Steve, I'm glad to see that you've joined the writing staff. I like your writing style quite a bit. Nice job!
What is the point in reviewing units like this? They have nothing to do with audio quality, and are a waste of time for someone looking for high quality reproduction of their media, which is what Audioholics should be about.
I have a different opinion of Audioholics. I don't think it's about high quality reproduction - I think it's about understanding what you're buying. So, knowing if a system like this will give you what you want. For some people, it will...for others, it won't. My parents, for ex
ample, would like something like this much more than a system with big speakers and wires running everywhere. They also think that their TV speakers sound fine, and I imagine that this would be a step up.
Even if we stick with the thought that AH is only about high quality reproduction, there's value is discussing which systems don't have it and why.
All of that said, this is a PREVIEW. Steve doesn't actually know what the system sounds like. Discussions of sound quality are all speculation based primarily on driver size. I owned a "subwoofer" with an 8" driver that impressed the heck out of me, and my current PC system has similar sized drivers to this Sony and does a good job in a smaller room.