Sony DAV-HDX275

This is a great unit for the price. It integrates seamlessly with Bravia LCD HDTVs. Great sound.
Setup is pretty straightforward. However, the manual does not really explain how to set it up for audio while watching TV. It took some trial and error on my part to get that working in full surround sound.

The "quick calibrate" of the surround speakers feature is a nice concept, but I got better results from doing a "custom calibrate." The default setting for the subwoofer is much too high: I had to turn it down a LOT to get it to a more realistic sound. Being an apartment dweller with kindly neighbors, I am not looking to entertain the entire building. However, I do want a setting that nicely fills in the lows. When I tested the iPod setup, I did crank it up, so at least I know the capability is there to shake the windows out of their frames.


The remote has a lot of tiny buttons densely packed onto it, yet some common features are buried deep in complex menus that can only be accessed by putting the receiver into DVD mode and accessing the on-screen menu system, or scrolling through functions.

The DAV-HDX275 will integrate with Bravia LCDs through the HDMI connections; I recommend using that over the component video connections. Most of the TV's functions can be accessed through the DAV-HDX275's remote. My cable provider's remote already could power on the TV and cable box with one touch and control the volume. Now, when the DAV-HDX275 senses the TV has been turned on, it will turn itself on and automatically set the mode to TV/Video. Turn off the cable and the TV and DAV-HDX275 turn off automatically as well.

That really pleased my wife. Not that she is technology-averse, but she does hate to memorize the "nuclear codes" on 3 different remotes just to watch a TV program. When she inserts a DVD, and the DAV-HDX275 switches to DVD mode. She does have to use the DAV-HDX275's remote to play, skip, pause, etc., but that's okay. And she does love the enhanced sound.

If the DAV-HDX275 had more inputs, it could even pass as a decent home entertainment controller. However, there are no HDMI inputs (and only one output), no component inputs, and only one audio input (not counting the iPod input.

All in all, for what it is, the DAV-HDX275 makes sense as an economical HTIB with great sound and a good set of components--especially if you want to integrate it with, or are thinking of getting, a Bravia LCD TV.