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- First reviewSeptember 14, 2014
- Last reviewSeptember 15, 2014
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- Average rating4.8
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- First review commentSeptember 14, 2014
- Last review commentSeptember 15, 2014
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JoeM's Reviews
Enjoy fast Internet access with this NETGEAR N750 dual-band wireless-N Gigabit router that features data transfer rates up to 750 Mbps, so you can easily stream high-definition content. Four Ethernet ports allow expanded connectivity options.
Posted by: JoeM
from Seattle
I use it in...:Large home
As part of a family room remodeling project, we ran CAT5 cabling from our Xfinity cable modem in our office into the new built-in bookcases in the family room. I had previously used a Netgear WN2500RP Wireless Range Extender for the A/V equipment in the family room, but the signal from the Xfinity router was unreliable. I bought a D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Wireless Router (from BestBuy) and plugged that into a port on the cable modem, and that improved the signal strength and reliability, but there were still occasional dropoffs. Since streaming music (via Pandora on the TiVo) is our primary A/V application, I decided to run cabling directly to the receivers in the family room.
When I initially setup our D-Link DIR-655 in the family room, my wife objected to the white color, 3 antennas and garish blue lights on the front panel. The appearance was not a factor when it was hidden away in a corner of the office, but I guess it is "Xtreme" in more than one dimension.
So, I bought the Netgear N750, which has a nearly identical look and feel to the WN2500RP: black & silver, no external antennas, and a softer array of amber, blue and green lights on the front panel.
I had a little trouble setting up the router as another access point connected directly to a port on the Xfinity cable modem (which also offers wireless connectivity). Turns out I had skipped the step to perform a hard reset on the Netgear router, in large part due to my inability to locate it - the reset button is recessed in the bottom of the unit (the right side in the photo shown on this page), rather than the back, where all the other buttons, ports and plugs are located. Netgear technical support was very helpful in diagnosing and fixing the problem via text chat.
I have connected my Sony Bravia TV, Sony STR-DN1050 receiver, Sony BluRay player and TiVo receiver to the 4 wired ports on the back of the Netgear N750, and all have reliable Internet connectivity.
The D-Link DIR-655 appears to provide greater range, and greater signal strength at similar range (perhaps due to the antennas?), but the range offered by the Netgear N750 is adequate, and my wife is happy now that she doesn't have to look at the "ugly" router anymore.
My Best Buy number: 1036069405
What's great about it: Appearance
What's not so great: Range
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
D-Link - Xtreme N Wireless Router - IEEE 802.11b/g
Ease of Use
4
Performance
4
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+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Enjoy your music with these Bowers & Wilkins 600 Series 685 S2 2-way loudspeakers, which feature 6-1/2" woven Aramid fiber woofer cones for clear sound. The 1" decoupled double-dome aluminum tweeters deliver crisp, pure highs.
Posted by: JoeM
from Seattle
[Note: BestBuy carries 2 different models of B&W 685 S2 speakers. The model shown on this page, 685 FP35343 (SKU 4827037) - the model I bought - has a 1" decoupled double-dome aluminum tweeter; the other model, 685B S2 (SKU 1277365), has a 1" aluminum dome tweeter ... and costs $50 less. I initially posted this review on the wrong model, but can't figure out how to delete or edit that review.]
I recently bought a Sony STR-DN1050 receiver at BestBuy. I also bought the Sony CS5 bookshelf speakers and the Sony CS9 active subwoofer, but felt the CS5 speakers were too bright / trebly. I replaced them with a pair of Bose 301 speakers, and was surprised at how hollow the sound was (I had run Easy Setup on the Sony receiver for calibration, but may not have configured the subwoofer correctly).
I returned the Bose 301 speakers and was intending to purchase the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR bookshelf speakers and the Pioneer SW-8MK2 active subwoofer (both designed by Andrew Jones), but I wandered into the Magnolia studio while at the store, and after comparing the Pioneers (which the salesperson brought into the studio for me) to the B&W 685 S2s, I was amazed how full the B&W sound was - highs, mids and lows.
I should note that my primary use of these speakers - and other audio components in my system - is listening to music (mostly rock, jazz, folk, bluegrass). I did play a bit of The Dark Knight on my BluRay player, and they sounded fine.
