. It weighs almost 35 pounds and has many desirable features. Since my TV doesn't natively support 24p or any derivative of it I don't have a need for HDMI 1.3 since the PS3 does all the HD audio decoding for me. I don't need more than 2 HDMI inputs either. What I needed was power (STR-DG1000's amp section is very robust), flexibility in inputs (phono, multizone, HDMI), and all channel preouts (just in case I get froggy).
The STR-DG1000 powers my M&K S-100Bs with precision and gusto, I do not find myself wanting for power at all. The receiver also looks very nice as it shares the same aesthetic with the ES receivers of that year (in fact I'm pretty sure it's the exact same thing as the STR-DA1200ES).
To reiterate, not all Sony receivers are crap, but most are. To my limited knowledge, the only "good" Sony AVRs in recent history are the top STR-DG models (STR-DG1000, STR-DG1100, STR-DG1200, etc) and their ES line. While they don't garner considerable praise because they are either lacking in features for their newest receivers when compared at their respective price points to competing brands, their used and close out market pricing can be very appealing.
