Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

Sony’s slew of sweet new high-res audio gear takes aim at the practical enthusiast

Kris Wouk
By

A lot of companies will showcase an overwhelming pile of new products at CES, then release them at a steady trickle throughout the year. Sony, on the other hand, decided to forgo this approach, and quietly unveiled pricing and availability for a ton of different products in a blog post. The products range from Bluetooth speakers to hi-res home audio systems, with Sony’s multiroom system, SongPal, serving as a common thread.

A/V receivers & sound bars

Up first is Sony’s STR-DN1070 7.1-channel network A/V receiver ($600), which supports wireless multiroom playback. Name a popular streaming technology and it’s here, including Wi-Fi AirPlay, Bluetooth, Google Cast and Spotify Connect. High resolution audio playback is supported, including DSD 5.6 MHz/5.1ch, while on the video side, all six HDMI inputs support HDCP2.2 for top-tier 4K/60p and support for HDR content from major studios.

Recommended Videos

If you’re not as interested in all the various features, and just want a solid A/V receiver for your new 4K Ultra HD TV, the 7.2-channel STR-DH770 still offers all you need, but at a lower price point of just $350. As with the DN1070, this model offers six HDMI inputs with HDCP2.2 for 4K/60p playback, plus HDR support.

The STR-DN1070 is available now online and will be in stores beginning May 15, while the STR-HD770 is available online and in stores now.

If you’re not looking for a full home theater system but still want better sound than your TV’s built-in speakers can offer, the HT-NT5 TV sound bar might be worth a look. This bar offers high-res audio playback via Sony’s Super Tweeter Technology, and features Google Cast built in for easy wireless streaming via Wi-Fi. As for video passthrough, the sound bar supports HDCP 2.2, 4K and HDR playback via the HDMI input. The HT-NT5 is available online now and will be in stores May 15 for a retail price of $800.

Speakers

Sony’s SRS line of portable speakers launched a few years ago and has been seeing steady updates ever since, with the latest models being the SRS-ZR7 and SRS-ZR5. Both speakers feature Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for wireless connections and multiroom with the SongPal app, but they also feature something you don’t normally see in this type of speaker: an HDMI port, allowing them to be used with a television.

The SRS-ZR7 is the larger and louder of the two, retailing for $300, while the smaller SRS-ZR5 retails for $200. Both speakers are available online now, and will be on store shelves beginning May 15.

For those looking for something more than a Bluetooth speaker but with the same ease of use, Sony also offers the CAS-1 high-resolution home audio system. While it does offer Bluetooth, the CAS-1 is meant to truly shine when it’s playing high-res audio files from a computer or storage device, even doubling as a headphone amp in addition to playback via the built-in speakers. The CAS-1 retails for $1,000 and will be available in stores starting May 22, though it is already available online.

Audio / video players

Sony isn’t planning to release a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player until 2017, but the BDP-S6700 acts as something of a stopgap, upscaling high-definition content to “near-4K quality.” The unit also offers Bluetooth connectivity with LDAP and multiroom audio with SongPal, allowing CDs and music files played from USB devices to be streamed to multiple other devices. The BDP-S6700 is available now, and retails for $130.

For those looking for something that plays all your high-res physical media, Sony’s UHP-H1 player might be worth considering, as well. Sony says this is the company’s first “Hi-Res certified” Blu-ray player, offering playback for SA-CD, DVD-Audio, hi-res audio, and MP3s. The player also offers 4K/60p upscaling, as well as Bluetooth and multiroom via SongPal. The UHP-H1 isn’t yet available, and Sony is mum on specifics there, but the unit can be pre-ordered now for $350.

Finally, Sony’s PS-HX500 turntable is meant for vinyl collectors who might want to store their favorite recordings digitally — in fine fashion. The turntable can capture recordings in either DSD (up to 5.6 MHz) or WAV (up to 192 KHz/24-bit) format, and play them on any compatible high-res audio device. The PS-HX500 retails for $600, and is available online now, with in-store availability beginning May 22.

