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Akihabara News: With a dedicated model for every need, Sony new Speakers for the European market are tailored to give you the best from your computer audio system.

These new models includes the compact SRS-A3 a 2Ch 5W speaker with 57mm driver units as well as the SRS-D4 a 2.1Ch system with a total output of 27W and 46mm Driver unit on the satellite speakers and 95mm on the Subwoofer and finally the SRS-D5, another 2.1Ch system with a 40W output and 60mm Driver units on its pair of satellite speakers and 115mm on its Subwoofer.

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HotHardware: It seems that the high-end home theater trend has started to fizzle somewhat, but those that have already invested in a home cinema of their own are obviously interested in keeping it up. Sony has been a big player in this particular market for some time now, and with this very company being a huge proponent of 3D from the start, it’s no surprise to see 3D as one of the standout features on their new line of A/V receivers.
The 3D compatible models, which are now available for pre-sale at www.sonystyle.com, include the STR-DN1020, STR-DH820, STR-DH720, and STR-DH520 AV receivers.  Starting under $500, all models will be available this spring The flagship STR-DN1020 receiver is a gateway to streaming music with access to Internet audio services including Slacker and vTuner when connected to an existing broadband home network through the model’s Ethernet port. There’s also a 7.2 channel amplifier and support for Sony’s Remote Remote app, which turns an iPod, iPhone or Android device into a remote.

The line also has HDMI 3D pass-through, an audio return channel, six HD inputs, Dolby TrueHD, BRAVIA Sync and plenty of other amenities. The full spread is listed below.

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iPodNN: Sony on Wednesday revamped its AV receivers for 2011 with four seven-channel models that lean heavily on the purely digital side of media. Aside from the entry DH520, the DH720, DH820 and DN1020 all take in iPhone or iPod audio through at least USB and, with the DH820 and DN1020, through a bundled dock. The DN1020 as the flagship is also designed for Internet radio from the start and will pipe Slacker or vTunes when linked up over Ethernet.

The Internet connection gives the range leader support for Sony’s iOS and Android remote control apps.

Features scale rapidly between models and spread from basic home theater support. The DH520 puts out 100W of power per channel through its 7.1-channel output and will take in 3D and standby mode delivery through any of its four HDMI inputs; two component inputs are also available. Along with iPhone and iPod USB support, moving to the DH720 ups the power per channel to 105W and adds upgraded sound processing, auto calibration, as well as a Faroudja DCDi Edge that upscales analog video to 1080i.

The DH820 increases power again to 110W per channel and can support a second subwoofer. It bundles the expected dock and adds a third component input. Output is improved a second time with a Digital Legato Linear audio component, automatic phase matching and support for a second zone of audio with synchronized output for parties.

At the top, the DN1020 has the same power as the DH820 but brings in the networking and a sound optimizer.

All but the DN1020 will be available in March at prices of $230, $300 and $400 starting from the low end. Sony is anticipating shipping its best model a month later for $500.

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DVICE: Who wants a separate DVR? With three new models of Sony TVs, you won’t need one, as they come with 500GB hard drives built right in. Not enough? You can expand them via external hard drives.

All three models are 1080p LED LCD TVs and come in 40-inch, 32-inch and 22-inch varieties. Those hard drives will be able to store up to 65 hours of HD programming, which should keep you set for a while. They’re coming to Japan first, but they may end up on these shores soon enough as well.

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In the midst of a hall packed with countless car audio and multimedia devices were the latest offerings to come from major brands such as Pioneer, Kenwood and Sony. While some brands appear to have followed more of an evolutionary path than revolutionary, others, like Sony, have revealed new head units with substantially more technology than was available just last year.

Sony teams up with TomTom
Sony’s flagship navigation unit for 2011 comes in the form of the XNV-770BT, which is an all-new device that features fully integrated TomTom-based navigation and maps and a removable cartridge. This is an example of a revolutionary product for Sony, as there was no product in 2010 that shared the XNV’s approach to navigation.

This unit is also motorized for flip-out action, but still takes up a full two-din space and features a seven-inch WVGA touch screen. As expected, this model also features iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as four-volt pre-outs and a built-in amp.

The XNV-770BT retails for $1,299.95 and is available now.

Pioneer goes bananas for Apple
While Sony decided to team up with TomTom for its latest navigation head unit, Pioneer decided to turn its flagship navigation units into extensions of the iPhone – essentially creating user-friendly docking stations that can make use of the many apps already developed for the mobile phone.

While iPhone’s navigation feature might function well for a walk downtown, or in the hands of a passenger relaying the information, Pioneer decided to integrate the iPhone into its AVIC-Z130BT and AVIC-X930BTin-dash navigation models so that the driver could utilize smartphone connectivity to Aha Radio for Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, traffic, podcasts, Pandora internet radio and App Mode.

