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Sony HT-AS5: Surround-sound system named after redneck licence plate

Would you like to get your hands on a tasty piece of HT-AS5? Thanks to Sony, now you can

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
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Richard Trenholm

Yee-haw! We've long complained that gadget names -- especially home-cinema products -- are incomprehensible strings of letters and numbers. Sony has taken our grousing to heart, and gone down the unexpected route of naming its latest surround-sound system after a redneck licence plate. Say howdy to the Sony HT-AS5.

This fine piece of HT-AS5 has plenty of junk in its trunk. It's designed to work with Sony's 3D home-cinema range of Bravia tellies, Blu-ray players and PS3 games consoles -- this includes 3D pass-through on three HDMI inputs and one output. Importantly, the HDMI output offers an audio-return channel. Sound can be sent in both directions between telly and sound system via one HDMI cable, instead of needing an extra audio cable.

To connect your console or set-top box to your HT-AS5, there's a coaxial and two optical digital inputs. It packs a 1,000W S-Master digital amplifier in its subwoofer unit, and offers 7.1-channel LPCM from Blu-ray players.

If you want get your hands on some HT-AS5, it'll cost you around £400. HT-AS5 is available online now. The sound will rise again -- if you turn up the volume that is.