What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
18 JUL 2008
Sony STR-DG820
It’s hard not to get excited by a receiver that sounds this good with such a tempting price tag. Temporary Sky HD issues aside, if you're looking for surround sound on a budget, look no further
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Over the past month, we've been putting the latest AV receivers from Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo and Pioneer through their paces. All seemed quiet on the Sony front until they visited our Teddington HQ recently and dropped off a sample of the STR-DG820.
As befits its price tag, the Sony has the look of a budget receiver with its old-school silver chassis. Build quality is decent enough: the fascia has a mixture of polished buttons and knobs including an input selector and volume control. The unit's remote control will be familiar to some – it features styling similar to the remotes that come with Sony's W Series of LCD TVs.
Before we get stuck into how the SRT-DG820 sounds, it's worth noting that Sony went back to the drawing board for its whole 2008 receiver range. And the Japanese giant has introduced various new features that, it claims, help improve performance.
For starters, the chassis of the STR-DG820 has been strengthened and embossed in certain places to help control any nuisance vibrations and minimise their effect on the key video/audio components found at the rear of the receiver.
High-definition audio decoding
Sony has even used custom-made brackets to secure the front panel and chassis and improve rigidity. The key video circuitry has been positioned as close as possible to the receiver's HDMI inputs for a shorter signal path and minimal interference.
The STR-DG820 offers 7.1 channels of surround sound (100w per channel) and can decode all major high-definition audio formats, including Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.
An inquisitive look around the rear of the receiver reveals a good selection of sockets. These include four HDMI inputs, (including a dedicated Blu-ray input), one HDMI output and three sets of component video inputs. The receiver also includes one coaxial and three optical digital inputs.
However, there is one notable omission: multichannel analogue inputs. So, your player has to be able to stream the HD data through HDMI for everything to work properly. In addition – not that you'd really expect them at this price – there are no pre-outs.
At this point it's also worth pointing out that the STR-DG820 can't upscale (Sony's step-up 'ES' range can upscale to 1080p), nor can it upconvert (again, the 'ES' range can). These features aren't vital, but upconversion would have been a welcome addition.
Sky HD usability issues
It also has to be noted that early versions of this receiver have had compatibility issues with Sky HD, which does not carry surround sound via its HDMI connection.
When you hook the Sky HD box's HDMI feed into the Sony and the Sky HD surround sound in via an optical input, the receiver over-rides the optical so you only hear the stereo feed supplied via HDMI.
Sony is working on a fix that will be applied to all existing and future STR-DG820 models. In the meantime, you can get round the issue by connecting your Sky HD via HDMI directly to your TV or projector, and via optical through the receiver - in this way you'll get both HD pictures and full surround sound.
Silky sound, dynamic dialogue
But back to the receiver in action. Set-up is done through Sony’s Digital Cinema Auto Calibration system. It’s ridiculously quick, easy to use and accurate – the receiver takes just a few seconds to set up.
And, hooked up to a Blu-ray player such as the Panasonic DMP-BD30, the Sony sounds sensational. Fed the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack from Batman Begins, the STR-DG820 impresses with its solid, controlled sound.
When Batman’s Tumbler causes havoc on the streets of Gotham City, the Sony delivers explosions with a fine sense of immediacy and impact. Bass notes don’t wallow or linger. In fact, you soon forget you’re listening to a ‘budget’ receiver.
The Sony is a dab hand at dialogue, too. Voices sound full-bodied and boast exceptional clarity, even during the most boisterous action scenes. There’s no trace of brashness or harshness in the sound that could prove tiresome over prolonged listening.
Sure, more expensive receivers can give you a greater spread of sound and greater scale but, for this sort of money, the STR-DG820 is an absolute star.
It's equally adept at music
Dare we say it, the Sony also sounds adept when it comes to CD playback. Press the Analog Direct button to turn off all unnecessary internal processing and the receiver’s clear, composed sound once again comes to the fore.
It exhibits a fine sense of rhythm for an AV receiver and dishes out decent bass weight during Eminem’s Without Me.
Many of you will have been waiting for the verdict on Sony’s new receivers. Well, we can confirm that the STR-DG820 has definitely been worth it. If all the new models are as this good – and they can get that Sky HD nonsense sorted out – Onkyo et al had better watch out