It’s a good day to be an audiophile, that’s for sure. This time of the year is always very exciting as most consumer electronics companies are flooding the market with new products. Sony is really turning up the heat with their audio announcements – not only did they launch a really high-end Super Audio CD unit today – they have delivered three unbelievable HD-oriented receivers. The TA-DA5400ES, TA-DA3400ES, and STR-DG820 are all stunning examples of Sony quality, and two of the said models unfortunately have a funny acronym-filled name to boot – “TA-DA”. Sony’s true goal here is to finally deliver some real high-end products to compliment your high definition theater.
The two ES models will also include Sony’s popular XMB interface.
Let’s take a look at the highest end model first – the TA-DA5400ES:
The TA-DA5400ES is a beast; it features 6 HDMI inputs and 2 HDMI outputs that should be able to handle just about any home theater configuration. The inputs and outputs are staggering: 3 Component inputs and 1 Component output, 2 DMPORT inputs, 6 minijack optical inputs, 3 Coax digital inputs, and at least 10 analog inputs. The DA5400ES also includes a Multi-channel (7.1) input and Pre Out. Speakers are covered too as it supports Surround (front and rear), L/R and center. While the outputs for the speakers are rated at 120W, it can max out at 150W all the way around (840W total).
Sony’s third generation power amplifier, 32bit DSD-DAC conversion feature, HATS (High quality digital Audio Transmission System) for HDMI are several features that are the first of its kind included in this model. Power consumption is 300W while standby mode is far less at 0.9W. Dimensions are stated to be W430 × H175 × D430mm and it weighs 17kg (aka 34 pounds).
Expect to see this in Japan on November 20th and similar release dates worldwide. Suggested retail is 262,500Y. Here is a shot of the TA-DA5400ES from behind:
Next up is the TA-DA3400ES, a model that is the sibling of the TA-DA5400ES but doesn’t lack much in features.
The TA-DA3400ES has 4 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output; 1 DMPORT; 3 Component inputs and 1 Component output; 4 digital optical inputs with 3 Coax digital inputs and 1 digital optical output. Stats are generally the same as the DA5400ES but it does lack several of the aforementioned innovative features. Power consumption is rated at 250W and standby should only use 0.9W. Speakers output is 100W, but will max out at 150W (700W total). Dimensions are W430 × H157.5 × D388mm and it weighs 13kg (aka 28.6 pounds). The TA-DA3400ES will also be released on November 20th and has a suggested retail price of 136,500Y. Here’s a nice shot of the back of this unit:
Lastly, Sony Japan announced a nice model for the budget conscious, the STR-DG820. This unit is already available in the United States, and we are working to confirm if this is a refresh of the current model or not.
This model is very similar to the TA-DA3400ES (similar number of HDMI and Component I/O; severely less analog and speaker options) but obviously lacks the ES designation and therefore lacks the high quality components and functionality. This model could still be a major home run for Sony if it is priced attractively. The rated output of the STR-DG820 is 85W, but maxes out at 150W. Power consumption is the lowest out of all three at 145W and standby is 0.9W. Dimensions are W430 × H157.5 × D318mm and it weighs 8.3kg (aka 18.3 pounds). As noted above the STR-DG820 is currently available, so learn more about it through Google or SonyStyle.
