Hey everyone! We heard your feedback about calling this a soundbar, so we've updated the title. The product marketing has been a little confusing, as Sony has advertised it as "the perfect soundbar for BRAVIA" but also as a home theater system. We don't consider it a soundbar or home theater setup in the traditional sense, as it fits somewhere in between. Feel free to talk about this in the comments. We're curious what you think!
This product is pretty new in regards to creating a phantom center channel. From what I've read, using a Sony TV as the center works on the higher end models that uses the screen as speakers (or speakers behind the screen. Apparently using it with a Sony TV with traditional TV speakers doesn't work out as great. I would still classify it as a FULL setup Soundbar like any other name brand soundbar with the 2 rears at a minimum on say, the Sonos or Bose soundbars. Almost all soundbars in this price range can be bought separately so I would not compare the A9 setup with just a Bose/Sonos Soundbar unless they had the rears. Same with the sub, you couldn't compare the A9's without a sub to the full Sonos setup with a sub. I purchased the HT-A7000 and was going to return it for the A9's. It's an amazing soundbar, even by itself but every review on the A9's was great. Reviewers were actually blown away by the Atmos/360 spatial audio effect. Right when I was about to return the Sony HT-A7000 for the A9's, which are extremely hard to find, Sony announced new rears for they HT-A7000/A5000. The original rears had no upfiring speakers or side speakers. Just an average satellite speaker in a 5.1 setup. The new rears are 2 smaller A9's. They are 90W each AND they have a battery that Sony claims will get 10 hours of audio playback on a full charge and 90 minutes on a 10 minute charge. They can be plugged into power at all times also. Truly wireless will make for some fun speaker placement. I know that after probably 2 years the battery will be almost useless but I'll just plug them into power at all times at that point. Sony also announced they are bringing the same 360 audio software that the A9's use to the A7000/A5000 this spring, when the new rears come out. Price wise the HT-A7000 and the new rears will be the same as the A9's. Obviously time will tell but this might work out better as the HT-A7000 does a wonderful job at creating the left and right front phantom speakers. Details below. electronics.sony.com/audio/soundbars/all-soundbars/p/sars5 Product highlights Optional rear speakers featuring 360 Spatial Sound Mapping for use with HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 Soundbar2 Direct wireless connection with HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 Soundbar9 Built-in battery with up to 10-hour battery life and quick charging7 Immersive audio from up-firing speakers Activate Sound Field Optimization with OPTIMIZE button Total 180W4 power output brings music and movies to life Flexible layout - no power outlet needed Omnidirectional Block Design with room-filling sound Wall mount-capable rear speakers What's inside each speaker 1 - Up-firing speaker 2 - Soft Dome Type Tweeter 3 - Wide Directivity Woofer 4 - Dual passive radiators One button optimizes the sound field to your room Activate Sound Field Optimization any time by pressing the OPTIMIZE button on the unit. These speakers combined with a compatible soundbar1 intelligently measure the distance between speakers and ceiling using dual microphones in each speaker for smart and easy set up. Flexible layout - no power outlet needed Designed to be flexible to your environment, no wires and internal batteries mean these speakers can be used completely cable free, or with AC power, whichever you like. Up to 10-hour battery life and quick charging With up to 10 hours of battery life when fully charged you can set these speakers without worrying about an AC cable. You can charge them out of sight and bring them out when you need them. And if you’re in a hurry, just 10 minutes of charge will give 90 minutes of use.
Would like to buy this with Affliate link but one doubt..how to build a room with reflective walls? I have researched on this and found out material of walls can matter. Even the paint! So what should i do to get the best reflective phantom speaker experience
When using a Bravia TV as a Center channel you have to make use of the manual speaker settings. There you can set your seating position closer to the rear speakers, the system then turns the Center channel (tv) a few db up. This fixes the problem and, at least my 77a80j fits in perfectly and it’s way better now. Before I tweaked this setting I preferred to let the s-center off, but after I found this, I have to say it is way better. I love the ht-a9
That's nice to hear! They should measure the TV's sound so that it's equal to the other speakers. I have the A90J. It's such a good speaker on its own it would be a shame not to use it. How's the Timbre compared between the tv and speakers?
Is that model Sony has the speakers that use the screen (or behind, I forget). I read that using the Sony as the center with those models works out great but if it's a Sony display with regular speakers it doesn't work out as well. Apparently more detail and clarity and since it uses the screen the center is the screen so placement is absolutely perfect.
@@JoshFisher567 Yes, it has to be a Bravia with acoustic surface sound technology and a dedicated s-speaker input. That’s the only way to implement a TV as a Center. Problem is, Sony didn’t integrate these into the auto calibration process. There is no need to, those extra speaker settings do the trick, but you have to know where to look. Anyway, awesome system
What Sony TV did you use to test using the TV speakers as the Centre Channel ? I’ve got mine hooked up to an 83A90J and it’s sounds fantastic. I think the HT-A9 is at its best using the A80J or A90J with the acoustic surface audio speakers as the centre channel. The speakers on their LCD models don’t sound anywhere near as good.
