Entered CNET Catalog: 06/18/2005
SKU: 0027242668416
Manufacturer: Sony Electronics, Inc.
Manufacturer description
A wireless dream from Sony's DAV-FX100W Wireless DVD Dream System allows you to place the component speakers and subwoofer in your living room without the visibility of hanging stereo wires. The DAV-FX100W features a 5-disc DVD/CD/SA-CD changer, 1000 Watts total system power handling and a sleek, silver aluminum finish sure to compliment your favorite room in the house. Sound enhancements like the S-Master Digital Amplifier processes HDTV digital audio sources for clear sound reproduction while the HDMI technology carries uncompressed audio and video signals for uncompromised sound and picture reproduction. If you're an avid movie watcher, you'll enjoy the Digital Cinema Sound System designed by Sony to bring the true experience of movie theater sound to your living room, sorry, popcorn not included.Product summary
The good: Dreamy HTIB design; five-disc slot-loading DVD/SACD/CD changer/receiver; HDMI output upscales to 720p/1080i video; wireless surround speakers; tower speakers.
The bad: Tricky setup menus make changing the subwoofer level a pain; tedious DIY speaker assembly; subwoofer sounds bass-heavy.
The bottom line: Sony's revamped wireless Dream system ups the ante with cutting-edge features and improved sound quality.
Average user rating: from 6 users
3.0 stars
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 10/25/2005
The slim remote reflects the receiver's crisp styling, and its minimalist button count simplifies everyday use. For advanced operations, an additional set of buttons resides under a slip-down cover.
While the tower speakers of the Sony DAV-FX100W are more angular than those of the FR10W, their plastic construction quickly dispels any illusion of actual quality. The four 43-inch-tall tower speakers require assembly, and we found the exercise of threading the speaker wires up through the stands a bit of a chore. The operation consumed 30 minutes to get all four speakers done. You could avoid that hassle if you mount the speakers on the wall instead. The towers and center speaker all feature the same oval-shaped 2-by-4-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter.
The subwoofer, meanwhile, sports solid MDF (medium-density fiberboard) construction and measures 8.2 inches wide, 15 high, and 15 deep. Its silver finish and sculptured front panel visually complement the receiver/changer and towers. The sub has a 7-inch woofer on its right side. The Sony DAV-FX100W's digital amplifier delivers 143 watts per channel to the front left/center/right speakers and 285 watts to the subwoofer. A separate surround amp (see below) supplies 143 watts per channel to the left and right surround speakers. The system offers the usual selection of Dolby Digital, Pro Logic II, and DTS surround-sound processing modes, along with a handful of proprietary Sony options. The five-disc changer plays all manner of DVDs and CDs, including home-burned formats, as well as MP3 CDs, JPEG picture discs, and SACDs.
The FX100W offers an A/V Sync feature to reestablish lip sync with TV displays that lag behind audio. That's great, but since you can't fine-tune the delay to match your TV, the feature is practically useless.
HDMI output is the highlight of the system's output bay. The connector enables DVDs to be upscaled to 720p and 1080i resolutions, which may provide a cleaner image on compatible HDTVs. Of course, the standard component, composite, and S-Video outputs are also available. Two sets of A/V inputs are onboard for connecting, say, a VCR or a video game system, but it's worth noting that the video from any connected sources can be passed through only the system's composite video output--there's no upconversion to the S-Video, component, or HDMI-out, which are strictly reserved for the internal DVD. One optical and one coaxial digital audio input round out the connectivity options.
In addition to the HDMI out, the Sony DAV-FX100W's big selling point is its wireless rear speakers. Of course, as we've seen with other "wireless" systems, this one actually uses a lot of wires as well as three pieces of extra hardware: a 10-inch-diameter round surround amplifier, along with a 4.5-inch-tall infrared transmitter and a matching receiver. We placed the surround amplifier in the back of our home theater, plugged it into an AC outlet, and hooked up the infrared receiver, while over in the front of the room, we plugged the transmitter's cable into the receiver/DVD changer. We next ran speaker wires between the surround amplifier and the surround speakers. You will need a direct line of sight between the IR transmitter and receiver for the wireless system to work. In other words, the wireless system eliminates only the wires that would normally run between the receiver/DVD changer and the surround speakers. Still, that can save quite a bit of tripping and tangling for many room configurations. The Flight of the Phoenix DVD soared high on the Sony DAV-FX100W. The plane crash early in the film has embarrassed many a HTIB, but the FX100W sailed through without a scratch. Dialogue was consistently clear and full-bodied. Surround effects were vividly presented, a distinct improvement over competitors' wireless speaker system's performance. This Sony's surround speakers' fidelity fully matched that of the front speakers, and we heard neither dropouts nor extraneous noise from the wireless electronics.
