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Interested in a Strato E and have some questions...

E

Edgarallanpoe

New member
Joined
Sep 28, 2025
Messages
3
Location
Pittsburgh
I'm seriously interested in a Strato E and want to make sure my way of thinking is correct.

1. I do not own any Blu Ray or DVD player or any physical discs and have no desire to do so. So I was more thinking of using this as a high end rental movie box with the odd purchase here and there.
2. I own an 85" Sony Bravia TV and a Sony AZ5000ES receiver with Martin Logan speakers in an 11.2 setup.
3. My room isn't large at all, 24'x14 and my couch is about 12ish feet from the tv.

I realize that my setup isn't spectacular but it's plenty good for me. But my streaming sound is often quite bad. Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon, etc are decent with newer releases but older movies and almost everything from my other services sound terrible. There just isn't any sound separation or dynamic range.

So, I'm asking if my train of thought on this product makes sense for my purpose and if my setup, while not perfect, would give me the sonic and visual improvement that I'm looking for? Anything else I should be thinking about?

Thanks in advance
 
Edgarallanpoe said:
So, I'm asking if my train of thought on this product makes sense for my purpose and if my setup, while not perfect, would give me the sonic and visual improvement that I'm looking for? Anything else I should be thinking about?
Click to expand...
It sounds like you're a good candidate for a K system. I assume everything you're doing right now is streaming, right? Apple TV or the like? You'll definitely hear a huge difference with K, but be aware that the visuals of K are not as dramatic an improvement. I'd also recommend doing some extensive browsing of K's online movie store. Make sure they're getting the kinds of titles you'll be looking for.

And kudos on your "not large at all" 24x14 room. ;)
 
LoveCinema said:
And kudos on your "not large at all" 24x14 room.
Click to expand...
LOL Yeah...it's huge for me. My current house is about 2800 sq/f. My old house was 800. HA!!! But some of the setups I see are insane!! It's more of a man cave/finished basement than any type of theater room.

I am streaming everything through an Apple TV (latest gen). I just feel like this Sony receiver has WAY more to show me than what I'm getting through streaming.
 
Audio compression on streaming platforms can be pretty extreme. Some, like Apple TV may not be as aggressive, but audio on the K system is much better than any of them. You won't be disappointed.

Andy
 
LoveCinema said:
... I'd also recommend doing some extensive browsing of K's online movie store. Make sure they're getting the kinds of titles you'll be looking for. ...
Click to expand...
@Edgarallanpoe the above cannot be emphasized enough. The K system is great but if it doesn't "stock" what you want to see then it doesn't matter.

Also, the way K does preorders and the possible lag for new movies may factor into how suitable it is for you. I'm not the most familiar with these features -- having used preorders twice (Ballerina and Fantastic Four).
 
artur9 said:
Also, the way K does preorders and the possible lag for new movies may factor into how suitable it is for you. I'm not the most familiar with these features -- having used preorders twice (Ballerina and Fantastic Four).
Click to expand...
Major studio new releases generally arrive the same day as Apple TV. The difference is Apple uses Eastern Time vs. K using Pacific Time. New digital titles on Apple will hit tonight (Monday) at 9:00pm Pacific Time while K will update their titles around 12:20-12:30am Pacific Time (Tuesday).

When it comes to second tier titles including direct-to-video new releases, there can be delays or its possible K doesn't get them. The lowest priority is 4K catalog updates, which may or may not show up based upon the studio. So, while Tron and Tron Legacy showed up right away, folks are waiting for Small Soldiers, Better Off Dead, Way of the Gun, Cinderella Man, Krull, etc. Many of these will likely not appear on K.
 
I took a look at the K store and it looks like I'll be good there. I'm not that into the odd esoteric, independent releases...yet...I'm more of a big movie blockbuster fan with a soft spot for Sci-fi, fantasy and horror. I am also not the kind of guy who needs to have anything the moment it is released.
 
I recently purchased a Strato E. Currently watching on a 77 inch oled with a 3.1 sound system in a small den. I bought it mainly for the video and convenience, which are both great. But I’m totally blown away by the improvement in audio compared to streaming!!! Can’t wait until I upgrade my projector and use it in my media room with my much better 5.1 system.
 
Coming from streaming you will be blown away by the quality.

I have a similar setup — just a finished basement room with a big OLED and a 5.1.2 KEF setup. Compared to streaming, it sounds like I got a whole new system.

Video is great too. Game of Thrones on K compared to HBO Max is no contest. I am frequently noticing things like how the poor people have worn leather clothes and boots that I never saw before.

For movies only, the E is a great choice. UHD TV is a little rougher. I wrote sort of a mini-review here: How well do TV Shows work on the Strato E?
 
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