Because rtings measures, not listens. There is a big difference between sounding good and measuring good. Same with tv’s. One may measure insanely well on test patterns but doesn’t look good irl. This system is absolutely fantastic
@J Y that's new to me. I thought they listened and measured together. Bit confusing for those who want soundbar or speakers based on in person listening experience
@@SD-oe6vv for tv’s go look at them and test them to see if they do what you want, for speakers go listen to them and see if you like them. Rtings is a good base, but always use them as just part of a search, not the search itself
Thanks for the question! So one thing to make clear up front is that the 6.8 score comes from a scale where a 10 would be an expensive full home theater setup, which is why that score seems lower, but is high among the soundbar setups we've tested. We also wanted to clarify that while we do test and provide measurements, we also do perform subjective listening tests to determine if our results are in line with the real experience. Hopefully that clears up your questions but feel free to let us know if you have any others!
@@RTINGSdotcom but how do you find a balance? I can understand objective measuring, but what if a system measures terribly yet it seems to give a very good subjective experience? In the videos or reviews there isn’t a highlighted part on subjective experience. An example is the height effects, adding treble to heights make the effects stand out more, but makes measuring it worse
You did not show the sound testing of the several sound presets??? Which one did you decide on was the most enjoyable to listen to? Which one -preset did you demonstrate in this video? Cinema may be the best? The larger sub ought to be included at a reduced price to compensate for limitations of system. The corded center tv channel instead of wireless is a poor decision and one of the limitations to Sonys pricing of the system. Sony tv center speakers need to be better sound designed for system integration.
So our suggested preset was the Standard Surround mode. It was the closest to our target curve. During our subjective listening tests, we found that both 'Standard Surround' and 'Cinema' mode filled the room with sound and offered a solid listening experience though.
I see that many pointed out that its not a "soundbar". Its a HT in a box, or a sound system. By stating as a bar, you are calling it what you can see it doesnt look like. I think that you are taking the word "soundbar" and generically considering it as any method of delivering a better sound experience to the user since they are the first go to for most consumers. Its ok to distinguish this system as an sound upgrade that delivers a more theatrical experience. Or just whats on the box. A high performance home theater system, better than your average soundbar.
My next buy is the HT-A9 and SW5 system with a 75" TV for my living room. I love sound and video and this is the best system for the money. I was gonna go for the BOSE 900 Soundbar with Bass and Surround speakers before, but this is better. Good job Sony!
@@jchanneltyI have the HT-A9 with the SW5 subwoofer and I absolutely love it! Now it has problems with audio dropouts, that can be fixed for the most part. The dropouts are caused by Wi-Fi signal. The best thing to do is to move the Wi-Fi router away from the A9s control box. You can change the 5ghz channel on the Wi-Fi router and that will help.
This system sounds 100% better than any soundbar out there tbf… it may not measure perfectly but no soundbar has ever come close to the immersion this has to offer.
I managed to get one unit after 4 months of waiting. However still no luck on SW5 subwoofer yet . Seller told me that the earliest date for stock availability will be end of April 😹
Firstly i wouldn't call it as a soundbar system, but more like a home theater one (and one about design), i've watched a ton of reviews on this and i can say that yes it's the go to these days if you want to use it for watching movies, but it's impossible to buy because of...stock supply.
Great Review. I have a few questions though. Does this wireless speaker system/sound bar truly support high resolution audio. Many has stated that in order to obtain Hi Res audio components must be wired via HDMI. Also, Many have complained about volume level , stating it does not get loud. Please give me your opinion on these two factors. Thanks in advance !
HI-res audio is really a marketing gimmick. I'm a sony lover, but sony owns the literal logo that companies pay to stamp on their products. The "certification" basically states it can create the audible range of human hearing. Like, you know a speaker. The specific sound profiles are much more important and complicated to understand, but 'high res' is not what I'd call a selling point. If you're looking for great sound, don't look at soundbars. Check out sony's core series instead. They do require a receiver, but you'll pay less and they will literally sound better than any soundbar on the market. Plus you can upgrade components, or replace pieces if something happens to die in, say 5 years time.
In this case, it should help to compare these products using our comparison tool and taking a look at the music/movie score. www.rtings.com/soundbar/tools/compare/sony-ht-a9-vs-sony-ht-a7000/27047/27046?usage=8767&threshold=0.10 Hope this helps!
Great review as always!! Question for you, is it possible to connect say my Sony HTST-5000 soundbar system (use it as center sound and manually disable all other effects) and connect it to the HDMI output in the back of the HT-A9 system. Then connect the E-Arc of the HT-A9 will go directly to my TV E-Arc. Will both systems work with this type of connection for my LG-G1 TV while using both system at the same time for there intended purposes (remember I’ll be disabling all other effect on the HTST-5000 just keeping the center audio on. It allows to manually do this in settings? Also note: both the HTST-5000 and HT-A9 are E-Arc compatible to my LG-G1 which is E-Arc compatible as well.
