Sony Pushes Value, Versatility in High-Res Audio Aimed at Smartphone Users
Sony released details of its latest high-resolution audio products Thursday that are designed to be easier to use, more affordable and versatile in playback -- all part of an effort to reach the generation of music customers accustomed to hearing compressed music on a portable audio device and give them an upgrade. The value-oriented products cover AV receivers, a Blu-ray theater system and loudspeakers, all priced well under $1,000. The speakers will be sold exclusively through Best Buy and Sony stores, while the other products will be sold throughout Sony’s authorized dealer channel, said Aaron Levine, product manager, at a product introduction for journalists in San Diego last week.
Sony is working with Best Buy, CEA, music labels and other audio companies to spread the high-res message and give the traditional music customer who’s looking for a step-up product a reason to “make the leap into the category,” Levine said. It also has been holding high-res audio events with specialty dealers to spread the word and reports sell-through success with customers who have been sold on better sound quality. It’s not clear how customers will get convincing demos at Best Buy stores, or through Bestbuy.com, which will also be selling Sony high-res audio gear. When we asked Best Buy plans how it plans to merchandise and demo audio products in stores, a company spokesman said in an email only, “Yes, we will be selling new Sony speakers in nearly all Best Buy stores and online at BestBuy.com.”
Sony classifies high-res as any music format above CD-quality 44.1 kHz/16-bit, but there’s an additional subjective element to the definition, Levine said. In addition to the specs, Sony determines high-res based on listening sessions with its engineering team to determine whether products “meet our internal definitions for quality,” said Jeff Hiatt, director-home audio in the home entertainment and sound group. “We're trying to be as agnostic as possible” with the 44.1 minimum requirement, he said, “but there is an experience that needs to be considered as part of that.” Factors such as build structure and components help to create better performance, he said. Sony high-res products support a range of formats and resolutions in what Levine also called its agnostic approach to high-resolution audio.
The new high-res AVR models, the STR-DN1050 ($599) and STR-DN850 ($499), incorporate Wi-Fi, AirPlay and Bluetooth, with near field communication added for quicker setup for streaming from compatible Android devices, Levine said. Built-in music services include Music Unlimited, Pandora, Spotify and TuneIn, some of which are new additions to the Sony receiver lineup, Levine said. The STR-DN1050 supports formats up to Direct Stream Digital resolution, and the STR-DN850 supports up to 192 kHz/24-bit WAV.FLAC, Sony said. To enable the wider frequency range of high-resolution music, the receivers incorporate a more stable and optimized chassis, a high-capacity transformer and large capacitors, he said.
The receivers include the new SongPal app, for iOS and Android devices, which gives second-screen capability to users who want to control the music portion of the receiver without having to turn on the TV to see the GUI. Having been “stuck in the world of how can we work better with television,” Sony developed the audio-centric SongPal app, a “cross-category” platform that will work across all of Sony’s sound-related products, including wireless speaker docks and soundbars, Levine said. He called SongPal scalable and said the app “recognizes and talks to the product it’s connected to” once the two have synchronized. SongPal works over Bluetooth, AirPlay or Wi-Fi and gives AVR owners using a second zone the ability to control both zones via a mobile device.
Sony also revamped its remote controls in the new generation of receivers, ditching the 0-10 numeric and the shift buttons, and downsizing the total number of buttons from 65 to 34, Levine said. The goal was to simplify the remote so it can be used by the entire household and not solely by the enthusiast who’s not intimidated by the technology, he said. The new remotes have “watch” and “listen” buttons, which, when pressed, trigger related function buttons to appear so users aren’t faced with buttons they don’t need, he said.
A high-res all-in-one home theater system, the 1200-watt 5.1-channel BDV-N7200W, includes a Blu-ray player and wireless surround-sound speakers and a subwoofer. The system supports 4K and 3D pass-through, has built-in Wi-Fi and supports streaming services including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Music Unlimited, Pandora and Spotify. The system supports high-res audio via a front-panel USB port.
Loudspeakers supporting the mainstream high-res audio rollout include floor-standing SS-CS3s ($239 each), SS-CS5 bookshelf models ($219 per pair), a center-channel SS-CS8 ($169) and the SA-CS9 subwoofer ($239). The speakers’ crossovers have been tweaked to better handle the wider frequency range of high-res audio content, Levine said. They include a wide dispersion super tweeter derived from Sony’s AR and ES series speakers to deliver a wider soundstage, and the speaker cabinets have extra bracing to minimize unwanted resonance, Levine said.