[Agrajag]

I had an STR-DB930 that I've been using and it's performed flawlessly. However, I needed more inputs and got a good deal on an STR-DA7ES so I went for it.


The first thing I notice that I do not like so far is that the volume knob doesn't have any sort of light on it and the Volume display shows settings in dB so going up in volume shows lower dB numbers. Very odd. Cute, but I want intuitive information. Why the heck would they not just give you volume numbers say from 1-50??? Plus this isn't as easy to see volume change as the red LED was on the DB-930.


But the big thing I need help with is with respect to inputs.


I have 2 Component Video inputs on the TV

2 DVI inputs (but no DVI devices yet)

And not sure how many S-Video ins I have yet. (TV gets here tomorrow)


I have a DirecTV with Tivo satellite receiver that has RCA or S-Video out (the current TV, a Sony, actually does worse with the S-Video than the RCA connections but it's being replaced by a Pioneer Elite RPTV tomorrow). Digital Out.


I have an XBox with component out. Digital Optical out.


I have a cable box with component out. Digital out.


I have my DVD player with component out. Digital out.


So, 3 component out devices and satellite receiver that, in the next incarnation will use DVI but now uses S-Video.


Can anyone familiar with my receiver recommend a setup that will allow me to get the best sound and video connections for each of these devices?

 

[Agrajag]

Ok, does this seem like it makes sense to everyone?


I took my DVD and connected it directly to one of the Component Video inputs on the TV. I then took the Digital Coaxial and hooked it to the DA7ES via the CD/SACD Digitial Coaxial. Finally, I used Sony's Audio Split feature and set the Video 1 input to use the CD/SACD Digitial Coaxial input. So when I now want to watch DVD, I will set the Receiver to Video 1 (which I renamed DVD) and that should work.


I took the cable box (HDTV) and ran its Component Video to the DVD Component Video on the Receiver and took its Digital Coaxial audio output to the DVD Coaxial input on the Receiver. I then renamed DVD to Cable.


I then took the XBox's Component Video and ran that to the Receiver's TV/SAT Component Video input and its digital optical output to the TV/SAT Digital Optical input on the Receiver.


If I understand this correctly, the receiver will now need to be on to act as the switcher for the Cable Box and XBox as they will now share the second Component Video input on the TV (coming out from the Receiver).


DirecTV, which only has digital optical out and S-Video or composite video out is running to the MD/DAT portion of the receiver for now. I expect this will become a problem next year when I get their upcoming HDTV Tivo receiver unless it also supports digital optical in addition to coaxial. I just suspect they'll drop the digital optical outputs.

 

[Sorny]

DirecTV receivers tend to use toslink for digital audio, so far; I hope they continue to go the optical route as I'm nearly out of coax digital ins on my Elite 45TX. I feel your pain there.


Regarding the volume, if you look at it, the numbers get larger, not smaller. -20 is a bigger number than -25.


Sorny

 

[Sorny]

Another thing about the volume control. It won't take much time before you think of volume on that scale. I used to be a 0-30 guy on my old unit. Now, its -80 to +12. Took me about a week to get used to the new volume scale. However, I much prefer the -80 to +12 as it is directly correlated to Dolby Reference levels.


Sorny

 

[Agrajag]

I suspect that will be the case. It's just at 12 feet away and while pushing 40, my vision isn't what it once was and a change from -38.43 to -36.58 is rather difficult to even pick up on. Movement of a dial with a red LED from across the room is quite easy to pick up.


I will say I think I finally got everything going properly (cable and Xbox on the same input to the TV seems to be the trick). I also like that the DA7ES turns on when I do a simple input change. Very nice. Makes for very easy macros.

 

[BoBoish]

Agrajag...I currently have a DB830. Can you tell me if you noticed a difference in sound quality going from the DB to ES?


I also prefer the red light on the knob to visually see the volume. It's just so much easier that way...oh well, that seems to be the way their all doing it now.


Thanks,


Bo.

 

[Agrajag]

Quote:

Originally posted by BoBoish Agrajag...I currently have a DB830. Can you tell me if you noticed a difference in sound quality going from the DB to ES? I also prefer the red light on the knob to visually see the volume. It's just so much easier that way...oh well, that seems to be the way their all doing it now.