Hey there! While yes technically you can use another bar to do the center channel, it is not optimal. It wouldn't work to connect one soundbar into the 2nd one. You would need to use a splitter from your Source to send the audio to both bars at the same time and it is not recommended in this case. The biggest issue you might come across is how to only get the center channel to be active on the A5000. On the same note, how would you deactivate the channel center of the A9? The A9 by itself does a really good job for creating a center phantom channel. While yes the A5000 does a better job (more neutral mids which is where the voices mostly are gonna from), if you have both "centers" at the same time then you would muddy the water by having both a phantom and a dedicated center making matters worse. I would also recommend a dedicated separate AVR/speaker setup at this point. You would get a stellar system at the price point and a simpler, tried, and true setup. But if you happen to have both bars and you would like to try it, it is possible by using a HDMI or optical splitter, but we would not recommend doing this since you might lose some important features for you. Hope this answers your question!
If you're talking about the full Sonos Arc setup you can compare them here: www.rtings.com/soundbar/tools/compare/sony-ht-a9-vs-sonos-arc-with-sub-one-sl-speakers/27047/15256?usage=8767&threshold=0.10
We don't test streaming devices in that way, so we can't really offer any objective data driven answer. Realistically though, there probably won't be a specific one that's much better than all the others so just stick with the OS you like the most!
The Sony HT-A9 supports eArc so you can use the TV's built in apps but if you are serious about a streaming box then I suggest you get the Nvidia Shield TV PRO. It's the best streaming box out there for Android still and it came out 2019. 😂 Best way to hook up the A9 is to connect everything into your tv with HDMI 2.0 cables, I use optical Fibrr cables, then use the eARC out from the tv into the eARc in the A9, if your tv supports atmos and DTS x this shouldn't be a problem.. I'm using a Philips hue HDMI sync box so I connect everything there first then into my tv then out to the A9. The PS5, Sony x800 MKII, Nividia shield tv pro, Xbox series S, Google Tv 4K and Switch Oled (with a 4k gamer+) all work perfectly and give me everything for om Atmos to pcm 5.1 like the nintendo supports, but with the EA support, it's like having atmos on Switch, incredible. The Xbox series s is the only one giving me input lagg when playing though, for that just turn off Atmos and set it to 7.1, dosent matter really, they don't have games worth playing atm. Cheers!
Without testing the full setup of the 7000 with the RS5, we can't say how they compare to one another. We also wouldn't want to speculate without having our own data. Sorry about that!
Great review. Question I understand you said Sony has a solution for Center channel buy using BRAVIA tv as Center channel. But is there a possible way to have a Sony sound bar like the SONY-HT A7000 as Center bar just asking. Thanks & much success to you👊🇨🇦🇬🇹👊
Hey Romeo! While yes technically you can use another bar to do the center channel, it is not optimal. You would need to use a splitter to send the audio to both bars at the same time and it is not recommended in this case. The biggest issue you might come across is how to only get the center channel to be active on the A7000. On the same note, how would you deactivate the channel center of the A9? The A9 by itself does a really good job for creating a center phantom channel. While yes the A7000 does a better job (more neutral mids which is where the voices mostly are gonna from), if you have both "centers" at the same time then you would muddy the water by having both a phantom and a dedicated center making matters worse. I would also recommend a dedicated separate AVR/speaker setup at this point. You would get a stellar system at the price point and a simpler, tried, and true setup. But if you happen to have both bars and you would like to try it, it is possible by using a HDMI or optical splitter, but we would not recommend doing this since you might lose some important features for you.
For best quality yes, For example Netflix has a 768 kbps stream for ATMOS but a UHD gives you between 25-35 MBPS we are galking 20+ times better bandwith. Enjoy your new UHD player!😂
Are there any more budget hub&speakers wireless home theater systems? I’ve got a projector and I want to get the audio around to the front without wires. Cheers
If you want to learn more about the ideal environment for Atmos, there's an installation guide available: www.dolby.com/siteassets/technologies/dolby-atmos/atmos-installation-guidelines-121318_r3.1.pdf (Specifically page 13).
Hi! I have the Bose Lifestyle 650 system. Should I replace that with HT-A9? My purpose is mainly to listen to Music (mostly stereo). I know both Bose and Sony are perfect for watching movies. But is HT-A9 any better than Bose Lifestyle for listening to music?
We’ve yet to experience a power outage when using this product so we’re not sure unfortunately. It could be worth touching base with Sont for confirmation though
@@RTINGSdotcom Thanks for your response! Just one more question, please. Our couch is right up against the wall where the rear speakers will be mounted. How would you point the rear speakers? Straight towards the front? Diagonally towards the opposite front speaker? Or towards the person sitting on the couch?
In this case, it'll probably be helpful to check out our in-depth comparison between both products. www.rtings.com/soundbar/tools/compare/sony-ht-a9-vs-bose-smart-soundbar-900-with-speakers-bass-module/27047/28849?usage=8767&threshold=0.10 But simply put, we consider the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module is better for most uses than the standalone Sony HT-A9.
It just got a firmware update. Please retest the sound. It sounds different with the Audio DRC off than before with much more emphasis on clear voices in the center channel when using a compatible Sony TV.
Sony have recalled this product due to issues! They have not officially stated the recall but an official insider told me to be the case and hence you cannot hardly buy these anywhere in the world! It had huge glitches and issues that they have had to recall it. No release date yet.
