Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Model: STRDH520
SKU: 2023402
UPC: 027242809369
This receiver features 3D pass-through, Deep Color and x.v.Color technologies 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:
4.225 out of 5
4.2
 out of 
5
(49 Reviews) 49
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot 49 reviews
5 stars
25
4 stars
18
3 stars
1
2 stars
2
1 star
3
88% of customers would recommend this product to a friend 
(
43 out of 49
)
Customer Questions & Answers:
66 Questions | 107 Answers
Customer Reviews for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver
Review 1 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Great System!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Brian1972
from Glendale, CA
on 05/24/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Ease of use & set-up, the price and HDMI Ports
What's not so great: Minimal Loss of Signal when changing channels.
Upgraded from a 5 year old Kenwood system to this one and it has been great. Really like the HDMI inputs and output.. This helped to increase my TV's inputs.
Sound quality improved in the upgrade too
Beware! Nothing to do with the system, but beware the employees at Best Buy. They will try and up-sell you on HDMI cables that are no better then $6 cables. The least expensive cable are too expensive. They either lie in the up-sell attempt or are ignorant to the technology. Either way, Beware! HDMI cables send signals in 0's & 1's, coded and decoded on each end of the cable. The signal cannot be degraded.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls
About me... practical, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Great buy better shipping!!!!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Criplguy
on 05/02/2012
The 3D bypass works very well. I was so surprised how fast I received my package. I literally ordered it late Sunday evening with free shipping I got it on my doorstep on Wednesday!!! I love Best Buy. The only problem I have with this receiver is the subwoofer adapter and no wireless outputs. Other than than so far great sound picture for the price.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Pretty good unit.

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Saxophool
from California
on 04/25/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Sounds nice.
What's not so great: One more remote on the coffee table.
Got this at a great price. Everything plugs into it fine. I can still use the tv over the air without even turning on the receiver which is nice. The remote works best with a Sony tv, however. As it is, I turn on the cable box with it's remote, turn on the tv with it's remote, then turn on the receiver with it's. A little bit of a process. With the cable, I have to use the cable remote to turn the channel and the receiver remote to adjust volume. Not the best but the price was nice and it works with all my other components so there it is.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Awesome Bang For The Buck!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Archaic1
from Columbus, WI
on 04/20/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Everything
What's not so great: No cable, but you can deal with that
One of the surround sound receivers in my house decided that it was going to stop working so I went looking on line and found this beauty. For the price, you will probably not find a better receiver for your home theater that has 7.1 surround sound and 4 HDMI inputs. There is an on-screen GUI that you have to have a certain model Bravia TV for, but that is what most of the complaints were for this product in the review section.
It took me longer to take the old Harmon Kardon 5.1 receiver out of my TV stand then it did to hook this beauty up AND program it. I have been using home theater setups for over 30 years and they have progressively gotten more in depth, but with the instruction manual, even my 15 year old son said that he could understand it. If you look at the manual first, even the most non- tech savvy person can hook this up without a problem.
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!
 
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
 
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Great receiver for the price

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Buffles
from california
on 04/19/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Easy to set up and sounds great
What's not so great: A bit pricey.
This machine sounds great and is incredibly easy to set up.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV, Easy to use controls
About me... Audiophile
I would recommend this to a friend!
 
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
 
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Great value for the features.

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: NeedyHomeTheatreGuy
from Salem, NH
on 04/12/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Easy to set up and plays nice with all my other equipment.
What's not so great: Front display could be a little sexier.
This product met my needs at a great price. I attached all my HDMI devices and existing speakers. The audio return channel solved a video/audio synchronization problem.
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!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Most bang for your buck

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Javamugg
from NC, USA
on 03/16/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Lots of necessary features for a great price
What's not so great: For the price? Nothing
For $250.00 you can't find a better receiver. It's got plenty of power, sound is clear, 7.1 surround, 4 hdmi's - if you need more options then you need to spend more money.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Easy to use controls
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 8 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Great sound

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Buckshot00
from Wisconsin
on 03/15/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: price, sound
What's not so great: some features
Overall this is a good buy for a great price. the only downside is the automatic sensing of inputs that changes the input selected but this is something that you can turn off.
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!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Very Good Receiver

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: crittermo
on 03/12/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Great receiver. A little hard to figure out how to fine tune, but once you figure it out it has great features
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Excellent as a back up unit / overall - it works!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Jgonz
from York, PA
on 03/08/2012
What's great about it: Price is good as spare unit only.
What's not so great: Performance is par.
Excellent unit as a back up. Performance is not as robust compared other models. Again a good started AVR only. This review is based on the purpose of my purchase.
This product has... Easy to use controls
About me... practical
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 11 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Not for Stereo Use

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: ejs13
from Lakewood,CO
on 03/01/2012
I bought Sony because I always buy Sony. This thing COULD NOT HANDLE that I do not have a surround sound home theatre system. No matter how many times I told it that I only have 2 speakers, it kept going back to random variations of home theatre. Probably a great system if you have a home theatre, but not for stereo. I returned it and went back to my 10 year old Kenwood STEREO receiver.
This product has... way too complicated setup
About me... Tech savvy
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-7points
3out of 13found this review helpful.
Review 12 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Good price, but...