The subwoofer rocked the room, but even with its level set to Flat, the sound had too much bass. We have no doubt the sub's thundering low end will please many buyers, but we felt it crossed the line over to bloated and muddy. Those who agree will need to explore the mysteries of the FX100W's setup menus to smooth out the bass. We read the user manual again and again and eventually figured it out--gee, maybe next time the folks at Sony will build a Dream system with a subwoofer-level control on the remote. While they're at it, it would be great if they included bass and treble controls as well.
Switching to music, Neil Young's new Prairie Wind DVD video sounded luscious. Neil's vocals were beautifully balanced on the acoustic numbers, but the harder-rockin' tunes lacked gusto. CDs had a tendency to sound slightly muffled on some discs, which was a little strange because the satellites' treble range can sound harsh. Super Audio CDs, such as David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, offered no discernable sound-quality advantages over CD, but SACD's 5.1 surround effects were audible.
The FX100W's sure-footed home-theater prowess is impressive, to be sure, but there are alternatives. Those looking for wireless options should consider the Panasonic SC-HT930, which--when paired with the SH-FX50 wireless accessory--still clocks in at $250 less than the Sony. If you don't need wireless surround speakers but are looking for better sound quality, consider instead the smart-looking JVC TH-C6, which is widely available for half the price of the Sony.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 6 user reviews
Don't buy if you want a reliable DVD system
Pros: Nice sound quality, nice picture
Cons: The 5 DVD changer misaligns often, rendering DVD player useless.
Review: The DVD changer misaligns if you even look at it funny. I have had mine for 2 years, and a week after the 1 year warranty was up, the system misaligned. I have since had it into the shop 4 times (5 after today). It is not worth the money and Sony has not been very sympathetic to a loyal Sony customer. DO NOT BUY!
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 6 user reviews
Excellent sound quality, but I should have gone wired.
Pros: Excellent sound quality.
Cons: It is not "Really" wire-less, set-up nightmare, DVD sloooooooow, No DVD eject from remote
Review: I finally decided to replace my 13+ year old surround sound system (Denon/Klipsh) and chose the Sony, not for price, but because I could use my Marriot points to get it from Sky Mall.
I set up the speakers pretty easily, but was disappointed to find out that the rear supposedly wireless speakers were in fact wired to an amplifier with an inadequate amount of speaker wire. I was also surprised to find out that the sub woofer was not powered. I am amazed it sounds as good as it does.
Another disappointment was that the DVD player and the receiver are integrated. I had planned on using my Panasonic DMR-ES40VS DVD Recorder/VCR with this system and relegating the Snoy DVD to another room. The Sony DVD is extremely slow. And you can't enter the setup mode while in DVD playback to fine tune the sound.
When I first powered on the system, the front and center speakers were completely over powering the rear speakers. After much frustration and a couple of drinks I was able to figure out how to enter the custom configuration mode using the remote. Quite often I would get into this Parental Control setup loop and would have to power off the system to get out.
When I was finally able to access the custom setup I had to coerce the remote into letting me navigate to the speaker set up. But once I was able to get to this point I was able to tweak the speaker settings to balance out the sound from the speakers. This is a tedious but necessary process. You enter setup, change some settings, exit setup, play a DVD, see how it sounds, struggle to get back into setup, and repeat until you think you have it right.
Overall I think the sound is superior to my former system. And once I have it set up just to my liking I feel certain that, with the proper amount of time, I will forget the frustrations I went through setting it up.
I set up the speakers pretty easily, but was disappointed to find out that the rear supposedly wireless speakers were in fact wired to an amplifier with an inadequate amount of speaker wire. I was also surprised to find out that the sub woofer was not powered. I am amazed it sounds as good as it does.
Another disappointment was that the DVD player and the receiver are integrated. I had planned on using my Panasonic DMR-ES40VS DVD Recorder/VCR with this system and relegating the Snoy DVD to another room. The Sony DVD is extremely slow. And you can't enter the setup mode while in DVD playback to fine tune the sound.
When I first powered on the system, the front and center speakers were completely over powering the rear speakers. After much frustration and a couple of drinks I was able to figure out how to enter the custom configuration mode using the remote. Quite often I would get into this Parental Control setup loop and would have to power off the system to get out.
When I was finally able to access the custom setup I had to coerce the remote into letting me navigate to the speaker set up. But once I was able to get to this point I was able to tweak the speaker settings to balance out the sound from the speakers. This is a tedious but necessary process. You enter setup, change some settings, exit setup, play a DVD, see how it sounds, struggle to get back into setup, and repeat until you think you have it right.
Overall I think the sound is superior to my former system. And once I have it set up just to my liking I feel certain that, with the proper amount of time, I will forget the frustrations I went through setting it up.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 6 user reviews
Why haven't they made more HTIB's like this before?
Pros: Wireless rear speakers, HDMI, sleek looks
Cons: Limited connectivity options, slow disc changing
Review: It's about time that (relatively) affordable wireless home theater systems have started becoming available. As someone who's never been thrilled by running wires across the living room--or even worse, under carpet or through walls--to the rear speakers, this system really was a dream come true. I chose the Sony system over others on the market because it sends infrared rather than RF signals to the rear speakers. Other RF-wireless systems use the same crowded 2.4GHz frequency band shared by Wi-Fi networks, cordless telephones, and microwaves, so the IR technology really cuts down on interference if you (like me) have a wireless home network.