I did not do a side-by-side comparison between subwoofers. I've read some less-than-positive comments on AVSForum about the B&W ASW610 subwoofer, and after a few weeks with this setup I'm still tinkering with the settings on the Sony STR-DN1050 and the B&W ASW610. I mention this here because I read another review here (and another elsewhere) suggesting you don't need a subwoofer with the B&W 685 S2s. That may well be true ... but the more I've read, the more I believe that a subwoofer rounds the sound out nicely. I've tried the speakers with the subwoofer disabled, and I like the overall sound better with the subwoofer enabled.
One thing I did not initially note about these speakers is that the are considerably deeper (12-3/8") than the Sony CS5, the Bose 301, the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR and all of the other speakers I saw out on the main floor of BestBuy. I did not think to examine the depth of these or others speakers in the Magnolia studio. The B&W 685 S2s are designed to be mounted on stands, but due to our room configuration, and constraints imposed by my wife, I have to mount these in shelves, and they overhang the 11" deep shelves by about 2". [Note that the 685 FP35343 shown on this page is mounted on a stand, but the stand must be purchased separately.]
The B&W 685 S2s are about 5x more expensive than the Pioneers, 3x more expensive than the Sony CS5s, and 2x more expensive than the Bose 301s, but after listening to the B&Ws,, I knew I would always be dissatisfied if I didn't upgrade.
My last speakers were a pair of floor-standing Laser 150s, which included 10" woofers, and they have lasted me 30 years (my daughter has them now), so I'm hoping the extra investment will amortize out over a long period.
My Best Buy number: 1036069405
What's great about it: Highs, mids, lows
What's not so great: Depth of speaker cabinets
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Bowers & Wilkins - 10" 200-Watt Powered Subwoofer - Black
(49)
Sony - 7.2 Channel Home Theater AV Receiver - Black
(244)Sound Quality
5
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+33points
36of 39voted this as helpful.
Learn moreabout Magnolia PremiumInstallation Enjoy lush audio with this 2-way vented box speaker system that features a 6-1/2" cone woofer and a 1" aluminum dome tweeter for a wide range of sounds.
Posted by: JoeM
from Seattle
I recently bought a Sony STR-DN1050 receiver at BestBuy. I also bought the Sony CS5 bookshelf speakers and the Sony CS9 active subwoofer, but felt the CS5 speakers were too bright / trebly. I replaced them with a pair of Bose 301 speakers, and was surprised at how hollow the sound was (I had run Easy Setup on the Sony receiver for calibration, but may not have configured the subwoofer correctly).
I returned the Bose 301 speakers and was intending to purchase the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR bookshelf speakers and the Pioneer SW-8MK2 active subwoofer (both designed by Andrew Jones), but I wandered into the Magnolia studio while at the store, and after comparing the Pioneers (which the salesperson brought into the studio for me) to the B&W 685 S2s, I was amazed how full the B&W sound was - highs, mids, lows.
I should note that my primary use of these speakers - and other audio components in my system - is listening to music (mostly rock, jazz, folk, bluegrass). I did play a bit of The Dark Knight on my BluRay player, and they sounded fine.
I did not do a side-by-side comparison between subwoofers. I've read some less-than-positive comments on AVSForum about the B&W ASW610 subwoofer, and after a few weeks with this setup I'm still tinkering with the settings on the Sony STR-DN1050 and the B&W ASW610. I mention this here because I read another review here (and another elsewhere) suggesting you don't need a subwoofer with the B&W 685 S2s. That may well be true ... but the more I've read, the more I believe that a subwoofer rounds the sound out nicely. I've tried the speakers with the subwoofer disabled, and I like the overall sound better with the subwoofer enabled.
One thing I did not initially note about these speakers is that the are considerably deeper (12-3/8") than the Sony CS5, the Bose 301, the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR and all of the other speakers I saw out on the main floor of BestBuy. I did not think to examine the depth of these or others speakers in the Magnolia studio. The B&W 685 S2s are designed to be mounted on stands, but due to our room configuration, I have to mount these in shelves, and they overhang the 11" deep shelves by about 2".
The B&W 685 S2s are about 5x more expensive than the Pioneers, 3x more expensive than the Sony CS5s, and 2x more expensive than the Bose 301s, but after listening to the B&Ws,, I knew I would always be dissatisfied if I didn't upgrade.
My last speakers were a pair of floor-standing Laser 150s, which included 10" woofers, and they have lasted me 30 years (my daughter has them now), so I'm hoping the extra investment will amortize out over a long period.
