Sony Electronics revealed Tuesday pricing and availability of its 2016 lineup of audio and video products that support immersive surround sound, Hi-Res Audio and build upon Sony’s wireless multi-room audio products of wireless speakers, TV sound bars, A/V receivers, and premium audio & video players.
Among the offerings was a new “reference-quality” turntable, which Sony said was “strategically designed to expand the company’s range of premium Hi-Res Audio products.” More on that later.
Sony also introduced its UHP-H1 Premium Audio & Video player ($349.99 unilateral price), which is the company’s first Hi-Res Audio certified Blu-ray Disc player (pictured at top). The unit, which is available for pre-sale now, features support for 2-channel and multi-channel SACD and DVD-Audio discs, Hi-Res Audio files with 24bit/192kHz streaming, and MP3s.
The player includes anti-vibration construction using a reinforced frame and beam chassis design; has advanced 4K upscaling, which adapts to the source video’s resolution, up to 60p high frame rate support, and Bluetooth connectivity with LDAC support for wireless headphones or speakers. The UHP-H1 also has multi-room capabilities, to connect via a SongPal App to Sony audio products to playback audio from CD’s and other music files stored on USB memory for wireless multi-room listening.
Read more on Sony’s 2016 audio/video product introductions after the jump:
Sony also introduced its BDP-S6700 ($128.99 unilateral price) 4K Upscaling 3D Streaming Blu-ray Disc player, which is on sale now.
The BDP-S6700 Blu-ray will upscale high-definition video content to near 4K quality for playback on supporting 4K Ultra HDTVs. The BDP-S6700 also offers Bluetooth connectivity with LDAC support for enhanced sound when linked to wireless headphones or speakers. It also has multi-room music capabilities via the SongPal App and will connect to Sony audio products to playback audio from CD’s and other music files stored on USB memory throughout the house.
In sound and speaker bars, Sony introduced the HT-NT5 TV sound bar ($799.99 suggested retail price), which will hit shelves May 15th.
The HT-NT5 includes six speakers and a wireless subwoofer and incorporates Sony’s Super Tweeter Technology, to support nuances of High-Resolution Audio files. The sound bar supports both 4K Ultra HD video and High Dynamic Range (HDR) content via HDMI HDCP 2.2 inputs. Also supported is Google Cast, allowing users to cast music apps such as Google Play Music, Spotify Connect or Pandora from mobile devices or laptops to the speakers. The HT-NT5’s also includes multi-room audio capability using the SongPal app.
Sony also introduced its SRS-ZR7 Wireless Speaker with Bluetooth/Wi-Fi. The speaker is will carry a $299.99 suggested retail when it hits store shelves on May 15th.
The SRS-ZR7 includes four speakers — two full-range 1.7-inch drivers and two 2.44-inch woofers — and S-Master HX technology supporting Hi-Res Audio music playback. S-Master HX reduces noise levels. In addition, the SRS-ZR7 has a built-in HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) to connect the speaker to any Dolby Digital/ DTS format television. It also builds in support for Google Cast, Spotify Connect and is multi-room music capable with the SongPal app.
Sony also announced its SRS-ZR5 Wireless Speaker with Bluetooth/Wi-Fi support will go on sale May 15th at a $199.99 suggested retail price. The SRS-ZR5 is a compact wireless speaker that supports HDMI (ARC) connection, Google Cast and multi-room music with the Sony SongPal App to simplify connecting to a music service of preference. The speaker also has full Bluetooth capability with LDAC and NFC support and supports a Wireless Stereo function with the ability to pair with two of the same model or one of each to create a wider stereo affect.
In AV receivers, Sony introduced the STR-DN1070 Hi-Res Wi-Fi Network A/V receiver, which will carry a $599.99 suggested retail when it hits shelves May 15th.
The STR-DN1070 receiver incorporates a new Digital to Audio Converter (DAC) supporting DSD native playback up to DSD 5.6 MHz/5.1-channels, supporting playback of Hi-Res Audio files. The receiver also provides a flexible speaker solution to suit a customer’s preference. In addition to 7.1 channel surround sound, the receiver supports wireless multi-room and Sony’s new technologies for wireless surround and S-Force PRO front surround. Other features include built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Google Cast and Spotify Connect. The STR-DN1070 A/V has six HDMI inputs and 2 outputs, supporting HDCP 2.2, 4K/60p, 4:4:4 chroma subsampling, and HDR content.
Best Selling Soundbars and 5.1 Surround Systems
Sony also introduced the STR-DH770 ($349.99 suggested retail) home theater AV receiver, which will go on sale soon bringing support for full 4K HDR video and 7.2-channel audio, plus Bluetooth connectivity to wirelessly stream connect from paired devices. The receiver lacks networking ability but includes four HDMI/HDCP 2.2/HDR-supporting inputs, and S-Force PRO front surround sound.
Sony’s new PS-HX500 Hi-Res Audio turntable ($598.99 suggested retail) is on pre-sale now and will hit store shelves May 22. It features a new advanced design. Sony is targeting the PS-HX500 at vinyl music collectors who looking for “flexibility and performance,” the company said. The PS-HX500 has a built-in A/D converter and supports Hi-Res digital transfers in either native DSD (up to 5.6 MHz) or WAV files (up to 192 KHz/24-bit resolution in order to digitally store favorite music from vinyl recordings for personal-use playback on most Hi-Res Audio compatible devices.
Sony’s new CAS-1 High-Resolution Audio System ($999.99 suggested retail), is on pre-sale now and will hit shelves May 22nd. The CAS-1 is compact in sizes but emits a large sound with strong resonance when used with either speakers or headphones. This High-Resolution Audio system features dual-amps to accurately recreate original sound spaces for an immersive listening experience. It has full Bluetooth wireless pairing with headphones, speakers or PCs capability in high quality sound using LDAC and NFC support. The CAS-1 can also connect via the Sony SongPal app.
By Greg Tarr
Have a question for the HD Guru? HD GURU|Email
Copyright ©2016 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HD GURU is a registered trademark.
Comments are closed.
Stay connected