@@jdmgsr05 Cool. Can’t find any in the U.K. how would you rate the speakers out of 5 being the highest score? Are they as amazing as they say? I had sonos before but I sold them with a view to replace them with the A9s when they become available
@@slicklace I’d give overall a 4/5 with potential for 5.. very high treble.. needs to be tuned better, which it doesn’t allow us. Hopefully they push updates to fix tonality. I have high ceilings and them placed at ear level in each corner .. phantom center channel works amazing.. unsure about atmos height sounds .. could be my very high ceilings not allowing it
Assuming we're on the same page, the center channel from a 5.1 soundtrack is not lost in this 4 speaker configuration. A phantom center is being played by the left and right speakers to make it sound like it's coming from the center. The difference from a real physical center channel is if you're sitting to the left or the right of the room, the localization is not as good since you're closer to one of those speakers and it sounds louder. For a lot of people it's not a big issue however. If this doesn't answer your question properly though, feel free to clarify! :)
Unfortunately, we haven't tested it yet, so we can't say how it compares as we don't have our own data. We did buy the soundbar though, so we'll do our best to start testing it as soon as it gets delivered. Once we do, feel free to touch base with us and we'll happily offer more insight on how they compare. In the meantime, you can track the progress here: www.rtings.com/soundbar/suggestions Once it gets delivered, it'll update to 'in the lab' and once we start testing it, the status will change to 'testing started'!
We haven't tested this, so we can't say for sure. However, the S-center needs to be used with a compatible port, so we don't think it will work with a regular aux port. Sorry about!
That is true but for someone who is not mechanically inclined or if you don’t have the room to run wires, ht systems like this might be a better choice. I have the HTA9 and I absolutely love it! I had a Marantz 1608 with Klipsh Dolby Atmos bookshelf speakers and a golden ear ff3 sub and in my opinion, the HTA9 does a really good job. But the old system sounds a lot better but the Sony still sounds really good!
I have the A-9 system. The demo set-up sounds AMAZING but, because the unit is wireless, the sound frequently drops out, or stops working altogether, requiring you to stop what you're watching, and re-set the entire system. My advice: not worth the cost so look elsewhere for a quality sound system!
Thanx ! However, You Didn’t Answer my Question ! I have a 2 Year old Sony Ht5000!! Is the Upgrade really an Advantage ?!?! Your Channel so Your Answer !!!
For the price, that frequency response is too rough - especially considering their supposed calibration software; why isn't it at least chopping off some of those nasty peaks?
Those are comb filtering artifacts from things such as grill design, and aren't necessarily audible. They're an example of high Q, whereas low Q (no peaks but gently sloping) tends to be highly audible. Dr. Floyd Toole has some free online articles that talk about these artifacts.
@@Daniel_Ho_Status_101 I guess that's worse; so, we seem to have diffraction? as well (which is surprising? circular cabinet should have fewer diffraction issues?) so bad hardware design - and no attempt to at least chop the peaks in software (I doubt some of those aren't audible, they're not that narrow - it's like +4dB between ~900Hz and 1.6Khz!).
Erin's audio corner and ASR did some Sonos reviews, and they still sound good despite their spiky-looking response curves. An Olive Score of 3.0+ gets sound that most people agree sounds good, though you don't get into serious hifi until you get a score of 7.0+ with subwoofer. You can built such as system for around same cost as this Sony package. I wished rtings would have at least added their music rating score to this review. I have audio separates and not in the market for a sound bar, but I do like knowing that these products keep getting better. An rting score of 8.0 or higher would make me confident in recommending the Sony to anyone.
Your audio level is low, at -11.5dB (relative to RUclips's target of -14 LUFS). For a talking head video like this it would be better around -3dB (i.e. -17 LUFS).
@@TaimatCR these have been out a while now and there's also a few reviews here on RUclips going back to the Autumn so I'm rather like "wow how didn't you know how much it costs till now"
@@charliezobel511 well this is the first one that I see that they actually mentioned the price, but the other videos I watched were more like showcases than actual reviews so it makes sense I guess
HI, i have a question that i can't find a clear answer to. I have a Samsung NU8000 series, it has ARC but in the specs it doesn't support dolby atmos. If i'm watching a movie in netflix in the native app that has atmos. Would the sound bar that has atmos play it with atmos? Or i'm always limited by the TV suported formats? It's really important to know otherwise there's no point on getting an atmos sound bar as of now.
Is there a reason why we are pretending these speakers should be compared to soundbars and we are even referring to them as a bar? It’s not a bar. It’s a 4.0 or 4.1 system. Period.
Interesting most all other online reviewers compared this to a receiver system with traditional speakers. Yet you compare this to a soundbar. Comical......
a discrete center channel is completely unnecessary for 90+ percent of installations...total nonsense to be concerned about it. These sony speakers are vertical...which right away will sound better. They will image right in front of the screen, whereas a soundbar will image below the screen. The center channel is the most authentic when it is created right in front of the screen. Only 8 foot wide screen and huge rooms need a center channel.
These speakers are an absolute waste of money. For just a bit more $ you can buy a $500 receiver, $1000 left/ right/ center/sub and just having that as a front stage sound setup would blow these HT9s away.
I own the YSP5600 it is missing crucial features, making it not viable for the majority of users today. It has no Dolby Vision or HDR passthrough and no e-arc. The only way to get Atmos to the YSP5600 while mantaining Dolby Vision, VRR, 120hz etc... Is with a PC graphics card with 2 HDMI outs, one going to TV the other to the YSP5600. Or something like the hd-fury vrroom.
