Sony STR-DB798 AV-receiver
The QS lineup is not as prestigious as the ES, but Sony has already managed to teach us that these components are the most advantageous in terms of quality/price. Perhaps for this reason, the designers did not invent anything new for the design of a seven-channel receiver STR-DB798.
All tuning functions are assigned to two rotary knobs, and at first, until you get comfortable with their logic, even basic operations are difficult (there is no OSD menu in STR-DB798). But after further overview, the receiver begins to consistently score points. Advanced 32-bit DSP provides decoding of all multichannel formats and also presents many native modes. The receiver offers advanced settings for the surround configuration and the low-frequency effects channel. The video switcher includes a simple composite signal converter to S-Video. There is a very useful Analog Direct mode in the audio path, in which the signal from a multichannel or any stereo input goes directly to the power amplifier, bypassing the digital processor. Amplifiers, by the way, are assembled on discrete elements and have a crushing power.
Everyone knows how Sony has succeeded in digital sound. But do not forget that at the amplifier front this company has been and remains the favorite too. I say this because DB798 pleased by the quality of the amplification, and not by the abundance of digital tricks, which, I confess, I did not expect at all. The sound of this receiver as if returned you 20 years ago, when the Japanese Hi-Fi was at the peak of its development and impressed with its amazing clarity.
When working via multi-channel input there is nothing in Sony STR-DB798 to blame for. The scene is perfect, the sound attracts with details and musical tenderness, which is so lacking in modern AV-aggressors. Bass needs a bit more confidence - sometimes they are like rubber. STR-DB798 draws vocals out well, but needs a bit more arrogance and professional pressure. In the upper range, everything is clear. Discants are airy, natural and do not distract from the main thing. In Analog Direct mode, the receiver shows the highest level of sound resolution.
