Sony STR-DH190 Stereo Receiver Reviewed

[blynott]

I have this receiver and used my laptop(on top of the rack) to 3.5 by 2xRCA to receiver, then later used laptop to DAC via USB to rec.
In the living room I use laptop via wifi to Paradigm PW Link(wifi streamer) to AXR100 via RCA or toslink cable. Someone here should be able to give some better options as my choices were low budget.

Thanks for the reply, I have ordered a 3.5 to 2xRCA and that will be my first attempt using my laptop. I guess that didn't work well? What DAC did you use? Did that make a difference? I am also trying to keep the cost down. Most of the time the Bluetooth is convenient and sufficient but I would like the ability to get better sound, or at least take advantage of the Hi Res audio advertised once in a while.

I have found two DACs that look like they will work. A FiiO K3 for $110 and a Monolith DAC for $80. Any advice?

 

[Boris Badinov]

In defense of the Sony amp. First, it is cheap (I paid $99 +tax on a Black Friday deal) . It is cheaper than putting together a cheap class D amp with a power supply, case, etc. All equipment will die if pushed beyond its limits. Also, ALL electronic equipment will eventually die (electronic equipment typically follows a bathtub reliability curve).

I do not drive it hard (my wife screams if I push the volume). So for $99 I drive my Sony SS-B3000 speakers at pleasant levels (probably not over a few watts on a continuous level, not sure because my test gear [e.g., cathode ray based Tektronix oscilloscope] went away decades ago), connect a small Yamaha sub-woofer into a line out port of the Sony for the low end (a sub out port would have been nice.

So, for a small amount of money I have a pleasant sounding system. Not great, but OK. My ears aren't great either. If I get 2 years of service out of the Sony receiver then its only $50/year.

Right now I am using the amp to play around with some old Kef T27 and B200 drivers.

All this for $99.

P.S. Based on what was said here I will probably throw a 12v computer fan I have laying around (with a 12v wall wart I probably have somewhere) on top of the receiver to draw out some heat.

I've used this receiver for about a year now, sometimes almost all day at different volumes and have never felt it get more than a little warm - not to the point that I'd consider a fan, though.

 

[Boris Badinov]

Thanks for the reply, I have ordered a 3.5 to 2xRCA and that will be my first attempt using my laptop. I guess that didn't work well? What DAC did you use? Did that make a difference? I am also trying to keep the cost down. Most of the time the Bluetooth is convenient and sufficient but I would like the ability to get better sound, or at least take advantage of the Hi Res audio advertised once in a while

Using the 3.5 to 2xRCA seems to lower the volume a bit(from the headphone jack, same with 3.5x3.5 aux). I got a dacmagic100(fed from laptop USB port) which improved the audio level but didn't here much difference over the BT.

I'm not using the Sony in the living room any more since I've upgraded to a Cambridge
Audio AXR100 and CX35 CD player and use the dac and PW Link streamer there. The Sony receiver and Sony CS series bookshelf and tower speakers and CS9 sub will either go to the bedroom or I'll get a low cost 5.2 AVR and use them in the family room for the tv.

 

[blynott]

Using the 3.5 to 2xRCA seems to lower the volume a bit(from the headphone jack, same with 3.5x3.5 aux). I got a dacmagic100(fed from laptop USB port) which improved the audio level but didn't here much difference over the BT.

I'm not using the Sony in the living room any more since I've upgraded to a Cambridge
Audio AXR100 and CX35 CD player and use the dac and PW Link streamer there. The Sony receiver and Sony CS series bookshelf and tower speakers and CS9 sub will either go to the bedroom or I'll get a low cost 5.2 AVR and use them in the family room for the tv.

Thanks, I ordered the Monolith DAC and will let you know if I can hear the difference.

 

[Boris Badinov]

Thanks, I ordered the Monolith DAC and will let you know if I can hear the difference.

Which one? The headphone DAC? or 1 with RCA out?

 

[Boris Badinov]

Check this thread for more:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...or-an-almost-30-year-old-sony-receiver.12999/

 

[blynott]

Which one? The headphone DAC? or 1 with RCA out?

The headphone DAC, it looked like a simple solution. I'll let you know in about a week if it improves the sound. I already had ordered a 3.5 to 2xRCA cable so I should be set.

Update: Due to the corona virus shipping was delayed until today and it's going to take a week to get here from Ohio, so maybe next Friday???

Update2: My package has been sitting in the Fayetteville, NC post office for 4 days so who knows if I'll ever get it????

 

[bansuri]

As some of the comments talks about line out and connecting a sub with it, the Sony STR-DH190 does not have sub lint out, atleast in the model I have

 

[HorizonsEdge]

As some of the comments talks about line out and connecting a sub with it, the Sony STR-DH190 does not have sub lint out, atleast in the model I have

For my desktop system I run the outputs through a Dayton SUB1000 which has high level input/outputs. Works well.

