I'm going to kick this post off with "I'm not an Audiophile" ...I'm a listener, a lover of, a player of and a believer in good music. I'm the kind of guy that stands in front of his home audio stuff and smiles. I listen to everything from Miles to Metallica, lots of formats, lossy mp3 to Flac to CD to SACD and Vinyl, too... (Project, thanks)
I was taken along to the unveiling of the (one of only two current pairs in existence?) Sony SS-AR1 today, along with the new 84" 4K screen and the 4K projector, too... And there really is only one word that sums my experience to a point, and that is...
WOW. <- This should be 96 point...
The AR1's are truly a work of aural and visual art...
To go along with the AR series, which I'm told won't make to Australian shores just yet (with a projected price tag expected to be marginally above your regular 'off the shelf boxed hifi', I'd imagine a limited CE market, more aimed at purists, audiophiles and people that like to involuntarily smile whilst listening to a 55 year old recording of Nat King Cole...oh MY goodness.. spine tingling) Is the ES series, also wildly amazing, but after hearing the AR series, they were going to have to bring a lot to the floor to impress. Impress they did! Married to the 9.2 channel STRDA5800ES and fronted by the 4K Bravia, watching Battle : LA was nothing short of mind blowing.... The 4K Bravia, from even a mere meter away is outstanding.... (I had to sit for a second and think of a word strong enough to convey my experience!)
Experience
There's something I want to admit... I read a lot of reviews about tech and I sometimes form opinions based on what others say - not the fly by night "this is how it is" "off the cuff" type, but yes... I heard about the new 4K 84" Sony and thought - Yes, I'd need a new house to fit one of these things... After today, after standing 4' away from this thing and being totally immersed in the on screen. Not seeing any pixelation, no shake, no lines, no artefact ... this thing is a weapon... It's certainly not for the average Joe (Or, in my case, Simon) but if you simply 'want the best' and your budget allows for 'the best' ...just get one - I've never seen anything like it.
My Projection?
Leaving the second room, and heading into the room with the new Sony 4K Projector, The SXRD VPLVW1000ES. Four times 1080p resolution, anamorphic 3D and 1080p to 4K upscaling... I'm not a huge projector fan - I've had a bad experience in the past, Yeah, as above really *WOW*
Sony, thanks for making me smile today - despite never leaving the game, you're sure as hell BACK in it...
Bravo.