Sony STRDH190 2-ch Home Stereo Receiver with Phono

LOVE IT – Great Performance and Great Price
Speaking as a self-described “audiophile” (but a true audiophile with deep pockets would likely laugh), this was one of the best gifts I’ve given to myself in recent years (as I have a fairly large music library of nearly 600 albums of 1/3 vinyl, 2/3 CDs and some cassettes).Bought mine back in March–used to be $200, but when I saw it for $150 any hesitation went out the window and I grabbed it. I have been in love with it ever since. Fabulous sound and power (do you really need more than 100 watts per channel?), great remote control (not used to that, believe it or not), and it lives up to Sony quality. Powers my vintage components perfectly:> MCS Series 6202 Belt-Driven Turntable (had it since early 80s)> Nacamichi BX-300 Cassette Deck> Sony DVP-NS725P Disc Player (DVD but used mainly for CDs – audio-only connection)> LG TV connected via optical-to-analog adapter> KEF Reference Series 103/3 Stereo SpeakersInteresting observation about the way the ports are labeled on the back: what would traditionally be identified as a tape deck port (with IN/OUT) is just “Input 4,” and while it’s connected to my tape deck for playback, the REC-OUT is connected to a USB audio adapter to digitally record anything (mostly vinyl of course) to my laptop for mastering and iPod/digital library access.The Bluetooth connectivity is awesome as well with powerful range – great for playing music from mobile devices (phone and iPod Classic with BT adapter). The front line-in 3.5 port, identified as a “Portable” is also a great feature.At first, I was surprised that there was no input for optical, however since digital-to analog adapters are inexpensive and readily available, I think it’s best to leave it that way. Would rather have the option, rather than an optical-only port that would otherwise go unused unless one had a component that required it.HOWEVER, if I were to make any improvements, it would be to add a USB Out port (preferably on the front), for digital recording on a PC. However again, since adapters are inexpensive and accessible, and for the price I paid for this device, I ain’t gonna complain. Front level analog balance, bass and treble controls would also be nice, but you have access to all that through the menu.If you feel due for a simple, powerful and awesome stereo receiver/amplifier upgrade without breaking your monthly budget, this is a winner.

Small unit with good entry level features and sound quality
Surprisingly, it’s small size is actually a problem! It’s simply not long and wide enough to be stackable. I can’t put my turntable or my projector on top of it because it’s just too small! If you are expecting to stack this item be sure you actually have shelves or measure first.As to the sound quality…It does not suffer from the frequency gap or tinniness I found with the Yamaha amp I tried before, but the frequency crossover is not as smooth as the Insignia amp this unit is replacing.Interestingly, it seems to have some kind of volume leveling circuitry because while my PS5, Turntable, and Xbox all had different volume settings before, now they all seem to be the same.Bass is woefully inadaquate at default settings and to get a “normal” sound I have to turn bass up between 5 and max, with max my default setting to prevent harsh sounding voices in movies and videos.I don’t see a need to turn the treble up because again, that results in a harsh scratchy quality to voices like a bad telephone conneciton.Bass is slightly boomy but nowhere near as bad as the Yamaha. It lacks power and expansiveness. Not terrible, but not the home theater showcase I got out the Insignia.The overall sound profile is “clean” but on the cold side, even after adjustments.I played vinyl records, and they had a “cd player” sound do them similar to the cheap Audio Technica direct-drives. Very very clean but lacking in warmth and bass feels dampened. Static and distortion seems to be amplified instead of muffled. Overall impression is that there’s some noise and/or signal cut-off, which my pre-amp also provides to elminate hum, but seems even more severe with this unit. It does not sound “bad”, just less analogue if that makes sense.From digital sources that previously had weak signal and static/distortion at high volume, this unit seems to be processing the signal with more powerful amplification and noise reduction. For my PS5 console the sound through USB DAC is noticably improved.From a usability standpoint it’s got cheap clips for speaker wires as opposed to the big screws on the Insignia, the expected A + B speaker configuration options, FIVE inputs including the front “portable” port (why you would plug a phone in rather than using the included bluetooth or a dedicated streaming box is beyond me). Sound amplification and clarity on all ports appears identicaly, though the 4th input does feature output as well.Inputs are selected with a knob instead of a button (old school) and there’s a very loud CLUNK sound when the unit powers on.Remote works well but has some weird button placement with voluem control at the bottom, with radio tuning below it…and radio presets at the top with inputs above. Not bad, just…odd.I don’t generally have need to turn audio up to thunderous levels but I haven’t noticed static or distortion at any volume level from any source so far.Unit is very responsive to inputs from the remote. Volume up/down is very gradual so accidentally turning the volume up too high is very unlikely.The unit also comes with a two year warranty, which is honestly the real reason I bought it rather than another very old Insignia amp.If ultimate sound quality, esp for vinyl and movies through 2 channels is your thing, I would go with an Insignia over this.If you don’t want/need heavy bass response from just two speakers and use primarily modern devices with a DAC or analog out (video game consoles, bluray players, music streamers, CD player) I think this is a very good choice unless you require more/different features or a lot more power for your needs.