Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

I'm not a horribly tech savvy person. However, I still found this piece of equipment easy to hook up and use. At the time, I needed two receivers, one for home theater, and one for home audio. I bought a different receiver for home audio, and I wish I had bought this one. As I said before excellent bang for the buck and I would definitely refer any friend in the market for a similar product.

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

I purchased this amp to replace a Pioneer VSX-D607S. Now, instead of a few dozen cables from my TV to the amp I have a single HDMI cable. I didn't even realize my subwoofer wasn't working until I did the auto calibration with this new Sony STR-DG520. Now I've replaced it and have great 5.1 sound. The interface is easy to use (you can display the GUI interface on the TV), the sound is excellent, and the functionality is exactly what I had hoped for (and more).

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

Having this receiver for about two months; I must
say-- Greate! This is perfect for someone who wants rich home theater sound and not into all that tecno knowhow. Simple to set up and enjoy.
The rec. looks good on or off

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

Most inputs, most features for the money.

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

This unit provides very nice surround sound effects. It took some time with the owners manual to get everything set up with the other components of my system but it was worth the effort.

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

This is a no frills receiver by today's standard, but it does all that is necessary (and a little bit more) for a modest home theater setup without unnecessary complication and at a great price.

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

I did ALOT of research about this and other surround receivers so I knew exactly what I was getting. Consequently, there were no disappointments other than I would have thought I'd get more bass from the main channels. No big deal - I'll just have to connect an active subwoofer to the subwoofer output (the way the unit was designed to be used) and all will be well.

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

I purchased this recently to replace my old A/V receiver that lacked the proper connections for my PS3/ Blu-Ray Player. The STR-DG520 had what I needed at a great price (B&H had the best price). Sound quality is excellent as expected. I hooked it up to my Blu-Ray (via Optical Audio Out) and DVD player (via Coaxial) and can effortlessly switch between them. Now I can play video games in surround sound, which is a bit creepy... On a side note, I did have to purchase a new subwoofer, because my older receiver could power a subwoofer via standard cable wire, while the STR-DG520, like many newer systems, has a designated subwoofer port that requires a self-powered subwoofer. Just something to keep in mind. Apart from that, it gets the job done. Well.

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

I bought the Sony Receiver primarily since my Samsung TV (from B&H, natch) has only Digital Optical sound output. My Marantz Model 22 receiver I bought during the VietNam War lacks any digital inputs. I chose the Sony because it had lots of RCA jacks for my old peripherals. It took awhile but I was able to get my CD changer, Cassette Deck, and new TV connected. This receiver is very "Sony Oriented" and expects a Sony TV as an output device. None of the TV control buttons work since there isn't any method to re-program the remote to other brands. I found my optical TV sound appeared when I pressed BD, my tape when I pressed SAT. I did discover I could rename the devices displayed to say, "TV", "Tape" etc. I will stick labels on the remote buttons. Basically I am happy with the product. It has room for expansion, I'm only using 2 of 5 amplifiers and perhaps 1/10th of the options. Note: It flashes UNLOCK briefly between channels, I learned that is normal and really means it is in the process of locking....

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

I needed an HDMI 5.1 receiver to go with a new flat screen/Blu-ray setup, even though my old Sony DE-345 worked well- planned obsolescence strikes again. This is a basic receiver, perfect for someone who wants a relatively uncomplicated setup. The menus are overly complicated, but once you establish your preferences, it's set it and forget it. The sound quality is adequate, although I could swear the old receiver sounded a little cleaner, and I miss the loudness switch. A no-brainer, a good bargain for the money. And B&H had the best price on the internet.

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

I intend to use this for TV and my floor speakers. I didn't want to set up a surround sound system. This reciever is very adequate for the money.

Comments about Sony STR-DG520 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver:

I'm not a major player in the "audiophile" world. In fact I am just now upgrading from a mid-level Pioneer receiver/amp that was a gift in the late 1980s, and a pair of "Realistic" model speakers (a Consumer Reports "Best Buy" of 1988).

This unit has enough juice to run the new Yamaha surround speaker system and it sounds great! The instruction booklet is actually helpful, and it's been fun exploring the features.

My last hurdle appears to be upgrading the old television to an HD "monitor" style, and then I can make full use of the high-quality inputs and outputs.

I think that this unit represents a very good value. People that are really into this stuff will probably want to spend a little more to get more wattage to drive a better speaker system, but for what I'm doing this fills the bill just fine.