Most of Sony’s gear is either available now, or will be soon at Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers nationwide.

Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
The 11 best superhero movies of all time
Here's a short list to start your superhero movie binge
Tom Hardy and Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Need a break from real life? Here's a list of the best superhero films to binge. Choosing the best superhero films of all time is no easy task. Ask any fan of superheroes, whether it's the comics or films, and you're guaranteed to get a different list every time. Share your list with others, and the responses will include either nods of agreement, raised eyebrows, or blunt responses that you're dead wrong.
In compiling the list of best superhero films of all time, I tried to keep viewers of all ages and devotion to superhero cinema in mind. My original plan was to include Deadpool on the list until I realized there's an entire generation of movie fans still not allowed to watch the film because of its R-rating. The LEGO Batman Movie also appeared in my initial top choices, but the film felt out of place compared to the other films. (I still recommend LEGO Batman to everyone because it's darn hilarious.) Full disclosure: This list might change as we add and subtract films as they premiere and earn their spot on the list.
After much internal debate, I finally drilled down 11 superhero movie choices for both Marvel and D.C. with personal reasons for each selection. While thousands of fans likely won't agree with this list, few will argue that all these films are fantastic and worth multiple viewings. That said, here's my list of the best superhero movies of all time and where to watch them. Many are available on Disney Plus and Amazon Prime for your viewing for your convenience. Spoilers ahead.

11. Black Panther (2018)

Read more
How long should you let new cigars rest in a humidor?
Cigar humidor

Looking at those beautiful, oily cigars you've just unboxed or unwrapped, the calling to light up is real. I get it. I always want to smoke my cigars right away, too. But you shouldn't. Mail day is always exciting after you've ordered a slew of new cigars. When they arrive, the real fun begins. You'll probably need to organize your humidor to make the new sticks fit or arrange them for optimal humidification. As you're handling them, it's difficult to resist the temptation to crack open the cellophane or boxes and smoke one right away. While you can do that in most cases, I would recommend against it. Depending on where those cigars came from, where you live, and how they traveled, they might need a little time to rest in a humidor. They'll need to replenish some humidity and moisture or dry out a little.
How long should you let your new cigars rest?

When you put cigars in a humidor, especially one that's filled, they'll soak up and release humidity over time until they reach the average RH (relative humidity) that you have set inside your humidor. If you have a device like a that does this automatically, it will produce moisture and humidity to keep the levels optimal. You can also achieve the same thing with in smaller humidors, which release and soak up the humidity to match the levels on the label. Boveda packs come in a range of RH levels, from the low to mid-60s to the mid-70s.

Read more
The 11 best Kevin Costner movies, ranked
He has a full resume of films, but if you're a Costner fan, then you must see these movies
Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves

An all-American, blue-collar working man turned Hollywood essential, Kevin Costner has lived a life full of experience and dreams that some can only imagine. Starting out as a small kid -- 5'2" at high school graduation -- who moved around a lot, Costner was fond of things like poetry, writing, and singing in his Baptist choir. Outside of the arts, he was also very interested in sports of all kinds, which is reflected in his film career to this day. Also a man of the outdoors, Costner built his own canoe at 18 and paddled it through sections where Lewis and Clark ventured. Fun facts aside, Costner had a full and interesting life before the world got to know him as the charming and eloquent movie man we know him to be today.
From his past life, accomplishments, and hobbies, Costner was fully prepared to write, direct, and act for the screen as he fulfilled yet another lifelong dream. A man who was once called "The King of the Sports Movie," Costner has been able to act in films of a subject matter near and dear to his heart that became the films he is best known for. And that doesn’t include his many other successful movies having to do with politics, crime, and romance that also make for some of his best roles. Luckily, we’re here to talk about all of those films at once as we celebrate the man who has accomplished more in one lifetime than some could in many. Here are the best Kevin Costner movies of all time.

11. Open Range (2003)

Read more