Understand that the MAIN reason I went with the DA7ES from my DB930 (which I absolutely LOVED) because I assumed the sound quality would be no worse but that the inputs would be more plentiful. I also hoped all the remote commands would be the same as 99% of Sony products are but failed on that one. They're entirely different.


Anyway, yes, the sound is fuller and certainly has more punch to it but the difference is minimal. An audio enthusiast would be quite impressed but the rest of us wouldn't notice much, if any, difference. I would not spend the $1000+ if you're just looking for improved audio quality. I can't say I know what the DB-830 sounds like but if it was basically the same as the 930, you have a great little receiver there. In fact, I'm struggling with what to sell my 930 for or if I should sell it at all. I could always do 5.1 in my bedroom.

 

[Moebius]

Quote:

Originally posted by Agrajag The first thing I notice that I do not like so far is that the volume knob doesn't have any sort of light on it and the Volume display shows settings in dB so going up in volume shows lower dB numbers.

This is a trend Sony started a few years ago that I really wish they'd get over. I personally like the dB rating for volume no doubt, but in addition, how difficult is it to add a little LED in the knob? Maybe even allow it to be disabled in a setting or something.

 

[Agrajag]

Quote:

Originally posted by Moebius This is a trend Sony started a few years ago that I really wish they'd get over. I personally like the dB rating for volume no doubt, but in addition, how difficult is it to add a little LED in the knob? Maybe even allow it to be disabled in a setting or something.

I'd love to know what the thinking was that the red LED in the knob was a bad idea? was it that it saved them 3 cents a box? I notice most of the high-end systems don't have one either. It's as if spending more means you want no-frills. Go figure.

 

[Moebius]

Perhaps it's just considered the trendy look. Sleek, as few buttons, etc. exposed as possible. Just annoying at any rate.

 

[macboy]

Quote:

I'd love to know what the thinking was that the red LED in the knob was a bad idea? was it that it saved them 3 cents a box? I notice most of the high-end systems don't have one either. It's as if spending more means you want no-frills. Go figure.

Agrajag,

Notice if you will, that the volume knob on the 7ES works in a very different way to that on the 930. It is no longer postion based. That is, the volume of the receiver is in no way correlated to the actual rotation position of the volume knob. When you adjust the volume on the 7ES by remote, the volume knob itself does not move. Note also that when you rotate the knob slowly, the volume changes very slowly... it would take several complete rotations to go from minimum to maximum. If you rotate it quickly, the volume changes very quickly; you can reduce the volume to a whisper with a quick flick of the wrist.


The greatest benefit I have found is that the precision of the control at low volumes is greatly improved. You can finely adjust the volume at any level (0.5 dB steps) including very low levels. I don't know if you've ever noticed on your 930 how it can be frustrating to adjust the volume via remote. Tap it up, and it's just a little too loud, tap it down again and it is just a little to quiet. This is due to the fact that the motor that rotated the knob took a certain size step for each tap, and due to the reduced accuracy of the control at the lowest portion of the range (from about 0 to 1 out of 10). You will never have this problem again.

Quote:

I also hoped all the remote commands would be the same as 99% of Sony products are but failed on that one. They're entirely different.

Not really. The 7ES can operate in two different command modes: AV1 or AV2. Most previous receivers (especially lower end ones) only used the AV1 command set. The 7ES defaults to AV2. This allows it to operate in the same room as another Sony receiver, and also lets you use an IR repeater in another room with another Sony receiver, without controlling both receivers at once. You can set the receiver to AV1 using the Customize menu. Also remember to change the remote(s) as well.


On a side note, how do you like the fancy two-way touchscreen LCD remote?

 

[Moebius]

Actually, thinking about it, I wouldn't mind having the dB display when changing the volume. My problem is that the older model I have right now (can't remember which, but top DE line from about 2 years ago) has neither. No light, and no volume display on LCD; just a little bronze dot on the knob.


The biggest problem comes when you have the unit muted and forget about it. Then you go to turn up the volume, but nothing. So, you remember you muted, but now you have to get the volume back down, lest your ears be blasted. So, you either strain your eyes to see the little bronze dot, or just turn all the way down, un-mute, then go back to where you were.

 

[pwb]

Quote:

Originally posted by macboy when you rotate the knob slowly, the volume changes very slowly... it would take several complete rotations to go from minimum to maximum. If you rotate it quickly, the volume changes very quickly; you can reduce the volume to a whisper with a quick flick of the wrist.

