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The STR-DA9000ES is Sony's entry in what has become a new trend in home theater: receivers that seriously challenge separate components. That challenge is extended not only in features and performance, but in size as well. Many of these new behemoths equal the sheer bulk of more than a few preamplifier-processor and amplifier combinations.

While specialist manufacturers can still make a good case that their separates maintain an edge in sound quality, the gap separating them from the best receivers is not nearly as big as it was in the early days of the still-young home theater market. And when you factor in features, the race is even closer.

With their vast resources, the big consumer-electronics manufacturers are often the first to incorporate cutting-edge developments—often as much as a year ahead of smaller, specialist companies. Big True to form for a modern high-end receiver, Sony has skimped on nothing in the STR-DA9000ES; it not only has all latest the bells and whistles, it throws in the whole percussion section. If there's a criticism to be made about the receiver, it would center on its complexity. Starting with the ob-vious, the Sony decodes every surround format you'll find—for now—on any commercial recording. Action game y8.

The only playback feature missing is Dolby Pro Logic IIx; Sony provides its own modes for creating a soundfield of up to 7.1 channels from 2-channel sources. And if you need more analog and digital inputs than Sony provides here, you need to get out more. The STR-DA9000ES supports three zones of operation. Zone 2 is limited to any source with composite-video feed and L/R analog audio, Zone 3 to one L/R audio connection only. A separate remote is provided for remote zone operation.

The Sony's seven channels of Direct Drive Digital Amplification (see sidebar, 'Sony Does Digital Amps') provide up to 200Wpc into 8ohms, though how many channels can be driven at once at this output level is not clearly specified. Both speaker outputs and line-level preamp outputs for all channels are available, and both can be used simultaneously. The STR-DA9000ES has three component-video inputs, each with an 80MHz bandwidth for passing high-definition sources without degradation. All analog video sources are upgraded to component form and are available from the component output, allowing for a single analog video connection to your display.

There are audio equalizer controls, though it would be more accurate to call them flexible tone controls. Each channel has independent bass and treble controls in the menu system, each with two selectable 'knee' frequencies (250Hz or 500Hz for the bass, 2.2kHz or 4.3kHz for the treble). The center-channel equalizer adds a midrange control with one of five selectable center frequencies: 100Hz, 300Hz, 1kHz, 3kHz, or 10kHz.