13 channel Amplifier
Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES features 13 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) and is able to drive 4 ohm speakers.
AMPLIFIER |
Channels | 13.2 |
Power Output | 140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) |
Front Wide Channel Support | |
THX™ Certification | |
Continuous 6 Ω Rated | |
Certified 4 Ω Performance | |
Bi-amp Capability | |
Speaker Configurations
Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES's 13 channel amplifier can be assigned for different speaker configurations.
- Dolby Atmos Configurations: The following speaker configurations are supported for Dolby Atmos:
- 5.2.2, 5.2.4, 5.2.6, 7.2.2, 7.2.4, 7.2.6, 9.2.2, 9.2.4 with internal amplifier.
- DTS:X Pro Configurations: The speaker configurations for DTS:X Pro are the same as for Dolby Atmos:
- 5.2.2, 5.2.4, 5.2.6, 7.2.2, 7.2.4, 7.2.6, 9.2.2, 9.2.4 with internal amplifier.
- Configurations without height channels: There are also other speaker configurations available which do not include height channels:
- 5.2, 7.2, 9.2 with internal amplifier.
- Front Wide Channel support: Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES supports front wide channels. With the presence of two front wide speakers you can enhance the front surround stage. The following speaker configurations are available for front wide channels - 9.2, 9.2.2, 9.2.4.
- 2-ch Bi-Amp: Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES allows you to bi-amp up to 2 main channels simultaneously. During bi-amplification two amplifiers are used for one speaker. One amplifier powers the midrange and tweeter section of the speaker and another amplifier powers the low frequency woofers. Each amplifier is less loaded and performs better. In order to use this feature speakers must have 2 pairs of connectors.
Dolby Atmos
Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES supports Dolby Atmos. It is a cinematic audio format in which sounds exist as individual entities, called audio objects. In Dolby Atmos, any sound can exist as an independent audio object, free of channel restrictions. They can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in your room, including overhead, to flow above and around you in three-dimensional space. Through the use of audio objects, overhead sound, and all the richness, clarity, and power of Dolby sound, Dolby Atmos turns your room into an amazing place for entertainment. The format supports up to 128 simultaneous independent audio objects in a mix for rich, realistic, and breathtaking sound. It recreates the director's original concept through descriptive metadata to provide customized playback for home theater and delivers sounds above you through overhead speakers, special upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar.
- Dolby Surround Upmixer: If the content is not mixed in Dolby Atmos then the Dolby surround upmixer will expand the audio to all channels including ceiling speakers. The upmixer has replaced the Dolby Pro Logic II family with improved upmixing algorithms.
- Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization: Dolby Atmos height virtualization is a digital signal processing solution that leverages Dolby's deep understanding of human audio perception to create the sensation of overhead sound from the listener-level speakers.
DTS:X
Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES supports DTS:X. A technique used in DTS:X is similar to the one used in Dolby Atmos. Instead of a fixed number of channels, DTS:X defines object locations from the listener in polar coordinates. An a/v receiver then dynamically renders sound according to the current speaker configuration. The speaker layout employed by DTS:X is the sum of Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D. It has standard 7.1 channel base layer, a 5 channel height layer above the base layer on the front and side walls, and 3 rows of speakers on the ceiling.
- DTS:X Pro: Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES supports DTS:X Pro which is an upgraded version of DTS:X and is no longer limited with 11 channels. With DTS:X Pro Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES can get up to 13 channel processing.
- DTS Neural:X: DTS Neural:X is an advanced upmixer that can take non DTS:X content and upmix it to the DTS:X speaker layout. It has replaced the DTS Neo family with improved flexibility.
- DTS Virtual:X: DTS Virtual:X bridges the gap between DTS:X codec and the reality of so many consumers' homes, allowing you to enjoy multi-dimensional sound regardless of room size, layout, or speaker configuration. If you have a limited speaker setup you will miss a full immersive potential of your entertainment system. DTS Virtual:X adds height and surround audio effect to your system without adding height speakers. It works with multiple configurations and delivers immersive sound experience out of 5.1 or even 2.1 speaker layouts.
DECODING |
Dolby Atmos | up to 7.1.6 of 9.1.4 |
Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization | |
Dolby Atmos Music | |
Dolby TrueHD | |
Dolby Digital Plus | |
Dolby Surround Upmixer | |
Dolby Pro Logic | |
Dolby Digital EX | |
DTS:X | Pro up to 7.1.6 of 9.1.4 |
DTS Neural:X | |
DTS Virtual:X | |
DTS Neo | |
DTS-HD Master Audio | |
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio | |
DTS 96/24 | |
DTS Express | |
DTS-ES | Discrete 6.1, Matrix 6.1 |
IMAX Enhanced | |
Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer | |
360 Reality Audio | |
Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)
Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature allows the compatible TV to send audio signal to the a/v receiver through the same HDMI cable which is used to send audio and video signals to the TV. So one HDMI cable is used to transfer audio signal in both directions. New Enhanced ARC will support uncompressed audio formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio whereas the previous ARC could support only Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, DTS HD, and PCM.
Sound Processing
Room Calibration
Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES comes with D.C.A.C. IX room correction system and includes the calibration microphone.