 

[blynott]

I finally received my Monolith USB DAC. It was instantly recognized by my laptop and using my 3.5 to 2xRCA connector it definitely improved the sound over just using bluetooth. I think the iFi Zen DAC also looks like a good solution but it is a bit more expensive and I didn't find it until I had already ordered the Monolith. Next I am going to try hooking up my subwoofer and see how that works. So far I am happy with the Sony and have never had it get too hot, usually it is cool to warm but I'm not pushing it.

 

[Boris Badinov]

I finally received my Monolith USB DAC. It was instantly recognized by my laptop and using my 3.5 to 2xRCA connector it definitely improved the sound over just using bluetooth. I think the iFi Zen DAC also looks like a good solution but it is a bit more expensive and I didn't find it until I had already ordered the Monolith. Next I am going to try hooking up my subwoofer and see how that works. So far I am happy with the Sony and have never had it get too hot, usually it is cool to warm but I'm not pushing it.

Enjoy the music!

 

[blynott]

Enjoy the music!

I added an old Denon amp, a couple of JBL small speakers and a Speedwoofer 10s to the mix and now I am really enjoying the music. Everything feeds into the Sony and out to the Denon where I have the subwoofer connected. For background music I just use my phone and the Bluetooth and when I want to listen seriously I connect my laptop. Works great!

 

[blynott]

The Bluetooth feature works flawlessly for me. I'm not even sure I can tell the difference when I connect my laptop. I'll have to perform some kind of blind test and see if I can tell which is which. Of course I will need someone else to set it up for me. So far I am really enjoying this amp.

 

[glidealong]

I received a lemon from bestbuy, could've returned it and got the money back, but they didn't have another unit and I thought this was worth trying a warranty service request. They made me send the receiver back to their service center in Syrcayse, NY, with postage all paid for, to and from Kansas City. Apparently they changed the main board and sent back to me in less than 2 weeks. Not bad, considering I was expecting them to get me a brand new one!

Is it a bad thing to have the main board changed, I mean in terms of long term reliability and/or audio quality?
Anyways, I think the time is past to take it back to best buy for returns and I seem to like this one, using it for my home office desktop. I had it initially hooked up to Klipsch R-41M, but didn't like how the speaker performed on the desktop, so got the old sony ss-b1000 gathering dust in my basement and am pleasantly surprised. It's no audiophile speaker, but it sounds much more balanced than the more expensive Klipsch!

So far I've been streaming spotify premium over blueooth, and this receiver has bluetooth 4.2, which seems to support 44.1KHz sampling, and is probably good enough for streaming music.

I am thinking about getting either as an upgrade

https://audioengineusa.com/shop/adapters/b-fi-multiroom-music-streamer/
https://www.amazon.com/Echo-Link-Stream-stereo-system/dp/B0798DVZCY

Which one would be an ideal upgrade over the bluetooth streaming on this reciever? Echo link has a subwoofer out, supports higher sampling rates, but it's a bit confusing!

Sampling frequency
Sample rates of 44.1, 48.0, 88.2, 96.0, and 192.0 kHz are supported over optical and coaxial digital inputs. Maximum output over optical and coaxial digital is 48 kHz.
includes support for CD-quality (16-bit) and hi-res (up to 24-bit)

Where as this for audio engine

Sample rates
32 – 44.1kHz
Bit depths
16 bit

Generally the reviews seem to favor the audioengine, but specs seem to be a bit better for the echo link. My primary use would be streaming music over wifi.

 

[blynott]

I thought that I would need to use wifi but have been happy with the bluetooth performance. I bought an external DAC to use with my laptop but have hardly ever used it. I am also using spotify premium and really enjoying it.

 

[bansuri]

To bring little more bass and musicality in overall tone, planning to buy Topping E30 to pair with Sony Stereo receiver. Is it a good way to bring little more clarity ? currently confused between E30 vs D50s, but E30 seems to be good from budget point of view. Please advise if this is good way forward. Thanks.

 

[BDWoody]

To bring little more bass and musicality in overall tone,

I'd suggest a subwoofer to address bass. There's only so much bass you are going to get from @6" woofers.

(Competent) DAC's really aren't going to change anything audible from one to another. Put your money into your speakers/room first would be my suggestion.

 

[Willem]

If you need a DAC and a good amplifier get one of the Yamaha integrated amplifiers with digital inputs, from the AS 501 to the AS 801, depending on room size and the connections that you need. If you need more serious bass dual subwoofers are the way to go, preferably with dsp room eq of one kind or another.

 

[blynott]

To bring little more bass and musicality in overall tone, planning to buy Topping E30 to pair with Sony Stereo receiver.

The Topping E30 looks interesting, wish I had seen that before I bought the Monolith. I added a Speedwoofer 10s and have been very happy with the bass response.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Gene is quoting this review there: