Sony BDV-E370 Blu-ray home cinema kit

But if pictures are good, the audio side is even better. As you would expect it supports all the main HD audio formats including DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. And despite the rather small size of the satellite speakers the system is not found wanting when you need to crank up the volume.

Vivid visuals and scintillating sound for the price

The sound stage is also beautifully expansive and surround effects are reproduced with pinpoint accuracy, making the big set pieces in action movies an aural treat. What’s more the sub is much more controlled and precise than on other systems I’ve encountered in the same price bracket. In fact I’d go so far as to say it’s the best sounding one box system in this price range that I’ve come across.

Unfortunately, the E370 isn’t yet capable of playing 3D Blu-ray discs, but Sony promises another software update in June, but no sign of it yet. However, an update offering BBC iPlayer support was made available last month.

Verdict

It may not be the prettiest system around, but in most other respects this is a great home cinema kit from Sony. It’s easy to use, produces great sounding audio and delivers crisp HD pictures for the price. It would have notched up a slightly higher rating if all the touted features were actually present. That said, the eventual release of the 3D update and the forthcoming support for DNLA networking can only add to the system’s long term appeal. ®

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