Customer Reviews
A good receiver, although that manual. . .
I recently bought a really nice Denon receiver at a really good price (comparable to the Sony DE698 regular price), but after hooking it up and teaching myself how to work it, I say my wife down to run her through it. That's when I realized that the Denon was just too complicated to run all my AV through one remote. There are little sliders to switch between "Audio" and "Video" components, and then the individual components themselves. Honestly, I would start out on some task, such as "go from the tuner to the DVD player and start a movie," and halfway through I would forget what it was I was trying to do. It was quickly clear that for the sake of our sanity, a change was needed.
Well, I wasn't going to drop another $200 or so on a fancy universal remote, so I picked up the Sony STR-DE698. I had it hooked up in just a few minutes, since I was already organized from the Denon install. The remote offers far better initial integration with the Sony Wega TV and Sony DVD player we have.
I was warned that if I thought the Denon was complicated, that the Sony would be twice as complicated. On the whole, I think the Denon offers more features and flexibility for the audiophile, but for people like us who just want a nice surround sound system the Sony is quite sufficient.
I have to agree that the manual leaves a lot to be desired.There are some buttons on the remote that do not at all seem to be described in the manual. Here is one BIG TIP that it took me until the next day to figure out: When programming the remote to control other devices, use a narrow object (I used the end of one of the twist ties) to press the "RM SET UP" button. If you use your finger, you can't get it depressed far enough to activate the programming function.
Sony STR-DE698
Receiver works well. Manual was difficult to understand and poor instructions(non-existent) for programing the unit for other remote controls. A little underpowered, but seems like a good quality unit for the money.
Subtle, yet reliable...
I would have to agree with the previous user who said that the instruction manual was difficult to understand. Yet, I enjoy setting up components and speakers while trying to find certain acoustic angles throughout the room. In other words...the instruction manual really didn't bother me. Anyhow, the DE698 replaced an older Sony model (6 yrs. old) that had only Dolby Pro Logic (2.1 channel). I was impressed with the first model due to the fact that it never caused me any trouble. It was simply a respectable and reliable amplifier that I could depend on. Consider some of the following attributes of the DE698,
Cons:
1) There is no "optical in" for the DVD player. Only inputs for Video 1, SACD/CD, and MD/Tape. Not that big of a deal since you can connect the DVD into the Video 1 optical input, yet a hassle when using the provided universal remote (pressing between DVD and Video 1 to change the scene or turn up the volume).
2) Through the DE698 is respectable, it isn't the best in comparison to the Denon's and Onkyo's out there. The reproduction of music and movies is considered by some to be average to above average. For myself, I can barely hear the difference between my friends ridiculously expensive Denon and the 698. Even though the Denon was three hundred dollars more, the Sony seems to reproduce the same quality. This is possibly due to the following issues:
- The Denon was connected with 16 gauge Monster Wire (the lower the gauge = usually the better transfer of sound). Sony was connected with 14 gauge Audio Quest.
- The Denon was connected with RCA analogue - bought from Walmart - between the CD/DVD and receiver. Sony was connected with Monster digital optical input/output between the CD/DVD.
3)The DE698 is provided with a "Universal Remote." I'm pretty sure Sony doesn't understand the definition of "universal." To what extent you may ask? Well...I'm still using three remotes! And yes, I did read the manual for this task while setting up the rest of the system.
Pro's:
1) Fits nicely with other Sony Components. Light blue ambiance turns on the face plate of the receiver when Dolby Digital is available. Three optical outputs. Stable speaker connectors (they twist).
2) The DE698 lets the listener tweak the sound within certain sound fields. The "Custom" mode is rather user friendly...and kinda fun (but i'm a guy).
I guess my point is that a lot of people skip out on the wiring of their components which makes a $500 amp sound like a $200 amp, or perhaps the other way around. If you want a decent, respectable, and reliable receiver the DE698 is for you (at least it was for me).
