Sony STR-DH190 Stereo Receiver Review: It's Actually Good!

[@ZeroFidelity]

amzn.to/3qLcv41 Yep. That's an affiliate link to the Sony receiver. So... REAL TALK (PLEASE READ): I don't really care if you buy the Sony or not. I'm posting up this affiliate link because I signed up for the Amazon Partner program back in August and if I don't use it this month, I'll lose it forever. This isn't about money. This is about keeping an option open for the future. So go ahead.. use the link to buy a toothbrush or restock on some kitchen supplies for all I care! I just need some people to use this link and then I'll be good to go and will remove this post. THANKS!!!

[@pkal244]

No shame at all in affiliate links, especially for Amazon where you can buy any number of household items. If I remember to do it, I'll use a reviewer's aff link when I have to make any sort of big purchase online.

[@RoaroftheTiger]

Sean, You've got to eat. And getting compensated, for work, should not be a odd notion. All the Best ! ;-)

[@TorToroPorco]

Thanks for being transparent, it's noble of you. I'll have to buy you a beer next time you do a live stream.

[@louiesipes2257]

Done

[@ZeroFidelity]

@@GBR9794 An example of a paid review would be if Sony sent money to me in exchange for this video As stated right at the beginning of my review, literally within the first 2 minutes, I outright bought this.

[@worsly]

I bought one and love it. I use Fluance Signature speakers and I was amazed. What I like most about it......Sound Image is Fantastic. I'm not that big on heavy bass. What these products do is make you feel that the musicians are in the room with you. I'm 66 years old and as I listened I started to cry because as a audiophile on a budget this is what I have been searching for.....for a long time. I also heard instruments I never heard before. So to make sure this was really the case I brought my oldest son in the room to show him what I bought. I asked him what his favorite song was and I started to play it. His facial expession told me I indeed had something special here. And then he said to me...."Dad I hear instuments I never heard before in this song." The excitment I felt brought me to tears again. With close to 25,000 songs I have, this summer is truly going to be great. Next step is a new turntable. Been without one for 30 years. Thanks for all your videos, I enjoy them so much.

[@hippydippy]

I just bought the Sony to hold me over until I get my Sansui 9090DB & Sasui Quad in the shop for repairs. Hooked it up last night & I honestly was blown away at how great it sounded for $160 shipped. Great smooth sound as well as wonderful separation. I couldn't be happier!

[@SeanSisco]

Despite having much more expensive gear, I won't lie...when it went on sale a few weeks ago for $99, I bought one for my garage and one for my Dad to create a listening space for him at his house. It is surprisingly great for the price and my Dad absolutely loves it.

[@ZeroFidelity]

For effing real though. This Sony has it where it counts the most: A full, engaging sound. I may end up keeping this one.

[@ramondelgado6778]

@@ZeroFidelity It really is great. For a few bucks more, when it is on sale, an even better deal is the home theater version, the STRDH590, which for me personally was a better buy. It has banana clip terminals for the fronts (which is all that I use), a subwoofer output (which I use as well), and HDMI inputs (4) which come in handy. Not to mention, if I ever want to add a center and surrounds, I'm ready. Only $199 when on sale. Loved this review! Thank you for doing budget gear! Merry Christmas!

[@jamegumb7298]

Looked it up, cheapest for me right now is €310. Not very eager to buy tbh.

[@Pinoy4831]

​@@ramondelgado6778

[@thisisnev]

For the typical user at this price point, spring-clip speaker connects are fine. They're not going to be spending $'000s on oily cables. Thanks for the review, Sean - we all started out with modest gear, and one day this Sony will no doubt be fondly remembered by a new generation of audiophiles as their first step into hi-fi!

[@ZeroFidelity]

Cheers!

[@johntocho8954]

I bought this Sony and Klipsch RP600M speakers to get back into stereo receiver listening and I LOVE IT! Works really well with Pandora and Spotify. The FM stereo is a plus. Thanks for the review!

[@dmnddog7417]

I bought one of these units back in Feb 2020, and I've found it to be very reliable. I'm glad that you and Andrew have (finally) reviewed the unit and found it to be very good. I respect both your opinions and I find your reviews very insightful and informative. It makes me feel good that I made a good choice long before you both reviewed it. I have three devices permanently connected: an AT-LP120XUSB turntable, a Cambridge AXC35 CD player, and my Samsung TV to watch movies. I'm using the Triangle Borea BR03 speakers. I keep it on 24-7 so it's always warmed up and ready to play. I also keep the "Pure Direct" function enabled. Everything I've listened to with the above combination and settings sounds good to me. I agree that the speaker connections are annoying, but you only have to deal with them once. I may upgrade to something else sometime down the line, but for now it does the job very well. I generally don't replace equipment unless it's just not good, or it breaks down.

[@BryanRuby]

I'm a big fan of Andrew Robinson's as a lot of his reviews are geared toward my spending habit of buying products in the sweet spot (not cheap but also not expensive). Although I'm not in the market for the STR-DH190 (I'm in a step-up phase), it's very cool and appreciated to see you review this receiver. It's one I'd consider buying for my son if I didn't already have an old Sony AVR stored away. What surprises me is the DH190 is the only recent receiver from Sony which includes a phono input. I get why high-end Hi-Fi equipment may not want to provide a built-in preamp but I don't understand why Sony isn't providing phono input for the rest of their AVR lineup. In my opinion, most of Sony's receivers provide great sound with two-channel stereo, but the lack of a phono input in Sony AVRs is why vinyl folks that don't want to deal with external pre-amps talk more about Denon, Marantz, and Yamaha AVRs. In my opinion, it's a missed opportunity for Sony to not provide a phono input in the rest of their AVR lineup.

