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Customer Reviews for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Model: STRDH820
SKU: 2022273
UPC: 027242809321
This receiver features 4 HDMI inputs and video upconversion for a crisp, clear picture to enhance your home theater experience. Dolby TrueHD, Pro Logic IIz and DTS HD MA surround sound decoders provide a lush soundscape. Includes HDMI 3D pass-through technology for compatibility with 3D TVs, Blu-ray players and gaming consoles.
Average Customer Rating:
4.2
out of 5
(34 Reviews) 34
Rating Snapshot 34 reviews
5 stars
18
4 stars
12
3 stars
0
2 stars
2
1 star
2
85% of customers would recommend this product to a friend
(
29 out of
34)
Customer Reviews for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Review 1 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Great sound quality and easy to use
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
3.0
What's great about it: 3D capable pass through
What's not so great: Lack of discreet 2nd room connection
First off, I am replacing a 3 yr old Sony receiver only because the HDMI connections were not 3D capable. I am very happy I upgraded. I had not experienced the pass through feature before. I can leave it on standby if I don't need the receiver and I don't have to change video inputs on the TV. This makes life just a bit easier, especcially for my kid. She doesn't have to worry about what video input to change to TV to if she wants to watch a movie, play a game or watch TV. Everything passes through with ease.
The sound quality is also better on this unit than the one I replaced. Bonus for me. I run a 7.2 system so I was very pleased.
My only complaint is that it lacks discreet connections for a second room/separate audio. I don't currently need this feature, but it would be nice to know its there in case I rewire some things down the road.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 2 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Nice stereo for my needs
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
4.0
I like the price & features before purchasing and they met my expectations.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls
About me... practical, Audiophile
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 3 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Great benefits and low cost
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Gian0001
from New York
on 05/09/2012
Great Equipment with a very competitive price, for home purpose it is teally a great deal
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls
About me... practical
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 4 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Great HD Receiver
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
3.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
5.0
Really gets the most out of my speakers; perfect unit to run all your audio/video devices through. My sound system has never sounded better.
This product has... Interfaces well with TV
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 5 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Mostly Satisfied
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: SonyMike
from Osceola, WI
on 04/23/2012
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Easy to set up, good features, great price
What's not so great: HDMI pass-through does not automatically detect DirecTV box
I am not an audiophile. But I was looking for an upgrade to my current Pioneer model. I have a Sony Bluray player and a four year old Sony HD TV. The main reason for the upgrade is because there was slight delay in sound when playing Bluray and using the old receiver for sound. The pass-through technology works perfectly for this. The picture quality did not diminish, and the sound quality is also good. I currently do not have a 5.1 speaker system and two speakers alone are not enough. You will need a sub to get the proper lows you are looking for. There are also limited inputs as well. This is not an issue for me, but could be for gamers. The receiver has the option to sense when different components are turned on and off, but can not detect DirecTV. The remote also can't be programmed for it either. I have to keep it on a contiuous standby to properly detect this unit. I thought upgraded HDMI cables might help, but it did not. The iPod dock works great. I have an early nano and an iPhone and they both work nicely, with the remote. Overall I am pleased with the unit. It has all of the features, room for expansion, and nice extras. I would recommend it, I will be need increase my speakers before I can take full advantage its capabilities.
This product has... Good multi-zone capability
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 6 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Awesome sound quality
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: The whole package.
What's not so great: The time it takes the video to catch up when changing to different inputs.
My wife and I bought this unit to replace our old Sony 5.1 surround sound receiver. We both love all the bells and whistles it has. The only thing that is up-setting is that on 3-25 we bought an open box unit with a 4 year warranty and by 4-9 the open box unit had a video output problem. We took it back to get a replacement and we had to still payout of pocket for the replacement unit. The sales personnel in store needs to better explain how the warranty's work. We thought that cause it was under the warranty and it was only 2 weeks old that it would be a walk in with broken receiver and walk out with new no money exchange no hassles. We even brought the original sales receipt in with us. Boy were we wrong, we had to come up with $160.00 more and had to purchase another warranty for the new unit. I am still scratching my head with that one.
All in all very pleased with the receiver.
But not so sure about Best Buy anymore. We are now leaving our options open to other stores in the area.
All in all very pleased with the receiver.
But not so sure about Best Buy anymore. We are now leaving our options open to other stores in the area.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Great Buy for the Money
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: 7.2! Because soon everything will be 7+ speaker capable
What's not so great: TV interface and instruction manual.
