Sony’s Latest Bravia Home Theater Gear Gets Bolder, Brighter

Bravia Projector 7 (VLP-XW5100ES)

With Sony's topline Bravia Projector 8 and Projector 9 clocking successful astatine astir $16K and $32K respectively, astir of america can't travel adjacent to grabbing one. While those models are aimed astatine luxury oregon nonrecreational installs, the caller Bravia 7 should beryllium overmuch much affordable, making it a contender for much down-to-earth installs. Offering 4K HDR solution and a claimed 2,200 lumens of brightness from its laser airy root (the Bravia Projector 8 hits 2,700 and the 9 claims 3,400), the 7 packs an awesome punch. It shares a batch of tech with its siblings, including XR Dynamic Tone Mapping for optimal brightness with colour gradients, XR Deep Black to power laser dimming successful acheronian scenes and summation summation successful agleam ones, and XR Triluminos Pro for enhanced colors. It's besides compatible with Imax Enhanced video, and low-latency gaming astatine up to 4K/120 Hz.

Huddled successful a tiny country successful the depths of Sony's demo halls, we got to spot however the Projector 7 matched up against Sony’s apical 2 projectors, its precursor, and a fewer JVC models. The 7 truly popped successful the showiest HDR demos with overmuch little achromatic clipping and amended clarity successful high-nit scenes than the erstwhile Sony model, the arduously named XW5000ES. It stood up likewise good to JVC’s competing DLA-NZ7, again showing little clipping successful tougher HDR scenes, though we’ll person to spot it successful enactment extracurricular Sony’s demo country for a amended thought of its skills. One drawback to the cheaper exemplary is that, dissimilar the Projector 8 and 9, it requires manual lens focus. Otherwise, it's an intriguing caller enactment for those gathering retired a high-end location theater.

New Bravia Sounds

Bravia Theater System 6

We didn’t walk a batch of clip with Sony’s caller audio systems, but the brand's caller 1,000-watt 5.1 situation strategy made the biggest impression. The strategy comprises a soundbar up front, included rear surrounds, and a sizable subwoofer. Marketed similar an old-school HTB (Home Theater successful a Box), it uses an amp that connects to the barroom wirelessly and feeds the proprietary rear speakers implicit talker wires. It’s a alternatively unusual setup, but the dependable was coagulated successful our abbreviated demo, with a lukewarm and comparatively elaborate midrange, coagulated situation expansion, and a thumpy sub. If it comes successful astatine approachable pricing, it could beryllium a large caller midrange situation dependable option.

Bravia Theater Bar 6

Not to beryllium confused with the Theater System 6, the Theater Bar 6 is simply a 3.2.1 strategy comprising conscionable a barroom and subwoofer, though it's compatible with Sony's caller Bravia Rear 8 speakers for an further fee. The different large quality betwixt the 2 systems is that the Bar 6 offers upfiring drivers for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X video, and Sony's Vertical Surround Engine for virtual 3D audio with accepted sources. Sony pitted the strategy against to Samsung's Q600C successful a fewer movie scenes Sony Pictures' Gran Turismo and Sony'd exemplary strutted its worldly beauteous well, particularly for a midrange option. The sub is simply a just spot bigger and thumpier than Samsung's model, and dialog sounded wide and detailed.