Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
Does it all
I like it. Looks good, sounds great, and has all the features needed for a 7.1 home theater system. Last year I bought a Sony STR998 for my living room primarily for music and it has been an outstanding unit with superb sound that I am using in a 4.1 configuration.  <br /> <br />The DG800 has the same horsepower at 110 watts per channel and has similar features. It really shines when using the Pro Logic IIx mode with a 7.1 speaker system. I set it up with a Sony HDTV and HD cable box and the sound is excellent and decoded accurately. There is a certain learning curve and complexity in understanding all the features, but my prior experience with the 998 helped with this unit. The manual and remote are okay, but it takes a bit of study for the techno-challenged. I wish things were simpler, but I don't see that as a practical reality for any good home theater unit.  <br /> <br />The auto calibration feature is pretty neat and seemingly accurate, but you still have to tweak things to your liking. A good part of the listening experience will be in the quality of the speakers, how they are positioned, room acoustics, and source material.  <br /> <br />Lastly, I would have given this 5 stars, but held back because it may  be a little challenging to understand all the features at first and I would have liked broader equalizer control and more sound fields. Once set up it, use is very straight forward. All said, I consider it to be a quality unit and have no problems recommending it.      <br /> <br />