First, I do not claim to be a "audiophile," but I do know what I like from a sound system. I had been looking at a new HT for quite a while. I looked at Bose and other top name manufacturers. I had an Onkyo 7.1 HTIB before I purchased my new HT. No complaints about the Onkyo except the speakers were very intrusive, very! So my wife and I wanted something smaller. What does this have to do with Sony's receiver? Well I paired this device with Klipsch 500 speakers and sub, and it sounds great. Honestly, I bought this receiver first and foremost because of its 7.2 capabilities (two subs!). I like nice deep lows and who can go wrong with having two subs? So I installed this receiver with the Klipsch speakers and sub, also used the old Onkyo sub, and its great. Bought the receiver for $280 and speakers for around $430 if memory serves correct. Spend a lot more and get a little better (maybe). Spend wisely with this set-up and be happy with the sound and the left over money in your pocket.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Good multi-zone capability
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
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Review 8 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Receiver
Customer Rating
5.0
It was really easy to set up and I love all the HDMI inputs
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 9 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Sweet!!
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Everything!
This is an awesome unit with plenty of power and HDMI inputs! Easy to use and Ipod hook up is great too!!
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Runs hot, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability, awesome!, tons of power!
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 10 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
good product
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Features
4.0
I upgraded from my old 5.1 kenwood reciever. I was hoping to get better sound and def did without paying an arm and a leg. Great product and compared pricing everwhere, for the power, quality, price , and features, this sony reciever is the best youre gonna get.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Good multi-zone capability
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Impressive Budget Receiver
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Sounds great and is 7.2 capable for under $300!
What's not so great: May take awhile to figure out all of the features/controls.
I did a lot of research, looking for an upgrade from my older Technics 5.1 receiver. I wanted to get a receiver that had HDMI passthrough, 7.1 capability, iPod ready connections and would play well with my Sony Bravia TV and Sony BD player. I narrowed the field down to the Onkyo 509, the Pioneer 921 and the Sony 720 in order to stay under $300.
The Onkyo was only a 5.1, but had networking capability. The Pioneer had good iPod integration - including an option for Bluetooth connectivity (at about $80 extra). Finally, the Sony was the most logical choice for compatibility reasons. I won't bore you with all of the (my perceived# pros/cons of each. But I would say the Pioneer was leading the pack.
I just happened to be in a Best Buy store the other day though, and saw that the 820 #not 720# was on sale for $299. I had to jump on it and I'm glad I did.
Never being much of the kind of guy to read a manual thoroughly before connecting everything, I connected the HDMI cables, the speaker cables and the auto calibration mic. I skimmed over the section on the auto set up and gave it a shot. It took a couple of tries, since I had to make some adjustments to the sub settings #had it turned down so low, it didn't even see my sub#. A couple of days later, I re-ran the calibration to make sure it correctly identified my front high and rear surrounds as small. These were pre-installed into the walls of my house. I'm using Bose 401's for the fronts and a smaller Bose center channel speaker. I've got a Sony powered sub.
Now that I've got the speakers properly identified in the speaker setup, it sounds great. And I tried the iPod dock today for the first time with my iPhone 4. Sounded great! It actually uses all of the speakers #including the front high and rear speakers#, but doesn't sound like my old receiver did when playing music through a 5.1 setup #with most of the midrange coming from the center channel#. It sounded full, if maybe a bit bassy on some songs. I'm not sure if that is a function of the original recordings, the compression used or what. The highs were clear and crisp, though. Overall, I was impressed.
I don't really have any component or analog devices connected to see how the video upscaling works, so I can't speak to that. But the weakest link in my whole chain is the digital cable box #only 720p# and it seems to look and sound better to me. I just got through watching a Foreigner concert on Palladia and it sounded awesome. I used to run a fiber optic cable from my cable box to my old receiver and I could never really get 5.1 surround. It always came through as regular Dolby Digital 2.1. During the Foreigner concert though, I could clearly hear audience applause coming through the rear speakers.
The HDMI Standy Passthrough works great with my 15-month-old 52" Sony Bravia TV. In fact, when you turn off the receiver, a pop-up on the TV says that it is switching to the televsion speakers #and vice-versa#. I did make sure to turn on the HDMI control in the GUI, though.
I gave 5 stars in all but the 'Ease of Use' category, just because all AV receivers like this require reading a manual to figure out everything they can do. Also, I haven't quite figured out the remote completely. I've got three Sony remotes now and a digital cable remote and I just ordered a Sony Universal remote to #hopefully# replace all of them. We'll see how that works.
I'm looking forward to discovering more of the features of this receiver over the coming days/weeks. But so far, I'm glad I bought it.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Great Product
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Amazing sound.
What's not so great: Needs more hdmi connections
I bought this to replace an older sony that was rated at 1000w at 6.1 but did not have the hdmi connections. I was worried about the step down in power, but to my suprise this unit sounds even better than the older one. Very happy with the product.
This product has... Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... practical, Tech savvy
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Review 13 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Highly recomended!
