Customer Ratings & Reviews

I bought this to replace a remote controlled Sony receiver that finally died after 35 years. I chose this model because it included a phono input, which works very well. Setting up the tuner on this one is more difficult because it lacks a numeric keypad on the remote, so you just have to cycle up and down the frequencies and save the ones you want as presets. You can save up to 30 of them, I think, but only 3 can be directly accessed via buttons on the remote; the rest have to be reached by moving up and down your saved presets. It’s a bit of a nuisance, but I pretty much focus on only 3 stations anyway, so I don’t really mind. The unit comes with a rudimentary FM wire antenna but lacks a coax antenna input, and there is no AM tuner at all. It has a reasonable number of device inputs, including Bluetooth, but only 1 line output, and as far as I can tell, no Bluetooth output (but I could be wrong about that). It doesn’t handle video at all, so you have to choose a different model if you want something to control a home theater system, but that’s not what I wanted and this unit meets my needs fairly well overall. I used to rely on the AM tuner of my old unit to switch among radio stations for traffic reports before my morning commute, but fortunately I’m now retired and can mostly do without AM, though I wish it was still included. Sound quality seems okay to my not-very-critical ears. All in all I’d recommend this receiver despite its limitations.

I really like this receiver. It works well with the audio output of my TV, Bluetooth devices, my turntable, and any other random device that can be connected via the aux input on the front panel. The remote control is a bit busy but it does offer a lot of control. I only wish it had a dedicated sub output. There is a RCA line level output but it's not the best to use for a powered sub because the volume of the output doesn't change with the volume of the main output. Fortunately my powered sub allowed me to use the high level speaker output, so that solved the one issue I had. I have a simple home entertainment system and this unit fits right in. I also love the fact that it has a second zone that you can use to push audio to another room. This is a great unit that doesn't get too complex but delivers great sound.

My 25 yr old Sony mini-combo that failed one component at a time until the amp finally gave out. I wanted something more-or-less old-school to connect my even ancient passive bookshelf speakers, turntable, and have FM radio. The STRDH190 has all that I need and then some. Easy setup, decent power, nice remote with FM presets. Built in preamp for turntable removed the annoying hum I used to get. I paired the Bluetooth to my phone just to be sure it works, although I rarely use this feature. A couple complaints that kept me from giving it 5 stars: The first unit I got was DOA. It would power on and shut down a few seconds later. This has been reported in other reviews and I would have hoped that Sony would have better quality control to test these before sending them out to stores. Easy exchange at BB and the replacement has been working fine. The FM antenna is a simple wire w/ a proprietary plug. Doesn't seem to be any way to hook up a dipole or something better. In summary, other than the inconvenience of exchanging a non-functional unit, this Sony is a good amp for the price, especially if you only need the basics.

Great value and amazing sound. Whether using Bluetooth, phone stage, or other input, the sound it produces from my 100w Klipsch rp160m is amazing. Basic and easy to use. Amazing for under $200

Great replacement for a 20 year old receiver that died. Easy to operate. Sound is great. Bluetooth very simple to connect and use. The reason for 4 stars is the antenna connection, which could be much better. But there is a quick fix for that:)

I purchased this receiver because I wanted a receiver that had phono inputs even though I had a receiver with a Denon without a phono. This has a LOT of background noise, but it works ok.

Very good for the price. Nothing fancy, but a good clean sound nonetheless.

New amp is working well so far but haven't had the opportunity to take advantage of all the features. Fits well into the entertainment center. Well worth the price.

The amplifier is of good quality, however the remote didn't work, i ordered a generic one from amazon that seems to work fine.