“By providing a larger touchscreen unit installed in the dash that features a user interface specifically designed for the automotive environment and complemented by voice control features, we reduce the risk of distraction while driving,” said Ted Cardenas, director of marketing for the car electronics division of Pioneer.

The higher-end model of the two, the AVIC-Z130BT, also features 4 GB of flash memory, a seven-inch WVGA touch screen display, a 3D graphics accelerator, DVD playback and more.

The AVIC-X930BT will be available in March, while the AVIC-Z130BT will be available in April for suggested prices of $800 and $1,200, respectively.

Kenwood kicks it up a notch for 2011
For its 2011 lineup Kenwood has a broad range of models, with traditional single-din units as well as double-din navigation devices. Kenwood decided to take a similar route to both Sony and Pioneer – combined – by creating the DNX9980HD flagship navigation unit that features both iPhone integration as well as outside help from a navigation specialist or two with Germin navigation and Navteq Traffic integration.

Other key features for the device include a 6.95-inch WVGA motorized screen, voice recognition, HD radio, five-volt pre-outs and a 5.1-channel surround sound processor with DTA control.

This unit will retail for $2,00 and is expected to hit shelves in March of this year.

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Engadget: We haven’t heard much about Sony’s HomeShare wireless networking protocol since the initial buzz in 2008, but based on today’s announcements, it’s fairly clear that Sony intends to ramp things up in 2011. The SA-NS300 and SA-NS400 are two new wireless network speakers designed to broadcast tunes from a variety of sources such as DLNA-enabled PCs or BRAVIA internet music services found on Sony’s latest Blu-ray players. iPhones and iPods can join in on the streaming fun when placed in HomeShare compatible NAS-SV20i and NAC-SV10i docks. Since all of these components go beyond the realm of your average IR controller, Sony has kindly released the HomeShare-friendly touch screen RMN-U1 Wi-Fi universal remote, too. Using its activity-based control options, the remote allows those invested in the HomeShare system to send music throughout their network and a view a variety of eye-candy — you know, like album art. Even more interesting is that Sony says all of the components will be available this March for between $200 and $300 depending on the device, which is far below the four figure price points of its early HomeShare gear.

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T3.com: If you have a new 3D TV, you probably ought to consider a new sound system – come on, it’s only money; you can’t take it with you. There are plenty of audio options out there, from all-in-one systems and soundbars with built-in Blu ray decks, to speaker combos for those who own a Blu-ray player. Here are five of the best.

Best: Pure quality
Samsung HT-C9950W
£1,800
Love: Innovative design. Audio and visual prowess
Hate: Very expensive
 

Best: Convenience
Pioneer HTP-200
£500
Love: Convenient and quick to set up
Hate: No on-screen menus. Cheap design
 

Best: Sound quality
Denon AVR-1911 & KEF KHT8005
£1,400 (£400 + £1,000
Love: Awesome sound quality. Feature packed
Hate: High total price
 

Best: Internet content
Sony BDV-E370
£450
Love: Internet extras. Streaming. Clear audio
Hate: Dull looks. Poor sub
 

Best: Extra features
Panasonic SC-BFT800
£700
Love: Space-saving design. Wireless sub. Wide range of features
Hate: No surround sound. Lacks a certain punch

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T3: Blu-ray players should be big sellers this Christmas, helped by increased availability of films and lower prices – a state-of-the-art deck now comes in at under £300. With cutting-edge features such as media streaming, web access and 3D compatibility these ones are future-proofed and offer a genuine alternative to a PS3.

See below for our pick of the best decks available this festive season.

Best: Value for money
Toshiba BDX2100
£100
Love: Cheap. Easy to use. Fast disc loading
Hate: Light on features
Read the full review  

Best: High-end features
Sony BDP-S570
£230
Love: Very strong picture quality. Quick disc loading. N Wi-Fi built in. 3D ready. Easy to use
Hate: Not cheap
Read the full review

Best: Media streaming
LG BD570
£170
Love: Well designed. N Wi-Fi. 2D picture quality. Extensive file support
Hate: Sluggish menus. Limited Net Cast content
Read the full review  

Best: 3D deck
Panasonic DMP-BDT100
£250
Love: 3D ready. Picture quality. Ease of use.
Hate: No built-in Wi-Fi. Limited Viera Cast content. Expensive
Read the full review  

Best: Sound quality
Yamaha BD-S667
£270
Love: Very good picture and sound quality
Hate: No Wi-Fi or 3D mean it feels expensive
Read the full review

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TG Daily: Is the venerable Steve Jobs and his trusty band of acolytes plotting a hostile takeover or acquisition of Sony with Club Cupertino’s $51 billion war chest?

Although many analysts doubt that such a deal would ever take place, reports of a potential acquisition sent Sony stocks up nearly three percent at one point.

