Sony has significantly upped its AV receiver (AVR) recreation for 2023. With the introduction of its STR-AN1000 and 4 new ES-series fashions, Sony has added assist for Sonos and compatibility with the identical wi-fi audio system and subwoofers which might be used to reinforce Sony’s HT-A Collection soundbars. These are additionally the primary Sony AVRs to assist 8K. The brand new fashions begin at $900 for the STR-AN1000 and go as excessive as $3,300 for the flagship STR-AZ7000ES. They’ll be obtainable later this spring.
These AVRs are completely full of options, which we’ll get into in a second, however they’ve additionally acquired a number of new {hardware} modifications that aren’t going to be instantly obvious simply by studying the specs. The STR-AN1000 will get a brand new chassis and subchassis, a brand new massive capacitor transformer, a brand new digital circuit board, new energy provide capacitors, a brand new preamp built-in circuit that Sony says it developed solely for these AVRs, and eventually, a brand new 32-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The ES Collection go additional, with all of these new components, plus an up to date warmth sink, new high-power capacitors, and lead-free solder.
The addition of the Works With Sonos functionality comes as one thing of a shock. It helps you to join a Sonos Port, which may then robotically energy on the AVR and change to the suitable enter just by utilizing the Sonos app as an alternative of getting to manually carry out these duties utilizing the AVR’s distant. We’ve seen AVRs from corporations like Pioneer and Onkyo provide Works With Sonos, however that’s as a result of these manufacturers don’t have their very own multiroom wi-fi audio resolution. Sony, however, does multiroom wi-fi — it’s powered by the corporate’s Music Heart app. Curiously, the Music Heart app really works with the 2023 receivers, letting you management supply choice, quantity, playback, and different features.
It’s additionally fascinating to see Sony infuse its AVRs with DNA from its line of residence theater soundbars. The corporate launched its 360 Spatial Sound Mapping characteristic on the HT-A7000, HT-A9, and HT-A5000 audio system. It makes use of microphones to create a 3D map of the room, which lets it fine-tune the position of phantom audio system when presenting 3D audio like Dolby Atmos. The 2023 AVRs get this characteristic because of Sony’s new Digital Cinema Calibration IX — a mic-based calibration system that may measure the proper distance, angle, sound stress, and frequency response of every speaker.
And talking of audio system, you now have the selection of going wi-fi on your subwoofer(s) and your encompass audio system, supplying you with the perfect of each wired and wi-fi worlds. The 2023 AVRs are appropriate with Sony’s
SA-SW3
and
SA-SW5
wi-fi subs and
SA-RS3S
and
SA-RS5
wi-fi surrounds. You should use as much as two of the wi-fi subs, however they should be the identical mannequin — no mixing/matching. When utilizing the surrounds, the SA-RS3S will take over two of your AVR’s rear channels, whereas the SA-RS5 will take over two rear channels and two of the peak channels, so that you received’t have the ability to run these audio system over and above a full complement of wired audio system.
Lastly, Sony is grabbing one more trick from its soundbar lineup: the brand new AVRs assist three forms of enhanced middle channel audio.
- Acoustic Heart Sync (all fashions) will use the audio system on board your appropriate Sony Bravia TV to make middle channel audio sound prefer it’s coming from the display (you’ll should run a secondary analog cable between the AVR and the TV).
- Heart Speaker Raise Up (all fashions) can use your entrance peak channels to increase middle channel audio upward, positioning it nearer to the TV display.
- Twin Heart Speaker (STR-AZ5000ES/STR-AZ7000ES solely) helps you to place a middle channel speaker above and under your display — useful for giant display sizes.
As with previous fashions, the entire AVRs assist hi-res audio through wired and Wi-Fi sources, in addition to wi-fi hi-res audio through Sony’s LDAC Bluetooth codec. DSD is supported and you need to use Sony’s DSEE Final to upscale any lossy audio sources you may need to play, like Spotify.
On the video facet of the equation, the entire 2023 AVR fashions characteristic full HDMI 2.1 compatibilit,y together with variable refresh fee (VRR), 4K at 120Hz, 8K at 60Hz, auto low-latency mode (ALLM), and HDMI-eARC. Over and above that, you get Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10, HLG, and IMAX Enhanced compatibility. That’s proper: for some purpose, Sony continues to keep away from HDR10+ on all of its AV gear, whether or not it’s an AVR or a Sony TV.
ES Collection
The ES Collection fashions are meant to be extra highly effective than the AN1000, however additionally they have a number of options that make them extra engaging to skilled installers and their prospects. All the settings could be backed up onto a USB drive utilizing the USB port, and a devoted ping button on the entrance of the models lets an installer immediately affirm the AVR’s IP handle. These programs even have a full stack of specialised ports like IR repeaters, RS232, 12-volt triggers, and a full set of pre-outs (AZ5000/AZ7000).
Sony has additionally added assist for quite a lot of residence automation platforms, together with Control4, OvrC, Savant, Crestron, Elan, RTI, Domotz, URC, and Vantage. If you wish to rack-mount these fashions, Sony sells appropriate “ears” so you may bolt them in.
Right here’s a model-by-model breakdown of Sony’s 2023 AVR lineup.
STR-AN1000, $900
- Watts per channel nonetheless to be confirmed
- 7.2-channel/5.2.2-channel
- 6 HDMI In/2 Out
- 8K/4K120: 2 In/1 Out
- HDMI 2.1 with VRR, ALLM
- 360 Spatial Sound Mapping
- Digital Cinema Auto Calibration IX
- Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
- Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10, HLG
- Bluetooth with LDAC
- Wi-Fi
- AirPlay, Chromecast Constructed-In, Spotify Join
- Works with Sonos
- Examined there
- Sony Music Heart Cellular Utility
- Wi-fi Rear/Subwoofer Compatibility
- Hello-Res Audio
- 360 Actuality Audio
- Powered Zone 2
- 2-year guarantee
STR-AZ1000ES, $1,100
Each characteristic from the STR-AN1000, plus:
- ES Collection-only options listed above
STR-AZ3000ES, $1,700
Each characteristic from the STR-AZ1000ES, plus:
- 9.2-channel/7.2.2-channel/5.2.4-channel
- 6 HDMI-in (4 devoted 8K/4K @120 Hz HDMI inputs)/2 HDMI out
- 120 watts per channel
STR-AZ5000ES, $2,100
Each characteristic from the STR-AZ3000ES, plus:
- 11.2-channel/9.2.2-channel/7.2.4-channel/5.2.4-channel
- 7 HDMI-in (4 devoted 8K/4K @120 Hz HDMI inputs)/2 HDMI out
- 130 watts per channel
STR-AZ7000ES, $3,300
Each characteristic from the STR-AZ5000ES, plus:
- 13.2-channel/11.2.2-channel/9.2.4-channel
- 15o watts per channel
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