Who has auditioned the Sony STR-DA3000ES or 5000ES

TIC · « **on:** 13 Dec 2004, 09:58 pm »

I've read some great things about these on different sites. Just curious to see who has done a comprehensive audition of the newer Sony ES digital receivers.

There is high praise of these receivers over at the Oade Brothers Audio "forum" section. I've also seen comments at Nick'sPicks and a few comments here.

Apparently Doug Oade is of the understanding that Ed Meitner is doing a lot of digital engineering for these latest Sony offerings. I can't confirm that, but if it is true, maybe these receivers are the real deal.

Thanks for any comments....

Enjoy,

TIC

dave_c · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Dec 2004, 04:47 pm »

I haven't but you could for relatively cheap:

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecsplash/shop/detail.asp?dpno=654377

Its a refurb, but if you're going to get it modded anyway. . .

cryotweaks · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Dec 2004, 06:41 pm »

Balanced Power and ZCable will be showing a 5000 off with their gear at CES.

I own a 9000. I used to own Parasound Halo gear. In comparison, the Halo seemed to have a livelier top end, and the Sony was more laid back. BUT the Sony had way less distortion overall, just as much detail, and was dead quiet. Probably because I was using all digital connections on the Sony vs. digital and analog with the Parasound. Mark and Chris say the 3000 and 5000 are brighter than the 9000. That may be due in part to the switching power supplies the 3000 and 5000 employ. The 9000 has a large toroidal transformer power supply.

Be advised, digital amps love clean power!

Cheers!

Mike

lcrim · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Dec 2004, 09:10 pm »

Link to review of the STR-DA3000ES I did a year ago on this board:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=6032.msg51763#51763&highlight=#51763

nickspicks · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Dec 2004, 12:20 pm »

Quote from: TIC

Apparently Doug Oade is of the understanding that Ed Meitner is doing a lot of digital engineering for these latest Sony offerings. I can't confirm that, but if it is true, maybe these receivers are the real deal.

Thanks for any comments....

Enjoy,

TIC

I dont think anyone could "confirm" it outside of Edd himself.
However...
how many DACs out there convert PCM > DSD ? Only a couple..and I can really only think of two. EMM labs and these Sony recievers.
I know I fluff these amps all the time, but they are to be heard. these things are amazing, at the very least as a DAC/Preamp combo.

TIC · « **Reply #5 on:** 31 Dec 2004, 03:44 pm »

FYI for anyone interested. I e-mailed OADE Brothers to get a price on the STR-DA5000ES. The price they quoted was well below the lowest price listed on pricescan.com.

FWIW, Oade Brothers is a real B&M store and the owner, Doug Oade, is an audiophile and a recording fanatic. He offers great prices on home audio gear and pro gear and he knows how to use it!

If you are looking for consumer or pro gear and want a good price, check Oade first. For me, I would much prefer to support a real store and a real person, not a boiler-room operation like many other web vendors seem to be......

Disclaimer: I have no personal or professional relationship with Oade Brothers. I'm just a happy previous (and future) customer.

Enjoy,

TIC

nickspicks · « **Reply #6 on:** 1 Jan 2005, 12:14 pm »

Quote from: TIC

FYI for anyone interested. I e-mailed OADE Brothers to get a price on the STR-DA5000ES. The price they quoted was well below the lowest price listed on pricescan.com.

FWIW, Oade Brothers is a real B&M store and the owner, Doug Oade, is an audiophile and a recording fanatic. He offers great prices on home audio gear and pro gear and he knows how to use it!

If you are looking for consumer or pro gear and want a good price, check Oade first. For me, I would much prefer to support a real store and a real ...

I'll 2nd all of that. I've purchased thousands of dollars worth of gear through the Oade brothers...owned by Doug and Jim.
These two brothers were legends well before they started their audio biz. They made reputations for themselves as tapers of the Grateful Dead. They were amoung the first people to start using real nice condenser mics (schoeps) in place of poor sounding dynamic or shotgun mics.

