23
Sony STR-DG520
$199.00
Released April, 2008
The Pros:Good value receiver with 2 HDMI inputs. Compatible with Blu-ray 1080p/24 fps. Decent audio ouput power - 100 W.
The Cons:No front inputs. Only 3 digital audio inputs in total (2 optical + 1 coax). Doesn't decode HD audio.
The Sony STR-DG520 is a 5.1 channel A/V receiver retailing for $199 released April 8th, 2008. It features 2 x HDMI pass-through inputs, and 2 x component video inputs. The receiver will not process the audio found on the HDMI inputs, nor will it transcode or upscale analog and component video inputs to the HDMI output or vis versa.
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The DG520 is the bottom-of-the-line model of 2008 A/V receivers from Sony. The step-up model is the STR-DG720 ($299) that upgrades to 7.1 audio, has 3 component and HDMI inputs. The STR-DG520 is rated for 100 Watts RMS of output power @ 8 Ohms, and features only a single zone of audio.
Features
- 5.1 channel A/V receiver
- power: 100 Watts RMS @ 8 Ohms
- Video switching: Doesn't transcode or upscale analog/componet to HDMI and vis versa
- HDMI: 2 inputs, 1 output (pass-through)
- Component/HD: 2 inputs, 1 output
- Digital audio: 2 x digital optical S/PDIF, 1 x digital coaxial
- Audio decoding: Dolby digital and dts, but does not support HD audio decoding
- Release date: April 8th, 2008
- Price: $199
User Reviews (12)
Pros & Cons
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3
Good value receiver with 2 HDMI inputs
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2
Compatible with Blu-ray 1080p/24 fps
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-1
Decent audio ouput power - 100 W
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4
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4
Only 3 digital audio inputs in total (2 optical + 1 coax)
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3
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2
Only a single zone of audio/video
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2
Only has binding post speaker terminals for 2 channels
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1
No video transcoding or upscaling
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0
Horrible muddy sound quality; not high fidelity.
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-2
Impossible to connect audio from PS3/DVD/STB with HDMI. Also impossible with HDMI + optical cable. The only way this works is through composite.
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Comments (2)
trisweb:
#sony_str_dg520 Others have covered the technical limitations/features of the receiver - let me put a word in about audio quality.
It's really astonishingly bad. I mean, I'm picky about sound quality, but not that picky - but the difference was night and day between it and my little T-Amp. The T-Amp was like crystal in comparison - the Sony 520 had absolutely zero imaging, obviously bad stereo crosstalk (how often can you even hear that??), clearly introduced signal distortion... I could go on. The sound was essentially dead. Amplified, but dead.
Opting not to kill my beautiful music, I went with a 1-year old used Yamaha HTR-5960 and couldn't be happier. The amplifiers in the Yamaha's are clean and clear. But then, at a price point this low, any amplifier is probably going to be less than great, and you do get what you pay for - I was just surprised that I could hear it with such clarity (or lack of clarity, as it were). I can't recommend this if you have good ears. You have been warned.
Jul 21, 09
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beobopus:
#sony_str_dg520 Pros: easy set up. So far seems good for the price. Good enough if you are looking for easy setup & easy handling for a decent sound.
Cons: seems that the HDMI inputs & out put is not really nessecary as you still need to hook up optical connections for the audio to be heard.
Notes: you will need a subwoofer with a RCA cable hookup & optical cables inorder to receive audio as the HDMI inputs are only "passthrough" & carry no audio signals.
Jan 5, 09
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