Part 7 - Sony STR-AZ7000ES AV Receiver - Inhouse Review - 360RA Reference Layout

[@kman9387]

WOW! a 7th entry? I hope it's because this AVR has lots of extras to explore 🤷 AWESOME work sir! The time you put in is greatly appreciated!

[@ripewave]

Yes - in this case the extras are unique features not found elsewhere. So I need to capture them while I still have this AV Receiver. Going to produce one more to rap up with a conclusion and cover the front wide configuration at the same time. Then it is going back by the weekend to make room for three more. -Jon

[@kman9387]

@@ripewave Again WOW! Thanks for going the distance!

[@ripewave]

This was a fun one to review. -Jon

[@trauma50disaster1]

Very nice work. I like it in 5.1.5.3 for 360 native music. You should give movies a try with it, it's good for me. With movies you do need to engage the 360SSM to send dsp data to the new layout. I find all kinds of new details coming out of the 5 centers in movies.

[@ripewave]

Nice to hear feedback from someone who is running 5.1.5.3. I agree this is a nice layout and brings excitement while filling the room with spacious content. I will need to try a movie while I still have it. -Jon

[@3184Patrick]

the lower speakers are interesting but seems impractical for most applications. most home theatre or listening rooms will have a way for the viewer/listener to relax ie put your feet up. i would think most ottoman/footstool/chaise etc would block the lower speakers. so unless your sitting in a chair like the guy from the maxell tape adds your not going to get the full effect.

[@ripewave]

I agree. It seems the layout was designed mainly for mixing and mastering engineers. Sony intends for playback on more modest configurations - but if you want to duplicate the studio setup, you can. -Jon

[@trauma50disaster1]

agreed, however the bottom layer can be placed at the desire of the operator. I've played around bringing the entire setup to a few feet higher, and with vaulted ceilings I can go up as much as needed. I just adjust the measurements and fiddle with levels as I want and it sounds great to me. Even with the the bottoms on the floor angled up an inch or 2, and my feet outstreched on funriture, there is clear line of sight to the MLP for me.

[@rafacq]

Well guess what, my Sony STR-AZ5000ES is on its way back to the Sony repair center! Not even a week after the first repair! This time an HDMI sync failure.

[@ripewave]

Sorry to hear. I don’t understand why so many of these receivers and processors experience failures. It is across most brands. Glad they are repairing for you, but now you are without your receiver for a while. -Jon

[@FURognar]

Keep up the good work!

[@ripewave]

Thanks for coming back for each post and your continued encouragement. -Jon

[@TedAnkrum-ry7vm]

What about using this speaker setup for Home Theater? You did not discuss this. I'd love to know how 5.1.5.3 stacks up against 9.1.4 (wides).

[@trauma50disaster1]

I've compared the two setups and I like both but I prefer the 5.1.5.3 because I can pick up on more details with the front stage. For instance in transformers when they transform I hear gears and mechanical movements coming from the many front stage speakers that I don't pick up on in other setups.

[@justinparkkyung4287]

If I buy the Sony es 7000 receiver will it make my sony a7000 soundbar an extra speaker ? I was planning to make my sound bar as back surround!

[@ripewave]

I have been trying to find a firm answer to your question. The manual of the Sony A7000 shows two types of connections, HDMI and S-Center. These are shown as connections to a TV only. There is one example of using with an external source (DVD, Blu-Ray, UHD player) but not an AVR. I found a response from BestBuy as follows: Unfortunately you can't use the HT-A7000 with a receiver. The sound bar will only work with the optional speakers sold separately. I am wondering if there is a work-around. Examples: 1) using the S-Center connection between the Sony AVR and the A7000. 2) eARC between the Sony AVR and the A7000. 3) using a pre-out from the Sony AVR, to the TV and then from the TV to the A7000. The problem with option 2 is that the eARC signal has all channels and the A7000 so the soundbar would compete with the other speakers. Options 1 and 3 are better as they are focused on a single channel output to the soundbar. Jon