Just as Macboy indicated, this technology has been around a long time. I believe this volume control is "optically coupled" so that the volume knob can be turned infinitely in either direction.


A second advantage is that you would no longer experience the typical noise crackling sounds from days gone by due to dust infiltration (although newer electronics are typically less susceptible to this).


I too prefer the db indication for volume adjustment.

 

[Agrajag]

Quote:

Originally posted by macboy I don't know if you've ever noticed on your 930 how it can be frustrating to adjust the volume via remote. Tap it up, and it's just a little too loud, tap it down again and it is just a little to quiet. This is due to the fact that the motor that rotated the knob took a certain size step for each tap, and due to the reduced accuracy of the control at the lowest portion of the range (from about 0 to 1 out of 10). You will never have this problem again.

I absolutely noted it. I guess I just got used to it but I am glad that's gone.

Quote:

On a side note, how do you like the fancy two-way touchscreen LCD remote?

I haven't even tried it yet. I have an MX-500 Home Theater Master remote that is considered one of the best universal remotes on the market so I tend to retire virtually every remote that comes with components a few days after I get the core functions into the MX-500. I did notice I'd need to charge this remote (at least that's what it looked like) so I didn't even bother with it yet.

 

[Tobin44]

The Sony STRDA7ES AV receiver has no coaxial digital input for my Samsung SIR-TS160 HD Sat receiver coax digital output. It has only optical digital input for SAT receivers.


Any rationale for this? Am I missing something? Why would the STRDA7ES AV receiver have a coaxial digital input for my DVD player but none for SAT receiver?


Is there a way around this? Like hooking the SIR-TS160 HD Sat receiver coax digital output to the STRDA7ES AV receiver CD/SACD digital coax input? I bought a nice digital coax interconnect for the SAT receiver connection before I realized there is no input for it on the Sony. Would prefer not to have that money wasted and have to buy a digital optical interconnect for this purpose --besides, the digital coax is supposed to be a better connection, right?


This seems rather odd to me.

 

[Moebius]

I may be wrong, but I thought it was possible to map the digital inputs on the 4&7ES models. I'm using the coax for DVD on my 4, so I haven't had to play with it yet. I was a little bummed that Sony opted for several optical but only a couple coax inputs for digital.


Update:


The AudioSplit is the function that will let you assign the audio input for the device. It's on page 41 of the manual. Basically, select the function to assign, press AudioSplit, then rotate to assign the audio input. So you should be able to connect the coax to the CD/SACD input for example (assuming you're not using that one) and assign that to the TV/SAT function.

 

[Tobin44]

Thanks.

 

[Tobin44]

"Protector --Please Power Off"

Sony AV receiver: DA 7ES


When I give the Sony unit any serious volume, either from the HD SAT receiver or the DVD/CD player, the Sony unit cuts out (i.e., no sound from speakers) and this message is displayed on the unit: "Protector --Please Power Off". This happens in surround as well as stereo. This is a new development in my 30 day old DA7ES. I took it to local Sony authorized repair yesterday. They had no initial guess about the problem.


This is obviously some kind of protection for the amp (from overheating) or for the speakers (too much power) but neither is applicable in my use of the equipment (Audes Blues and Central speakers). The surrounds I am using, until I can figure out something better, are crummy little Bose trinkets hanging from the ceiling, that were part of and existing surround system when I moved in.


Any one have any speculation about this problem or similar experience?


Thanks.



__________________

Tobin

 

[Moebius]

Possibilites include speakers running at load ohm load (out of phase or poles reversed can cause this sometimes), cross short in cabling somewhere, or problems in the unit.


I've run my 4ES at a level louder than I ever like to listen for 10-15 minutes with no hint of trouble. If they don't replace the unit, or find something wrong with it and repair, I'd take a serious crawl through the wiring to make sure everything is clean (no lose copper or anything).


Even from the Sony bashers around here, I don't remember seeing big problems with this line clipping or shutting down.

 

[Tobin44]

would not a short in cabling manifest itself at moderate listening levels, where the amp seems to operate fine?


also, the sound at moderate levels does not seem to be out of phase.


Thanks for pointing me to these as possiblities.