A Solid Mid-priced Receiver from Sony
The Equipment:
Sony STR-5800SD, a stereo FM/AM receiver in metal case with wooden side panels.
Dimensions:
19 1/4 by 6 1/2 inches (front panel). 14 3/8 inches deep plus clearance for controls and connections.
Price: $500. Warranty: "limited," two years parts and labor.
Manufacturer:
Sony Corp. Japan: U.S. distributor: Sony Corp. of America. 9 W. 57th St. New York, N.Y. 10019.
Comment: Considering the number of receivers on the market, finding one with full Dolby FM circuitry is like finding an oak in a birch forest. They're there, but rare. The STR.5800SD and the rest of the Sony receivers with the SD suffix are among these rarities.
Third down from the top of the Sony receiver line, the STR-5800SD offers an impressive number of features. For example, at the push of a button, the signal strength meter indicates the degree of multipath interference, allowing you to orient your antenna for minimum deflection.
The combination of a four-position rotary switch and a pair of three-position levers handles the input selection. With the Sony arrangement, dubbing between tape decks can proceed in either direction: 1 to 2 or 2 to 1. A front-panel stereo phone jack overrides the rear panel auxiliary inputs for a convenient temporary lashup of an extra piece of equipment. An external processor such as an SQ decoder or graphic equalizer can be permanently wired into the setup and activated at the push of a button-without re course to the TAPE MONITOR. Three sets of loudspeakers can be hooked up and selected separately or in two combinations (A + B or A + C).
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Sony STR-5800SD Receiver--Additional Data
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While its 17 1/2-dBW (55-watt) rating doesn't vault the STR.5800SD into the superpower class, it certainly is no weakling. Exemplary of Sony's power-rating philosophy, our sample was able to deliver somewhat more oomph (1 dB) than Sony actually claims. Though this doesn't guarantee that all units from a production run will perform identically, it is a good indication that any one you're likely to buy will at least meet spec.
The FM specs of this receiver are no more extraordinary than those of the amplifier, but, again, the lab data show a comfortable margin in almost every respect. Exceptions can probably be attributed to measurement techniques:
Capture ratio and selectivity are very difficult to establish with a high degree of accuracy, and our way of measuring IM differs somewhat from the standard. So while the SIR 5800SD hits no new highs in specsmanship, it is well above average in most important areas.
And the performance is there in actual use. FM behavior is very good-especially in quieting and stereo separation.
The dial is generous in length and its calibration linear and reasonably accurate. Tuning is smooth, with negligible backlash. While the channel-center meter is not particularly sensitive, the combination signal-strength / multipath meter is very handy. The multipath function offers a good indication of optimum antenna orientation and, in the normal signal strength mode, indicates relative signal level with comparatively high precision. On reasonably strong signals, the tuning can be quite far from the center frequency (as indicated by the meter) before the sound goes to pot.
The muting is effective, although spinning rapidly through the dial will elicit some thumps. The mute point is set quite high, which suppresses some listenable stations with the muting on but assures good mono performance on any signal strong enough to "un-mute." On the other hand, the rather low stereo threshold is low enough to put the receiver into the stereo mode on stations that are really quite marginal. The dial pointer is rather novel. It is illuminated in two segments. The lower one is always lit, while the upper appears to come on whenever an FM station strong enough to overcome the muting is received.
The tuner of the STR-5800SD is about what we've come to expect in equipment of this quality. The amplifier, on the other hand, is a bit surprising. The phono preamp is quiet and the RIAA equalization accurate. But we've seen good lab data and heard disappointing sound before. Not so with this Sony-evidently it knows how to extract the best from a cartridge. The phono sound is exceedingly clean and crisp, with very solid midrange and bass. The excellent transient ability shows up dramatically on the new direct-to-disc records, such as the Nexus ragtime concert on the Umbrella label. On that disc, the percussive attack of the xylophone is reproduced with uncanny realism, and the drum beat, although not particularly low in pitch, can be felt as well as heard. We'd rate the phono preamp of the STR-5800SD with the best we've experienced.
We detected no signs of phono input overload even though the measured clipping point is a bit on the low side.
So only with very sensitive cartridges--and discs cut at high levels--might there be cause to look askance at the overload figure. The tone controls are typical, but the ACOUSTIC COMPENSATOR selector is unusual. This four-position switch offers conventional loudness contour, bass boost alone (which can be used as a bass-only loudness compensator, though the degree of boost does not depend on the volume setting), and PRESENCE, which produces a gentle hump in the midrange response. The latter is very effective in producing a more "up-front" sound from rather distantly recorded discs, with little apparent effect on the tonal balance. The low and high filters are less effective, and the settings of the function switch and tape selector levers are nigh impossible to see in a dimly illuminated room.
Sony's STR-5800SD strikes us as a very good value. Not only does it include full Dolby FM circuitry (whose usefulness depends, of course, on the number of Dolby stations in your area), but it provides a generally high level of FM performance. The power amplifier should be adequate for most normal listening, and the phono preamp is exceptional. We'd suggest you give this one a careful look.
Correction: We are informed by Sansui that the price of its BA-2000 amplifier, reported on in our September issue, is $440, rather than $850 as quoted in the report. We regret the error.
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(High Fidelity, Nov. 1977)
Also see:
Hitachi SR-903 receiver (Equip. Report, Apr. 1977)
Empire 698 turntable (Equip. Profile, Apr. 1977)
Pioneer PL-570 turntable (Equip. Report, Nov. 1977)
ADC--Accutrac turntable (ad, Apr. 1977)