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With the HT-A3000, Sony is offering a cheaper alternative to the HT-A5000 and HT-A7000, which offers a similar range of functions at a significantly lower price. Surround speakers are sold separately, but the Sony home theater system soundbar also offers virtual surround sound without the rear speakers.
Sony HT-A3000 Dolby Atmos soundbar is a mid-range device that uses a 3.1 configuration, i.e. three front-facing speakers and a subwoofer channel that uses two woofers. In contrast to the more expensive HT-A5000 and the flagship HT-A7000, the new Sony home theater system does without upward-firing speakers.
Nevertheless, Sony promises spatial sound via Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, even if this can only be realized virtually via Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology. For those who prefer real surround sound, Sony offers optional wireless surround speakers, but they cost almost as much as the soundbar itself. A subwoofer can also be purchased separately if required.
The soundbar Dolby Atmos itself has an output power of 250 watts. The connection to the television is either via Toslink or via HDMI eARC. There are several convenient options for playing music, including Bluetooth with support for SBC, AAC, and LDAC, and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) with support for Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast.
Sony HT-A3000 price and availability
The HT-A3000 Sony home theater system soundbar can be pre-ordered via the Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk websites at $699.99 / £599. It will be released on September 18, 2022. The optional wireless surround speakers (Sony SA-RS3S) are offered for a list price of $298 / £449. The optional Sony SA-SW3 subwoofer is already available for around $298 / £449.
Recently, Samsung Electronics launched the HW-Q700B wireless speaker system. The new Samsung soundbar with subwoofer is a 3.1.2-channel surround sound system equipped with two up-firing drivers built into the soundbar to provide height-effect audio that bounces off your ceiling to make overhead sound effects come from overhead.