My Best Buy number: 1036069405
What's great about it: Highs, mids, lows
What's not so great: Depth of speaker cabinets
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Bowers & Wilkins - 10" 200-Watt Powered Subwoofer - Black
(49)
Sony - 7.2 Channel Home Theater AV Receiver - Black
(244)Sound Quality
5
Share this review:
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
Take your home entertainment to electrifying new levels with this Sony home theater. With 4K video up scaling, this home theater provides you with detailed picture quality. The wireless and wired connectivity lets you stream videos and music conveniently to your receiver. Fitted with Digital Cinema Automatic Calibration, this Sony home theater optimizes audio performance for a well balanced sound.
Customer Rating
5
Great sound, good features, nice smartphone app
on September 14, 2014
Posted by: JoeM
from Seattle
I recently bought the Sony STR-DN1050 from BestBuy. I've connected it to my TiVo receiver and 3 other existing Sony components: a Bravia 46" LCD TV, BluRay player and a 5-disc CD player. I've connected the STR-DN1050, TV, TiVo and BluRay to the Internet via wired ports on my Netgear N750 wireless router. For speakers, I'm using a pair Bowers & Wilkins 685 S2 bookshelf speakers and B&W ASW610 active subwoofer, and a pair of B&W CCM664 in-ceiling speakers mounted above our deck.
I use the receiver mostly for listening to music, and most of my home music listening is via the Pandora Internet music service.
Among the things I like most about the receiver:
* great sound quality
* easy setup
* support for zone 2 speakers
* HDMI and/or analog connections for all of my A/V equipment
* SongPal iPhone app
* Bluetooth & USB connectivity (it also has built-in WiFi, but I don't use it)
* Bravia Sync (I can use my TV remote for the TV, receiver & BluRay player)
* great sound quality
* easy setup
* support for zone 2 speakers
* HDMI and/or analog connections for all of my A/V equipment
* SongPal iPhone app
* Bluetooth & USB connectivity (it also has built-in WiFi, but I don't use it)
* Bravia Sync (I can use my TV remote for the TV, receiver & BluRay player)
Among the things I like least about the receiver:
* no support for Spotify (until a future firmware upgrade with the necessary codecs)
* the receiver subwoofer low pass filter is limited: either 120Hz or off
* the switches on the front panel for zone 2 power and control are difficult to see
* no support for Spotify (until a future firmware upgrade with the necessary codecs)
* the receiver subwoofer low pass filter is limited: either 120Hz or off
* the switches on the front panel for zone 2 power and control are difficult to see
I mostly use the SongPal iPhone app to turn the receiver on and select music, in the main zone or zone 2. It offers the best interface for Pandora I've encountered, aside from the OS X version on my Mac. Scrolling through my 70 or so Pandora stations on the TiVo is laborious, and lately Pandora on the TiVo seems to miss the first second or so of each song. The Pandora interface via the STR-DN1050 GUI is a bit better (with no song delays), but the SongPal app really makes it a pleasure to use.
The SongPal app also lets me select [only] zone 2 when I'm outside, and there have been times where I've been streaming Pandora to zone 2 while the receiver is in standby mode (I'm assuming this is some variant of the standby pass-through feature). I haven't used smartphone apps for other receivers, so perhaps all of these capabilities are common.
As others have noted (here and elsewhere), HDMI signals are not available on zone 2, but I've double-connected the TiVo & BluRay player via RCA cables, so I can hear them outside as well. Pandora, USB and Bluetooth streamed music can also be sent to zone 2.
I was disappointed to learn that there is no way to connect directly to Spotify. I've read reports that Spotify works on receivers in Germany and the Czech Republic, but I was told by a Sony customer support representative that I will not be able to connect to Spotify on my receiver until the next major firmware upgrade (which may not be until May 2015). However, I can stream Spotify over Bluetooth in the meanwhile, so this is not a deal-breaker (for me).
I'm still fiddling with the subwoofer settings on the STR-DN1050 and the B&W ASW610 (which has its own low pass frequency filter adjustments), and am not sure I've yet reached the ideal configuration, but I think I'm getting pretty close to an optimal configuration.
Sony phone support has been very helpful (3 calls, including one about Spotify). The one time I tried a Sony e-chat, I carefully explained a specific subwoofer question I had, and the representative simply sent me a link to the PDF of the manual.
