All the new receivers have been built from scratch with brand new components - even the solder used in the circuitboards has been changed.
Extra effort has been made to reduce the effects of internal vibrations on the new chassis.
The STR-DG820 features 1080p/24fps passthrough, but no video upscaling or upconversion (contrary to the information we were originally told by Sony). The receiver also supports Deep Colour and x.v.Colour technology.
The remote control is similar in look and feel to that of the W series LCD TVs.
An on-screen display is provided, but there's no display output to your TV or projector.
The entry-level STR-DG520 has very basic specification (not surprising, given its highly-affordable price) and some of the main differences between it and the STR-DG820 are:
No A+B speaker selection
No AV input on the front
Two HDMI inputs as opposed to four on the STR-DG820
No HD audio decoding or LPCM via HDMI
No Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES, DTS 96/24 decoding, just standard Dolby Digital and DTS
No Deep Colour x.vColour compatibility
We're just waiting for the specification of the ES models to come through, but as soon as we have them to hand we'll get the information posted on the website.
One last thing. Sony dropped off another piece of kit that we're sure you'll be interested in. But can you guess what it is? We'll be divulging top-secret information on this product on August 1st. So, be sure to check the website for another What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision exclusive.
UPDATE – Well, we've been going through the specifications of Sony's new ES receivers with a fine-toothed comb and we've finally compiled a list of the main specs for each of the new models.
Strangely there's no mention of multichannel analogue inputs, but we'd surprised if the new models didn't at least offer 5.1 analogue inputs.
Needless to say, we can't wait to get our hands on them. In the meantime, stay tuned for an in-depth review of the £300 STR-DG820. We'll post it online in the next couple of days.
STR-DA5400ES £1500
6 HDMI inputs, 2 HDMI outputs
Auto AV Sync with some Bravia TVs – automatically delays sound so you get picture and sound simultaneously
31Band Graphic Equaliser and stereo mic for auto-calibration
120W x 7 channels
Upconverts
Upscales to 1080p
DSD (Direct Stream Digital) compatibility for use with an SACD player
Top-Grade GUI
GUI blending up to HDMI
2nd room GUI
Multi-language GUI
Two Digital Media Ports
Digital audio up-sampling to 192kHz
Upscales to 1080p
Upconverts
Bravia Sync
Portable Audio Enhancer Plus
Learning remote control
STR-DA3400ES £700
100W x 7 channels
Supports all HD Audio formats
Upscales to 1080p
Upconverts
4 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI output
Top-Grade GUI
Multi-language GUI
GUI blending up to component video
Bravia Sync
Portable Audio Enhancer Plus
Learning remote control
STR-DA2400ES £500
100W x 7 channels
Upconverts
Upscales to 1080p
Supports all HD Audio formats
4 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI output
New GUI
GUI blending up to component video
Digital Media Port
Bravia Sync
Standard remote
Portable Audio Enhancer Plus
Learning remote control
