There’s nothing particularly pretty about Sony’s new receivers, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

The company just announced the STR-DA4400ES, STR-DA3400ES and STR-DA2400ES as part of its “Enhanced Standard” (ES) line.

Designed for discriminating audio tastes, each unit supports 1080/24p video signals and Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, dts High Resolution Audio and dts HD Master Audio formats. It also has some Faroudja technology hiding in that hardware, which will upscale all video to 1080p, when connected to an HDTV via HDMI.

“The rapid evolution of audio and video has generated increased demand for connectivity and high-performance components,” said Tyler Ishida, director of marketing for Sony’s Digital Imaging and Audio Division. “This new line of ES receivers delivers the fidelity, build quality and connectivity expected for an outstanding cinematic experience in the home.”

Each one also has a xross media bar, which is a funky, graphical user interface.

The STR-DA4400ES ($1,500) has a 120-watt amplifier, while the STR-DA3400ES ($1,000) and the STR-DA2400ES ($800) each have 100 watts. The latter will be available next month, with the other two coming in August.

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.