Sony DAV-S500 Review

Overall Rating

Great looks. Great sound. Great picture. Almost everything included to get you started....

....Except speaker stands/brackets. No substitute for 'proper hi-fi' with music. No scart output.

After reading 'What hi-fi' raving about the DAV-S550 being a star buy for £600. I decided that for £350 (multi-region) from 'Richer Sounds', it was too good an offer to let pass. And i have to agree with 'What Hi-fi'. The sound is impressive and weighty with action films, but still crystal clear enough for dialogue. I know that it could never compete with full-on separate A/V components and speaker packages, but in my room which is approx 4m x 4m i would never have the space for such equipment. So the diddy satelite speakers and sub are just the ticket. DPL 2 is also a great feature for watching standard TV programmes. It's worthwhile getting an S-video - Scart lead (or component cable if you're lucky enough to have a plasma screen) As this is noticeably better than the composite adaptor supplied. To sum up. Buy with confidence (not forgetting mounting brackets!). As long as you're lounge isn't of gargantuan proportions, you won't be dissapointed.

Members' Comments onChris.'s Review

• ddsull. on 20th May 2003

  I'm thinking of buying a DAV-s550 and I'm wondering about the best way to connect it to the tv. Is it better to go from s-video to s-video or s-video to scart?
  Thanks in advance
  

• Chris. on 21st May 2003

  I don't think it matters too much. I used an S-video - Scart lead, but it was purely for cosmetic reasons as my TV only has an S-video input on a pop-out panel on the side. And i didn't want to see any cables, so it had to go into a Scart input on the back of the set. Either way it's lots better than using the yellow, composite - scart adaptor supplied.

• Vange. on 25th May 2003

  It all sounds good, but does it play DVR-R/-RW?
  

• Matty. on 25th May 2003

  I am thinking of buying the davs550 multi region from richer sounds as i am not in a possition to afford a good setup with seperates. My only worry is that i have a largish living room, could this be a problem for me? does anyone else have the same system in a large room?
  
  Thanks in advance

• giles. on 31st May 2003

  My front room (including kitchen) is about 12" x 18" with a 12" ceiling height. I bought a DAVS550 today and have watched a couple of films already. Sound is good and fills the large space fine. I should have bought the speaker stands at the same time though - I'll be buying those tomorrow.

• Ash. on 10th Jun 2003

  I am confused!!! I am thinking of buying a micro HiFi (Denon dm51) but for a little more I can buy the Sony DAVS550, which does the same thing.. it even seems to have a reciver. Just wondering if you can use it to play audio cds/radio without a tv/screen? I don't want to watch tv.. but would use it for dvds.. once I save enough for a plasma :)
  
  
  
  So what do you think I should do, buy a DVD system or a HiFi???
  
  
  
  Ta,
  
  Ash

• Colin. on 11th Jun 2003

  I am in the process of buying this system after readingf the reviews, however I have one question.
  
  I have a 32" Widescreen Panasonic TV which has simulated surround sound,(actually it is prety good) however, what happens with the TV speakers?? Doo I mute the TV or do the Sony system speakers merely enhance the experience. Please advise.
  
  
  
  
  
  Many Thanks
  
  Colin

• Chris. on 13th Jun 2003

  My TV has got virtual dolby surround, but i've found that connecting the audio outputs to the '550' and entering the menu to turn the TV speakers off (On my TV, muting also mutes the audio outputs.) And using the '550' in Dolby pro-logic 2 mode. Is the best way to hear TV programmes.

• Chris. on 13th Jun 2003

  Oh Ash. How much do you listen to music? 'Cos if you're serious about music, i'd go for the Denon. Just 'cos the '550' plays music, doesn't mean it does it well. But on the other hand, it may be worth getting a '550' while they're going cheap, and saving for the denon later. Sods law says the minute you decide to go for the '550' down the line, it will have been discontinued, and it's replacement will cost a bomb!

• paul. on 30th Jun 2003

  hello,
  just purchased the DAVS 550 all is well with the system. the only problem i have is receiving black and white picture whilst using a svhs - scart lead, so i am using the yellow composite supplied. any help would be appreciated.
  
  p.s
  i am new to this technology so pardon my ignorance.

• Chris. on 7th Jul 2003

  I can only respond from my own experiences, but hope this is of some use Paul. My TV is a Sony, other manufacturers may have different specifications. I also got a black and white image when i first connected my '550' via S video - Scart. I had to move my VCR from scart input 2 to scart input 1 on my TV (my old DVD used to be connected via regular scart, to Scart input 1 on my TV), as only the 2nd and 3rd scart inputs have a regular mode for regular scart connections, and also an 'S' mode for...You guessed it S video signals. Scart input 1 didn't have this second 'S' mode. If you've followed this, then it may be worth pressing the input button on your remote and seeing if any of the inputs have this 'S' mark on them. If so connect your '550' to this input. Hope this is of some help, and not too tricky to follow!