[@scottyo64]

I came from Sony.......still have every Sony product I have bought. Yes that goes back well over 20 years.

[@ZeroFidelity]

Sony puts out some ridiculously good gear when they put their minds (and resources) to it!

[@JaxonRamblers]

Same here. I have the Sony 5.1 surround I bought about 12 years ago. Love it. Like you I have a bunch of Sony products and they never fail.

[@justanotheryoutubeuser5029]

Man i can remember my sony discman way back. That thing worked for 15years or more. It meet its doom only because some dumbass (me) left the batteries in for too long without use. Now i have a sony DAP, still no problems. It just keeps working.

[@andya857]

Sony is the Honda of AV...

[@colanitower]

I still use my very first HiFi system with a Sony TA-2650 amplifier and ST-2950F tuner. Bought them new in 1978, they are still working perfectly.

[@kadan_gustafson6609]

Why is everyone so pissy about the speaker connectors? You're practically never going to need to deal with them anyway. You just need to put the end of your speaker wire in there and forget about it.

[@davidgreen1504]

Chronic complainers my friend they will complaint while wiping there ass cause it's not "charmin"😕

[@ZeroFidelity]

Because apparently having to use regular speaker cable is some kind of a grande offense. *shrug*.

[@clemleg123]

Look I don't disagree but if your cable section is on the thick side then I just won't fit.

[@scottyo64]

@@clemleg123 agreed I don't have any speaker wire thats less than 10 gauge and then I like to switch stuff around so I also like banana plugs.

[@dannytse8767]

Just out of curiosity....is there any sound quality differences between spring loaded speaker connectors vs. binding posts?

[@robertjurcina7055]

Hey Sean, I bought this receiver a yr ago when I jumped into 2 channel stereo again as I approach retirement and still have the hearing to enjoy listening to music. I paired it with Paradigm Atom se bookshelf speakers($ 300.00 taxes in Canadian on sale) and seemed pretty good. I also watched Andrew's review the other day. I passed the system on to my son who just starting out on his own to encourage some headphone free appreciation of music/entertainment. He of course takes advantage of the Bluetooth connectivity. I moved on to the Yamaha RS 300 which seems a bit better. I appreciate that both you and Andrew took a look at these pieces and gave the feedback that the Sony is a reasonable option. As you said in the review this is the stuff many of us can and will make our own.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

How do I connect an active sub to this? Can it be done?

[@luism8612]

May I get your equipment when you die?

[@ericmayle8510]

I just received this receiver today and paired it with a set of sony SS CS5 speakers and an Audio Technica turntable, and I have to say I had no idea what my ears have been missing since the 80s. Even though this is basically a starter budget set the sound is impressive. The radio tuner is probably the weak point of the tuner, but there is enough signal to pick up quite a few channels. The sound from the turntable is incredible too, without having to ground the turntable. I have tons of music on my phone and pairing it with Bluetooth was a breeze. I can see myself collecting a lot more vinyl in the future as I did in the 70s. If you're working with a tight budget like me then this definitely is a setup you won't be disappointed in trying out without breaking the bank.

[@AudioElectronicsChicago]

For $130 dollars, it is a great receiver

[@gBoogie47]

I watch the both of you reviewers, Andrew and Sean, both within my top five reviewers, NBT and Steve as well. Love that you are reviewing lower prices gear. Sony and Yamaha are excellent at this range.

[@Chiroman527]

Sean , typical honest and frank stereo info from you. I hit the Amazon link. Keep up the good work. Even though I am not a true audiophile by any means, i kinda dabble in it by watching reviews like yours on KZbin. Like all that come to these sites, I am a lover of music and great sound. At 69 YO, and with a recent resurgence of a keen interest into Music ignited by COVID stay at home consequences, during 2020, I created a new sound system in my basement to yield a quasi Mancave (hate that term), to work and play in. Now I'm retired and with the newly found intensified interest in My Music (playing old LPs as well), I have also picked up on playing drums after a 51 year layoff. My wife of 46 years actually tolerates it!!!!! Afterall it was she who gifted me a new cheapo drum set for xmas in 2018. Be safe and well all

[@MichaelFriedlander1125]

Thanks for the review. Pass this up if you're interested in FM stations and live in an area of marginal reception. There's only one way to add an antenna, and that's using the single wire antenna using a custom plug. No coax connection, no double screws for TV antenna. The second issue is that it's not possible to tune manually. Yes, that's right, no manual tuning, only auto channel seek. If it won't capture your favorite station, you're out of luck.

[@linandy1]

Wife got me one last year, on sale for $99. She told me "now you don't need to bring home anymore old "junky" stereos" LOL

[@paulevans8000]

linandy1 Same with me, got a nice Denon PMA-720AE to get over the “junk collecting” then a couple of weeks later I found a Technics SU-X120 amp, the badge says “New Class A”. Only a few dollars & so I couldn’t resist. I like to think of them as options. Great vid, thanks.

[@hjordanGL]

i felt that

[@Stuntman87]

Same here bro 😆🤣

[@hergiemalaba2941]

😀😀😀😀

[@joeldavilajr1030]

Damn that is Exactly what my wife said !

[@thomaswachter7782]

Gee, Sean, an excellent review. It's so nice to see a real-world product get a nice review. I own a Yamaha A-S 301 integrated amp and again, it is a real-world product that fits my needs perfectly. For those of us on a budget, it's nice to see what a bargain product can bring to the table. Perfect.