Hey everyone! We heard your feedback about calling this a soundbar, so we've updated the title.
The product marketing has been a little confusing, as Sony has advertised it as "the perfect soundbar for BRAVIA" but also as a home theater system. We don't consider it a soundbar or home theater setup in the traditional sense, as it fits somewhere in between.
Feel free to talk about this in the comments. We're curious what you think!
This product is pretty new in regards to creating a phantom center channel. From what I've read, using a Sony TV as the center works on the higher end models that uses the screen as speakers (or speakers behind the screen. Apparently using it with a Sony TV with traditional TV speakers doesn't work out as great.
I would still classify it as a FULL setup Soundbar like any other name brand soundbar with the 2 rears at a minimum on say, the Sonos or Bose soundbars. Almost all soundbars in this price range can be bought separately so I would not compare the A9 setup with just a Bose/Sonos Soundbar unless they had the rears. Same with the sub, you couldn't compare the A9's without a sub to the full Sonos setup with a sub.
I purchased the HT-A7000 and was going to return it for the A9's. It's an amazing soundbar, even by itself but every review on the A9's was great. Reviewers were actually blown away by the Atmos/360 spatial audio effect.
Right when I was about to return the Sony HT-A7000 for the A9's, which are extremely hard to find, Sony announced new rears for they HT-A7000/A5000. The original rears had no upfiring speakers or side speakers. Just an average satellite speaker in a 5.1 setup.
The new rears are 2 smaller A9's. They are 90W each AND they have a battery that Sony claims will get 10 hours of audio playback on a full charge and 90 minutes on a 10 minute charge. They can be plugged into power at all times also.
Truly wireless will make for some fun speaker placement. I know that after probably 2 years the battery will be almost useless but I'll just plug them into power at all times at that point.
Sony also announced they are bringing the same 360 audio software that the A9's use to the A7000/A5000 this spring, when the new rears come out. Price wise the HT-A7000 and the new rears will be the same as the A9's. Obviously time will tell but this might work out better as the HT-A7000 does a wonderful job at creating the left and right front phantom speakers. Details below.
electronics.sony.com/audio/soundbars/all-soundbars/p/sars5
Product highlights
Optional rear speakers featuring 360 Spatial Sound Mapping for use with HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 Soundbar2
Direct wireless connection with HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 Soundbar9
Built-in battery with up to 10-hour battery life and quick charging7
Immersive audio from up-firing speakers
Activate Sound Field Optimization with OPTIMIZE button
Total 180W4 power output brings music and movies to life
Flexible layout - no power outlet needed
Omnidirectional Block Design with room-filling sound
Wall mount-capable rear speakers
What's inside each speaker
1 - Up-firing speaker
2 - Soft Dome Type Tweeter
3 - Wide Directivity Woofer
4 - Dual passive radiators
One button optimizes the sound field to your room
Activate Sound Field Optimization any time by pressing the OPTIMIZE button on the unit. These speakers combined with a compatible soundbar1 intelligently measure the distance between speakers and ceiling using dual microphones in each speaker for smart and easy set up.
Flexible layout - no power outlet needed
Designed to be flexible to your environment, no wires and internal batteries mean these speakers can be used completely cable free, or with AC power, whichever you like.
Up to 10-hour battery life and quick charging
With up to 10 hours of battery life when fully charged you can set these speakers without worrying about an AC cable. You can charge them out of sight and bring them out when you need them. And if you’re in a hurry, just 10 minutes of charge will give 90 minutes of use.
Would like to buy this with Affliate link but one doubt..how to build a room with reflective walls? I have researched on this and found out material of walls can matter. Even the paint! So what should i do to get the best reflective phantom speaker experience
Got a a spare A9 for a loyal fan?
I really wish reviewers would stop calling this system a sound bar. It’s clearly not a sound bar.
When using a Bravia TV as a Center channel you have to make use of the manual speaker settings. There you can set your seating position closer to the rear speakers, the system then turns the Center channel (tv) a few db up. This fixes the problem and, at least my 77a80j fits in perfectly and it’s way better now. Before I tweaked this setting I preferred to let the s-center off, but after I found this, I have to say it is way better. I love the ht-a9
That's nice to hear! They should measure the TV's sound so that it's equal to the other speakers. I have the A90J. It's such a good speaker on its own it would be a shame not to use it.
How's the Timbre compared between the tv and speakers?
@@Toschh No complains anymore. It just works.
You can listen to Atmos/360 music via Amazon music App/Alexa and it is really good.
Is that model Sony has the speakers that use the screen (or behind, I forget). I read that using the Sony as the center with those models works out great but if it's a Sony display with regular speakers it doesn't work out as well. Apparently more detail and clarity and since it uses the screen the center is the screen so placement is absolutely perfect.
@@JoshFisher567 Yes, it has to be a Bravia with acoustic surface sound technology and a dedicated s-speaker input. That’s the only way to implement a TV as a Center. Problem is, Sony didn’t integrate these into the auto calibration process. There is no need to, those extra speaker settings do the trick, but you have to know where to look. Anyway, awesome system
For that price...include a sub sony!