Doug has a great ear, and i've found over the years that opinions of his that I innitialy dont agree with tend to be right on target after I grow and learn a bit. I take what he says to heart. It still took me a year of him saying how great these Sony's were before I purchased one.
and...he was right again.

rbrb · « **Reply #7 on:** 5 Jan 2005, 08:04 pm »

Quote from: cryotweaks

Balanced Power and ZCable will be showing a 5000 off with their gear at CES.

Is it a stock or modded/upgraded unit that they will be taking to CES?

TIC · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 Jan 2005, 03:24 am »

Did anyone hear the Balanced Power/Z-cable room at CES/THE show? Did they use the Sony HT receiver for power? I read somewhere that they used a stock STR-DA3000ES and it sounded great, but I haven't been able to confirm that.....

Enjoy,

TIC

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 Jan 2005, 03:33 am »

Quote from: TIC

Did anyone hear the Balanced Power/Z-cable room at CES/THE show? Did they use the Sony HT receiver for power? I read somewhere that they used a stock STR-DA3000ES and it sounded great, but I haven't been able to confirm that.....

Enjoy, TIC

Yes TIC, I heard it......

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=15780

TIC · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 Jan 2005, 03:14 pm »

Thanks C.G.

Do you know if the Sony was the DA3000ES or was it the DA5000ES? I take it that the receiver was stock and the point of the exercize was to show what can be done with great power conditioning?

Enjoy,

TIC

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 Jan 2005, 07:24 pm »

Hi TIC,

It was a $750 bone stock receiver they used....it was either the 3000 or 2000 at that price. The room was a combo Zcable/CryoTweaks/BPT room.

It used a BPT-3 (2.5 and 7.5 amp toroids, the better to isolate amplification and front end). the whole system used a plethora or ZCable ZSleeves, ERS Clothe, and mechanical isolation. It used ZCables throughout.

I'm not sure, but it probably had, a digital thruput from the front end (I didn't think to look or ask what they were using) to the Sony ES receiver. The Sony fed a pair of stock Gallo Refererence 3's (just a bit of carpet on the front of it to help dispersion and imaging, I guess).

It was a great setup - one that few would not be happy to own...for something like $7000 total. It made music and was enjpoyable.

I was there for an hour chewing the fat with the guys (I have spoken to and bought product from all three, as it turns out, so it was kinda' neat being there

), so I didn't really listen intently as maybe I should have, but I listend long enough to know there was fine value there for $7G's.

Isolation, mechanical and that of EMI and RFI, is critical to the best performance of these new digi or digi hybrid receivers. They are so clean you hear everything....good and bad as it turns out. So, isolation is more of a key then ever thought to be with traditional SS and Tube gear.

TIC · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 Jan 2005, 08:21 pm »

C.G,

Thanks for the thorough response. I'm seriously considering the replacement of my Sony STR-DA4ES HT receiver with the Sony DA5000ES. If it is good enough, I may just use it to replace the 2-channel rig that lives in the same room too.......

Enjoy,

TIC

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 Jan 2005, 05:34 am »

You bet, bro

That 5000es is leagues better than the other models in the range, I've heard. One look at the weight spec will tell you a bit...it's some 3x heavier than the 3000es. Some beefy toroids in that one...no wimpy switching power supplies. It's a beast.

Where is Mike/CryoTweaks when you need him...I think he bought one not long ago and promised a write-up.....

Ric Schultz · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 Jan 2005, 07:30 am »

The Sony 3000 was the one Zcable/Cryotweaks/BPT were using at the show. It can be bought for about $750 street price.

The 5000 is just slightly different and I believe uses the same type of switching supply. The 9000 is the one that is super heavy and has a toroid transformer....It also lists for $4500!!!! According to Mark Hampton at ZCable and Mike at Cryotweaks the 9000 sounds mellower and more refined than the 3000/5000 while the 3000/5000 can sound brighter....maybe calling for more line conditioning. Both Mark Hampton and Mike use the 9000 as their reference but have or have heard the 3000.