Sony STR-V555ES and other ES receivers???

Andyman

Scroungus Stereophilus
Subscriber
I picked one of the Sony STR-V555ES receivers up yesterday and so far am pretty pleased with it. I've had other ES series receivers here, but moved them all one as I was pretty firmly set in with tubes, but recently decided I should have something with some solid state muscle for some of the less efficient speakers that pass through here. I have an Altec 9442A pro amp, but it's not quite what I had hoped for and was looking for something else. BTW, i only used 2 channel, so many of the HT extras are just that, extra.

I picked up the V555ES thinking it was a power amp at first, but the dozens of RCAs on the back made it clear it wasn't. It sounded fine out in the garage, but I wanted to hear it on the Bozaks in the basement and it's been a pleasant surprise so far. The only real concern i have with it is that the Volume pot seems muted to some extent in that I have to get it up to about 12 o'clock high to get 80+ dB out of it, which is about the same as my 12 watt tube amp, and that just seems odd for a 120 wpc receiver..:dunno: I didn't get the remote with it, so perhaps there's some setting I need to massage to get it right??

At any rate, with all the bells and whistles this one has, it's probably going to be a keeper and some other pieces will move on down the road. Back in 2000 or so this was a $1300 receiver and a value compared to other Sony's of the time, punching well above it's weight. It's reviewed quite well, but one can never tell what the expertise of the reviewers are. Still, most of them rave about the 2 channel sound, and it does seem to sound the smoothest out of the handful of SS power sources I've fed the Bozaks.

Anybody else have one of these or a similar model? What are your impressions of the sound? I don't know if it can get the starting job, but so far, it's a very solid backup.
 
I have an older AV amp, a Denon AVC-A1. I noticed the volume levels for each input can be adjusted seperately. This is in case your output volume of your cd player is higher or lower than say your cassette deck. Maybe your amp has the same capability? Have you checked the output volume level. One of mine was on -3db yet another was set at +2 db. I think it goes to +/- 12 db. So it can make quite a difference.

Also, speaker set up can make a difference. Setting the correct ohm value and/or speaker size through the OSD(on screen display). Another thing is what speaker output you have connected your speakers to. They should be fronts if 2 speakers are being used.

Hope this helps.

Paul.
 
Those early century units are a pretty cheap relatively speaking considering their performance.One of the drawbacks is if the remote didn't come with it they are quite pricy for the upper tier models.
 
Those early century units are a pretty cheap relatively speaking considering their performance.One of the drawbacks is if the remote didn't come with it they are quite pricy for the upper tier models.

Yeah, but I'm a two channel guy so I don't need a remote. I'd like it if I had one, but it appears all the setup I need is available via the front panel controls. I reset it to factory defaults and am running my line level switchbox into the CD inputs, which makes it much easier to switch it in and out. This remote does have a some sort of a display on it so it could cost me as much as the receiver did should I want one.

I haven't tested the phono stage yet and am just using it to get a feel for the Bozaks, which seem to come alive over 78 db on my cell phone RTA app.
 
Those early century units are a pretty cheap relatively speaking considering their performance.One of the drawbacks is if the remote didn't come with it they are quite pricy for the upper tier models.

this may be.. but for most you can get a relatively inexpensive harmony remote and program it for the receiver..

I'm using my Harmony remotes for my VSX-D1S (early 90s) my Sony TA-E77ESD (late 80s) .. a Kenwood KR-V106R and my mid 00's Pioneer VSX-519K (need to replace this one it kind of sucks but that is another story) and my Yammy RX-V573R

granting $58~ isn't super cheap but this one can control 8 devices so you could program it for you other devices also or multiple receivers you may have set up... your tv ..etc..

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harm...e=UTF8&qid=1429039431&sr=8-1&keywords=harmony


I got one of these for Xmas... (i think however it came from Costco for much less money that this... I hope for my mom's sake..i told her i had seen this at costco and I liked it and she got it so i assume she went there to get it for 1/2 what it is on amazon) but this remote is AWESOME... I am loving this one for the living room.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harm...e=UTF8&qid=1429039529&sr=8-5&keywords=harmony
 
There is one close and at a very good price and I was tempted after researching it but feel that I just don't need the whole home theatre aspect of it.I got rid of a nice Denon for that same reason.But in saying at a $1300 list price and being able to get one for $225 with both remotes it was very tempting.Two channel is my thing and even though i am sure it sounds very good in two channel I just don't like all the wasted capabilities.
 
About 2 months ago, I picked up a Sony STR-GX90ES with remote at an estate sale for $125, along with a pair of Koss HV1a headphones for $62.50 and a Discwasher kit for $7 and a bunch of records for $2-$5 each. I was very excited to get the Sony - I held out until the third day so that I could get it for half off. The Koss I snagged on the second day.

