Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony DAV-SA30 Home Cinema System

This is described as Sony's "entry-level" DVD Home entertainment system. I bought mine over the Internet as a multi-region enabled system after much hassle. I would recommend buying from Amazon if multi-region is not important to you. It consists of a S-master digital 5.1 channel amplifier, a BIG subwoofer and 5 cute satellite speakers.

Pros:
- Sleek design but I still think the Sony Dav-S550 is better looking
- Technically advanced, incorporates Dolby Pro Logic II, this means that you can turn any 2 channel source eg your TV into a discrete 5 channel surround sound system.
- Unique sound fields available, choose from Movie, Rock, Pop, News, Sports sound settings. Also has a Dynamic Bass Boost that really means what it says...
- Plays JPEG, you can share your digital pictures with everyone on TV, how cool is that. Burn the pictures on CD or CDRW and pop it in. Slide show available too.
- Plenty of formats supported including DVD, VCD, SACD, MP3, JPEG, CD Audio, CDRW.
- Easy set up with colour coding
- Has a SCART socket. This is important because other Sony systems like the Dav S550 rely on S-video or component video. There are NO "video component to SCART" cables available easily, trust me I have searched. SCART with RGB is superior to S-video so this is a big plus.

Problems I encountered so far:
- NO functions of Zoom and A-B repeat which is present in other cheaper systems. I find this surprising.
- The subwoofer tends to vibrate a lot, it actually moves several inches out of position. It actually shakes if you put the DBB option on. Solved the problem by Blu-Tack and adhesives.
- Sound lacks punch. It says total 300 RMS output but it doesn't feel it. Or maybe I need to get my ears checked. The sound is adequate if you put the volume to max.
- No optical input. Arghh!!! Can't decode XBox dolby digital games like Halo. One option is to switch the XBox into the video 2 jack in and then use the Dolby Prologic II

Overall:
Good performance for the price. If you are tight on budget but looking for an impressive system, this comes highly recommended.

I've had this system for about 3 days now and already it's transformed my entertainment life beyond all recognition.

Having previously gone for the false economy of a £99 home cinema system, thinking that any home cinema was better than none, and lived with that for a year, I had almost come to the conclusion that 5.1 surround was a gimmick, not that impressive, and something I could live without. This machine forced me to think again!

Not only are all 6 channels of surround crystal clear and perfectly audible, but the bass from the subwoofer makes my entire house vibrate on films, and sounded like a town centre night club on a Friday night when I tested out one of the superb SACDs I bought to play on it.

Picture is razor sharp when the 'RGB' output mode is selected, and the scart connector makes connection to the TV a piece of cake.

But not only does it play DVD movies in 5.1 Dolby, and DTS (this option is not recommended if you have thin walls and easily upset neighbours!), not only does it play SACDs in 6 channel surround, but it also will take any Stereo source and via the wonders of Dolby Pro Logic II, turn it into a surround extravaganza.

So now you can play your standard CDs with a 6-channel effect, and best of all, connect up to your TV or Digital TV box for television programmes in Surround. Particularly impressive on Movie channels (you'd swear you were watching a DVD!), less so on EastEnders but still fun!

I really can't recommend this enough - it has all the features you could possibly want (with the possible exception of DVD-Audio), with stunning sound output and phenominal picture.

And the best bit? It's not that expesnive at all - at least not on Amazon where it seems to be about £110 cheaper than in any shops or other online sites I've seen.

Buy buy buy!!

Even though I'm a Sony fan it was necessary to do a little research before buying the DAV SA30. Believe me, there is nothng out there to match a 300 watt home cinema system for this price. Five little speakers and a subwoofer have filled my modest home in rich sound. Originally I was only looking for a way to enjoy DVD movies in surround sound and came to realise that this system could also replace my CD player and digital radio (if only it had a cassette and vinyl deck!). The quality of sound is amazing and only limited by the level you can play it at. Unless you live in a detached house in the middle of nowhere the neighbours won't appreciate you exploring the top end volume. 300 watts!

This is, quite simply, an excellent system. The instructions are easy to follow. Setup is simple, with colour coding and clearly marked diagrams to help you out. The wires for the rear cables are VERY long indeed. The quality of sound is very good. Playing Die Another Day with its DTS soundtrack is just like being in the cinema. Just make sure no one else is in when playing it at full volume! I would highly recomend this system - regardless the size of room, you will not regret it.

This system is extremely good value for money. It deliver's a heafty surround sound experience, and can even turn a stereo TV into a 5.1 home cinema!

It has a large number of inputs, but unfortuanatly lacks a Digital Optical IN, which would be useful for a games console(ie. PS2 & XBOX)

It also play's a variety of different formats including DVD, SACD, CD, VCD, SVCD, MP3, WMA, CD/R, CD/RW, DVD/R, DVD/RW and DVD/A.