Review: Sony ES Receivers for Home Theater

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Meet the All-New Sony Receiver Lineup

During CEDIA 2022 in Dallas Texas, I was invited to a special meeting. In an unlabeled hotel conference room I was introduced to not only the designers of Sony’s latest ES A/V receivers, but got a sneak peek of what was to come.

In the room, there was a screen for Sony’s presentation and on the side of the room there was a long table with a black sheet on top (how curious). With the caveat of not taking pictures, we were given some of the first looks at the upcoming line-up of Sony’s ES A/V receivers. I was very excited to explore what Sony would be offering and came up with a list of good questions. I left the meeting with a lot of unanswered questions, because Sony is a very smart organization who doesn’t let the cat out of the bag to just anyone (and I tried). It was great fun to see them all laid out and be let in on the secret. I continued with my questioning with their engineers. I even thanked the designer for making the HDMIs in the back of the STR-AZ3000ES, STR-AZ5000ES, and STR-AZ7000ES lineup with the buttons on the front. A small detail that integrators love, and he smiled when I said it because it was something that he had fought for during the years they spent creating the new lineup. We shared a nerdy giggle and I knew we were in for a treat when these finally rolled out. I left the meeting waiting for the day, I’d get to lay my eyes on these receivers again, and also to finally be free of the NDA, so I could chat about them. And that day has finally come.

Sony ES AZ7000

Nerdy Details

Every model has (2) HDMI outputs, and there are two great uses for those outputs.

First, you can have an extreme media room by connecting your receiver to a TV and a projector. We’ve set these up for someone who wants to have a 65” TV for the majority of their TV watching, but when it comes to sitting down and getting immersed in the action, we’ll have a drop-down 120” screen paired with a projector in the same room. All of the same sources are available, but you can nearly double the screen size for when it’s time to party.

Second, you could share your sources with another area of your home. World Wide Stereo has installed this in many living rooms and then share it with an office. Sony made sure that every receiver they were releasing this year had this capability. If this sounds like too much for you to do yourself, be sure to give World Wide Stereo a call, because we have a team of installers who can make it happen for you.

Sony ES AZ7000
Sony ES AZ7000

Center Speaker Lift Up

An important feature that Sony is introducing is the “Center Speaker Lift Up." This changes the audio playback so even if your center is sitting below the TV, the receiver will “lift” the sound “up” so it feels like it’s coming from the center of the screen so it feels more natural that the dialog is coming from the characters on the screen and not from below.

Gaming

Let’s talk about gaming. Gaming is at the forefront of the best resolution and video out right now. Rich textures and fast response is necessary to for a competitive edge. The Sony ES Receivers have the ability to make use of all of the latest formats to bring the best gaming experience in front of you.

Sony Music Center

Sony Music Center is front and center in the new line of receivers. You have control of Sony’s audio system in your hand. Download the app so you can seamlessly play music whether you’re at home or out and about. You’ll also have the ability to control the various sound modes offered by the receivers through this function. And last but not least, you’ll have Hi-Res playback available so you can play the best. This control is available on iOS, Android, and PCs (sorry, no Mac compatibility).

I will note one thing that is unfortunately absent from each model, a phono input. If you’re looking at connecting a turntable, make sure you pick up a record player with a pre-amp built-in or pick out one of your favorite separates.

Sony ES AZ7000

ES Lineup Specs

The following are available in every model. From the stripped-down STR-AN1000, all the way up to the feature-rich STR-AZ7000ES.

  • Audio
    • Bi-Amp Capable
      • Send more power to your speakers with dedicated High Frequency and Low Frequency taps on your speakers. This is especially useful if you’re not using all 7 channels for surround sound.
    • Object-based audio formats
      • Dolby Atmos®, Dolby Speaker Virtualization, DTS:X®, and DTS Virtual: X
    • S-Center Out Capable
      • From Sony’s support site : “When connecting a TV with the TV center speaker mode or the S-Center speaker mode to an audio system or soundbar, you can use your TV as part of your center speaker. By using your TV as part of your center speaker, conversations sound natural because you can hear them from the screen and its vicinity. Models with TV center speaker mode or S-Center speaker mode have either CENTER SPEAKER IN or S-CENTER SPEAKER IN terminals on the back of the TV.”
    • Center Speaker Lift up
      • “Center Speaker Lift Up raises the sound from the center speaker to match what’s on the TV”
    • DSEE Ultimate
      • “Using AI-based technology, DSEE Ultimate accurately upscales audio to near-high-resolution sound quality.”
    • 32-bit Dac
      • “Digital PCM signal input is processed at 32-bit and converted to analog by the DAC”
    • Digital Cinema Auto Calibration IX (D.C.A.C)
      • “A new technology developed by Sony, Digital Cinema Auto Calibration IX precisely corrects the distance, angle, sound pressure, and frequency response of each speaker that’s connected to the STR-AN1000 to create the ideal sound field for any home theater setup.”
  • Video
    • HDMI 2.1 Capable
      • Auto Low Latency Mode / Variable Refresh Rate
    • HDMI Output Capability: 8K, 4K, 1080p, 1080/24p, Deep Color (up to 36 bit), Triluminous Color (xvYCC)
    • HDR: HDR10, Hybrid Log Gamma, Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced
    • Zone 2 HDMI Video
    • ARC/eARC Capable
    • ARC without CEC Control
  • Streaming Audio
    • Bluetooth Transmitter and Receiver
    • Spotify Connect
    • Airplay 2
    • Chromecast Built-in
    • Sony Music Center App
      • "Control every receiver from your mobile device for operations like source selection, zone control, sound field control, volume control, media playback, and voice assistant setup."
    • Works with SONOS
      • "From the SONOS app you will be able to turn on your A/V Receiver, switch to the designated input source for playback, and control the volume of your A/V Receiver."
    • Roon Tested
      • "Enjoy seamless integration with your Roon system for full access to all your music—including your digital files and streaming services—all in one place."

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Are the new ES sony amplifiers available in the UK ?

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