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Ease of use
What's not so great: Has to have powered subs
This unit is great for all your surround sound needs! The volume does'nt have to be way up to hear a clean and clear sound from it, also is very easy to setup and use!
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... practical, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Easy to use, sounds great
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
4.0
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
What's great about it: Price, features
What's not so great: Nothing so far
Bought during Black Friday, returned weeks later for price-match. Easy to set up compared to the older units I'm used to! Using HDMI cords for everything eliminated the need to run multiple cords up to the TV; I didn't have a chance to read the manual but didn't need to-I plugged everything in, ran the audio check and it took off. TV turns off automatically when you power it off. The speaker terminals were tight, but hard to wire with Monster Cable; the remote is longer than others but no longer than the Panasonic TV remote. Best value for the money! Yes it has 2 outputs for 2 subwoofers and docking for ipod.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... practical
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Great value, great sound
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: rollwaveroll
from Atlanta, GA
on 02/01/2012
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Sound, price, features
What's not so great: Setup, delay when switching between input types
An amazing amount of features and sound for the price. My main issues are that setup was a little complicated but I eventually figured it out. Also, the delay when toggling between input types is a bit of a hassle. But overall, it sounds phenomenal (we have ours hooked up to our home theatre in a large 16x32 sunroom), with lots of rich bass. It was eye (or ear) opening the first time watching a movie on blu ray with the digital sound...we heard things we hadn't noticed before. Very nice having everything going through HDMI too. The included ipod dock is a great add on too, most companies charge a lot extra for it. Very good receiver.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, lots of features for the price
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Two "Lemon" units?
Customer Rating
2.0
Value for Price
3.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Features
3.0
What's great about it: Very nice features.
What's not so great: Warranty support.
Bought this unit in July 2011 and within days had to return it for a replacement. Worked fine for a few months then had to go to a Sony service center for warranty repair in December. It's been there for a month now waiting for parts. Every time I'm told it will be ready to pick up, it fails testing and more parts have to be ordered. Two lemons in a row?
This product has... Runs hot, unreliable operation
About me... Tech savvy
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Very good receiver
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Mulitasks well
What's not so great: Nothing
This receiver was a very good buy. I run everything through this. I run the cable, dvd and Wii to the tv. I also have the cd and ipod connected to it. Capability of having A-B speakers was a must for me. Have patio speakers that I can hook up and run seperately from the inside speakers.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Great receiver for a medium price
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Ease of Use
2.0
Features
5.0
If you’re looking for system to fill up a large room with quality sound for a great price, you found it. If you’re looking for a system with lots of features, bells and whistles, for a little bit of money, you found it. If you’re looking for a system with a detailed owner’s manual........look somewhere else. If you’re an audiophile and you know what you’re doing, this system will perform and your investment couldn't be better. But, if don't know what you’re doing, this system may be a little complicated. The beauty of options is awesome, when you have knowledge of how each options works, but too many options may be confusing for a beginner. Take the time to learn how to program this and any receiver and you will find that you can maximize your dollar.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... practical, Audiophile, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+9points
9out of 9found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Excellent Reciever!
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Performance/Price
What's not so great: IPod Dock
After purchasing the Samsung HW-D7000 and it didn't work or sound right, I took it back and purchased the Sony STR-DH820. I was a little skeptical about the Sony's sound quality just because of the price. It did not let me down! The sound is amazing paired with my Klipsch 5.1 surround speakers. Had a little trouble getting the GUI to show on the TV at first. I just unplugged the power and HDMI cables, plugged the HDMI back up then the power and everything worked just fine. The auto speaker calibration worked perfectly. I have a Samsung BD/DVD, Cox Cable box, Wii, and a PS2 all conected to the receiver with only one HDMI from the receiver to the TV. Made it look allot cleaner. The HDMI pass-through works great for those times when you only want the sound from the TV speakers. Just turn the power off to the receiver and automatically send the signal to the TV. The sound optimizer works very well also. It automatically detects want sound signal is being send to the receiver and adjusts to it. My only complaint would be the IPod dock. The only place to connect it is on the front panel. My new Samsung BD player has Pandora on it so I probably wont be using the IPod that much anyway. For the price you cannot go wrong. Only $329 on sell at BestBuy. Next I will be connecting the 2nd zone for my outdoor speakers when my patio is complete.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
5out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for Sony 945W 7.2-Ch. 3D Pass Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Ecstatic for my Sony Reciever
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: The multi-use functions!!
What's not so great: Getting use to the different setting takes time, but once knowledgeable it's great!
Great bang for the buck, having this product means being up to date, and have the most remarkable sound possible. The sound features are outstanding, being able to adjust the settings from music, to movies, to video games is something not to take for granted!! This is a must have for any Sony lover!!
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... practical, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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