Listen Up: Sony Hits the High Notes With Latest Surround Sound Audio Receivers, Speakers

Whether it's simplifying set-up of a surround sound system and automatically adjusting performance, maximizing the performance of a portable audio device, or expanding the appeal of XM® radio and bringing it home, Sony's three new A/V receivers optimize the home theater experience.

There's also a new flat-panel speaker system that complements Sony's line of BRAVIA™ and Grand WEGA™ high-definition televisions.

The new line of A/V receivers have several features to maximize the listening experience featuring Digital Cinema Auto Calibration, which simplifies multi-channel surround sound setup for a perfectly balanced home theater experience.

Two of the receivers have XM Connect and Play™ capabilities and one offers HDMI connectivity, providing an all digital path from source to display. All of these features help to achieve an optimized home theater and audio experience -- realized in an easy-to-use A/V receiver.

"People have certain expectations for their home theater experience and these new receivers will certainly help exceed those expectations," said Philip Abram, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics' Home Products Division.

The power packed, line of A/V receivers features Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC), which helps set-up and customize the receivers' audio performance based on its room environment. Simply plug-in the included microphone and the DCAC adjusts for speaker placement, distance and delay based on information collected by the microphone and processed in the receiver.

Cutting-Edge Receiver

The STR-DG800 7.1 channel audio/video receiver has 110 watts of power per channel. The receiver supports HDMI pass-through, providing a simple and robust all-digital one cable interface, designed to connect to the wide array of HDMI equipped sources and televisions.

The model requires only the purchase of an XM Connect and Play antenna for listening to satellite radio in the home. Once you connect the antenna and subscribe to the service, you can navigate XM stations displayed on the front panel of the receiver.

Additionally, the STR-DG800 features the Portable Audio Enhancer so you can plug any portable audio player into the receiver. The receiver will then apply its proprietary digital signal processing on the compressed audio, improving its clarity and depth by adding information to the audio signal that had been removed during compression.

The receiver also offers assignable component video inputs and a remote control that can operate a second zone. The A/V receiver also is equipped with a second zone passive RCA output and comes with five inputs and two outputs for A/V and three inputs and one output for audio.

  The STR-DG800 will be available in April for about $400.

                   Easy to Use Performance Powerhouses

The new STR-DG500 6.1 channel A/V receiver and STR-DG600 7.1 channel receiver offer 110 watts of power per channel, Sony's Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC) technology, Digital Cinema Sound processing for studio quality reproduction, two optical inputs, one assignable coaxial input and component video switching capable of high-definition pass through.

In addition, the STR-DG600 model is XM Connect and Play ready, offers an adjustable advanced A/V sync matching audio with video, two additional optical inputs, two assignable coax inputs and assignable component video inputs for switching between HD sources as well.

The STR-DG500 and STR-DG600 receivers will both be available in March for approximately $200 and $300, respectively.

Bring to Life HDTV with Sleek Speaker System

Sony is also debuting its SA-FT1 5.1 channel flat-panel speaker system, which is designed to match Sony's industry leading BRAVIA™ flat-panel LCD and Grand WEGA SXRD™ micro-display televisions. This speaker system offers a slim stick center channel speaker that is one-fourth the size of a normal center channel speaker.

A mica-reinforced woofer driver supports the hearty 120-watt amplifier that can be controlled by an auto on/off function. The system includes table-top stands for front and rear speaker placements, along with keyhole mounts for the satellite speakers.

The SA-FT1 speaker system will be available in June for approximately $400.

The A/V receivers and the speaker system will be available through SonyStyle.com at SonyStyle retail stores and at authorized dealers nationwide.

SOURCE: Sony Electronics Inc.

CONTACT: Aaron Levine of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-8036,
aaron.levine@am.sony.com; or Brendan Mullin of Burson-Marsteller,
+1-212-614-4704, brendan_mullin@nyc.bm.com, for Sony Electronics Inc.

Web site: http://www.sonystyle.com/