14 DAY TRIAL // A good-quality A/V receiver is what should be found at the heart of just about home entertainment system, and that's exactly the reason why Sony's just outed no less than four new devices of this type onto the US market.
The devices in question are the new STR-DN1020, STR-DH820, STR-DH720, and STR-DH520, all of which deliver HDMI 3D pass-through and DLNA support, as well as multiple extra features on the side.
The new STR-DN1020 receiver from Sony is the top-range model, sporting a total power output of 110 watt x7 (8ohms 1kHz 1% THD), as well as an advanced sound optimizer feature, as well as an audio return channel and support for upconverting/upscaling from analog to 1080p video via HDMI.
Moreover, this model also offers easy access to streaming Internet audio services, plus a dock for apple products, as well as multiple connectivity options, enabling users to create a very serious home entertainment system right around it.
The next model we'll talk about is the STR-DH820, that offers the same power output, but ditches the support for Internet radio services, as well as the compatibility with Sony HomeShare wireless network speakers, found in the previous device.
However, it retains the upconverting/upscaling capabilities, not to mention the very large number of available connectivity options (no less than seven HD inputs).
The next two models, namely the STR-DH720 and STR-DH520 AV receivers, lose 5W each (105W power output for the first model and 100W power output for the second one, respectively), as well as the iPod/iPhone dock, plus one of HD inputs.
But even so, they still deliver plenty of Sony's advanced audio and video rendering technologies, making them more than well-suited for a very wide array of applications.
According to Sony, all of their new receivers start at under $500 and should become available for interested users starting this spring.