When I bought the receiver, I also bought the Sony CS5 bookshelf speakers and the Sony CS9 active subwoofer, but felt the CS5 speakers were too bright / trebly. I replaced them with a pair of Bose 301 speakers, and was surprised at how hollow the sound was (I had run Easy Setup for calibration, but may not have calibrated the subwoofer correctly). I returned the Bose 301 speakers intending to get the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR bookshelf speakers and the Pioneer SW-8MK2 active subwoofer (both designed by Andrew Jones), but I wandered into the Magnolia studio, and after comparing the Pioneers (which the salesperson brought into the studio for me) to the B&W 685 S2s, I was amazed how full the B&W sound was. Of course, the B&W 685 S2s are about 5x more expensive than the Pioneers, but after listening to them, I knew I would always be dissatisfied if I didn't upgrade.
My last speakers were a pair of floor-standing Laser 150s, which included 10" woofers, and they have lasted me 30 years (my daughter has them now), so I'm hoping the extra investment will amortize out over a long period.
This is my first Sony receiver, and while I don't expect it will last 30 years, I'm hoping it will last a good, long time.
My Best Buy number: 1036069405
What's great about it: Sound quality, easy setup, zone 2, Pandora, SongPal iPhone app
What's not so great: No support for Spotify, limited subwoofer settings
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Bowers & Wilkins - 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
(41)
Bowers & Wilkins - 10" 200-Watt Powered Subwoofer - Black
(49)Sound Quality
5
Ease of Use
5
Features
4
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+6points
6of 6voted this as helpful.
JoeM's Review Comments
Take your home entertainment to electrifying new levels with this Sony home theater. With 4K video up scaling, this home theater provides you with detailed picture quality. The wireless and wired connectivity lets you stream videos and music conveniently to your receiver. Fitted with Digital Cinema Automatic Calibration, this Sony home theater optimizes audio performance for a well balanced sound.
Overall
4 out of 5
4 out of 5Rated 4 cause,haven't had time to chk features
By Rambo
from Colorado
I'm not super technical when it comes to AV receivers, but;
1. This is my 1st Digital A/V receiver. Love it. Still learning about it after 6 weeks...
2. All of the connectivity on this unit is superb. I'm an old retired Analog A/V receiver guy and am amazed at having this Digital world opened up to me with this unit. Learning a lot-much more to learn. Was glad I had Geek squad hook me up initially.
3. One negative; I would have liked to have a more in-depth User Manual provided with the product, or maybe there is something Online already that I don't know about. I do prefer having something in writing also. Maybe there's an in-depth manual online somewhere I can print out, but I don't know about it at this time.
1. This is my 1st Digital A/V receiver. Love it. Still learning about it after 6 weeks...
2. All of the connectivity on this unit is superb. I'm an old retired Analog A/V receiver guy and am amazed at having this Digital world opened up to me with this unit. Learning a lot-much more to learn. Was glad I had Geek squad hook me up initially.
3. One negative; I would have liked to have a more in-depth User Manual provided with the product, or maybe there is something Online already that I don't know about. I do prefer having something in writing also. Maybe there's an in-depth manual online somewhere I can print out, but I don't know about it at this time.
JoeM
Seattle
Online manual + PDF
September 14, 2014
I bought this receiver recently, too.
I don't know if URLs are allowed, but there is both an online manual designed for web browsers and a PDF that you can print out.
Both are available on the Sony support site:
http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=STRDN1050
http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=STRDN1050
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Take your home entertainment to electrifying new levels with this Sony home theater. With 4K video up scaling, this home theater provides you with detailed picture quality. The wireless and wired connectivity lets you stream videos and music conveniently to your receiver. Fitted with Digital Cinema Automatic Calibration, this Sony home theater optimizes audio performance for a well balanced sound.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5So far, so good...