[@sebastianpolcyn6358]

At this price point, I would honestly take zero issue with those spring loaded connectors. Sure, I'm not a fan of those, but given the price and the kind of speakers this is likely going to be paired with, they're perfectly adequate. Five-way posts in this particular application would be basically just a vanity thing, imo, and especially at this price point, I would much rather see those few cents invested in actual substance - I think "strategic penny pinching" is way more crucial when it comes to designing good budget gear than many people realize. Luckily, Sony seems to have pretty much nailed that here, so thumbs up!

[@largote]

A Chromecast Audio would make an excellent "DAC" for something like this. The Schiit Modi 3 is also a good candidate.

[@David-tp5rv]

Great review! I managed to pick up the STR-DH590 for under $200 last year. Another great receiver for the price. It perfect for those who want additional channels for movies, but can also run it in stereo for music!

[@ZeroFidelity]

Yep! I got my parents a Sony AVR sometime back in 2014. It's still going strong and quite honestly, sounds better than I think it should. :D.

[@cowprez]

I bought this receiver awhile back and love it. I have NO complaints. Nice review. Thanks.

[@ZeroFidelity]

Nice dude! Enjoy!

[@danmartin3183]

I'm not old as dirt, but I do recall when dirt was new. I like receivers. Pioneer was my first, then an Onkyo, followed by a NAD.. Now an Outlaw Audio.

[@mr.george7687]

I also have a Outlaw Receiver. The most underrated Audiophile receiver!

[@danmartin3183]

@@mr.george7687 I agree. But the Outlaw isn't really a "budget" receiver.

[@hgroton2078]

I own this receiver for my bedroom and is connected to a pair of KEF Q100, I love it and the only complain I have about this receiver is it's cheap plastic speaker connectors buy I like the sound very much I recommend it to a friend. Great review, thanks

[@twenty4seven368]

This is a really entertaining review Sean. Although it’s not a piece I’ll purchase, i found the content to be refreshing. Keep it up!

[@ZeroFidelity]

Cheers!

[@NoBody-ij9dj]

Agreed.

[@mikefrank6319]

You are right about one thing. This Sony is a piece alright.

[@bighands69]

99% of what people have in their homes is not furniture it is trashy mass manufacture throw away junk. My great grandfather build furniture in the 1800s that is still around today and my grandfather built furniture nearly 100 years ago that is still fully functioning and looks far better than the rubbish made in factories today. There is no point having a $10000 audio gear that looks great but is sitting beside junk that is called furniture.

[@Deeky76]

@@bighands69 Well tell your great grandfather that this video is for hifi products, He'll find 1800s furniture in the over 100s section in IKEA.

[@TheHammerofDissidence]

We really are living in a golden Era of affordable hifi. I see these all the time at work (a parcel service). People buy this unit pretty frequently.

[@he5975]

In 15 years they will all be in a landfill?

[@ZeroFidelity]

And you know whats crazy? Most of the people buying this unit have no idea how unusually good it really is for the money. Either way, I'm just happy to see people still buying stereo gear.

[@ZeroFidelity]

I don't even think it matters, outside of environmental concerns of course. If somebody owns and makes great use out of something, especially over the course of a decade+, then I'd say it was a completely worthwhile purchase.

[@Baerchenization]

@@ZeroFidelity Do you think audio used to be more of a young people sport but is now more for the more senior ages? Or is that just me getting older and projecting? :) But I generally like to think that I am doing less nonsense now and have more mature interests, but who doesn't want to feel good about what they are doing, right? ;)

[@tomchan2559]

@@Baerchenization Young people buy Head-Fi these days. It ain't cheap if you get a AK player and a pair of Sony Noise Cancellation Bluetooth Headphones

[@1luvoneworld]

Great review! I bought this receiver with the matching Sony Hi Res bookshelf speakers for less than $200 during Black Friday. I’ve been enjoying Spotify and Amazon Music HD with 24 bit V Moda Speakeasy audio cable. Keep up the great work Sean!

[@adamsanchez1410]

I have the same setup, do you have the ohms on the receiver set on 8 or 6?

[@ramondelgado6778]

@@adamsanchez1410 Leave it at 8.

[@jenniferfogerty5782]

Thank you so much. I just bought one yesterday, and was worried I should have gone for a fancier one. However...I love how it sounds!!

[@chuckcribbs3398]

Interesting review. When I was in college in the ‘80s stereos were all the rage and I didn’t have a lot of money but I had a lot of gear (equalizer, CD, cassette player, receiver, speakers) but there seems to be no market like there used to be. This would be a good starting point for putting a decent system together, cheaply. Thanks!

[@bighands69]

Most audiophile opinions are nonsense. Most of what they think they hear is in their heads. Now do not get a me wrong a $10,000 system will sound amazing in a great room but the idea that a certain $800 or $2000 gear is going to sound better than the Sony at normal domestic listening conditions is pure nonsense. The real key to expensive audio is that it keeps the distortion to a minimum when being played at really loud conditions that most normal people in their home will never go near. The reason there is no market today is due to the fact that cultural creativity is at an all time low.

[@donaldwhite7536]

I really appreciate your comparison of the Sony to somewhat more expensive gear and what you can expect to get when spending some more bucks. It’s all about the law of diminishing returns. Thanks!

[@ZeroFidelity]

Cheers!

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

Nice to hear your take on sone more ‘affordable’ gear. I put this term in quotes because I do recognize that it is relative. We each must determine what makes to most sense for us in terms of budget.

[@ZeroFidelity]

Thanks, and totally agreed!

[@jamesbridgewater5582]

great reveiw...just got one and love it! you are the best at explaining things from beginner to expert audiophiles.you simplify your explanation so anyone can understand and learn.thank you!

[@PyxisLearning]

Really love that you review low cost audio products. Great review! Thanks!

[@maryjohann9491]

Just bought this receivee yesterday, and I can't wait to hook it up while watching your video.