I bought a Sony STR-DH130 sometime around 2012 or 2013 and have been using it every day. It's served me well, but lately it was showing sides of aging, most notably they when I would press the "display" button on the front of the unit it would randomly perform other functions, such as increasing the treble by one or changing the input source. Even though it worked fine with the remote, I figured I'd get ahead of the eventual failure and replace it. My setup is pretty simple- cable box, PS4 and Blu-ray player all fed into a 50-inch TV via HDMI, with sound coming out of the TV via a 3.5mm to RCA cable into the receiver, then the speaker output going into a Polk PSW108 subwoofer which then feeds into a pair of Klipsch R-51M bookshelf speakers. It's a setup which has served me well, so I decided to stick with a 2.0 channel receiver again. This receiver has a few upgrades over the STR-DH130. First, power is a little better, 100 x 2 versus 90 x 2. Second, the addition of Bluetooth is a nice feature and works well with my iPhone. Third, the phono input is not something I plan to use but it's good to know it's there if I ever change my mind. Finally, the "portable in" input on the front is a nice touch, it's something I always felt was lacking on the STR-DH130. Setup took about 15 minutes- the hardest part was running the power cord behind my entertainment center. A detachable cord would have been easier, the cord on this unit is hard-wired. Once that problem was solved, connecting the speakers and the audio input was simple, Sound quality is nice, no different than with the STR-DH130, but that's fine as I was happy with the sound quality on that unit, So why not 5 stars? A few small things that I personally feel could have been better. First, I know that this is a 2.0 unit, not 2.1, but I really wish there was a subwoofer out. There were no 2.1 units at my local Best Buy, and it looks like there are not any available to order at this time, which forces you to go with a 5.1 or 7.1 unit if you want that subwoofer out. Second, the delay from when you turn this unit on until the sound comes on is a lot longer than the STR-DH130- it's about 10 seconds versus 5 on the old unit. It's just long enough to make you wonder if the receiver is on before it clicks, and you hear the sound. Third, there are no EQ adjustments other than basic bass and treble. This is the same as the STR-DH130, but it seems that over time Sony would have added some EQ settings. Fourth, the FM antenna is a small wire with a proprietary connector, even though I rarely listen to FM radio I tested it and only got a couple of stations. Finally, some of the features (like balance) are hidden in the AMP menu, which is not easy to navigate. These are minor issues which may or may not matter to you. For my purposes it's a very nice unit which sounds good and has a few new upgrades since the last time I purchased a basic Sony 2.0 channel receiver, and I am very satisfied with it!

The heart of a stereo system is the receiver (or in some cases an amp). It’s the center of the process. It gathers info from components that start the process such as a turntable and than send that info to speakers. It must do so with little distortion. And it needs to be versatile enough to run this process in an orderly manner. This little Sony Receiver does this well. It has several inputs by which it gathers sound from various sources such as a turntable. And the sound it puts out is very clean. It seems to do a good job in almost all areas concerning sound reproduction. Almost unnoticeable distortion with good stereo separation. It has more than adequate power at 100 Watts per channel. The phono preamp sounds fine. The controls are nice with a good feel. It has a nice sleek look. It receives Bluetooth easily enough. There are a few issues. It cannot transmit Bluetooth which could be a problem for some equipment one might choose to use. Also the FM antenna is a fully dedicated wire to input system. In a word it’s terrible. Barely brings in a station. And being fully dedicated, it cannot be easily upgraded. One has to employ a smart phone as a tuner and than use Bluetooth. That’s not good. At any rate, all considered, this is a good receiver that was almost very good. It’s a nice start for a newbie or for someone with limited demands for power and usage. Recommendable with some reservations.

The unit is very straightforward and was a great replacement for a similar Sony receiver that just gave up after decades of service. The sound is clean and setup was a breeze. I can confirm that the lowend seems a little more reserved than a vintage amp, but a lot of that also depends on what you plug into it, and what your speakers are capable of delivering. The built-in phono preamp here seems especially flat. Not weak, but just lacking dynamic range. This might not bother you if you are upgrading from a picnic player and bookshelf speakers, but it falls short of what many might expect from a hi-fi setup. Many new turntables have a powered line-out option, which definitey works better here. But if your player lacks this feature, you can simply get a small preamp (one with EQ ideally) for your turntable and run that into a standard input. More work, yes, but still cheaper than shelling out hundreds just for more wattage, or for a bunch of features you don’t need.

The Sony STR-DH190 is widely regarded as one of the best value entry-level stereo receivers, offering a clean 100 watts per channel and a built-in phono stage for turntable enthusiasts. While it lacks digital inputs like optical or HDMI, its Bluetooth connectivity and ability to switch between two sets of speakers (A/B) make it a highly functional hub for a simple home audio setup.