By ckub
from Raleigh, NC
I went from an Onkyo that absolutely made me furious with its horrible digital (versus analog) signal reception to this, so my initial expectations were pretty low. The old unit did not have HDMI pass-through, and had significant problems capturing the "digital handshake" when I changed over to HDMI cables for television and cable/satellite some time ago. This unit has no issues with the digital transmission. The onscreen display is top-notch; when I want to change sources, I can see what I'm doing on the television screen and the sources are assignable (video & audio) and can be renamed. Bluetooth works like a charm, so I can stream from the iphone (I have a 5). I had read a review noting that the Bluetooth streaming cannot occur on zone 2 while using an alternate source on zone 1; this is absolutely false. I'll be watching Premier League soccer on the tv while listening to Pandora with the wife on the back patio. Great sound; I play through a Klipsch Quartet 5 speaker set with the same brand down-firing 12in sub inside and have Polk heavy-duty outdoor speakers outside. Absolutely no complaints about audio and the receiver has a good variety of sound options (ie- musical halls, Dolby, live concert, etc.) I'm not an audiophile though, so I'm not the best person to review for those who are. My only complaint is having to physically turn on and assign zone 2 at the receiver versus doing so with the remote. After doing that, the volume for zone 2 can be controlled from the remote, but you only get a few seconds before the control defaults back to the main receiver so you have to act quickly (pretty minor complaint considering the price point). Plenty of plugins: USB, multiple HDMI and sufficient component. Considering the fact that I thought I would be spending at least $700 after taxes to get all the functionality I needed and that I got this on sale for <$600 after taxes, I'm very pleased with the return on the investment. Hope this helps those considering this unit.
JoeM
Seattle
SongPal app for turning on / controlling Zone 2
September 14, 2014
Once I downloaded the SongPal remote on my iPhone, I hardly ever use the Sony remote. SongPal allows the user to turn on Zone 2, specify a music source, change the volume, etc.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Learn moreabout Magnolia PremiumInstallation Enjoy lush audio with this 2-way vented box speaker system that features a 6-1/2" cone woofer and a 1" aluminum dome tweeter for a wide range of sounds.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Full sound, worthwhile upgrade
By JoeM
from Seattle
I recently bought a Sony STR-DN1050 receiver at BestBuy. I also bought the Sony CS5 bookshelf speakers and the Sony CS9 active subwoofer, but felt the CS5 speakers were too bright / trebly. I replaced them with a pair of Bose 301 speakers, and was surprised at how hollow the sound was (I had run Easy Setup on the Sony receiver for calibration, but may not have configured the subwoofer correctly).
I returned the Bose 301 speakers and was intending to purchase the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR bookshelf speakers and the Pioneer SW-8MK2 active subwoofer (both designed by Andrew Jones), but I wandered into the Magnolia studio while at the store, and after comparing the Pioneers (which the salesperson brought into the studio for me) to the B&W 685 S2s, I was amazed how full the B&W sound was - highs, mids, lows.
I should note that my primary use of these speakers - and other audio components in my system - is listening to music (mostly rock, jazz, folk, bluegrass). I did play a bit of The Dark Knight on my BluRay player, and they sounded fine.
I did not do a side-by-side comparison between subwoofers. I've read some less-than-positive comments on AVSForum about the B&W ASW610 subwoofer, and after a few weeks with this setup I'm still tinkering with the settings on the Sony STR-DN1050 and the B&W ASW610. I mention this here because I read another review here (and another elsewhere) suggesting you don't need a subwoofer with the B&W 685 S2s. That may well be true ... but the more I've read, the more I believe that a subwoofer rounds the sound out nicely. I've tried the speakers with the subwoofer disabled, and I like the overall sound better with the subwoofer enabled.
One thing I did not initially note about these speakers is that the are considerably deeper (12-3/8") than the Sony CS5, the Bose 301, the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR and all of the other speakers I saw out on the main floor of BestBuy. I did not think to examine the depth of these or others speakers in the Magnolia studio. The B&W 685 S2s are designed to be mounted on stands, but due to our room configuration, I have to mount these in shelves, and they overhang the 11" deep shelves by about 2".
The B&W 685 S2s are about 5x more expensive than the Pioneers, 3x more expensive than the Sony CS5s, and 2x more expensive than the Bose 301s, but after listening to the B&Ws,, I knew I would always be dissatisfied if I didn't upgrade.
My last speakers were a pair of floor-standing Laser 150s, which included 10" woofers, and they have lasted me 30 years (my daughter has them now), so I'm hoping the extra investment will amortize out over a long period.
JoeM
Seattle
Bowers and Wilkins 600 Series 685 S2 FP35343
September 15, 2014
Oops - I posted this review on the wrong model of B&W 685 S2s (also forgot to put a nickname in the review).
I actually have a pair of the 685 S2 FP35343 speakers. I believe the primary difference is that the 685B S2 (SKU 1277365) - listed on this page - has a 1" aluminum dome tweeter while the 685 FP35343 (SKU 4827037) has a 1" decoupled double-dome aluminum tweeter .. and costs about $50 more.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
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