So I finally found some
speakers that fit the room I plan on setting this whole system in, as well as a separate self-powered amplified sub woofer. I also have a
modest-sized HDTV to complete the visual part of the set up. There's still something missing...
Oh yes... the receiver. The speakers aren't the most stellar - I really wanted those
Klipsch Synergy B-3s! Just as well, the HDTV isn't really that big, the room isn't that large, and the budget was thinning quickly. So yes, I cheaped out on the receiver. Though, for "cheap", I still made out pretty good if I do say so myself.
The Sony STR-DG510 is a 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound receiver that claims 500W of power. I didn't have a lot of space to fill out with sound, so I figure that should be more than enough. What amazed me was the sale price - normally $199 (still a low price for a 5.1 receiver), I found the STR-DG510 for $149 at Fry's Electronics. It offered just enough inputs to satisfy me.
One thing to note, though - there is no phono-in jacks, so if you have an old turntable that requires one, you'd have to purchase a separate pre-amplifier. I ended up doing this for my father's circa 80s direct drive turntable. Of course, this isn't a huge deal for most people.
Sony STR-DG510
The main thing about this receiver is that features are kept to a minimum to allow for a low price point. The STR-DG line is basically an entry level line which also includes a 7.1 model as well. It certainly have a minimum amount of inputs that I would consider just enough, as well as an AM/FM tuner.
While there are more negative things I can say than positive, we have to keep in mind the budget price of the receiver. It really does a decent job without sacrificing sound quality too much. However, you can tell where Sony cut corners to get to the price point of $200. Compromises, compromises...
Inputs/Outputs
For example, there 2 optical TOSLINK and 1 coaxial SPDIF digital inputs, which the only way to get true 5.1 surround sound. Plenty, you say? Here's the catch - it is required that there is a video signal to the corresponding audio input for the reciever to start decoding the audio signal. This mean if you have a CD player with a digital out, you're screwed (no video output).
Then there are the 2 HDMI switching ports. That's pretty generous for a receiver in this price range. The catch? They are only pass-through, so the only way to get audio is through the corresponding optical or coaxial digital audio inputs stated above. The HDMI ports only support signals up to 1080i, which further dampened my happy mood.
If you look at the back of the STR-DG510, you'll see a lot of jacks, giving you the impression that there are lots of input options. However, many of them are tied together. For example, for the "DVD IN", a coaxial SPDIF, HDMI, component video, and composite connectors are all tied together. The lack of a phono-in isn't that surprising, however.
There are also 4 stereo analog inputs (red and white RCA jacks) for SA-CD/CD, TV, SAT, and VIDEO 1 (both input/output). There are matching composite video in for all of those inputs except for SA-CD/CD (which is meant for an audio CD player). As stated before, if there is no video signal coming in, then the receiver won't even bother with the audio signal (which took a while for me to figure out). This means the only audio-only input that doesn't require a video matching input signal to work is SA-CD/CD.
Another limitation comes from the different video outputs. The STR-DG510 have monitor outs for HDMI, composite, and component. However, since HDMI is just a pass-thru, there is no video conversion to either composite or component. Of course, the plus side is that any composite video inputs can be upscaled to the component video output. Vice-versa, component video input can be downscaled to a composite video output.
All speaker hook ups are the tab-release type. Following typical other budget receivers, they do not accept any banana plugs. There are outputs to the traditional speaker-level signals for front, center, and surrounds as well as a second pair of "FRONT B" speakers (for stereo listening in another room). Impedance rating for all speakers are 8-16 ohms. The sub woofer output is a line-level signal via a RCA jack. This means that you will need a self-powered amplified sub woofer.
All connectors are clearly marked and have consistent input names. This helps with matching the correct audio input with the video input.
Usability
There aren't a lot of buttons or knobs on the STR-DG510. That's not exactly a good thing. For example, adjusting treble, bass, left/right balance, and front/rear fade requires you to use the remote. That's not a huge issue itself, but these adjustments are buried under many menus. Everything is done visually by the teal-colored LED display on the receiver itself. There is only space for a single line with few characters, making it a chore to adjust anything that's usually considered trivial.
The nice thing about this though (once everything is adjusted) is that it is simple to use. A large master volume knob does what it says, and a smaller (yet still pretty big) input selector knob cycles between the different input sources.
Unfortunately, tuning AM/FM stations is done by two very small dot-sized up/down buttons. This is where a knob would have been helpful. I'd settle for larger buttons.
The remote is pretty big with buttons that are more or less logically placed. You'd still need to have a staring contest with it to use it thanks to the many densely packed buttons. I say "more or less" because while everything else made sense to me, the volume buttons are located on the left side of the remote. I find this unintuitive since it is the most used buttons on the remote. Think about it - grab a remote and look at where your thumb is located. If you're right-handed, you'll notice that the volume buttons are uncomfortable to use with this Sony receiver remote.
I was able to set up the remote to also control a Sony television, but not the
Norcent HDTV I am currently using.
As stated, setting up the trivial balance, fade, treble, and bass requires you to go into a menu system. This started up by hitting the "Amp Menu" button on the remote and going through the menus via the directional buttons (also on the remote). You cannot do this on the front panel of the receiver. Test tones can be found here as well, as well as the automated calibration system (requires a mic - not included). I haven't used the automated calibration process myself.
Sound Quality
Surprisingly, sound didn't disappoint. The
speakers did most of the job, of course, but as you may have heard - GIGO (garbage in, garbage out). The STR-DG510's only fault is that it doesn't get super crazy loud. Of course, this is fine by me. At maximum volume, my ears were already saying "enough"! Even at this level, I could not hear any distortion or violent clipping.
Sonically, I must say that highs are reproduced rather cleanly, while bass output sound full and tight. This is thanks to the
Klipsch Quintet IIs front, rear, and center speakers as well as the Klipsch Sub-10 sub woofer.
It may seem strange to pair up a high-end brand like Klipsch with an entry level receiver, but this way, I have an upgrade path for the future while the money spent so far is relatively decent price.
The Upshot
There are compromises with the STR-DG510, but the main thing is that it can reproduce Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound faithfully, even though it means sacrificing some inputs and usability convenience. For $150, I'm pretty happy.
