Sony has announced three new AV receivers to be added to its ES line-up, but it’s not giving up any details. What we do know is the new receivers are going to offer lossless audio decoding for Blu-Ray, a real GUI, and Sirius/XM compatibility. Hit the link for more info on wattage, inputs, and so on.
We can say with some confidence the Sony STR-DA2400ES, the entry-level version, should be out in July. It will pump out 100 watts per channel, have four HDMI inputs, and dumbed-down version of Sony’s GUI. It’s expected to retail for $800.
If your looking from something to impress your friends with you will have to wait till August when the Sony STR-DA3400ES and Sony STR-DA4400ES hit the market. Sony is hinting that these higher models will have the GUI that functions like the ones for the PSP, PS3, and newer Sony TVs.
The 3400ES will feature a 12-volt trigger, IR repeater, and composite video output to a second zone, all of which I’m sure you’ll appreciate if you know what they are. It should retail for around $1000.
The big papa of the group, the 4400ES, will be a 120 watt powerhouse with six HDMI inputs. You will be able to watch two video inputs simultaneously and have HD video sent to a second zone. Expect to pay around $1,500 when this bad boy finally drops.
The last update Sony did to this series was received with mixed reviews. We will keep you posted on how this new set turns out.
