Sony STR-DH740 7.2 Channel 4K AV Receiver (Black)

For the price, hands down the best audio receiver out there. I use this for my XBOX/PC gaming setup and really enjoy the customizable settings and easy input switching it offers. I paired it with some sub-par speakers and a budget powered-subwoofer from pioneer. The result is nothing short of, “wow, what have I been missing this whole time?” My speakers came from an in-the-box home theater blue ray combo and compared the quality of sound that offers to this receiver, the difference is amazing.PROS:Fairly easy setup, switching inputs is almost instant, sound quality for the price is wonderful, no lack of inputs for people with multiple of devices they want to run through the receiver and the extra channel for 7.1 surround sound or the capability for 4K resolution make this an easy upgrade for anyone considering these options in the future.The receiver offers more than plenty of watts per channel giving good crisp sound which would fill any size room or home theater. It also has a plug and play tune kit which allows you to let the receiver change the settings automatically, I thought this was a great addition for anyone not willing to tinker with hard to find settings.CONS:The user manual is pretty hard to read, I say this as a fairly seasoned tech guy who built my own computer and generally customize (and notice the differences it makes) my audio setup. I didn’t mind reading through the manual I just know for a fact a lot of users will probably just toss it aside and forget it, which could be a mistake as the receiver offers plenty of options to tailor the audio experience to the individual using it. The two extra channels which could be used for 7.1 surround can also be used as a separate room channel – I plan to use this for an out-door patio speaker set up at some point.Another feature I was looking for and found to be extremely expensive to buy was the ability to listen to multiple inputs at the same time, for example I run my gaming PC and Xbox on two different screens directly above and below each other. I would love to be able to watch a YouTube video on my PC screen and listen to the audio while gaming at the same time on my Xbox. And I would love even more for the sound from both devices to be coming through the receiver in true 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound, but alas this feature is way out of my price range.Finally the ending:In all if you are in the market for a cheap but effective audio receiver you probably already know this is a good deal. You probably already know how much tinkering and setting up your willing to put forth too and if you fit this bill this is a good buy. I almost purchased it at best buy but then I did a price comparison to amazon prime and knowing I’d get it shipped free to my door didn’t hesitate to purchase it on my phone in store while I was talking to the guy at best buy.

Okay, so far, so good. Right out of the box, the Sony STR-DH740 is pretty much what the doctor ordered for my home setup.Compatibility------------I have the following components:PS4 - HDMIXBox 360 - HDMIApple TV - HDMI(No cable TV, sorry Time Warner, I'm not interested, stop asking...)Wii with an HDMI converterI also have an HDMI switch I could use if I really want to add more components, but with Apple TV and PS4 available, those can cast pretty much everything I want to watch from Netflix to iTunes purchases, to Amazon Prime. Also, they do Hulu, but I never boarded that bus. I've been a Netflix guy forever.I was able to take my old HDMI switch and get rid of it because the STR-DH740 has 4 HDMI inputs, not the pitiful 3 that most systems seemed to have the last time I went looking. I was able to get rid of three cables, too. Two patch HDMI cables needed to make the switch work and one needed to patch audio back from the television to the old receiver (also a Sony, but very old).Wattage----------------------I also bought a pair of floor speakers from Fluance. They are rated at 200 Watts and their reviewers report that they need at least 80 to start providing convincing sound. I was worried about the STR-DH740 not having enough juice. It says it's a 200 Watt machine, but it does not specify how much goes to each channel on the website. However, the box does: it says it provides 145 Watts per channel. So, I should have plenty of juice to rock the socks off my neighbors. Alas, they have not arrived yet.Sound quality---------------I will not review the surround sound -- I'm going back to simple two speaker stereo, but with the large floor standing speakers I mentioned. I never wired my room for sound cabling, and frankly, I'm not interested in hiring a contractor to do that any time soon.The audio to my headsets is quite quality. I played Destiny last night and the sound was far superior to the sound from the Sony Gold headset that you can connect directly to the PS4, but without the surround sound location the Gold provides. The sound richness was just astounding, though, with clarity of voice and music that would be hard to beat. (My headset is pretty good, but it needs a good signal to work well.)I tested Netflix and iTunes video, and both were great.Setup--------------Setup was a breeze compared to what I've done in the past, and with the bare minimum of wires. I have finally gotten down to a single HDMI cable from each component. This makes the setup much simpler than my old system and provides more space to move cables around.You will need access space for installation behind the device, or the ability to move the device in and out of your cabinet/shelves to get to the back, so you'll need longer cables than you think if you need to do that (I have to, because I use an enclosed cabinet).The cable connectors for the speaker cables allow for both free-wire connection and for banana plug connection. You don't HAVE to buy banana plugs, but I would recommend it. They're simpler to use. I wish I could find mine...Controls and ease of use--------------The STR-DH740 provides onscreen feedback via the HDMI when you turn the sound volume or use the menus, which was something my wife complained about on the old system: my old one did not have video feedback capability. The design is ugly, but quite useful, so I don't mind the ugly.One drawback to the system is the IR remote control. With the PS4 going to Bluetooth for the remote, it would be nice for their other devices to also do this. I wonder why they haven't implemented it?Also, the naming of the different input buttons on the remote control is frustrating. I have to press the cable TV button to make AppleTV work and BlueRay to make the Xbox work. Silly, you know? They could just call them input A, input B, input C, or just assign colors (and stickers). The names make everything quite confusing to explain to my family.Summary-------Overall, this was a great purchase and I'm quite happy with it so far. I'm looking forward to hooking up those big speakers and blowing out my windows next week.