Sony STR-DH700 does 7.1 for cheap, but lacks sweet sonics
Even for savvy home theater enthusiasts, buying an AV receiver can be a chore, requiring hours hunched over spec sheets trying to figure out what each model offers. From a general perspective, the Sony STR-DH700 looks to offer a good value, as a 7.1 AV receiver with three HDMI inputs, widely available for under $300.
However, the details aren't quite so kind to Sony's receiver, as it lacks onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and an onscreen display--both of which are available on Pioneer's VSX-819H, which has a street price only slightly higher.
We could have overlooked this if the STR-DH700 performed better than average for its price, but we were mostly underwhelmed by its sonics, although it's a decent choice for movies as long as you don't crank it too loud. While the STR-DH700 is a perfectly capable AV receiver at a budget price, we think most buyers will be better served by alternatives.
Die-hard Sony fans, meanwhile, will need to spend more for one of the better-appointed receivers in the company's 2009 line-up.
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I have 7.1 and I do like watching my movies loud. I have no complaints on the performance of my receiver.
Again, this isn't the model I have, but it's similar- There are two things I dislike. While you get 3 HDMI in and 1 out to the TV, on my model, if you have a component in (Say, a Wii) it goes to component out. There's no way to send it through HDMI, so you still need to switch inputs on your TV.
Second, there's always a volume difference when watching HD TV and you get a 5.1 program (normal vol) versus a 2.0 commercial (loud). I don't know if that's the fault of the DVR or the Receiver or just a fact of life.
Overall, for the price, it's a great buy if you don't need the native decoding.