It’s on sale now! Pick one up and enjoy life. Life is beautiful LG.
What Sony TV did you use to test using the TV speakers as the Centre Channel ? I’ve got mine hooked up to an 83A90J and it’s sounds fantastic. I think the HT-A9 is at its best using the A80J or A90J with the acoustic surface audio speakers as the centre channel. The speakers on their LCD models don’t sound anywhere near as good.
This is an important point. But still, it’s not cool for Sony to give a worse experience for the x95j.
sounds like this system is just ok. every other reviewer claims it's so awesome. Thanks for a true review
Flip side to that is these are wrong and everyone else Is right.
@@fergalno1when I asked an audio store they told me it's nothing special compared to a Sony soundbar. He could have already sold it to me
Please make the video on top 5 high-end soundbar comparison. Thanks for your work!
We'll definitely pass this suggestion on to the team! Stay tuned :)
This was a really good review from a more technical perspective. I wish there was a review for the HT-A7000
how this called or categorized as Soundbar? because no A/V receiver? this instead 4.0 system
Best Atmos performed and yet you gave 6.8 rating?
Because rtings measures, not listens. There is a big difference between sounding good and measuring good. Same with tv’s. One may measure insanely well on test patterns but doesn’t look good irl.
This system is absolutely fantastic
@J Y that's new to me. I thought they listened and measured together. Bit confusing for those who want soundbar or speakers based on in person listening experience
@@SD-oe6vv for tv’s go look at them and test them to see if they do what you want, for speakers go listen to them and see if you like them. Rtings is a good base, but always use them as just part of a search, not the search itself
Thanks for the question! So one thing to make clear up front is that the 6.8 score comes from a scale where a 10 would be an expensive full home theater setup, which is why that score seems lower, but is high among the soundbar setups we've tested.
We also wanted to clarify that while we do test and provide measurements, we also do perform subjective listening tests to determine if our results are in line with the real experience. Hopefully that clears up your questions but feel free to let us know if you have any others!
@@RTINGSdotcom but how do you find a balance? I can understand objective measuring, but what if a system measures terribly yet it seems to give a very good subjective experience? In the videos or reviews there isn’t a highlighted part on subjective experience.
An example is the height effects, adding treble to heights make the effects stand out more, but makes measuring it worse
You did not show the sound testing of the several sound presets??? Which one did you decide on was the most enjoyable to listen to? Which one -preset did you demonstrate in this video? Cinema may be the best? The larger sub ought to be included at a reduced price to compensate for limitations of system. The corded center tv channel instead of wireless is a poor decision and one of the limitations to Sonys pricing of the system. Sony tv center speakers need to be better sound designed for system integration.
So our suggested preset was the Standard Surround mode. It was the closest to our target curve. During our subjective listening tests, we found that both 'Standard Surround' and 'Cinema' mode filled the room with sound and offered a solid listening experience though.
In depth review ...👍 If one has the Sony HT5000 then is the upgrade worth it ?
I see that many pointed out that its not a "soundbar". Its a HT in a box, or a sound system. By stating as a bar, you are calling it what you can see it doesnt look like. I think that you are taking the word "soundbar" and generically considering it as any method of delivering a better sound experience to the user since they are the first go to for most consumers. Its ok to distinguish this system as an sound upgrade that delivers a more theatrical experience. Or just whats on the box. A high performance home theater system, better than your average soundbar.
That's not a soundbar. That's just a set of separate speakers.
Sony actually calls it a home-theater system
It seems like it would work well with a sound bar. Shame.
Although I'm glad there's a new review of this product, their really should be disclaimer stating how this product is unavailable.
They're reviewing it, not selling it. Would you like them to call you personally on your cell when they are back in stock? SMH.
My next buy is the HT-A9 and SW5 system with a 75" TV for my living room. I love sound and video and this is the best system for the money. I was gonna go for the BOSE 900 Soundbar with Bass and Surround speakers before, but this is better. Good job Sony!
I just ordered it for my 75” in my living room. I just hope it runs smooth with my Hue sync setup and my Apple TV.
How do you feel about the speakers now that you’ve had them for a while?
@@jchanneltyI have the HT-A9 with the SW5 subwoofer and I absolutely love it! Now it has problems with audio dropouts, that can be fixed for the most part. The dropouts are caused by Wi-Fi signal. The best thing to do is to move the Wi-Fi router away from the A9s control box. You can change the 5ghz channel on the Wi-Fi router and that will help.
I bought yesterday. I think bose 900 with rear speaker is batter than ht a9.
I sold my bose 900 for ht a9.
I have done a big mistake.
Why bro ?
I am considering selling my 900er system. Why do you regret the change ?
This system sounds 100% better than any soundbar out there tbf… it may not measure perfectly but no soundbar has ever come close to the immersion this has to offer.
Any word on when stores will restock these? I've been looking for weeks. Everyone sold out.
I managed to get one unit after 4 months of waiting.
However still no luck on SW5 subwoofer yet . Seller told me that the earliest date for stock availability will be end of April 😹
Im not too familiar with soundbars
But from the sound of it
This is the go to choice these days right?
