The Sony STR-DN1020 7.2 3D Blu-ray Disc A/V Receiver has been getting some serious hype in AV circles and now Ive had a chance to play with it first hand I can certainly understand why. On paper the spec is second to none, but anyone around AV gear for a decent amount of time knows that you often see amazing specs on products that turn out to be less than stellar in the final analysis. So does the Sony STR-DN1020 deserve its hype? Lets find out…

The Sony STR-DN1020 is on first appearance pretty solid and “brick like” in appearance. Its a hefty piece of gear weighing in at just over 24 pounds, the faceplate mounted controls are satisfying to the touch, solid and with satifying clicks on the buttons and smooth movement of the dials just as I’ve come to expect from SONY products at this level.

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The spec sheet for the Sony STR-DN1020 sports pretty much all the same features as the other STR models (STR-DH720, STR-DH520, STR-DH820) but it has a few extra bells and whistles not least of which is its excellent 7.2 discrete amp channels each of which handles 110 watts, and handles that power very well producing less than 1% THD for a very smooth and clear signal even at very high volumes. Some of the other things I should probably point out are the STR-DN1020 video pasthrough feature which works not only for traditional HDMI signals but also for the laterst generation of 3d video, a real boon if 3d is your thing. The unit also has second zone handling not only for audio but for video too, this is really an excellent idea and a cut abouve most receivers at this price point. Audio return channel (ARC) support is also included allowing you to keep the cabling clutter in your AV system to a minimum. The STR-DN1020 also has all the usual back panel features weve come to expect from an AV Receiver of this calibre (Ethernet, 4 HDMI ins, iPod/iPhone compatible USB port, etc) all in all it can handle pretty much any signal format or device type you care to connect it to, with the odd exception of THX.

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Setup for the Sony STR-DN1020 is while not 100% obvious still made fairly simple by a well designed graphical interface and menuing system, there are no real bloopers here and the STR-DN1020 features the now obligatory auto speaker configuration & adjustment menu (Sonys own DCAC) which does a solid job of getting the systems acoustic right for your room size and shape.

In operation I found the STR-DN1020 to be both easy & pleasing to use, the menuing system and remote have a nice design and overall “feel” in use. Sonically the STR-DN1020 is extremely strong, channel separation and power handling on the STR-DN1020 are such that you receive a truly immersive home cinema experience I found the soundstaging on the STR-DN1020 to be particularly good and the overall sound quality on Blu-Ray and other AV media is excellent, maintaining a very solid and controlled bass end with a smooth and natural mid range even at high volumes. Playback from stereo music sources (iPod,CD,etc) is not to my mind as well handled as you would get from a dedicated stereo audio system but to be honest this is a very minor niggle and the stereo reproduction you will receive is likely to be solid enough for most.

Visually the STR-DN1020 is clear and colourful on modern sources, managing to be bright but without ever seeming over the top, blacks are deep and natural colours are lush and well handled. Streaming from PC and the other sources we tried was very well handled and kept the lush quality of locally connected sources (No mean feat). It would appear that the team at sony have also refined their up-scaling algorithms over the last few years as the STR-DN1020 will definitely breathe new life into your DVD collection. Honestly the STR-DN1020 really impressed me in its ability to make older sources seem better than they are. All in all the Sony STR-DN1020 is an excellent product and as long as you don’t absolutely positively have to have THX I have no reservations in suggesting you check it out. Great work from Sony.

Manufacturers Specs & Features
3D video pass-through with analog video upconversion (Faroudja DCDi Edge)
iPhone/iPod video and music playback via USB
Graphical user interface
4 HDMI Inputs
Upconvert/Upscale from analog to 1080p via HDMI (Faroudja DCDi Edge)
HDMI standby pass-through allows access to all HDMI connected devices without having to power on the receiver
BRAVIA Sync Capable
24p True Cinema (pass-through)
DLNA certification + PC and external HDD streaming
Digital Cinema Auto Calibration room correction system
second zone audio and video
RRP:$499.00 (Check Amazon for Current Pricing)

Connections
4 HDMI In
1 USB (Front)
1 HDMI Monitor out
1 Component Video Out
1 HDMI out
1 Ethernet Port
3 analog A/V in
5 Component Video in
2 Pre Out(Subwoofer)
2 Analog Audio In
1 Coax.
2 Optical In/Out/TV

Here at HiFi reviews we try to not only cover the latest and greatest top end stuff but also the more reasonably priced and neophyte friendly gear for the average consumer with that in mind we were glad to take receipt of a pair of brand spanking new Sony ss-f6000 Floorstanding Speakers to put on test early in the new year. The first impression you get is that the ss-f6000 stand actually quite tall coming to about waist height (38 inches) when floor mounted, some users may like to put the ss-f6000s on some risers depending on the eventual listening position they will be taking.

With the grills on the sony ss-f6000s are actually quite simple in look, squared off and minimalist in appearance removing the grills makes them far more attractive to my mind displaying the business end of these babys. On display you get a black 2.5cm tweeter and then an 8cm Kevlar mid top cone and two 16cm cones one for mid bass and then the woofer, these three sporting a rather nice looking white ringed cone section. All of these components look attractive and feel solid.

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Once I hooked up and calibrated the ss-f6000s, I found that sony speakers gave me far better quality than one can reasonably expect for the price being paid. It really does seem that the quality of components at this price level is consistently creeping up year on year. The results I obtained from Blu-ray, DVD, and from my Logitech Squeezebox Touch were all universally excellent.

The ss-f6000s could be said to have a clear, and well balanced but quite rich sound. Occasionally on “sharper” passages of music the can be ever so slightly bright, but never to the point of annoyance and nothing that 1 or 2 dB of EQ cut in the 4kHz range couldn’t sort out. They can also handle a solid amount of power (180w @ 8 Ohms) though at extremely high volumes the ss-f6000s lost their control a little, but to be honest this is as much as can be expected for such a budget set of speakers. I found the bass end was quite controlled and not insubstantial, if you are going to deploy these as part of a normal mid range stereo system then you are very likely to be able to get away without a separate sub woofer. Though I would still probably suggest one as part of an AV surround system.

In summation if you are in the market for a decent quality budget pair of 4 way bass reflex speakers that can handle a hell of a lot of power the Sony ss-f6000s are a great choice and In my estimation are quite capable of outperforming some speakers that have double the RRP.

Manufacturers Details

SS-F6000 speakers
Speaker Type 4 Way magnetically Shielded
Enclosure Type: Bass Reflex
Woofer: 16 cm, cone type
Woofer: 16 cm, cone type
Midrange: 8 cm, cone type
Tweeter: 2.5 cm, balanced dome type

Power Handling: 180 w @ 8 ohms
Freq response: 40hz – 50,000hz
Weight:12.2kg
Dimensions:  215 x 950 x 260.5 mm
List Price: $250.00 (Check Amazon for Current Pricing)