The Sony Lifestyle Systems

2008 Sony Lifestyle Line up

The Sony Lifestyle Systems

The Sony Lifestyle systems are designed to make the process of setting up and configuring home theater audio easier. They are designed around a concept called "HTIB", an acronym for "Home Theater in a Box". Many individuals would love to have their own home theater system but are restricted from taking the plunge for various reasons. Apartment dwellers may not, for obvious reasons, want to permanently mount speakers in the best locations and owners of smaller homes may not have the space to invest toward the placement of large speakers. HTIB systems eliminate these concerns, for the most part, and provide high-quality audio.

At the highest end are the Sony BDV-IS1000 and BDV-IT1000ES systems. The principal difference is in the speakers. The BDV-IS1000 system features speakers roughly the size of a golf ball while the BDV-IT1000ES features speakers that are incredibly flat in dimensions. Both feature the following.

• Single disc integrated Blu-ray disc players
• 5.1 Surround Sound capability
• S-Air wireless connections between the device and the speakers
• 1080p video output capability
• The capability to hook up to Ethernet connections to offer live downloads

The Sony S-Air system allows speakers to be placed in rooms other than the one in which the receiver is located. Normally, such systems would be very expensive. The Bravia line of home theater systems is designed to make this an affordable, and flexible, proposition for customers, offering systems that start around $500 and go as low as $300.

The DAV-HDX576WF system is the top of the line where these systems are concerned. It ships with S-Air receivers and speakers and height-adjustable speaker stands. The DAV-HDX279W comes with a rear speaker wireless kit and can accept S-Air technology for future expansion. The DAV-HDX277WC model comes with one S-Air station receiver and speaker with the option to add a wireless rear speaker. The lowest priced model, the DAV-HDX275 has options for all of the features but none of the wireless tech included in the price. Also consider the DAV-IS50/B for quality and value.

All of these models feature the following:

• HDMI Output
• 1080p upscaling when attached to a capable television set
• Five-disc CD/DVD players

Any one of these systems can make installing a fully-featured home theater a very affordable proposition. In the case of the mid-range Bravia systems, the price is only $400 with the option to expand as finances and desires dictate. In general, the components are cheaper if bought as part of the total system, rather than being added separately later.

The S-Air technology allows the speakers to be placed anywhere in the home. Combined with the lack of wires, these audio systems are enormously flexible.