I had just gotten my Yamaha CR-1020 back from the technician. I had all of the signal caps replace with Nichicon Muse, a full cleaning, everything adjusted properly and all the lamps working. I had it hooked up to my Bozak 302a. However, there was still a little scratchiness in the volume control and I was having trouble with the switchable phono preamp, so I had to take the Yamaha back to my tech. This gave me a fantastic opportunity to try out the Sony. Let me tell you, the Sony really did shine with the Bozaks, and my Kenwood KD-5066 turntable really did well through the phono section. I actually think that the Sony may sound a little better with the Bozaks - not sure. However, when I got the Yamaha back, I put it in with the Bozaks. It is more period correct and the wood case, along with the Kenwood wood plinth and the Barzilay Bozaks, they all look perfect together, and really do sound excellent.

Well, that gave me the Sony to play around with, so I hooked it up with my JBL 4410 Studio Monitors. Let me tell you, I have had these speakers since new and they have never sounded better! This Sony just sounds so refined and open. It never seems to strain and the whole preamp section sounds fantastic. Anything I plug in sounds great. I can't say that it really colors the sound, but it is just a little more relaxed that the Yamaha. Now I will say that since the recap, the bass on my Bozaks driven by the Yamaha is way more powerful than I ever expected - more powerful than even the Sony. I am considering having my Sony serviced as well.

Then, on to my Kenwood Basics separates and a true shootout! Enjoy your Sony receiver - I really think these may be the best bargains at the moment.
 
I haven't tried my Bozak 302a with many different units but I always felt driven by Yamaha power I was very ok with it.
 
Those early century units are a pretty cheap relatively speaking considering their performance.One of the drawbacks is if the remote didn't come with it they are quite pricy for the upper tier models.

Sony receiver remote codes were remarkably consistent over many generations of receivers. For example, modern AV Receiver remotes will work my STR-GX10ES just fine. Sony Audio System remotes will also work the 10.
 
I haven't tried my Bozak 302a with many different units but I always felt driven by Yamaha power I was very ok with it.

It is a very close thing - by no means am I dissatisfied with my Yamaha/Bozak combination. Quite the contrary. Not only is the sound very close, the Yamaha looks better with the Bozaks.
 
I had a Sony STR-V444ES (many don't know this, exact same receiver as the STR-V555ES only came with a better remote. Weird they'd make a new model number for a remote), but let a friend borrow it to run his HT. I couldn't wait for him to buy a new receiver so I could get it back. I was without it for about two years, but last week he purchased a Marantz with HDMI switching. I'll never let it go again, and I have pretty darn good amplification elsewhere.

Dan
 
I've been playing mine for this last week with the Bozaks and it's a very nice sound. It always sounded nice with classical and jazz, but now it's doing well with rock and blues too. Not nearly as edgy or grainy as some of the other solid state stuff was.

I haven't switched back to the tubes yet, but I am selling off a couple of my other higher powered amps as the Sony seems to have earned itself a solid place as my backup/ "power" amp.

There is one question that arose today reading about a Sony preamplifier in another thread.

Does the STR-V555es convert analog to digital for analog sources? I'm not all that fluent in this circuitry, but it seems that some of their preamp take analog sources to digital and then back to analog and I was wondering if the V555es was among that ilk???

Just curious...
 
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Your source must have coax or optical digital out to take advantage of an AV reciever's internal D/A converter. Most newer AV receivers have digital inputs and do a credible job.
 
This is what I was wondering about. From the Vintage Knob discussion of the Sony 9000ES:

"The problem was the same as Marantz faced with its PS-17SA (2000) : mixing audiophilia and surround-sound soudfields which are by essence the exact opposite of the "straight wire with gain". If the E9000ES is a preamp and the Marantz an integrated amp, the equation was just as difficult to resolve.

In the Sony, this took shape of the maintained necessity to convert analogue sources to digital - although performed in a much better way (a/d-wise), this was a "benefit" already frowned upon in the previous 1000 and 2000ESD.
The only way to use strictly analogue signal paths necessitates to get the expensive "and x-rare TA-P9000ES multi-channel analogue preamp addendum - that's expensive product planning "

I wonder though if that is only in the surround sound mode and if two channel listening circumvents that process???
 
I have a STR-V444ES since new and many systems came and went, the receiver stayed. It just does everything well. You can get it to run in pure analog direct mode, which was meant for SACD playback. This mode bypassed everything except the volume control. Even the Sub out does not work with this mode. Very nice receiver and a keeper for sure.
 
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