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The two latest Sony Dolby home theatre soundbars promise particularly spatial sound thanks to drivers that radiate upwards and to the sides. The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 features an ensemble of 13 speakers and Sony’s Spatial Sound Mapping technology, encapsulating a full surround-sound system within its sleek frame.
The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9, a top-tier soundbar, features 13 speakers in total. This includes four upward-facing speakers for enhanced spatial sound, two side-radiating drivers, and seven front-firing speakers for a comprehensive audio experience.
“360 Spatial Sound Mapping” aims to create phantom speakers for enhanced spatial sound, and the soundbar also supports major surround standards, including Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. The Dolby audio surround soundbar connects to a Smart TV via HDMI eARC. It also supports Wi-Fi 5 for Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth 5.2, with specific support for Sony LDAC to wirelessly stream Hi-Res music.
When connected to Bravia Smart TV, this Bar Atmos soundbar pairs with the TV’s speakers to boost audio output. Its “Voice Zoom 3” feature utilizes AI to boost voice clarity, ensuring dialogue remains clear even at low volumes. The slim soundbar, measuring just 6.4cm in height and 11.3cm in depth, fits unobtrusively under most TVs. With a length of 130 centimeters, the soundbar is slightly shorter than a 55-inch TV.
Sony Dolby home theatre soundbars price and release date
- You can now pre-order the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 (HT-A8000) for $999 on Bhphotovideo.com & £999 on Amazon.co.uk.
- You can now pre-order the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 (HT-A9000) for $1,399 on Bhphotovideo.com & £1,399 on Amazon.co.uk.
Theater Bar 8 is 20cm shorter, has two fewer woofers than its counterpart, but is nearly identical in other aspects. Both Sony Dolby home theatre soundbars can be enhanced with wireless speakers and a subwoofer for a more immersive experience. Sony hasn’t specified the output power for either the Theater Bar 8 or 9. However, with the Theater Bar 9 consuming just 2 watts more than the 62-watt Theater Bar 8, significant differences in their power output are unlikely.
