Sony STR-DN1000
Last year,
Sony's STR-DG920 was our top midrange AV receiver pick. Its graphical user interface was a step above the text-based displays of competitors and its analog video upconversion featured solid image quality--a rarity among AV receivers. The
STR-DN1000 is the STR-DG920's successor, featuring a new sleek design with a glossy black finish. Much of the functionality is the same, with four
HDMI inputs,
onboard decoding for
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, and a GUI-based menu system.
On the other hand, the STR-DN1000 feels like a step backward in some regards. The STR-DG920's image quality (for upconverted analog video sources) was excellent for the price, but the STR-DN1000's image quality from analog to HDMI is barely acceptable; you're better off running a separate cable for non-HDMI sources to your TV. (If your system is completely HDMI-based, this isn't an issue.) You'll also note that it's missing some of the features included on competing receivers, such as analog multichannel inputs and multiroom functionality. At the time of this review, the STR-DN1000's main draw is its price; the STR-DN1000 is available online for just $340, which is a good deal less than competing receivers. If you can live with its shortcomings, the STR-DN1000 is a good value, but it doesn't offer as complete of a feature set as last year's STR-DG920, nor does Sony currently offer a compelling step-up model until you hit the $1,000 STR-DA3500ES.