[@gotham61]

Because it has a Bluetooth input, that means there's a DAC inside, so it's kind of surprising that they didn't include any hardware digital inputs.

[@BogdanWeiss]

Bluetooth does not mean PCM 16bit 44.1kHz or higher audio DAC - your car ABS has a DAC ;-)

[@TheEnderman67]

That DAC could very well be part of whatever IC they implemented to demodulate the Bluetooth signal, which would render it incompatible with external inputs.

[@BogdanWeiss]

@@TheEnderman67 what are you talking about ?

[@jmusicca7779]

is a dac really all that expensive to implement? every cheap computer soundcard is a dac... probably costs cents for a manufacturer

[@keithburrell9882]

It has NO DAC!

[@adamant3844]

I bought the DH190 as a spare stereo receiver mostly due to the fact that it has a phono preamp. The only thing I would've have liked in addition is a loudness button. I don't care for the bluetooth feature but for under $200 you get a pretty damn good receiver.

[@aualdrich]

This was an amazing presentation. I was specifically looking for a more thorough discussion of the sound quality, and you did a great job describing it. This is a great complimentary review to Andrew Robinson's overall one. Thanks!

[@templesoundspercussion2298]

Still liking this unit a few weeks later with my Harbeth P3ESR's. A nice convenient receiver esp w/remote at the desktop. Thx for the review Sean! Straight and to the point! Cheers,TS

[@craighoffman8160]

Nice review Sean. It gives us a really good sense of what our money buys here. This affordable but highly competent Sony would be a great "shop receiver". Cover it in stickers, hook it up to some inexpensive Polks, and work on the cars and dirt bikes in style! For the garage system, I have an old Kenwood receiver (covered in dirt bike stickers of course) hooked up to a pair of small Cerwin Vega woofer/Pyle dome tweeter speakers I bodged together 20 years ago. Covered in a thick layer of dust and playing FM or off my phone via a mini jack to RCA adaptor cable, a typical unloved but highly functional shop situation that sounds better than it has any right to. After 20 years of dusty garage service, I decided perhaps I should clean the dust out of the garage receiver. Pulled the cover, blasted it's innards with my electric leaf blower and an epic plume of dust came out. Good for another 20 years - LOL

[@georgealanlpsandcds9311]

Nice review - great idea to review affordable receivers for those guys with smaller bucks or looking for a secondary system :)

[@scottyo64]

It also works for gift giving to help get someone on their journey

[@maryrafuse2297]

Having some beautiful Sony amps from back in the day, a TA-F3A & TA-2650, I would love to see how this looks inside. Both the afore mentioned SONY's are works of art inside along with my Hitachi HA-330.

[@Eywadude]

*@Zero Fidelity* Great review. While I am no longer in the market for entry level components anymore, I think reviews like this one are so important, because it helps to inspire and draw new people into the audiophile hobby, which makes reviews of good entry level products like this one so important. May I suggest you try other entry level stereo receiver options from brands like Yamaha and Onkyo to see how they stack up against each other and to see if one is better than the other; whether one has certain sound characteristics, different feature sets and/or may be suitable to different listeners for a combination of those criteria, etc. The more information that's out there for first-time buyers, the more we can inspire people to get into the hobby and make educated purchasing decisions that will inspire them to further pursue the audiophile world because their first purchase was a good one. Just something to consider. Thanks again for another great review. Cheers.

[@thomasward00]

Agree 100% I would even bet that 95% of his subscribers will never spend more than $1K on a pair of speakers, these guys review some items which even most audio fans will never buy.

[@bojanmilankovic]

I find it to be of great value. Does everything I need it to, produces good quality sound with my turntable and speakers, and is intuitive to use and set up. This is my first foray into receivers and I think this one will be sticking around for a long time. Great review!

[@goodboogie]

Back in April I got this Receiver and a set of the CSS5’s both new from BBuy for 120$ total. Later added a Dayton 1200 scratch and dent at $85 and a Fluance refurb RT81 for 160$ it has been just a blast for a budget system and has get me into vinyl collecting.

[@mikrophonie5633]

The Sherwood he mentioned is also a good dirt-cheap no-frills option. The RX-4109 has speaker binding posts too, instead of spring clips. And it has line out, phono stage, and AM reception. No Bluetooth though. I think it's discontinued but there are lots of them on eBay. Just don't hook up 4 ohm speakers and blast them, or it may blow up lol. It states 8 ohm speakers only, but the guy who ran Sherwood for many years said on an audio forum that it can handle 6 ohm too.

[@dannytse8767]

I have the Sherwood and I got it for $69.00 during a Black Friday sale at Radio Shack.

[@exoticg9]

Can you do a review on the Yamaha R-S202D ? Its around the price of that sony! Thanks

[@dm95422]

I have the R-S300....and it's a beauty. Great sound & looks great.

[@pegabo]

Great review Sean! As always, very helpful information on an amplifier I was considering to purchase. I had heard the hype about this Sony unit from other reviewers as well, for the first time in my audio journey, I had interest in a Sony product. Luckily you were able to make great comparisons to the Sa3 and the benefit of the E30 DAC(which I both own thanks to you) and I don’t see the need for this stereo in my collection. However, I will highly recommend this unit to others as it seems to be an incredible value for the money! Only huge disappointment and possibly a dealbreaker for me are the lack of binding posts which sort of make the unit look sort of past dated. Thanks again

[@midnightmyers3873]

I had the old skool version of this back in 96. When i first got into bumping bass, the sound was great and performed perfect. So i added an equalizer too take the amp and my earthquake. Speakers outta the stratosphere lol. Im getting back into bumping jams now, and i was looking for a good amp. Glad too see these are still around and affordable. Thx for this review dude.

