Hi ​@buzzingfrog 

Thanks for your post!

We cannot comment on up-coming products, though I personally have not heard anything along these lines - it may be more wishful thinking than a leak.

If it is wishful thinking, however, perhaps that means there is sufficient interest in it and it may well be getting discussed by the product team - I have no idea.

My posting here will get this thread back on the list of those recently active - perhaps you will hear more as a result, but it will all be rumour.

I hope this helps.

Personally, I don’t see a lot of value in a multi-zone amp.  You can already setup multiple amps in a system, so what exactly is the expected gain?  If the rumor is about an additional audio channel(s) (center?) within the same zone, then I can see that being useful. Particularly in business/commercial locations that have rather large zones.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this hypotehtical amp was marketed to business only, the same way the Era 100 Pro is...assuming there is anything to the rumor.

As far as a Port with atmos capabilities goes, how would that work?  Since the port is not for TV audio currently, it would likely be for atmos music only.  It would also need to send audio out via HDMI, or HDMI-ARC, since atmos audio can’t be transferred via a wire any other way.  Rather odd to have an HDMI connection that carries no video.  I can see some value in this though as there are likely some people who have traditional receiver and passive speaker setups in an atmos configuration that would be interested in a streaming box with atmos music capabilities and multiroom audio.

I’d like to see an HDMI Out on the Port that could send Atmos and other multi-channel sound to an AVR setup.

Probably sell a few and never break even but it would be cool.

I would enjoy a three channel AMP that could replace a soundbar with passive, high end speakers. A five channel AMP could add front channel ATMOS.

 In commercial installations an 8-12-16 channel AMP can be useful. The single “box” with a single network connection would be much easier to manage.