Sony BRAVIA DAV-HDX500 Theater System

The concept of home-theater is very enticing. Sony has aligned this sound system to be compatible with their popular Bravia widescreen TV line. Yet, it will still deliver fine performance with most other HDTV sets on the market. As a leader in products with HDMI connectivity, Sony has created BRAVIA Theater Sync to go beyond simple audio and video transmission. When combined with a select number of BRAVIA Televisions and other Sony audio and video products, in addition to audio and video transmission, control functions will be transmitted via the HDMI cable. With ? One Touch Play,? operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Press the PLAY button on the remote, watch the audio and/or the video component(s) turn on then the BRAVIA television turn on and switch to the correct video input. HDMI - Reads the data on a standard DVD at 480P and maximizes the video resolution to best fit your HDMI compatible TV at up to 720p or 1080i XM Connect-and-Play Ready A World of digital radio is at your fingertips. Connect the optional Connect-and-Play antenna, sign up for XM service (subscription rate required) and enjoy the variety of digital radio with superior sound quality Digital Media Port (DMP) offers compatibility with various accessories which will include a PC Client device, Bluetooth receiver and Audio Docking Stations compatible with Network Walkman(R) and iPod products. So regardless of how you store your music, Sony's DIGITAL MEDIA PORT grants access, provides control and integrates your portable music into a traditional home theater system

Watch movies, listen to your entire music collection and play XM® satellite radio with the Sony DAV-HDX500 BRAVIA® Theater System. And with the touch of a button on the included remote, BRAVIA® Theatre Sync lets you manage select Sony HDMI™ components quickly and effortlessly. You can also enjoy simplified integration of portable music players and other optional Digital Media Port (DMP) accessories with the DMP and front-mounted connections that enhance audio with Digital Signal Processing. The DAV-HDX500 even features a 5-DVD/CD changer that upscales standard 480p DVDs to 1080i resolution (requires compatible television). In addition to playing from a wide range of music sources, the DAV-DX500 boasts automatic calibration that delivers optimal sound from speakers, no matter where they are placed.

The system sounds great. The sound fills the room, but the setup is too complicated. The instruction book is thick, hard to read, and full of technical stuff. I'm using this with a Sony Bravia HD TV, a Dish satellite HD DVR, and a Panasonic VCR/DVD, and I'm still trying to figure it all out. I like the sound very much. I use it every day, but using it can be difficult.

We purchased this home theater system to go with our new 50 inch plasma high definition flat screen TV. We were looking for something that would enhance the sound in our new home theater room and make it as much like being in the cinema as possible. This system has proved to be worth every penny we spent on it. We love the sound. There are several different settings to change the sound for different effects or for different types of movie experiences from action films to musicals. It was very easy to set up right out of the box. The instructions are easy to read. The 5-disc DVD player is a little different to maneuver than our SONY carousel disc changer, but it is a minor thing. It was $150 cheaper than for the same model at Best Buy. We went to look and listen to it first at Best Buy, then came home and purchased it on-line from Amazon. We are really glad we did. We love it!

Overall, I like this product. Sounds good, a breeze to set up, and at the price I got it at, I couldn't go wrong. Good starter or second system.

Overall, I'm very happy with this system. The setup is easy, and it sounds great. It does a nice job of upconverting my normal DVDs to my Sony Bravia television. That being said, there are a couple negatives: 1. No HDMI in... so unless you run this through an HDMI switcher, if you only have one HDMI in on your TV, you're screwed! I have a PS3 and this system, and they don't play nice together. 2. The speakers are nice, but they all have a custom plug on the end that goes into the theatre system. So unless you get new wires, or cut these custom ends off yourself, the speakers won't plug into other receivers. Overall, this is a very nice system, especially for those of you who aren't very tech savvy. And the speakers put out nice sound, and match with my Sony Bravia TV. But if you really want to get your HD devices to play nice together, you need to buy a receiver with at least 3 HDMI in and 1 HDMI out.

I read many reviews and went and listened to many systems before I bought this system. For what I paid, $299, this system is definitely worth it. It was very easy to set up and use. I did not even read the instruction manual and could easily adjust the system settings. If you are looking for high end audio, this system is not it. If you are looking for a solid family home theater system in a box, this is it. At moderate volume levels the sound is just fine. At high volume levels the system THD, Total Harmonic Distortion, shows up and is annoying. The THD is not an issue when watching movies or listening to music at comfortable levels. If you are looking for a A/V Receiver with multiple inputs, parametric equalization (wide range tone controls), or individually adjustable sub woofer volume, this is not it. If you are looking for a plug and play system that is very easy to use, this is it. I have this connected with a Sony Bravia TV and it works very well and matches the styling very well. Since the HDX500 has only one input, I run every thing through the TV and use the TV variable volume to control the input to the HDX500. You can select various audio preset equalization settings for CDs, MP3s, gaming, etc... I still use my high end audio system to listen to music at high volume levels.