While other home theater packages may offer receivers with processing for 6.1-channel Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES, the Sony HT-6900DP home theater system also includes the speakers you'll need to enjoy the six-channel formats.

The HT-6900DP has a progressive scan five-disc changer that is compatible with DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+RW, CD, CD-R/RW, and even MP3 and JPEG stored on disc. The player features 12-bit video decoding with 108MHz processing, audio processing with 96kHz/24-bit decoding, and convenience features such as SmoothScan and SmoothSlow modes. There are two optical digital audio inputs, one coaxial digital audio input, one composite video input, and five discrete analog inputs for the signal from a DVD-Audio or SACD player.

This is a 1,000-watt system, providing 140 watts into each of the six channels and 160 watts for the subwoofer. The front left and right speakers are of a two-way design, each with a 3-1/4-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter. The HT-6900DP's surrounds use a timbre-matched single full-range 3-1/4-inch driver. The center channel speaker uses two full-range 2-1/4-inch drivers. There is a slight image shift throughout the soundstage because of the differences in the speakers, but this is a minor flaw that most listeners won't ever notice. The subwoofer is a 9-3/4-inch driver mounted in a bass-reflex cabinet.

The HT-6900DP is an affordable way to experience any of the 6.1-channel surround sound formats.

Warranty
1 year parts and labor