Hi Fi via Home Receiver (Sony STR-DA2400ES)

[admin_exported]

Hi

I wondered if someone can give me some advice please..

Yesterday I purchsed the Sony STR-DA2400ES Home Cinema receiver to use with my Playstation3, IPod and HD TV.

What I wanted to achieve was an all round good system to play my music on (through my IPod, PC or CD collection) and DVD's also. I have read the reviews about the Sony and Yamaha receivers being particulary good with music so I went with the Sony.

My legacy HiFi was a Knewood 3200SE amp, a Kenwood CD player and some Kef Coda 8's. All What Hi Fi winners in their day but that was some time ago. To be honest, I have used this very little. I've been playing my music via my PC (always use 320kbps for compressed music) through a pair of Logitech Active Speakers.

From day one I intended to use my Kef Speakers with my new receiver and set it up in Stereo mode. I would then be able to play my PC music and CD's via this. I would also benefit from the better sounding speakers rather than using those on my TV.

HOWEVER...to say I'm disappointed with the sound is an understatement. Yes it's ok with movies and obviously does a great job with all the upscaling and connectivity etc. But the quality of sound when listening to music in stereo mode is flat, insipid and unpleasant. I get a much better sound from my Logitech active speakers or my dads old Panasonic Hi Fi and playing my Ipod through the auxillary connection.

I may be doing something wrong but I think I've set everything up correctly including setting speaker impedance levels. I'm not sure what else to do. I wasn't expecting hi end audiofile performance, but at least something to sound better than I already had.

If someone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. At present I'm thinking of taking the amp back and taking a 15% hit, using my old Kenwood amp for the audio, and using the HDMI iputs of my TV.

Thanks in advance,

Tim

 

[Gerrardasnails]

radaget:
Hi

I wondered if someone can give me some advice please..

Yesterday I purchsed the Sony STR-DA2400ES Home Cinema receiver to use with my Playstation3, IPod and HD TV.

What I wanted to achieve was an all round good system to play my music on (through my IPod, PC or CD collection) and DVD's also. I have read the reviews about the Sony and Yamaha receivers being particulary good with music so I went with the Sony.

My legacy HiFi was a Knewood 3200SE amp, a Kenwood CD player and some Kef Coda 8's. All What Hi Fi winners in their day but that was some time ago. To be honest, I have used this very little. I've been playing my music via my PC (always use 320kbps for compressed music) through a pair of Logitech Active Speakers.

From day one I intended to use my Kef Speakers with my new receiver and set it up in Stereo mode. I would then be able to play my PC music and CD's via this. I would also benefit from the better sounding speakers rather than using those on my TV.

HOWEVER...to say I'm disappointed with the sound is an understatement. Yes it's ok with movies and obviously does a great job with all the upscaling and connectivity etc. But the quality of sound when listening to music in stereo mode is flat, insipid and unpleasant. I get a much better sound from my Logitech active speakers or my dads old Panasonic Hi Fi and playing my Ipod through the auxillary connection.

I may be doing something wrong but I think I've set everything up correctly including setting speaker impedance levels. I'm not sure what else to do. I wasn't expecting hi end audiofile performance, but at least something to sound better than I already had.

If someone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. At present I'm thinking of taking the amp back and taking a 15% hit, using my old Kenwood amp for the audio, and using the HDMI iputs of my TV.

Thanks in advance,

Tim

What is your source? You must be doing something wrong if your Logitch speakers sound better!

 

[Big Aura]

how are you connecting your iPod?

Have you set your amp up correctly (i.e. are you sending the base to your stereo speakers, or to your sub?). I've had a lot of issues getting my stereo sound right - it's now much better, but I think it's still quite (rather than very) good. Also, it may take a while to properly run in.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi..many thanks for your replies so far...

