Brand new Sony STRAZ5000es

So I have been considering many AVR's for my system. I went round and round with all the different brands, comparing features power and price points.

Just recently Pioneer Elite dropped their prices a bit and that was almost a green light to get one. But the new Sony ES line after looking over everything they changed and improved on from the prior line which I had a STRZA5000es and it was pretty fantastic with a few flaws but overall a great performer. I decided to grab the new 5000.

I got it 2 days ago, Installed it , calibrated and started going through all the new features etc. I listened to some music as if it didn't perform well for music, I would return it. I also watched TV shows and did normal everyday things we do in our family room. last night I watched Mortal Kombat.

So what I have noticed so far is that it has a similar sound quality to the last generation. Warm smooth and clear. What is different is it's a bit more punchy. It has better dynamic range.

Sony released a new format or DSP if you will called Spatial 360. I'm all out on any gimmick so this wasn't something I was interested in at all. But for the sheer hell of it , just like when you own your first Yamaha Receiver and got through the 10000 DSP sound modes , I decided to try it. Well damn, it kinda reminded me of the first time I head Atmos how full and free moving it is. Sony's new 360 mode is pretty damn fantastic for now. I'm waiting for the honeymoon phase to wear off and then after living with this thing for awhile, see if it's still fantastic or is it just like one of the 10000 DSP modes Yamaha gives you.

Music it's pretty impressive. Again warm clear full is what keeps coming to mind when I listen. Almost like the first time you experience a high end Denon or Marantz , it has that warmth to it very comfortable if you will. But it still has excellent high end detail. I'm currently running my Focal's but I'm very tempted to bring up my Def Tech Mythos ST towers and see how they sound on this. I really liked the combo when I had the last gen 5000 and with this being more punchy and powerful, I think that might be a good fit.

The difference this year is the Power supply and Capasitors. They have been updated and polished. It shows when you turn up the volume. It also feels more in control like the Dampening factor has been increased. I have not seen any spec's so I'm just assuming it's increased but he control of the speakers I'm noticing.

There are some negatives I found that are left over from the last gen model.

The volume control.
Sony has this slow at first ramping speed and then goes into overdrive. If you press and hold the volume up, it will start a slow ramp then take off faster then you want it to. I hated that then, I hate it now. I know how to ramp without blowing myself out of the room, but it's just as annoying as it has been.

Manual Calibration.
Yeah I use the Auto calibration but I'm old school and still like to manually do a calibration. When you start your test tone generator, it doesn't go to reference volume. For me that's annoying. I much prefer the way Integra does it , THX style and gives you a countdown to Reference volume to start your calibration.

Order of Speaker setup.
Most probably wouldn't even notice this but as a professional calibrator, I like to do things in a order like Size , Crossover points etc. Sony has a out of order feel to it and I hate it. I feel like I got to skip around to get things set up. Not the biggest deal just annoying to me.

There is another thing I noticed that I didn't know up front and that is the feature WORKS WITH SONOS. So some of us in here have Sonos systems and most likely are going to have a Sonos Connect or Port in their Surround system. I do and have 9 other Zones in my home. Well my Connect is a S1 unit and guess what? It doesn't work with the new WORKS WITH SONOS Feature. My last gen Sony did all day. So now I have to buy a Port so I can retain my Sonos flow around my house OR I have to manually turn on my Receiver , switch to the CD or AUX input and then listen to Sony . Boo Hoo first world problems I know but I have a lot of Sonos amps and don't want to upgrade to a full Sonos S2 just yet. I don't rock the entire house enough to invest thousands of dollars into my Sonos system again. I prefer to spend that money on other things like a Center and Surrounds by Focal and replace my Def Techs.