There are still some of us who listen to music just to listen to music. I spent several months trying to find a used more robust receiver dedicated to listening to music and not and AV/theater component. I couldn't find what I wanted at the price point I needed so I started looking at something new which let me to this Sony. It sounds good. Super easy to use. Having BT connectivity is a nice feature which was probably what tipped me to going with something new. I think for the cost it is an excellent buy. No frills but I don't want to pay for frills. I want to pay for sound.

I'd buy it again - mostly because there doesn't seem to be anything else on the market that integrates the features I wanted. My old stereo head that had grounds for a record player went kaput, and I wanted something that had the clarity and power that modern wiring brings. But was sure I was going to miss the capability that the old heads all seemed to be built with, that got discarded sometime in the 80's or 90's, of being able to switch between two sets of speakers in two different locations. I was astonished that this product has that. What sealed the deal for me was that it also has bluetooth - now I can have one stereo system to listen to records, stream music from my phone, and connect to my movie set-up, and it powers speakers in both my living room and patio. It's exactly what I would have asked for. The only cons - it's quite big, and needs to not have anything on top of it for the cooling system to work. Also, the bluetooth connection is a little spotty - about 50% of the time it will be totally fine, but it's just as likely to have some sort of interference happening where either your wifi signal will freeze until the bluetooth is disconnected, or the sound will be slowed and pitched down and/or include bits of static. This could conceivably be the fault of the gadgets I connect to it, but it happens with both of them, and neither have had this problem anywhere else. The sound is good. It seems to be very clear, even, and responsive from the very low to the very high range of the spectrum, with very little noise, and all the power I need. Even when I'm running the record player, there is no noticeable electric hum.

I read some negative reviews about this receiver, such as not enough power or they didn't like the front panel... Unfortunately they never say what kind of speakers they use, whether they are properly rated for the amp, what kind of cables they are using and the length of the cable run. ALL of these things affect playback power. I use pro speaker cabling with a maximum run of 10 feet for both cables. The sound is very nice and balanced. I didn't think I'd like the 2 knob controller for volume and input but now I love the simplicity since you can adjust things by hand without looking to see the knobs. Yes you have to use the remote to adjust bass and treble but I almost always leave playback at flat EQ since I'm a professional musician and audio producer working in a fabric treated control room. To the folks who have this receiver in their garages, I'll say you can't expect to get good sounding audio in a garage no matter what you use. Most audio FX boxes and DAWs have a reverb setting known as "Garage." It makes things sound like the speakers are in a, yes, a fricking garage, which is great for punk or grunge, but not much else. Yes, the radio tuner buttons blend into the front panel as does the speaker switch so if you use those buttons a lot you may want to put a small bit of tape on one or all of them or shine more light on the front panel. I don't use them since I don't listen to analog radio and I only have one pair of speakers. For me needs and budget, this Sony is very good. I still have lots of vintage records so the phono input jacks was a factor over the similarly priced Yamaha.

This provided all of our entertainment sound needs. It has options to provide sound for two different set ups, which is what we needed. The price was great. It took a little bit longer to set up, but once we got it set up it was great. It can easily connect to our phones via bluetooth and once connected you can turn it off and on from the phone, which is a plus. The only downside is the tuner isn't the best for FM Radio. There is no antennae, but I think once we get a antennae it will be better. It's not on all the stations though. I would recommend this receiver.

For the price, you can't beat this receiver. It has what you need for a basic 2-channel stereo system. I bought this to power a basic second system in another room. I like that it has a phono circuit and built-in Bluetooth for easy streaming from my phone. The sound quality is good, not great. The sound is somewhat flat/sterile without a lot of dynamics, and the bass/treble controls don't have much impact. To be fair though, I'm comparing it to the other high-end equipment I own. For such a low entry price, this is still a good receiver. Just don't expect audiophile quality.

This receiver has everything. Power, blue tooth, remote control, etc.. Sounds great and needs no pre-amp for phonograph connection plus can be controlled from my i-phone too. Perfect!

Sadly I had to replace a vintage piece of equipment. This receiver, for the price, offers a reasonable amount of power. I was able to obtain some of the richness I was accustomed with external equalizer. Bluetooth is a plus. Handles 2 sets of speakers with ease.