Unsurprisingly, Sony has declined to comment on the rumors, which were kickstarted by a recent Barron’s report endorsing the plausibility of an acquisition engineered and executed by Apple.

As AppleInsider’s Sam Oliver notes, another possible source for the frenetic rumors may be a recent Bloomberg interview with former Apple CEO John Sculley.

“I remember (Sony co-founder) Akio Morita gave us one of the first Sony Walkmans. None of us had ever seen anything like that before, because there had never been a product like that,” Sculley told Bloomberg.

“This was 25 years ago and Steve was fascinated by it. The first thing he did was take it apart, and he looked at every single part. How the fit and finish was done, how it was built.”

However, despite Steve’s obvious admiration for Sony, Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Rodman & Renshaw, remains convinced that Apple has absolutely no intention of buying the Japanese-based company.

“We [really] don’t see any acquisitions of any size,” Kumar told Reuters.

“[Firstly], Apple is happy to keep its cash under the pillow. [And secondly], it would [obviously] be a [clear] cultural miss.”

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The Audiophiliac: I’ve reviewed a bunch of midpriced receivers over the past few months, and came away impressed by the quality of all of them. Pioneer’s VSX-1020 was an immediate front-runner, and I love the Marantz NR1601′s rich sound. Yamaha’s RX-V667 was no slouch, but Sony’s STR-DN1010 didn’t thrill me as much as the others. The receivers all carry MSRPs between $500 and $600; street prices are $100 or so less.

So it was the Denon AVR-1911 that took top honors, it just sounded better to my ears than the others. Bass definition was superb; upper treble clarity and resolution led the pack. I didn’t have all of the contenders on hand to directly compare with the AVR-1911; just the Marantz NR1601 and the Pioneer VSX-1020. The Pioneer was the brightest and in some ways the most detailed-sounding, and I felt its front-to-rear imaging was the clearest, but the NR1601 and AVR-1911 both sounded more powerful. The grenade explosions and gunfire in the “Black Hawk Down” Blu-ray had greater impact, and dialog sounded more naturally balanced over the AVR-1911.

I also felt, literally, the Denon’s bass control and power was the best of the three receivers. Not only that, the AVR-1911′s treble purity and “air” on “Goldberg Variations Acoustica,” a jazz interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations was well above average for a midpriced receiver. This Blu-ray’s Dolby TrueHD sound is a great test for speakers and electronics, and the AVR-1911 decoded the drummer’s cymbals and percussion instruments with remarkable finesse.

A side benefit of the AVR-1911′s high-frequency resolution was that it had the best soundstage depth of the three receivers. That is, on a great recording like the “Goldberg” disc, the soundstage of the front left, center, and right channels seemed to simultaneously project farther forward and behind the plane of the three speakers. That spacious quality was also evident on the better-sounding movies, like “Master and Commander.”

I felt the AVR-1911′s charm was just as apparent on CDs; the receiver’s soundstage depth and dimensionality on Barbra Streisand’s “Live at the Village Vanguard” was ahead of all the other receivers. The Denon AVR-1911 is the best-sounding midpriced receiver I’ve heard this year.

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Übergizmo: Sony’s an old hand when it comes to home theater systems, and their offerings while not high end, are enough to satisfy most people out there. Their latest offering would be the BDV-F7 home theater system which will target beginners who do not want to spend time figuring out how to set up a 5.1 surround sound configuration, preferring to use those precious minutes watching their favorite movie instead. Apart from that, the BDV-F7 comprises of a sound bar, a subwoofer and a Blu-ray player to make life a whole lot easier.

Don’t be fooled by its sound bar, since it is the equivalent of two speakers crammed into a long, slim design, and won’t have any trouble residing under your TV. As for its Blu-ray player, it is 3D ready so don’t worry about watching the latest 3D blockbusters in the comfort of your own home – just make sure you have enough active shutter glasses to go around.A Wi-Fi adapter is thrown into the mix for you to connect it to your home’s wireless broadband network so that all can access or stream movies from Netflix, Pandora and YouTube among others. No idea on an official release date, but expect the BDV-F7 configuration to ship this coming October 6th for $600.

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Newlaunches.com: You can now carry your 3D Blu-ray player around since it’s gone all slim and sexy. What’s awesome is that it doesn’t have to be one of the high-flying models that we’ve been reviewing from Sony and Toshiba and the likes. Sharp have gotten the whole thing stuffed into a slimmer, sleeker body that packs WiFi and BD-Live content support as well. It works fine with both 3D and 2D content, has a USB slot in the front, connects to your external drives, flushes them out in full glory via the “Pure Mode”, cool LED indicator lights and a very cool and glossy body.

The Sharp BD-HP905 can be expected before Christmas. I guess that’s a nicer way of using the word ‘November’.

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