[@crisjr6478]

It’s amazing how much clean power this Sony has. I love mine.

[@guillermocubillos9727]

2 things. 1st, I’m trying to justify to buy this one, but I already have all the gear I need, but my mind is still trying to find a use for it... $99? Cmon. With a whole chasis and all those inputs plus good sound. It’s a steal. 2nd. I like Andrew and his style and of course I enjoy your channel always. Is great to see how you all acknowledge other reviewers work and effort. You all makes it way easy for many many people to get into this wonderful audiophile stuff. Great job, Sean

[@yamman93]

I have put many hours on this receiver and I love it. It’s being fed by a Cambridge audio sac and it is powering a pair of Polk audio LSIM 703s. I must say it’s a great combination and it truly does a better job at powering this speakers than a NAD D7050. There is plenty of power and it really allows this speakers to really image well. Great value for the money

[@MichaelGreco]

I have an old pair of cheap Klipsch bookshelf that I was going to get rid of but maybe I'll pick this up and set it up in the garage

[@ZeroFidelity]

DO IT! It offers up crazy good sound for the $$$.

[@MichaelGreco]

@@ZeroFidelity thanks for the reply! Come to think of it I also have a pb1000 I was gonna sell that has high level speaker wire connection and a schiit modi I'm not using. I could slop together a decent little system lol

[@khalid969]

@@MichaelGreco You're extremely lucky because very few subs have high level inputs. And buying that sub for this rig would be out of the question because it's most expensive than all the other components lol

[@MichaelGreco]

@@khalid969 lol yep. I started off with a budget home theater and recently upgraded the speakers, external amps, added a Parasound Halo for HT Bypass. I have those speakers (Andrew jones pioneer towers, surrounds and center) and the PB1000 I was gonna sell. Then Klipsch r-15ms, which I like much better for music than the pioneers. Anyway, I hate to get rid of things but I also need places to put them. I'm for sure getting rid of the pioneer speakers, but the replacement value of the pb1000 might be worth more to me that what I'd sell it for...just my luck I'll sell it then in 6 months find a use for it lol

[@jasons7070]

I bought a new open box Insignia 2 channel receiver w/bluetooth (same as Sherwood model) for $60 shipped on ebay. I found a pair of PSB alpha's for $40 at a new jersey flea market(work perfect). this is my garage system along with an older Integra 6 disc cd changer. for a garage system and how much I have into it, it's amazing I just want to always be working in the garage lol

[@mr.george7687]

Would like to see your take on the Outlaw Receiver which will accept 4ohm speakers.

[@ColdSphinX]

In the amp menu you can switch between 6 Ohm and 8 Ohm speaker mode. I got mine 2 weeks ago as a quick replacement coming from a Fisher RS-1022 that lost it's left channel. Hopefully I get that Fisher fixed, but then I'll have a backup.

[@domwenaubain8983]

I bought one for my son because of Andrew's review. Hes just getting into vinyl and i felt it would be a great starter reciever. Unfortunately it was defective, as I turned the volume up it had a hum thru the speakers. I took it back to best buy and got another one and it did the exact same thing. I hooked it up to an older denon reciever I had in storage and it worked perfectly. The system consists of a denon reciever, audio technica turntable brand new.. and a pair of wharfedale modus bookshelf speakers and an 8 in subwoofer from monoprice. All in all it's not the best but it's a great budget system. I was very disappointed that the sony reciever was defective

[@CultureWars_]

Are the speakers less than 6 ohms? If not that could be the problem..

[@crisjr6478]

Every audio company in the world should hire Sony to design their remotes.

[@KyleKick909]

I have the STR-DH550. I only bought it because I needed 2 sub outputs and this was the only receiver that I could find at the time that was 5.2 and didn't cost a lot. Even though I really like it, I would have never thought that Sony STR-DH lineup would be as good as it is. I think I really got lucky when I bought it.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Haven’t had a chance to watch this yet but so dig the lighting changes in the intro. I’ll circle back around after checking out the entire video.

[@ZeroFidelity]

The hilarious thing is that it was in response to my frustration with the Panasonic GH5.

[@yuckysamson]

+1 on the appreciation of Sean being lit, from above eye level, with what appears to be.... A modifier. HOT DAMN!

[@tomchan2559]

You can build a decent system with this amp, a streamer dac and a pair of entry level speakers for less than $1000. We did not have this kind of CHEAP DECENT CHOICES in the 80/90s. I had to work for 2 months during summer holiday to earn enough to buy a decent receiver.

[@TorToroPorco]

I was a bit surprised when Sean said he was planning to review a Sony receiver but frankly I'm more shocked at the price point especially since he declared he was going to be focusing on much higher spec'd components a while back. Could this be a kinder gentler Zero Fidelity? But this is definitely a very useful review for bargain hunters (and Xmas time). Here in Canada it is currently selling for $229 at Best Buy which is a price point below what I would consider buying for myself but omigod I could put one of these plus a pair of Elac 6.2s (currently on sale locally @ $329) in every room in my house at a price lower than a single SONOS wireless speaker! Looking at the specs Sony specifically states that it is sound-matched to their entry level turntables which may account for this receiver's lack of a V-shaped sound curve.

[@templesoundspercussion2298]

I just bought a pair of standard Harbeth P3's coming in via Fed Ex tomorrow.. This is my 1st foray into Hifi...was wondering what amp to get.. Was prepared to spend a bunch of dough.. Well..maybe I'll just start out with this receiver.. Seeing you liked it with your Harbeths.. You just saved me a ton of $$.. I'm sure I'll get something better down the road.. But for now..this just may be the ticket! Cheers, TS

[@ZeroFidelity]

Congrats my dude! The P3's are awesome! If you will be using them in a desktop environment, then the Sony may make you happy over the long haul. If this is going to be more of a traditional two-channel stereo system, where you sit 4+ ft away from the speakers for concentrated listening sessions... then start with the Sony anyway, but fully plan on stepping up to something in the 1k to 1.5k range. :D.

