New Sony ES receivers and separates! (1 Viewer)

[MikeAlletto]

you will find that the STR-DA3ES is now $699 and 5ES is now $999. Not as cheap as Oade, but for now, still available.

About a month ago One Call quoted me a price of 700 (if I remember correctly) for a 5ES. I wasn't ready to buy yet though. Now with the maybe 7ES coming I think I'll wait a little longer.

 

[KeithH]

Ira, thanks for the information. The price drops on the 'DA3ES and 'DA5ES must have happened yesterday or today. Anyway, these price drops are a good indication that something is up at Sony. As I said in reply to Greg, I will be checking Crutchfield's web site daily.

 

[KeithH]

Kevin, I don't know if there is a major home-entertainment show in the US before the CES in January. When is CEDIA? That is a show I am not too familiar with.

 

[Craig_Kg]

I picked up the August 2002 issue of What Hi*Fi? (UK) last night. In it is an article highlighting some new Sony products for the UK market. Two new receivers are mentioned. One is the STR-DB780 (£299), which will be a 5.1-channel receiver. What Hi*Fi? says the 'DB780 is "a £299 model in Sony's QS range -- includes Dolby Pro-Logic II and uses new capacitors developed in-house." So, although Jim Oade said that according to his Sony sales rep., the 'DA1ES will be replace the 'DB1070, perhaps a new DB receiver is in the works for the US market. In the past, the same DB models have been offered in the US and UK.

Down here, I have heard that there 1070 will be replaced by the 1080 in a couple of months. Is it possible that Sony are playing name games and that the US DA1ES will be the same as the STR-DB1080 in the rest of the world? We currently have the DA5ES/VA555ES confusion and maybe they are now going to blur the QS and ES lines.

 

[KeithH]

Craig, anything is possible. For some reason, Sony likes to mix up model numbers for receivers depending on where they are sold. It just adds to the confusion that is already there with Sony. Last year, Sony marketed a 'V555ES worldwide. Now, there is a 'VA555ES everywhere, but North America. In North America, we have the 'DA5ES. Anyway, why go from 'V555ES to 'VA555ES? Whatever.
In the past, Sony has actually used the same model numbers worldwide within the DB series. Hopefully Sony will not start confusing matters now. Maybe Sony is going to offer a 'DB780 and 'DB1080. This past year, there was just one DB receiver, the 'DB1070. Maybe Sony is going back to two models. Perhaps at least one DB model will be released in the US. If the 'DA1ES is the US equivalent of a DB model, we would benefit due to the five-year ES warranty in the States.
Ira, what is really amazing about Crutchfield's recent price drop on the 'DA3ES is that is now priced the same as the 'DB1070! Both are $700! Boy, tough choice.

 

[KeithH]

For those of you in Europe, I did a search on Yahoo! for "STR-VA333ES" and found a link on Sony Germany's web site. Here is the link:
http://www.sony.de/press/consumer/020513_5.html
My German is rough (it's been years), but it looks like the 'VA333ES will be out in August. Since the 'VA555ES is the European version of the 'DA5ES, I wonder if the 'VA333ES is nothing more than the European version of the 'DA3ES.

 

[Matt Jesty]

CEDIA is the last weekend in sept. , I hope to find out more before then, but if not, I'll tell you what I find out then...I'll probably be there.....

 

[KeithH]

Matt, thanks for the info. That's exactly what I was looking for.

 

[Drew Bethel]

I just peeped a review form one of the British mags this weekend and they were ranting and raving about the 555ES, in fact they gave it better marks than the 3802.

 

[KeithH]

Drew, you are referring to the review article in the current issue of What Hi*Fi? out of the UK. I mentioned this article and highlighted key points in the following thread on the 'DA5ES:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=81752
In addition, the current issue of Hi-Fi Choice out of the UK has a similar article on comparably priced receivers. I highlighted this article in the 'DA5ES thread too. Hi-Fi Choice did not rate the 'VA555ES as favorably as What Hi*Fi? did. It's worth noting that the two magazines did not compare the same group of receivers. What Hi*Fi? tested the Sony 'VA555ES, Denon AVR-3802, Arcam AVR 200, and JVC RX-DP10RSL. Hi-Fi Choice tested the Sony 'VA555ES, Denon '3802, Arcam '200, Harman/Kardon AVR 5500, and Onkyo TX-DS696. The Onkyo and H/K receivers were very well received.

 

[KeithH]

I said in regards to What Hi*Fi?'s reporting of the forthcoming Sony STR-VA333ES:

I wonder if the 'VA333ES is nothing more than the European version of the 'DA3ES.

That was a stupid comment on my part. Since the 'VA555ES is the European version of the 'DA5ES, I was thinking that the 'VA333ES was a late-arriving European version of the 'DA3ES. Of course this is not the case. The 'DA3ES does not decode in 7.1 as What Hi*Fi? states the 'VA333ES will. The 'VA333ES represently a new design, which seems to be in line with information Jim Oade gave me last week about new models coming to the US.