Firstly i wouldn't call it as a soundbar system, but more like a home theater one (and one about design), i've watched a ton of reviews on this and i can say that yes it's the go to these days if you want to use it for watching movies, but it's impossible to buy because of...stock supply.
Great Review. I have a few questions though. Does this wireless speaker system/sound bar truly support high resolution audio. Many has stated that in order to obtain Hi Res audio components must be wired via HDMI. Also, Many have complained about volume level , stating it does not get loud. Please give me your opinion on these two factors. Thanks in advance !
HI-res audio is really a marketing gimmick. I'm a sony lover, but sony owns the literal logo that companies pay to stamp on their products.
The "certification" basically states it can create the audible range of human hearing. Like, you know a speaker. The specific sound profiles are much more important and complicated to understand, but 'high res' is not what I'd call a selling point. If you're looking for great sound, don't look at soundbars. Check out sony's core series instead. They do require a receiver, but you'll pay less and they will literally sound better than any soundbar on the market. Plus you can upgrade components, or replace pieces if something happens to die in, say 5 years time.
Hi sir can you guide me for music and movie which is best Sony ht a9 or Sony ht a7000 sound bar
In this case, it should help to compare these products using our comparison tool and taking a look at the music/movie score. www.rtings.com/soundbar/tools/compare/sony-ht-a9-vs-sony-ht-a7000/27047/27046?usage=8767&threshold=0.10
Hope this helps!
Does it do 4k 120hz passthrough for ps5
This does support 4k/120hz passthrough!
Great review as always!! Question for you, is it possible to connect say my Sony HTST-5000 soundbar system (use it as center sound and manually disable all other effects) and connect it to the HDMI output in the back of the HT-A9 system. Then connect the E-Arc of the HT-A9 will go directly to my TV E-Arc. Will both systems work with this type of connection for my LG-G1 TV while using both system at the same time for there intended purposes (remember I’ll be disabling all other effect on the HTST-5000 just keeping the center audio on. It allows to manually do this in settings?
Also note: both the HTST-5000 and HT-A9 are E-Arc compatible to my LG-G1 which is E-Arc compatible as well.
Hey there!
While yes technically you can use another bar to do the center channel, it is not optimal. It wouldn't work to connect one soundbar into the 2nd one. You would need to use a splitter from your Source to send the audio to both bars at the same time and it is not recommended in this case. The biggest issue you might come across is how to only get the center channel to be active on the A5000. On the same note, how would you deactivate the channel center of the A9? The A9 by itself does a really good job for creating a center phantom channel. While yes the A5000 does a better job (more neutral mids which is where the voices mostly are gonna from), if you have both "centers" at the same time then you would muddy the water by having both a phantom and a dedicated center making matters worse. I would also recommend a dedicated separate AVR/speaker setup at this point. You would get a stellar system at the price point and a simpler, tried, and true setup. But if you happen to have both bars and you would like to try it, it is possible by using a HDMI or optical splitter, but we would not recommend doing this since you might lose some important features for you.
Hope this answers your question!
please compare the ht-a9 with sonos arc setup
If you're talking about the full Sonos Arc setup you can compare them here: www.rtings.com/soundbar/tools/compare/sony-ht-a9-vs-sonos-arc-with-sub-one-sl-speakers/27047/15256?usage=8767&threshold=0.10
Great work !!! Which is the best streaming device for sony HT-A9, please???
We don't test streaming devices in that way, so we can't really offer any objective data driven answer. Realistically though, there probably won't be a specific one that's much better than all the others so just stick with the OS you like the most!
Atv4k Box
The Sony HT-A9 supports eArc so you can use the TV's built in apps but if you are serious about a streaming box then I suggest you get the Nvidia Shield TV PRO. It's the best streaming box out there for Android still and it came out 2019. 😂
Best way to hook up the A9 is to connect everything into your tv with HDMI 2.0 cables, I use optical Fibrr cables, then use the eARC out from the tv into the eARc in the A9, if your tv supports atmos and DTS x this shouldn't be a problem.. I'm using a Philips hue HDMI sync box so I connect everything there first then into my tv then out to the A9. The PS5, Sony x800 MKII, Nividia shield tv pro, Xbox series S, Google Tv 4K and Switch Oled (with a 4k gamer+) all work perfectly and give me everything for om Atmos to pcm 5.1 like the nintendo supports, but with the EA support, it's like having atmos on Switch, incredible.
The Xbox series s is the only one giving me input lagg when playing though, for that just turn off Atmos and set it to 7.1, dosent matter really, they don't have games worth playing atm.
Cheers!
Which Sony TV did you all test the center channel with? Mixed reviews between the X95J vs the A80J/A90J.
The Sony Oled tv with the acoustic panel are the best one to use with the HTA9 for the center channel
Is it better to get these or the 7000 with the RS5?
Without testing the full setup of the 7000 with the RS5, we can't say how they compare to one another. We also wouldn't want to speculate without having our own data. Sorry about that!
you guys are the gamersnexus of general CE
eARC stands for “enhanced” audio return channel.
Hey Kenny! You're absolutely right and we've got no excuse. We can't promise to never make mistakes, but we promise we'll do better in the future!
No option for rechargeable batteries?