[@tstimepiece8975]

@@ZeroFidelity Thats exactly what I was planning. Thank you for the advice! And the videos! Cant wait to unbox the Harbeths tomorrow. Stay well! Cheers, TS

[@roquesoprano913]

@@tstimepiece8975 congratulation 👍👍👍

[@tstimepiece8975]

@@roquesoprano913 Thx man! Can wait to open them up today! Cheers! TS

[@stevezeidman7224]

Sean, I thought you excelled in explaining this product.

[@davdidit6]

Andrew Robinson did a great review of the Arylic A50, have you reviewed that yet?

[@barrettwbenton]

Excellent review. Picked up the Sony for a second hi-fi (already have an El Serioso 'fi in the living room, but it's also hitched to the house's 52" flat-screen, so I don't get to play music thorough it when I want to). Tried a few vintage receivers beforehand, but both developed problems shortly after setting them up, so went to the Sony out of frustration…and, guess what? The thing really, really struts its stuff, and not just for a "cheap-seats" receiver. And it gets a workout, too: turntable, CD, tape (yes, tape), and streaming via several sources. Yes, by this point in time companies like Sony can knock out "plain", audio-only receivers like this in their sleep, but next to nobody bothers because that's not where the money is…or is it? This Sony is getting above-average attention, so who knows? (P.S. The headphone output keeps up its end with everything else: Listening through both Grado 325is and Sennheiser HD 25-1 II 'phones, I *very* much liked what I heard.)

[@fredmclaughlan7574]

I had an entry level Sony reciever late '70s with pair of Bose 501's, sounded great. I purchased this new model & will pair with my Klipsch R51m & when budget allows a Yamaha single cd player. Love I can pair with Spotify thru tablet. Not high end but Hey!!! Thanks Sean, always appreciate your input!!!

[@Aleksandar.D]

As most of your reviews, this one is very clear, informative and at the same time entertained and honest. I don't like colorized reviews where people try to convince audience that some device is great or bad instead of presenting their own experience with that device. It will be great if you could do a review of Kandy K2 integrated amplifier which is one of the highly praised amplifiers when it was hit the market. Interestingly there are only written reviews and no one did a decent video review. So I tought that you could be the right guy for such task 🙂 Anyway, keep up with good work and don't let the manufacturers try to bias your reviews. Honest opinion means a lot in this days, where everything can be bought with the right amount of money. I really do enjoy your videos 🙂

[@ZeroFidelity]

Appreciate the positive vibes. Can't say there will ever come a time when a hi-fi manufacturer will influence any of my reviews. As I tell them: The product is the product. I'm not here to give an opinion. I'm here to tell people about the natural performance envelope of the product so that the right expectations are set. Nada more. Nada less. As for Kandy.. yep, I'm familiar with them. MANY audio companies need a fire lit under the butts when it comes to embracing the YT platform. Some are coming around though... little by little. :).

[@violao206]

I am gifting a Sony STR-DE475 (5*80W Dolby AVR) to my nephew (16th Bday) that I rescued from Goodwill for $25.00. I picked it up because it looked unused, but of course, missing its remote. I paired it with the well-reviewed Sony SS-SC5 ($66 Amazon warehouse returns) and found a $15 remote on eBay. I started this project a few months ago and have been putting the receiver through its paces on my dining room table. Its sound signature is very impressive compared to my 3 other Yamaha receivers. It has a bass presence that sounds firm but balanced holding its own in comparison with my 100W Yamaha driving my Vandersteen 1B's. I used to sell the Sony line of consumer audio in the '80s and back then they always sounded anemic compared to Kenwood, Pioneer, JVC, and Technics receivers. Their voicing was just flat, so you can imagine my surprise as I have fallen in love with this Sony receiver. It too has spring clips in the back, but it does have a basic DAC coax input for DVD and Optical input for TV. I found an older $25 Sony DVD player with track controls on the front panel that pairs with the receiver's remote control. It is best to stay within a few years of release to ensure compatibility. That research can easily be done on Sony's website because they are the very best at offering PDF manuals online from their website. Mind you, there are scads of 3rd party sites that offer other manufacturers' operating manuals and even service manuals. The DVD player's built-in DAC sounds pretty identical to the one in the receiver which is a different experience to my system playing my Pioneer DVL-909 Laser/DVD/CD through my Yamaha HTR. The Yamaha is a newer generation DAC and you can really hear that. As I am now only days from presenting this gift, what started as an intermittent problem of the amp cutting out had become very acute as of yesterday. It could hear the overload relays sticking. I would occasionally have to give the receiver some "persuasion" by smacking the top fairly aggressively. I had already popped open the hood to clean out some horrible layers of dust with some compressed air, but now my persuasion trick was no longer working. I was panicking because I had given myself 2 months of running this system to ensure that it was in good working order. I even cruised OfferUp and found a newer Sony AVR (100W) for $25 nearby, but I really wanted to rescue this unit that sounded and looked great. I had not really troubleshot board-level problems since my high school electronics classes some 40-years ago. I was very rusty and not confident that this box would be very serviceable. I googled my problem on my very model STR-DE475 and got a hit on Fixya.com and also found a KZbinr from Australia that critically should me how to disassemble the unit to get to the main audio board and to Sony's credit this thing was much easier to get apart. Unlike the dude in the video, I was not going to get into replacing caps or diodes. The idea of spending more money on capacitors was off-putting given my backup plan of buying another $25 better model. I pop the audio board over, fire up my soldering iron and just heat up the solder pads on output transistors, the driver ICs (a little bit more delicate an operation that required an extra set of reading glasses for magnification), and most importantly the relays that were virtually oscillating open and close was I tapped them with the butt of my screwdriver. I popped it all back together and it fired up right away. I gave it the 24-hour play-in overnight and it is working like a champ. Disaster averted! This is just one of the easiest repairs that anyone can affect with minimal skills. Just go over the board and reflow the cold solder joints that can fail over a few decades. It was so bloody easy and I am dead proud of saving something from the landfill. TL;DR Sony receivers sound great. The used market offers even better deals from $25-50. They are funny because they feel like a drug deal. If an old one acts up, you can probably repair yourself easily.

