So, I'm about to pull the trigger on this unit and a subwoofer soon.

[HPuser9557]

After considering multiple different units for an AVR upgrade, I've finally settled on something, an STR-DG920 that can be had for a major bargain, at $152.24 total combining shipping, and I'm also about to grab a sub to go along with it. As for the back-rear channels, those are coming at a later date.

Combined total for the receiver, sub, and cable coming up: $262 give or take, about the price of a new entry-level AV receiver, for what at the time was a top-end unit before you got to the ES line.

Oh, and a major feature I was looking for, HDMI audio decoding, I checked in the manual and this unit does that.

http://tinyurl.com/y8ny2pnd

 

[swechsler]

Budget a few bucks for a remote. There's probably a lot you won't be able to do without one.

 

[hnash53]

That sounds like a decent deal. Which subwoofer are you getting?

And ditto about the remote... modern home theater receivers are crippled without a remote control. eBay has one right now for $25. You'll need it.

Let us know about the sub.

 

[HPuser9557]

Sub = YST-FSW050.

 

[Boonaroo]

I have owned a few Sony's before. This is just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. I found them to be a bit under powered. Don't get me wrong, they are feature laden. They have plenty of inputs and some nice sound field effects. Just not good power under the hood. Like I said I have owned a few. Ended up selling both. Made a package deal to a young fellow and he was elated.

I ended up replacing my Sony receiver with an Onkyo TX NR818 7.2 Channel Receiver and an Onkyo BD-SP809 Blu-Ray Player. I got them both on Ebay. Ended up spending a bit more, but I will be living with this investment for quite some times so I wanted to get something that would hold its value and be durable to boot.

I paired this set up with some very nice Sony ES speakers I got on close out when Circuit City was still in business. A full 7 channel system. I also have 2 Sony subs in the mix as well. My lady loves the thrill of watching movies with me and friends. We never go out anymore and we are the local hangout.

There is a thread over in the General Forum called "History of Your Systems" that gives a full rundown of my home theater set up along with my other systems, past and present.

Enjoy the music, and movies!!

 

[HPuser9557]

I was also debating between the DG920 and DN1000 for a while, but went for the DG920 because it has superior input selector, tuning, and tone controls over the DN1000, it's all buttons on the DN1000, while those controls are rotary on the DG920.

 

[RJolly87]

I picked up a STR-DG920 as well as an Onkyo TX-NR717 for $220 for the pair about a year ago. My father currently uses the Sony to Drive his DCM TF-600's and CX-17's in a 5.1 config, with a Sony SA-WM40 subwoofer (12").

The receiver was a marked improvement over what was brought in previously (mid range Y2K era Sony receiver), and the system as a whole never fails to put a smile on his face. . . assuming his wife isn't trying to sleep for graveyard shift.

I never was a fan of the way the auto configuration configured the subwoofer. It always ended up being boomy. Compared to the Onkyo, it does seem aged, but it still gets the job done just fine. Life is MUCH easier with the remote.

Do keep in mind however, it is a receiver coming up on 10 years old. Hopefully everything works out, given that it seems the trigger has been pulled.

Also, if you don't already have speaker plugs, now may be a good time to spring for some. Locking down bare wires is a COMPLETE pain in the backside on this unit even with ideal accessibility. You start bending down for it, or getting down to a tight space where a receiver is likely to end up, you will definitely be wishing for speaker plugs.

I sprung for several volleys of these, and never looked back: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=9436

 

[HPuser9557]

I'm putting back any component upgrades until I can get a pure-sine UPS specifically for powering the HT stack now, can't build up a decent system without a decent power source to back it up. I already have a mod-sine UPS, but mod-sine is less than ideal for A/V loads and anything you remotely care about, those are better saved for equipment you don't really care about as much.