Sony Surprises With Five New 8K Receivers

Sony has surprised us with five new receivers, including a replacement to its award-winning STR-DN1080. The new receivers are equipped with features like 4K/120Hz and wireless connectivity to Sony's rear speakers and subwoofers.

Sony's lineup has lacked receivers for several years, and the company's remedied this with the STR-AN1000 ($900), STR-AZ1000ES ($1,100), STR-AZ3000ES ($1,700), STR-AZ5000ES ($2,100) and STR-AZ7000ES ($3,300).

These Dolby Atmos and DTS:X receivers have dedicated HDMI 2.1 inputs with 4K/120Hz and 8K compatibility. They're able to wirelessly connect to the company's range of wireless rears and subwoofers.

The STR-AN1000 is a 7.2 Ch receiver with six HDMI inputs, including two 8K inputs and support for video standards such as Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG. The AN1000's predecessor, the STR-DN1080 receiver, was my CNET Editor's Choice for many years, but the product predated features like 4K/120Hz and Sony's own 360 Reality Audio, so it was eventually discontinued.

The STR-DN1080 offered the best connectivity I'd ever seen in a receiver at the time, and the AN1000 and the rest of the range tops it. The new model's connections include: Bluetooth, AirPlay, Chromecast Built-In, Spotify Connect and Roon Tested. Sony also joins Onkyo in offering Works with Sonos compatibility -- connect a Sonos Port and you can control the receiver via the Sonos app.

The receivers offer a number of center speaker technologies, including Center Speaker Lift Up to center the dialogue on your screen, and Acoustic Center Sync which uses the Bravia TV's speaker.