[@charlesclifton1006]

Sean - my good man - you really do know how to paint a clear picture of this Sony unit and just about anything else you care to review. With what you've said here, I can safely recommend this unit to those who are budget-minded by choice or not. These units are available in Canada for 229CDN or less. With what you mentioned about the Harbeth P3 ESRs, this amp just might be a good match with the Sound Artist LS3/5a(s) if a dreamy desk-top is the wish on a mid to low budget. Just a thought. Ok ... over to Andrew.

[@suzannelombardo250]

Great presentation You were honest I bought one

[@brianjoseph3937]

I had one of these a while back. Eventually moved on to another receiver but it still had great sound for the price. Couldn't complain honestly.

[@troywalt4834]

Any suggestion for a receiver, also does the sony str dh 190 supports powered subwoofer in addition to the speakers?

[@brianjoseph3937]

Sadly there's no sub out on the Sony. As for a suggestion on receivers, I can personally recommend the Onkyo TX-8020 which has a sub out for a powered sub. Used to have one about 2 years back. Had a Pioneer SW-8mk2 sub hooked up to it with a pair of Pioneer FS52 towers and it boomed without being overly heavy. Hope this helps.

[@karenwatters2602]

Thanks so much for your very informative opinion on this receiver. I just bought a Sony "package" from Amazon which includes this receiver, turntable PS-LX310BT and speakers SSCS5 for my husband so he can enjoy his vinyl collection again. We are old-school seniors and have not used blue-tooth???. Can you come over and help us connect it? We will make you dinner and you can take a sentimental journey back to the 60's and beyond with us. We were once oh so cool! ☮ (Loved your video and explanations! *****)

[@mctapia12]

If I lived somewhere near you, I would definitely drop by to take that sentimental journey to those days and help you out with those connections. I bet you are still cool 😎

[@karenwatters2602]

@@mctapia12 Thanks for your reply! We are all connected and have enjoyed many hours of groovy 60's and 70's jams on our new Sony. You are right, we still have a little bit of cool left! Thanks again.

[@gettingstuffdoneright5332]

thanks for an excellent overview. I would add there is a huge difference when you enable the direct sound option, the improvement is stunning while everything remaining nice and flat and never hyped. And you can leave it that way even when using Bluetooth, and the Bluetooth has been very reliable and sounds good.

[@davidbartochowski7832]

Great reviews keep up the great work

[@soarabove337]

Firstly, I am *not* an audiophile; at the very most, I "might" be considered a basshead. Yet I think he addresses people like me several times: I also appreciate quality over quantity... it's just that to these ears over the last 30 years, Techmaster PEB has some of the BEST quality 😂 . Example: as soon I get or encounter new gear (home audio, but also when I buy a new car or stuck in a rental, etc) I turn the treble all the way up, the bass nearly so, and the mids all the way down. Doing so in an auto might make sense because automakers aren’t primarily focused on audio quality and imo are therefore asking speakers of meh quality to do too much all at once. To me, it's like asking a FWD car to accelerate and turn or any car to brake and turn; the chassis has to be set up *just* right and you have to be judicious with the go or the woah pedals to maximize equilibrium. Plus, isn’t it just simpler to build one's own setup with better aftermarket components? Still, I do this on HT equipment too, which would surely be hard to justify to an actual audiophile like ZF & many of you. From that regard, it's nice to know what I'm doing is "adding more coloration to the sound" to suit my own ears, come what may, by playing with tonality. Glad I found ZF's channel. Gotta go watch more whilst my Elac Unifis are en route to step up the home game. Cheers. 👍

[@ushailesh]

Those class D amps on Amazon you mention DON'T HAVE A DECENT REMOTE. I tried a bunch of them and settled for this Sony. And I am very happy 😊

[@roinebloom2807]

You and Andrew rocks!

[@williamcanada6195]

Thanx! Bill from France ! Very interesting and insightful review !! By the way, though it’s off subject, any chance for a Marantz PM7000N review one day ?!? Keep up the good work !! Happy Holidays despite the COVID Pandemic !

[@jimwhitehead5196]

Great review. I was so impressed that I purchased thee receivers and three pair of Sony SSCS5 speakers to give as gifts. A perfect “starter set-up for

[@MrPkimura]

Looks like you upped the production quality of your vids. Looks good!

[@andya857]

I have 30 to 50 year old Sony gear , that still works, some walkmans still work. the Toyota of electronics...

[@Powerpickle68]

Remove the bluetooth connection and this isn't any different that what Sony, Pioneer, Kenwwood has been making for the past 30 plus years. I still have two of them. I'm not surprised that hi-fi reviewers over look products at this price point and are then surprised when trying one. Its a gradual process that takes place within many things. Take fishing for example, not many people start out with a rod/reel combo of $500-1000, I didn't but I did end up with a couple with a several hundred dollar price tag. I appreciate all the videos you and other h-fi reviewers put out and would like to see more in the low end realm even though I'm not in the market.