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: Donger1220
from Florida
on 02/26/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Ease of Use
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Price
What's not so great: Sound quality
I bought this receiver because it was on sale, but once i got it set-up, i could hear the power fluctuate. I've read some reviews on here where other people had the same problem, but thought it wouldn't really bother me since I consider my self more of an entry level while the previous posts were from people who had more experience. I returned this and ended up picking up a Yamaha.
This product has... Interfaces well with TV, Runs hot, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... rookie home theatre user
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+3points
5out of 7found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Easy Home Theater System Replacement

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: frozentundramn
from Minneapolis, MN
on 02/18/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Purchased on sale...good value.
I purchased this to replace a Sony Receiver/Theater system that had served me well for ten years. It was easy to swap this into my Home Theater System and it performs very well. The various cinema sound settings are a plus. I found the owner's manual to be a bit confusing in some sections, so just replicated the hook ups from the prior unit, and I was good to go.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Don't have a Sony TV - DO NOT BUY

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: DisappointedBren
from Aurora, CO
on 02/17/2012
Value for Price
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Sound Quality
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Ease of Use
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Features
1.0 out of 5
1.0
What's not so great: VERY DIFFICULT TO SET UP WITHOUT OSD
I wanted to upgrade from my 8 yr old pioneer to utilize the newer technology. I saw all the great reviews on this product and was a little leery due to the OSD but I honestly didn't think all of the reviews I read, not just on this site, were people who owned a Sony TV. Boy was I wrong!!! If you don't own a Sony TV this receiver is NOT right for you. Without the OSD it is virtually impossible to get the best sound out of this unit.
This product has... osd that is not compatible with all tv's
About me... Tech savvy
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-4points
1out of 6found this review helpful.
Review 15 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

For the price, this was an excellent deal!

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: pkeyrich
from Sacramento, CA
on 02/08/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: price, sound quality, value, HDMI pass-thru
What's not so great: lack of OSD
I was very impressed by the sound quality and how well it works with other equipment. The pass-thru HDMI makes this an excellent choice for those with multiple HDMI devices.
The weakness in the stereo is that it lacks on screen display for the settings. I suppose I could get that if I had a Sony TV, but I don't, at least not yet.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Interfaces well with TV
About me... practical, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Great value!

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: BigKBee
from N.J.
on 02/08/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Great unit for the price!
What's not so great: surround system set up.
I wanted to upgrade my older Pro Logic receiver to a new digital surround sound system. I found this unit on the Best Buy website on sale. It works great with my Sony TV, and with the Bravia sync feature I never have to turn it on or off; it can be operated by just turning on my tv! Volume and on off functions are operated through the tv remote. Multiple HDMI outputs add additional expandability. Great feature Sony and thanks Best Buy!
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!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Great budget receiver

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: EatonWhine
from Katy, TX
on 02/01/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Price, power, features, physical size
What's not so great: Source switching is a little slow
Bought this as an open box special and glad I did. This replaced my Sony Dream System from 2006. The Dream System didn't decode many newer surround formats and just played noise out of all surround speakers whereas this STRDH520 decodes most (if not all) newer surround formats and properly distributes the sound. It is powerful and actually overpowers my average front surrounds and center channel at high volume. Get a good set of speakers if you want to use the receiver to its potential.
I haven't used the 3D pass-through, 7.1 (currently using 5.1) or remote (using Logitech remote), but I'm sure they are quality as Sony puts out great products on the budget end of the scale. Physical setup is easy, and it is shorter than most receivers to fit in more confined spaces. I thought it would run hot in a tight space, but it doesn't. Sound setup requires a little tech knowledge even with the manual. It sounds pretty good right out of the box for those who don't want to mess with setup. Overall, this is a great receiver for the price.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

For the price, this is an amazing receiver.

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: 315461
on 01/31/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Amazing digital sound control.
What's not so great: Nothing to gripe about.
I love this receiver. I've owned a Sony receiver (STR-DE485) for 10 years, used it basically every day, and I've never had a problem. It just wasn't able to decode certain HD audio signals, so I upgraded to the STRDH520. Best audio-related decision I've ever made.
The sound is unbelievable. 7.1 is so much better than 5.1. Even analogue sounds fantastic. I'm using the same speakers I've been using with the my old Sony receiver, and they sound so good that I can't believe they're the same speakers.
It's advantages are primarily in the realm of digital audio/video, considering the absence of any up-conversion feature. If you primarily use analogue equipment, this probable isn't the receiver for you. (Buy an analogue tube amp for that natural, warm sound.) But if you use Bluray, X-box360, digital TV, HDMI connections and/or digital coaxal, this machine is for you.
And I very much appreciate the feature whereby you can link audio signals and video signals from different types of inputs together, and you can reprogram the buttons on the remote.
If you really want up-conversion for your analogue signals, the STRDH720 is only $30 more.
For the price, you can't beat this reciever.
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Easy to use controls, Good multi-zone capability
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
 
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
 
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Awesome Deal!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Soundbaron
from Minnesota
on 01/25/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Great bargain!
What's not so great: Minor things that don't really matter to most people
I bought this receiver when it was on sale for around $185 to use with my 7.1 speaker system. Great deal! One fiber cable from the TV into it for digital sound from the TV, one HDMI for Blu-Ray/PS3 and that's all I need! It's definitely not "high end" but does everything digital and does it well!
This product has... Plenty of power for all my needs, Easy to use controls
About me... practical, Audiophile, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Sony 945W 7.1-Ch. 3D Pass-Through A/V Home Theater Receiver

Great Receiver! Great Price!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: densepy
on 01/21/2012
Replacing a 11 yr old Sony receiver, just for HDMI's, still works great, very easy setup. Matched with new Klipsch speaker...sounds great!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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