Sony STR-DB2000 6.1

The Sony STR-DB2000 is a competent 6.1 A/V receiver which also works well as a hi-fi stereo amplifier.

I have my amp set up with Mission bookshelf speakers and a fairly modest Sony active sub but the combination works well. Both stereo and multi-channel sound is clear and well rounded and the volume is certainly sufficient to fill my 4m x 3m lounge with movie soundtracks. DTS soundtracks are clearly superior to Dolby through this amp although the pseudo surround modes for 2 channel material don't sound very good or even work very well.

The brushed aluminum fascia gives the amp a high quality look and feel, which in my case complements my Sony TV and DVD recorder.

On the negative side, ease of use could be much better. Navigation of the settings menu is quite long winded and not very intuitive. It would be nice to be able to fine-tune the channel volumes using the remote control, rather than having to crouch down by the amp. This makes the setup process inaccurate as well as uncomfortable because you,re not sitting in the normal listening location when you,re adjusting the sound.

Not that the remote control is a joy to use. It's so complicated that it comes with it's own instruction manual(!) and there are too many buttons, most of which are not used on day-to-day basis. The labellings is so unclear that its often quicker to get up and use the input selector on the amp its self, than find the 'DVD' or 'CD' button on the remote.

Overall, the STR-DB2000 is a good quality 6.1 amp, and when you don,t need to change anything, performs very nicely.

All around, with Kef speakers the Sony STR-DB2000 6.1 receiver gives a good experience.