Sony STR-DA5800ES Pro Reviews

The Sony STR-DA5800ES looks identical to last year's model, with a solid black chassis and a rather busy facia that includes no fewer than 18 buttons, 4 dials, 2 covered input wells and an informative display. Where it does differ is in terms of amplification, with the DA5800ES offering nine channels at 145W each - the two extra channels can be used for added height speakers or another zone. The rear connections are extensive and include 8 HDMI inputs (there’s a 9th at the front) and 3 HDMI outputs, 4 10/100 Ethernet ports and a dedicated PC USB input that is compatible with 192kHz/24-bit audio. There's a host of connections to keep the installers happy but far too many legacy inputs and the speaker terminals could be better positioned. Sony include two remotes, a full on version that can also control other devices but disappointingly doesn’t have a back light, and a stripped down version for more basic control.

A secondary definition of chimera is a thing that is wished or hoped for but, in fact, is illusory or impossible to have or achieve. Sony took a big gamble bringing out the STR-DA5800ES. It would have been a chimera either way—an amazing piece of gear that combined the elements of multiple components. But Sony figured out a way to take an excellent AVR, soup it up with extra connectivity, add a healthy dose of system (and lighting) control capabilities, and put it under the control of an easy-to-use activity-based GUI. Straight out of the box, it’s a fantastic AVR (with a mediocre remote control) with some remarkable capabilities. Add the Control4 activation and programming to it, and it becomes something no other manufacturer’s AVR can currently dream of being.