Sony has announced a new, 8K AV amplifier with 4K/120Hz support and its novel 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology for home theatre enthusiasts who want to create a wider sound stage in their living rooms.
It’s called the Sony TA-AN1000 and it’s set to go on sale in the U.K. shops in June. According to the company, it’s a 7.20-channel amplifier that seems to sit neatly alongside the five AV receivers it announced for the U.S. market back in February. It has many of the same features, with the likes of Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG and IMAX Enhanced supported on the video side, while it offers Dolby Atmos and DTS:X on the audio side of the AV equation. That said, the headline features are the 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz support with Sony’s own 360 Spatial mapping tech, which helps to create “phantom speakers” that create a much wider listening space, resulting in a more cinematic experience for home viewers.
The 360 Spatial Mapping tech is supported by Sony’s Digital Cinema Auto Calibration IX software and an onboard microphone that serves to analyse the positional information from each speaker. Then, the software will adjust the sound for each one based on factors such as the distance to listeners, angle, sound pressure and frequency response, Sony said. Moreover, Sony’s Auto Phase Matching technology helps to further align each speaker, in order to get the best possible performance regardless of speaker placement, delay or phase shift.
Another feature is 360 Reality Audio, which helps to accurately deliver authentic live performance sounds. High-Resolution Audio and DSD support are also onboard, and there’s Bluetooth connectivity and several HDMI 2.1 ports for gamers seeking the very best 4K/120Hz experience, together with Variable Refresh Rates and Auto Low-Latency Mode. The amp also provides access to Spotify Connect, Chromecast, Apple Airplay 2 and Works with Sonos.
The TA-AN1000’s long list of features also includes pass-through Auto Genre Picture Mode and Auto HDR Tone Mapping for compatible TVs. These features should enable the amp to work in perfect harmony with Sony Bravia TVs with their Acoustic Centre Synch technology, which provides the option to align the TV and centre speaker for a “sound-from-screen” experience and much clearer dialogue. Sony also recommends its own wireless speakers, including the SA-RS5 and SA-RS3S, and its SA-SW5 and SASW37 subwoofers, saying that these all make perfect companions for the TA-AN1000.
Sony said the TA-AN1000 will arrive sometime in June, and though it hasn’t confirmed the price yet, it said it’ll be “approximately” £999.