[@mboljar]

5.1.4 with 2 subwoofers is all I personally need. I can understand that someone wants 7.1.6 also. But more speakers on the floor and more center speakers I find absolutely unnecessary. Looks ugly as hell also. Just mine 5 cents and my opinion but this will not stick and people will not buy additional floor speakers. I can’t care less for what is happening in the basement :)

[@ripewave]

Diminishing returns does set in after 5.1.4 or 7.1.6 (larger rooms). I do agree that it starts to look cluttered. I will say that the way to pull off the 360RA Reference setup tastefully is to is smaller speakers professionally mounted as in the studio photo I presented. I felt my make shift setup looked ugly. But it was only a quick test to prove it out. -Jon

[@mboljar]

​@@ripewave Oh, I really appreciate your effort. I find your reviews much helpful and detailed. Your reviews with multiple videos of same product but focused on specific part is awesome and detailed. I did not think that your setup specifically is ugly, but having in front something like 2 floorstanders, 1 center speaker, 3 bottom speakers. 2 height speakers and 2 subwoofers is ugly and overkill. But great review from your side with letting us know how it might look and sound.

[@trauma50disaster1]

@@mboljarIt just depends on the type of enthusiast one is, you should see my buddies car...Or my wifes garden, or any number of overkill bs people do.

[@williamhicks2763]

@@ripewaveThat studio setup was very nice looking. I have two Genelec 4’s for my rear surrounds. I’m very happy with them. Sort of a shame they won’t be used if a I were to go with this format. I can see how more speakers are better but curious if you noticed any sweeping up and down to those floor speakers or just how they were being used by the objects? Were certain instruments being played by only those floor speakers?

[@mboljar]

@@trauma50disaster1 Definitely you have a point there, but there are space limits and more to consider. I consider my self quite a movie / music fan. I have Marantz Cinema 50, Harman Kardon PA2400 Signature Series amplifier, 4 B&W 600 series S3 for bed layere with B&W center, 4 Polk Signature Elite ES10 for heights and 2 B&W ASW610 subwoofers. I would always rather invest more into speaker quality but quantity. But this is just me and my opinion. I definitely agree someone else might think different.

[@marcalvarado1915]

Sounds like another Auro 3D situation which didn’t work out well for them. Is MpegH open source? Do other companies need to pay Sony a license fee? I’m not sure the format will take off if it is unless there is a mountain of content available.

[@trauma50disaster1]

well auro3d is now a favorite of enthusiasts who use the upmixer to improve some of the poor atmos mixes. Although it is tough to start a new format, I think it's good to have competition with atmos audio. I've listened to both and I like the audio mixes, it adds some exciting and interesting things to old tracks so I'm glad to have choices. He showed a graphic that listed a bunch of avr's that have access to it like denon. Although I'm still waiting on a firmware update on the denon 3800 to enable it.

[@marcalvarado1915]

@@trauma50disaster1 I agree about Auro as an upmixer as I think it does a great job with a variety of content. As a standalone format it’s pretty much done though.

[@ripewave]

Not sure how MPEG-H is licensed. It is owned by German company, Fraunhofer IIS. See mpegh.com/ Sony rides their 360 Reality Audio on top of that MPEG-H specification and licenses the decoder software from Fraunhofer IIS. MPEG-H has been used mostly as a broadcast format (Brazil, South Korea). -Jon

[@kevinhoronzy6011]

should define what an object is

[@ripewave]

Yes - it is hard to know what level of detail to provide sometimes. That is one that I should have addressed even though some may already know. Thanks for the suggestion. -Jon

[@K_R_one]

Lol. $3200 🥴

[@ripewave]

Actually $3299 - I short changed it by $99.

[@trauma50disaster1]

@@ripewave I could say the same about many hobbies golf clubs, paint ball, watches, cars, vacations, concert tickets, it goes on and on what we spend on discretionary toys.