Source - This can be my PS3 playing CD's via the HDMI connection or I've so far just plugged my Ipod / Sony Laptop into the VIDEO2 connection on the from of the unit (red / white / yellow connections) using the headphone socket on the source. I know this probably isn't the best way to get the best sound out of it, BUT this is all I do at the moment when I plug my laptop or Ipod (and even N95 phone) into the Logotech speakers or my old Panasonic hi fi which sound pretty good for what I was expecting. Through the amp It just sounds very flat - even using the PS3. Very hissy at the top end an no punch to the music at all.

Receiver Setup - I have set the unit up as 2 channel stereo. I would imagine that this will send the base to the front left and right speakers only by default? I've gone into the GUI menu and looked at the options and there doesn't seem to be much else I can do.

Thanks

Tim

 

[Anonymous]

I don't find the PS3 very good at playing CD's, but if you rip them lossless to the HDrive it is excellent.

Also I suggest you turn up the volume setting on the PS3 to 1 stop below full. Then increase the speaker balance settings as high as you can without any smearing of the music.

The amp will run better, also with it being brand new it will burn in and sound nicer after 40 hours and keep improving for up to 200 hours of use.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

radaget:Source - This can be my PS3 playing CD's via the HDMI connection or I've so far just plugged my Ipod / Sony Laptop into the VIDEO2 connection on the from of the unit (red / white / yellow connections) using the headphone socket on the source.

This is the problem. Your receiver is probably better equipped to show off all that is bad with your source. I suggest connecting the laptop to the receiver using coaxial or optical if possible and better still, buy a DAC make the system sound a lot better.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your continued answers.

Regarding the connectivity, I know what it's not ideal, but why connecting my laptop to the logitech speakers via the headphone socket sound better than actually connecting it to the receiver using the same leads??

Tim

 

[Stack]

I would let your amp have time to run in. You have only had it a day and wont be anywhere near its best yet. Although I have a different amp, mine took 3 weeks before it sounded good with both music and movies.

 

[Anonymous]

radaget:
Thanks for your continued answers.

Regarding the connectivity, I know what it's not ideal, but why connecting my laptop to the logitech speakers via the headphone socket sound better than actually connecting it to the receiver using the same leads??

Tim

It could be that the Logis are 'better' at playing back the compressed sound. Remember the Sony maybe highlighting the lossy nature of the sound, whereas the old setup could 'disguise' it better. Just a thought...

 

[Gerrardasnails]

kage:radaget:
Thanks for your continued answers.

Regarding the connectivity, I know what it's not ideal, but why connecting my laptop to the logitech speakers via the headphone socket sound better than actually connecting it to the receiver using the same leads??

Tim

It could be that the Logis are 'better' at playing back the compressed sound. Remember the Sony maybe highlighting the lossy nature of the sound, whereas the old setup could 'disguise' it better. Just a thought...

That's what I was getting at...

 

[Anonymous]

thanks again for your valued comments. Just a further note...even the cd playback via the PS3 and Sony receiver isn't good compared to using other equipment I have (ipod etc).

Do you think I was expecting too much of the home receiver set up and it's the case that these amps just aren't geared up for stereo hi fi listening or should I stick it out and I will get there in the end? I think this weekend I'll compare my kenwood amp to it and see what they sound like against each other.

One thing I have realised (i think). I would be happy woth a great stereo sound for movies which add loads of depth to the listening experience anyway. Maybe I'm not that bothered about the surround sound element. Oh well. It's been a while since I bought any kit like this (days of coda 8's). Maybe I was expecting things to be so much better comared to then. I think it's just that I'm not comparing apples with apples .

Tim

 

[professorhat]

Yup, I think generally a lot is expected of these budget receivers, but you do need to keep in mind, they are designed to play surround sound movie soundtracks well - if they are good at stereo at the same time, this is a bonus, but obviously the cheaper the receiver, the less likely this will be.

If music is more important than movies, I would always advocate getting a stereo setup you like and hooking your AV setup into this (as any stereo setup will be a big improvement on TV speakers). At some point in the future, if you wish to enhance your movie setup, you can then look into getting an AV amp with front pre-outs and some surround speakers in the same range as your front speakers. This will vastly improve the home cinema performance, but, most importantly, won't compromise your music setup.