Yesterday, I reported on Sony’s terrific new AVR user interface found in their STR-DAV5200ES receiver. Since that report, I had some hands-on time with the unit and its remote, and can tell that the user interface exceeded my highest expectations. Borrowing from the forthcoming Play Station 3 video gaming platform, the new user interface is unlike that of any previous audio component. The surround-mode setting, for example, is accompanied by a graphic display of a loudspeaker system in a room. Changing the surround mode is accompanied by changes in the graphic that correspond to what you will hear. Another example: selecting the FM tuner causes the available stations to appear on the display, making it easy to select the one you want.

Back to the CEDIA 06 Coverage