Entered CNET Catalog: 06/19/2005
SKU: 0027242667037
Manufacturer: Sony Electronics, Inc.
Manufacturer description
Sony STR-DA3100ES A/V Receiver features a new 120 watt analog amplifier with two assignable high-definition component video inputs and single output, component up conversion from composite and/or S-Video sources, second zone audio/video output and third zone audio output. It also provides on-screen display for easy set up, A/V Sync adjustment, RS-232 control and upgrade, three 12 volt triggers, an infrared input and two infrared outputs.Product summary
The good: 7.1-channel A/V receiver; beautiful exterior design; 120 watts per channel; A/V sync feature; three-zone multiroom capability; two remotes.
The bad: Only two component-video inputs; illogical setup menu.
The bottom line: Despite missing a couple of features, Sony's STR-DA3100ES receiver sounds as good as it looks, which is to say, it's gorgeous.
Average user rating: 
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/23/2005
Maybe it's just us, but we found the logistics of the DA3100ES's setup menu irritatingly illogical. The Easy Set Up is anything but; we needed a solid half hour of study to master the Sony's tricky menu system. The onscreen menu navigation is nowhere near as intuitive as that of Harman Kardon or Onkyo. Once you roll up your sleeves and explore the DA3100ES's capabilities, it's pretty comprehensive. It even includes a separately set subwoofer volume level for SACD/DVD-A, and that's a good thing, because most high-resolution players' bass output is on the low side.
Sony supplies two remotes: a small one with an illuminated LCD window, and a second, more straightforward remote for use in another room. Potently powered with 120 watts per channel, the Sony STR-DA3100ES can energize even tough-to-drive speakers with gusto. Surround processing covers most of the current options from Dolby and DTS; all that's missing is Dolby Headphone. Sony also supplied the STR-DA3100ES with a lip-sync delay function to compensate for gaps between audio and video. You can adjust the delay from 0 to 200 milliseconds in 10ms increments.
Connectivity should satisfy all but the most complex home-theater installations, but we were disappointed to find just two component-video inputs on the back panel; competing units such as the Harman Kardon AVR-635 offer three. The Sony has a total of four A/V inputs with S-Video; six digital inputs (four optical and two coaxial); one optical output; four analog inputs, including provisions for two recorders as well as a turntable input; a complete set of 7.1-channel SACD/DVD-Audio inputs and 7.1-channel preamp outputs; a second set of 5.1-channel analog inputs; plus a versatile array of Zone 2/3 multiroom options such as RS-232, IR, and three voltage triggers. Speaker connections include A/B switching, and you can reassign the surround-back channels for use as stereo speakers in another room.
Strangely, the owners' manual also refers to a 9.1-channel speaker system but fails to include a wiring diagram. In any case, the DA3100ES is and will always be a 7-channel receiver, so we can't fathom the 9.1 designation. You can still go ahead and hook up nine speakers, but the number of discrete channels remains the same: 7.
The receiver can upconvert composite and S-Video sources to component video, and composite signals to S-Video. There are even hue, color, and sharpness controls that apply to the component-video output, although we prefer to adjust these controls at the display rather than via the receiver. If you're lusting for HDMI audio/video switching and upconversion on a Sony, however, be prepared to pony up $2,000 for the STR-DA7100ES receiver, due out this summer. That model might also include a FireWire connection for use with equipped SACD players. Alas, the DA3100ES does not.
If the DA3100ES is a little out of your price range, check out Sony's STR-DA2100ES ($800) 110-watt, 7.1-channel receiver. Aside from the smaller amplifier, it has only one remote, has provisions for only two zones instead of three, and has just one 12-volt trigger instead of three. The Sony STR-DA3100ES's sound took flight as soon as we revved up the Aviator DVD. Oh, boy--the sonic grandeur of swooping and soaring airplanes blew us away, but it was the intricately layered scene where Howard Hughes crashes his plane in Beverly Hills that proved the DA3100ES's true mettle. Just before the plane finally crashes, its landing gear tears up the tiled roofs of several houses, and the ensuing fires and explosions were brilliantly reproduced. The sound of the approaching fire engines from way off in the distance was also perfectly portrayed. In short, the mega Sony is a home-theater ace.