[@tmichael80]

I've felt for years Sony Audio products, are dollar for dollar, are almost always a great deal. Thanks for the confirmation.

[@seand67]

Thanks, I picked this up to replace my Sharp bookshelf system, which sounded good, but was limited in so many respects, like inputs etc. I'm very happy

[@nasdaq9394]

How the Sony str DH190 will sound with the Klipsch R51M?

[@derekf5495]

This is the gateway to the audiophile world. A lot of people 1. Cant afford a 1k plus integrated amp and 2. Are just getting started in their music listening lives. Something like this Sony is a nice entry point.

[@justanotheryoutubeuser5029]

Nice review! This would be perfect for a room with affordable speakers. Also for people that wanna dip in hifi. Maybe polk audio s15 with this will impress a lot of people.

[@ZeroFidelity]

What's crazy is that, it actually sounds good with some non affordable speakers. I actually prefer this inexpensive Sony over the Marantz Model 30 integrated on my desktop system (feeding a set of Harbeth P3ESR's).

[@justanotheryoutubeuser5029]

@@ZeroFidelity yeah you did mention that in your video. Its was surprising to know affordable amps can sound good on expensive gear or even prefer it over an $3000 amp.

[@jklein17]

My garage stereo (also a Sony) took a crap last week and since I can't live without a garage stereo I went out and bought one of these DH-190's and so far I'm really liking it.

[@NoBody-ij9dj]

Great review! I happen to have an older pair of MA bronze bookshelf's sitting around. This might make a welcome addition to my office. At this price why not?

[@DougMcDave]

I just got this receiver. It really makes CD's sound good! I decided to upgrade to the JBL, stage a130 speakers, instead of the "default" Sony CS5. Both are 6 ohms. It is very convenient to have the Bluetooth feature to play music from my smartphone. To make my Audio technica turntable sound good, I find I need to boost the treble (and perhaps the bass) a bit. Their remote makes that simple. My only issue are those flip tab speaker outputs. It was hard not to unravel the speaker cables, while still making the 16 gauge wire fit in the holes.

[@WatchingTrainsGoBy-PassingTime]

I think this is exactly what I'm looking for but am not sure... Currently I have tv with rca splitter to 3.5mm input and then from older Sony DD portable cd-player stereo (boombox) to 6 speakers via clip style speaker connectors like at 4:40. I've never owned a true stereo system. These clip style speaker connectors is what I'm actually looking for and don't care about a cd/radio or anything else. What I'm wondering is do you need an amplifier or anything else to run this the way I'm thinking. Just RCA from tv to input on receiver and clips to speakers?

[@WarinPartita6]

I​ also​ listen​ to​ Andrew​ (and​ Kristi--and​ Jay, Steve​ and​ Darko​), too, Sean.​ All​ of​ you​ always​ educate me.​ BIG​ THANKS.​

[@mctapia12]

Would it make sense if I try to use this to move a set of PMC speakers rated 150w, 8 ohms, and 90dB sensitivity? How about the Yamaha R-S202D?

[@tsstereo5082]

I've been using this receiver for 6 mos now every day and its just fine for my personal listening agenda in a near field desktop situation. I'm a musician and mostly just want to listen for fun...but sometimes critically. I do have Harbeth P3ESR's (decided to make the investment based on Seans recommendation) and they sound real nice with the Sony. I just got a Dragonfly DAC and its hooked up to my windows 7 Alienware computer and everything is just hunky dory. YT compression and bad recordings are manageable with the tone controls. Sure.. I wish it had a graphic EQ..and L to R balance controls etc..but for the cash..its a great way to start and get your feet wet. Someday I'll get some more specialized equipment when needs warrent. But for now..this is just fine. Cheers, TS

[@jimbob5885]

i like because of the phono output,lot of newer av reacivers you have to pay lot more moneyfor this option,,,,,if a person bumps up to the sony 5.2 or the sony 7.2 they dont have the phono output ,, i like my vinyl records and have a 5 disc cd player hooked to it ,,, and 4 sony 8 ohm tower speakers,, i might try to see if my eqlizer will work on it ,, glad i bought mine

[@mihaipopa9414]

Thank you, you helped me decide to buy it. Cheers!

[@BoosPnut7564]

my husband and i just bought this receiver and it is awesome , we highly recommend it for anyone who loves good sound at a low price

[@fernandos.8158]

first time watching. Loved the video. Im a newbie with sound systems but just bought the pioneer SP-FS52 tower speakers for my mid size living room. I like this receiver for its price. Looking to make this purchase and use it with my tower speakers.

[@rickpaul4216]

I have one of these guys in my man cave at my summer house. I bought it open box for $100. I used it for my main system for a while. I upgraded to An Emotiva that is much better. This guy, however, is great. It has a nice remote, it gets nice and loud. Its soundstage isn't all that great, but what do you want for $100. I'd recommend this as a nice receiver for someone who is just getting into vinyl. Some nice features. It turns off by itself when no output. It turns on automatically when you pair with your phone. It has a phono stage!

[@TheGamerUnknown]

I had this receiver. My only point of comparison is the Schiit Vidar which is $700. For what it's worth, the Vidar stomps all over this. By comparison, everything sounded muddy with the DH-190. No snap, no slam, nothing. Details were all smoothed over. It "works", but I would seriously suggest anyone considering it to save up for a bit and get a dedicated power amplifier.Z I was so stunned when I finally upgraded, it was night and day difference. I could finally hear cymbals!

[@lattugatartaruga]

matching this with some old B&W 685 v1 acceptable ?