Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony DAV-HDX500/i BRAVIA Home Theater System

This is a great surround sound system. It was very easy to set up. All connections are color coded.
I'd just recommend a bit higher wattage for larger rooms. The rear speakers aren't as loud as I'd like. Yes the volumn on the rears can be increased but the overall punch desreases because of the wattage. This system is great if you have a romm around 12x12, 15x15. My is 30x15.
Also, this is not a HD dvd player. It upscales the output to HD but it will not play HD dvd's(or bul-ray). With a HD LCD this system has great resolution.

We bought the Sony DAV-HDX500/i. For those who don't yet know the /i on the end means the Sony DAV-HDX500 WITH Digital Media/iPod Dock, TDM-iP1 INCLUDED. This was to replace our old Panasonic SA-HT640 (which after only 13 months bit the dust with the dreaded f61 error). Now I realize that you really can't compare one wireless rear speaker with two wired rear speakers BUT...the difference in the sound just blew me AWAY! It's soooooo easy to set up, even for those non-tech do-it-yourselfers like us ~ we were happy to see the instructions were written in REAL English vs. "translated English"! The overall sound is incredible and DVD player, perfect. Remote has LOTS of buttons but can't really comment on that since we're using a Harmony 720 remote. The ONLY downside causing the 4-star rating is a couple wiring issues. We had originally wanted to use a higher gauge speaker wire to increase the sound quality and bought some Monster 16 gauge Speaker Cable at the same time we got the Sony system. When they both arrived we quickly learned that it'd be really difficult ~ at least for US, to use anything other than the speaker wiring that came with the system. There are clips/plugs on one end of all six Sony wires similar to a phone jack (heard someone describe it as a 4.2mm OEM clip). These clips are hard to find and seem to be a proprietary product. Not only would we have to buy them and attach them to the heavier wire, we had to FIND them first! So although this could be an issue for those with a discerning ear, our going with the wires provided by Sony was no problem ~ we are NOT disappointed with the sound at ALL. One other wiring issue...the length of the wire for the rear speakers was MORE than adequate for us (LOTS to spare), center and sub wires were fine, but in our case had a bit of isuue with wiring for one of the front speakers. We weren't putting these wires within/behind walls, instead opted to drill holes in our hard wood floors and cover all the holes with speaker stands. So the wire routing was still fairly direct...just a hole, straight across the basement ceiling, and up. The front LEFT wire was too short missing the mark by about 6 inches...and that speaker just ISN'T all that far away. After a lot of stressing, and just on a hunch we un-routed the front right wire and as luck would have it, found out the front right wire was indeed a few inches longer than the front LEFT! So we swapped out the two front wires and only by then putting the receiver on a lower shelf got the job done ~ BARELY got the job done, but DID get it done! So that ALMOST was a big issue in our household. Heard you can buy sets of all six wires through Sony but at least at the present time, you CAN buy individual replacement wires on eBay for about $20 each. Had it not made it we would have just bought one of the longer (aka rear) speaker wires to replace the front wire that was too short. So those wiring issues are the ONLY downside. Bottom line is that with this one, for not too much money you have a really GREAT sounding system and so far we LOVE it!

I went to one of those BOSE stores where they have a theater setup. When you walk in, they have speakers setup that look very much like this Bravia set. I was impressed by the sound! It was fantastic! Then they revealed that the speakers we saw were props and the speakers were the size of a ring box. More impressive!

Then they told me the price... anywhere from $1999 - $5000. Whoa!

I had a sorry, cheap Panasonic (around $200) theater system which started acting up on me with this awful clicking sound that eventually became unbearable. I was intent on getting something high-quality, but $2000 for BOSE low-end was a bit much... so I figured Sony HAD to be the next best thing! I researched and used the Amazon user reviews as a guide and decided the HDX500/i was my best option in a reasonable price. And boy am I pleased?!

This thing has nice solid bass which can be easily adjusted to be more or less powerful. The setup was really simple (of course after I got it organized to my slew of devices (TV, Computer, PS3, outside Speakers/amp, etc). Great purchase overall, even if I don't get the matchbox speakers!

Only thing I didn't like is the amp is a little too deep. I have a flat screen... so I also have a entertainment system that isn't very deep (12 in). This unit is at least 18 inches deep... maybe more.

Still worth the purchase.

This is the first review I have ever written, but I felt like letting other know about this great system.....took me about an hour to set up and place the speakers where i wanted them. Sound is very crisp and the bass seems just right, eventhough I didnt change the settings too much because I used the automatic calibration feature that is automatically included, which is great. the speakers and the system look great and match my Sharp 32" 1080p. One of my favorite things about this system is the Ipod dock. Not only does it play ur songs while charging it, but it also play the VIDEOS and MOVIES from my video ipod onto the TV!!!

This is my first HTIB and i couldnt be happier, very glad my friend recommended this to me.

PLUSSSS i got this for a veryyyyy limited offer for only $399 with shipping, which is amazing considering the whole system weighs around 64lbs.

GET YOURS TODAYYYYYYY!!! You definately wont be dissapointed

I reseached for a while before deciding on this unit for our TV room and I haven't been disappointed. Sound is great and HDMI to TV makes for awesome movie watching in surround sound. Connectivity is a drawback in terms of there not being enough higher end connections if having game systems and such..but worked for me. Only other hurdle was rear speakers which come with special Sony connectors to the back of the unit. I had already installed speaker wire into the wall before buying the system which meant I had to soder/heat shrink to be able to use connectors. Worked out great.