Are you saying that these claims are part of a normal (good chips/codecs) playback process?
Since you don't trust Sony, what comparable featured unit would you trust?
No, I"m saying that the claims are part of a normal MARKETING campaign to sell gear. It doesn't make the equipment bad or good, it just makes for good selling practice. Kind of like when selling a battery and claiming that "No battery lasts longer!" - It may be the exact same as 50 other batteries, which means they are being honest... nothing lasts longer. But, there is a lot which lasts just as long. It's just marketing speak, and doesn't provide any real information to the buyer.
Same here. Sony isn't offering any objective specifications in such a statement. They may be upsampling the incoming audio stream, but it doesn't mean that the stream will be great. It just means that the output will match up to the 'best' that the device can deliver. Which you may love, or may not be thrilled with.
I DO trust Sony on many things! I would expect their product to deliver excellent audio quality. Their TVs regularly are considered some of the best at delivering the best video quality possible. They do know audio and video like few other companies are capable of.
What I don't trust from them is great software interactivity with the audio collection, which is a major part of the digital audio library process. How easy it is for you, the end user, to navigate the collection to get to your music and to add it to playlists or to browse and interact with the system.
I could be wrong. It could be great. They may have decided to do this in conjunction with their Playstation system to give a great end user experience, and port the user interface over to this unit. Thereby giving long term support, updates, and ensured quality for years to come.
Or not.
I think companies like Bluesound and Sonos deliver a nice experience with years of expected support. There are others as well which the other forum members could vouch for better than I can. From what I've heard, the Bluesound players are really nice.