We put the DA3100ES's sonic resolution to the test with the Three Guitars multichannel SACD from Larry Coryell, Badi Assad, and John Abercrombie. This SACD was recorded live in a church, so not only did the guitars sound realistic, we could hear the subtle details of their tones filling the church's acoustic space. Duke Ellington's Piano in the Foreground CD forgoes the big-band arrangements for a more intimate setting. When the Duke jabs the piano's keys to create a percussive effect, the DA3100ES reveals even his most subtle dynamic shadings. That incisive display makes the music feel live, and it's exactly the sort of nuance that lesser receivers gloss over.
Even the full force of the Queens of the Stone Age's aptly titled new CD, Lullabies to Paralyze, didn't faze the DA3100ES. We cranked the hell out of the Queens' melodic thrash, killer guitar riffs, and feedback walls, but the Sony kept rockin'. You can't count on every 120-watt receiver to play this loudly, but this Sony's power was never in doubt.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 3 user reviews
Fabulous sound...amazingly low price
Pros: Very clean and powerful
Cons: Quirky remote selector
Review: I prefer the sound of this receiver over those I've heard costing 2-3 times as much (Yamaha RX-V3300, JVC RX-DP20VBK). The sound is very neutral with a touch of lushness is the best way can decribe it. Can't get over how good this thing sounds.
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 3 user reviews
Perfect For Street Price!
Pros: Multi-Zone Support, Great Quality, Great For The Price, 5 Year Warranty
Cons: It Could Use Another Couple Inputs
Review: The problem with the C|Net Review is that they forget that the product may have an MSRP of $1,000, but you can get it for $600.
I did a comparison of this unit and I found myself picking between the Denon's 3805 and the Yamaha V2500. Everything else was too high or too low on the spectrum. You simply can't do better than this unit for the money. The Yamaha does have an additional component port, but then again, with HDMI and DVI, can you bank on wanting to use component? The Yamaha basically won't have a warranty if you buy it online, so that's a big factor. The 3805 from Denon is about $150 more than the Sony ES and really only improves with a third, better, component port.
The reviewers have a problem with the setup, but I'm less concerned with that as someone who appreciates the quality of the unit's output. It's not that hard to calibrate the system, and if you're so concerned with that over quality, sure just get something else.
I did a comparison of this unit and I found myself picking between the Denon's 3805 and the Yamaha V2500. Everything else was too high or too low on the spectrum. You simply can't do better than this unit for the money. The Yamaha does have an additional component port, but then again, with HDMI and DVI, can you bank on wanting to use component? The Yamaha basically won't have a warranty if you buy it online, so that's a big factor. The 3805 from Denon is about $150 more than the Sony ES and really only improves with a third, better, component port.
The reviewers have a problem with the setup, but I'm less concerned with that as someone who appreciates the quality of the unit's output. It's not that hard to calibrate the system, and if you're so concerned with that over quality, sure just get something else.
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 3 user reviews
It's missing the spot for an 'ES' class component
Pros: It has Sony's 'ES' class circuitry
Cons: No HDMI I/O
Review: I own an older Sony DB Class receiver, which is great for a 6 year-old component, but it's 2005, and when looking to upgrade my components, I want HDMI.
Now I have this dilemma (poor me
):
- Cable/Satellite receivers currently offers HDMI or DVI outputs.
- Newer DVD players and upcoming blue-laser players promise HDMI outputs.
- A TiVO (or like) box with HDMI output is not far in the horizon
So... why an 'ES' class component from Sony doesn't provide HDMI inputs/outputs?
I don't think Sony expects its customers to have external HDMI switchboxes, specially the ones that would buy their 'ES' class components.
Now I have this dilemma (poor me
): - Cable/Satellite receivers currently offers HDMI or DVI outputs.
- Newer DVD players and upcoming blue-laser players promise HDMI outputs.
- A TiVO (or like) box with HDMI output is not far in the horizon
So... why an 'ES' class component from Sony doesn't provide HDMI inputs/outputs?
I don't think Sony expects its customers to have external HDMI switchboxes, specially the ones that would buy their 'ES' class components.
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