You know how the saying goes, better late than never.
Well Sony have finally jumped on board the Dolby Atmos & DTSX wagon with the shiny new STRDN1080 AV receiver, the successor to the highly fantastic 1060 and 1070. The 1080 is a 7.2 Dolby Atmos DTS:X enabled 4K AV receiver with full networking compatibility.
Ready to jump head first into the mid range AV market, after being completely out shone last year by the Onkyo 656, Denon AVRX 2300 and the RXV681. The poor little 1070 never stood a chance, with very limited 4K enabled HDMI inputs and zero Atmos or DTSX compatibility. It’s no wonder Sony kept their heads down, they were clearly hard at work on this all new 1080!
I personally couldn’t be happier that they have stepped up their game, Sony make some incredible units and it was a shame they didn’t quite get it right last year, but the 1080 has filled in all the gaps plus plenty more!
At first glance, it’s clear Sony haven’t wasted much time redesigning the aesthetic qualities of the 1080. They seem to have stuck with a very solid design, with clean lines and a minimalist front fascia, with little fuss or over complication.
The remote control has also taken a page out of the minimalist book. With what looks like barely enough buttons to possibly control the system, but it does, and it’s a treat to use.
Around the back you will find 2 HDMi outs and 6 HDMI in, more than enough for anyone, all with Full HDCP2.2 compatibility, which is great news!
The 1080 can also distribute 4K video though both HDMI outputs! For those of you with a projector and television in the same room!
The Sony 1080 also benefits from built in wifi to take advantage of all of the Wireless audio streaming services built within, including Spotify connect, and Google Chromecast, which are brilliant services. On top of that are the usual suspects such as Bluetooth and of course Apple airplay. The 1080 also has Full Hi res audio support at 24bit 192khz.
Set up was very straight forward, using Sony’s DCAC calibration systems and their rather oddly shaped microphone. I had the 1080 up and running in no time. Provided you have all the cables in the right places, then you’re on to a winner.
For our test I set the 1080 up with our Monitor Audio radius system in a 5.1.2 dolby Atmos configuration, I opted for Transformers: Age Of Extinction as a demo film, despite it being a some what terrible film, it is actually very audibly impressive (Michael Bay got that right at least).
The 1080 offers a very punchy sound with incredible detail. The Dolby Atmos track on Transformers really is a show stopper. There’s a particular scene, that involves the propeller from a tanker flying over Mark Wahlberg’s head, the 1080 picked up on details I have never heard before, the sound of the air brushing past your head as this propeller flies over the top of you is absolutely incredible.
I couldn’t be happier that Sony are back with an up to date to unit, the combination of the incredibly straight forward user interface and the fantastic performance with Dolby Atmos, really has put the Sony back in my Top 3!
If you’re still on the fence, or would like some more information or even a demonstration, please feel free to contact any one of our stores!