The sound from this setup is great for an HTIB, and I haven't noticed that the wireless aspect of the system degrades rear-speaker sound quality at all. An earlier reviewer complained about the low-end power (or lack thereof) of the non-powered subwoofer, but I've actually noticed the opposite--sometimes the bass actually seems a litte *too* powerful.
My only two complaints aren't major and are to be expected, given the type of system this is. First, even though the system offers an HDMI output (quite rare among HTIB's, for the most part), it only offers two composite (yellow, red, white) A/V inputs. There are, however, both optical and coaxial digital audio inputs. Also, as another reviewer has noted, the slot-loading disc changer takes quite awhile to switch between discs, and the proper method for inserting and switching discs takes a little while to perfect. Overall, however, these are minor gripes which are to be expected from a "lifestyle"-type HTIB.
The sound from this setup is great for an HTIB, and I haven't noticed that the wireless aspect of the system degrades rear-speaker sound quality at all. An earlier reviewer complained about the low-end power (or lack thereof) of the non-powered subwoofer, but I've actually noticed the opposite--sometimes the bass actually seems a litte *too* powerful.
My only two complaints aren't major and are to be expected, given the type of system this is. First, even though the system offers an HDMI output (quite rare among HTIB's, for the most part), it only offers two composite (yellow, red, white) A/V inputs. There are, however, both optical and coaxial digital audio inputs. Also, as another reviewer has noted, the slot-loading disc changer takes quite awhile to switch between discs, and the proper method for inserting and switching discs takes a little while to perfect. Overall, however, these are minor gripes which are to be expected from a "lifestyle"-type HTIB.
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 6 user reviews
Easy to set up, but wireless is overrated & DVD is slooooow reading
Pros: Easy to set up
Cons: CD/DVD player takes forever to read disks
Review: I bought this system because I wanted to minimize on the wires but i regret not having bought the wired version for $200 cheaper. Apart from the fact that the rear speakers are wired to each other and require a power supply, unless you are really a high end user two more wires really wont make a difference. I haven't had any reception issues yet due to interference with the infared signal to the rear speakers but trust me -- wreless is overrated.
Secondly, two years ago I bought an entry level HTIB which had very comparable performance. While the DAVFX100W was extremely easy to set up (color coded everything), even for a complete novice like me, the DVD player disapoints BIGTIME. It takes forever to load a CD/DVD. Even if its already loaded and you're skipping between CDs, you better expect 10 seconds while the display says "reading". Seriously if you dont remeber which one of the CD slots has your favorite CD you better get ready for a looong wait.
Secondly, two years ago I bought an entry level HTIB which had very comparable performance. While the DAVFX100W was extremely easy to set up (color coded everything), even for a complete novice like me, the DVD player disapoints BIGTIME. It takes forever to load a CD/DVD. Even if its already loaded and you're skipping between CDs, you better expect 10 seconds while the display says "reading". Seriously if you dont remeber which one of the CD slots has your favorite CD you better get ready for a looong wait.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 6 user reviews
Elegant, and easy to set up
Pros: Good looks, wireless back speakers, easy set up
Cons: Difficult to see menu display, manual so-so
Review: As a novice to surround sound, I wanted a system that was easy to set up. The Sony Dream System certainly is that, with, for example, nifty on-screen graphics to guide you through positioning and calibrating the speakers. The wireless back speakers use an infrared link that works very well, and overall, the system has a very pleasing, elegant appearance.
I was surprised that the sub-woofer was not powered, although there seems to be plenty of "thump" to me, although as I said, I am a novice to all this.
The picture quality is excellent, especially using the HDMI connection, which allows you to specify the resolution of the flat display that you're using.
Overall, this has been a very satisfactory introduction for me to the pleasures of home theater.
I was surprised that the sub-woofer was not powered, although there seems to be plenty of "thump" to me, although as I said, I am a novice to all this.
The picture quality is excellent, especially using the HDMI connection, which allows you to specify the resolution of the flat display that you're using.
Overall, this has been a very satisfactory introduction for me to the pleasures of home theater.
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 6 user reviews
Leaves a lot to be desired
Pros: Sleek, wireless capable, great connectivity options.
Cons: Weak subwoofer, no bass control
Review: This HTIB looks really slick, and looks really nice next to my Samsung DLP. The connectivity options are great, including an array of digital options.
My main gripe, is the subwoofer is not powered, and is weak. there is one option that simply amplifies the bass...but for users who have heard better, you'll notice the lack of bass quickly.
Overall the sound is crisp, and surround sound is decent.
My main gripe, is the subwoofer is not powered, and is weak. there is one option that simply amplifies the bass...but for users who have heard better, you'll notice the lack of bass quickly.
Overall the sound is crisp, and surround sound is decent.