• paul. on 16th Jul 2003

  thanks for your advice chris. it turned out to be a scart input problem causing me to receive black and white pictures using scart to s-vhs connection. in the tv set up menu on my set (32" thomson)it is possible to change the scart input on av1 and av2 to accept s-vhs.
  
  all the best
  paul.

• mwno1. on 7th Aug 2003

  Hi, im looking at buying this system primarily for listening to music (guitar based) and for running my playstation through as well as watching dvds, it falls into the right price range but how does it compare when used as a hi-fi, is it fast loading cds? easy to use? and most importantly do cds sound good?

• Chris C on 9th Aug 2003

  I wouldn't bother using it as a Hi-fi. It can play CD's sure, but i'd concentrate your efforts in getting a decent stereo system for the same sort of price (ie. Denon DM-31). It's slow at loading discs and although it is easy to use, it sounds rather 'weedy' with CD, even at high volumes. Also bear in mind that you've got 6 speakers and all the associated wiring to hide, rather than just 2 for a stereo. However, they are going very cheap at the moment, so it may be worth buying one before they're discontinued. You could use it as a stereo until you've got another 'cache of cash' to buy a decent stereo system.

• bobjoprice on 26th Aug 2003

  Help! I've just bought the Sony DAV S550 and connected it up to my existing Toshiba 2877DB TV and Amstrad Digibox. I have connected it in accordance with the instructions i.e. digibox into Video 2 input and output to the TV via the yellow 'monitor out' into the TV S-Video socket. The DVD player works with surround sound from the S550 when the TV is selected to Ext 3 but there is no sound from the S550 when selected to the normal TV channel for satellite. The TV has 3 scart inputs and one S-Video input, and also a 'fixed' input for stereo audio to utilize the TV surround sound. The digibox input is there and the TV has sound, but I can't seem to get it through the S550.

• geclinke on 27th Aug 2003

  The DAVS has two video channels, have you tried them both? I've done the same thing with my Nokia digibox, stereo L/R to L/R on Video 1 of the DAVS and it works fine.

• RichB on 27th Aug 2003

  Rich here. Bought the Sony dav s 550 recently, from www.comet.co.uk , which is offering good dealsat the moment. Very happy with the package so far. Never had DVD before, but the package of good quality, the package looks extremely stylish in my living room and I am a happy customer. The system feels like it should go louder, but it doesn't and there it is.
  
  It feels like the DVD reads discs slowly, although I don't know if it is typical of DVD systems.
  
  I am using the yellow composite out at the moment. I bought a Scart adaptor from Dixons to connect it up to the 100Hz 28" Pure Flat JVC TV. I know that's a pretty good TV. The picture quality is excellent. I can't imagine that an S-Video to Scart connector would give a better picture to justify the further cost. What do you think?

• geclinke on 27th Aug 2003

  Have you ever seen the difference between composite and RGB/S-Video for a games console? The non-composite picture is orders of magnitude sharper and more vibrant.

• lawrie567 on 30th Aug 2003

  I have my playstation 2 connected via optical cable, but when i play dvd,s through it, it only comes out pro logic 2, yet the p2 is meant to be dolby digital, not that it matters as i use the sony anyway, but i was just curious, any feedback

• Chris C on 30th Aug 2003

  I've not got a PS2, so don't know if i'm helping here. But Is there a set-up menu on the PS2? If so you may have to access this to get the correct info sent down the optical cable.

• lawrie567 on 5th Sep 2003

  Ive already checked that and there was not anything obvious, i will check again, another possibility could be that it was the cheapest optic cable i could find

• gazman62 on 14th Sep 2004

  I have had the dav s550 for a few months now and have been using the yellow composite wire included with the system. As you know the picture is not as crisp as it would be with the RGB connection.
  So I have been trying to connect the system to my 32" Sony TV via the composite video out jack plugs (RGB) using an rgb (3 jack plugs) - Scart wire. But the TV receives no picture. I have tried flicking the switch on the back to progressive and this makes no difference. I don’t think the box is actually sending a RGB signal out of the component video out (RGB) because according to the manual it will not send a signal out of monitor out (S-Video & yellow composite) when progressive is selected and it is.
  Can anybody help?
  Thanks in advance.
  Gary

• geclinke on 15th Sep 2004

  Might not be a huge help but I've got my 550 connected to a 30" LCD panel using the component video connections and it seems to work fine.
  I've got the switch on the back set to progressive which seems to work fine (it switches back to interlaced automatically for PAL DVD's which is quite annoying).
  Have you got a cable that connects the component out signals to a scart plug? If so does your TV actually accept component video through a scart? Also some televisions have different connections on each of their scart sockets so you might have to try a different socket on the TV.

• Chris C on 17th Sep 2004

  I think that the scart to 3 phono connectors is meant to be connected to the composite (yellow) monitor out, and the red and whites are for audio. I don't think that this lead is compatible with the component outputs on the back of the unit (The red, green and blue phonos) If you want the best picture, but your TV does not accept component inputs, then I think S-video to scart is the best connection. (Russ Andrews sell a tasty one, if you don't mind paying extra for top performance).