How about making a video on where to buy this, everywhere I look it's sold out and it's been over a year now
Best Buy
Great review. Question I understand you said Sony has a solution for Center channel buy using BRAVIA tv as Center channel. But is there a possible way to have a Sony sound bar like the SONY-HT A7000 as Center bar just asking. Thanks & much success to you👊🇨🇦🇬🇹👊
Hey Romeo!
While yes technically you can use another bar to do the center channel, it is not optimal. You would need to use a splitter to send the audio to both bars at the same time and it is not recommended in this case. The biggest issue you might come across is how to only get the center channel to be active on the A7000. On the same note, how would you deactivate the channel center of the A9? The A9 by itself does a really good job for creating a center phantom channel. While yes the A7000 does a better job (more neutral mids which is where the voices mostly are gonna from), if you have both "centers" at the same time then you would muddy the water by having both a phantom and a dedicated center making matters worse. I would also recommend a dedicated separate AVR/speaker setup at this point. You would get a stellar system at the price point and a simpler, tried, and true setup. But if you happen to have both bars and you would like to try it, it is possible by using a HDMI or optical splitter, but we would not recommend doing this since you might lose some important features for you.
@@RTINGSdotcom thank you for your professional advice. Once again I appreciate the great content you provide for us.👊🇨🇦🇬🇹👊
Why that horrible 1980’s grey crt monitor colour? Black should be an option.
Hi, do we need to purchase Blueray device to feel the 100% quality or will it give the same quality on OTT platforms like Netflix, prime and Disney+.
Hello!
Our experts are happy to answer your questions via our forums on our website! www.rtings.com/forums
For best quality yes,
For example Netflix has a 768 kbps stream for ATMOS but a UHD gives you between 25-35 MBPS we are galking 20+ times better bandwith.
Enjoy your new UHD player!😂
Hi, I hope you can review on philip soundbar.
Is it a soundbar or a home theatre
Sony official website has it under soundbars
Are there any more budget hub&speakers wireless home theater systems? I’ve got a projector and I want to get the audio around to the front without wires. Cheers
Will the atmos still be noticeable if we have wooden beams on our ceiling?
If you want to learn more about the ideal environment for Atmos, there's an installation guide available: www.dolby.com/siteassets/technologies/dolby-atmos/atmos-installation-guidelines-121318_r3.1.pdf (Specifically page 13).
@@RTINGSdotcom Oh man, thanks alot! I will read this right now. Didn't even know that existed.
Hi! I have the Bose Lifestyle 650 system. Should I replace that with HT-A9?
My purpose is mainly to listen to Music (mostly stereo).
I know both Bose and Sony are perfect for watching movies. But is HT-A9 any better than Bose Lifestyle for listening to music?
No
Does the HT-A9 retain its settings after a power outage?
We’ve yet to experience a power outage when using this product so we’re not sure unfortunately. It could be worth touching base with Sont for confirmation though
@@RTINGSdotcom Thanks for your response! Just one more question, please. Our couch is right up against the wall where the rear speakers will be mounted. How would you point the rear speakers? Straight towards the front? Diagonally towards the opposite front speaker? Or towards the person sitting on the couch?
I have the HTA9 and I can tell you it does retain its settings after a power outage
Does the Ht-A9 come with a high quality hdmi cable or should I purchase an audio quest forest?
Hello! Our experts are happy to try and answer your questions via our forums on our website! www.rtings.com/forums
How can you call this a bar with 4 speakers
do you recommend the Sony HTA9 over the Bose soundbar 900 with rear speaker and Sub?
In this case, it'll probably be helpful to check out our in-depth comparison between both products. www.rtings.com/soundbar/tools/compare/sony-ht-a9-vs-bose-smart-soundbar-900-with-speakers-bass-module/27047/28849?usage=8767&threshold=0.10
But simply put, we consider the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module is better for most uses than the standalone Sony HT-A9.
Can you really categorize this as a soundbar? It’s a sound system.
It just got a firmware update. Please retest the sound. It sounds different with the Audio DRC off than before with much more emphasis on clear voices in the center channel when using a compatible Sony TV.
Thanks for letting us know, we'll pass this along to our soundbar team for additional consideration!
Thank you for telling me. Can you tell me when you will test the upgrade?
Sony have recalled this product due to issues! They have not officially stated the recall but an official insider told me to be the case and hence you cannot hardly buy these anywhere in the world! It had huge glitches and issues that they have had to recall it. No release date yet.
Just got mine last week, where you see this info
@@jdmgsr05 it was on a Sony forum. Where did you get yours from? And Where are you based?
@@slicklace Amazon had both a9 and sw5 In stock
I’m in USA
@@jdmgsr05 Cool. Can’t find any in the U.K. how would you rate the speakers out of 5 being the highest score? Are they as amazing as they say? I had sonos before but I sold them with a view to replace them with the A9s when they become available
@@slicklace I’d give overall a 4/5 with potential for 5.. very high treble.. needs to be tuned better, which it doesn’t allow us. Hopefully they push updates to fix tonality. I have high ceilings and them placed at ear level in each corner .. phantom center channel works amazing.. unsure about atmos height sounds .. could be my very high ceilings not allowing it
What HDMI should he used? 2.0 or 2.1??
EARC hdmi channel.
As i dont own a tv is there a chance to listen to those on my laptop without losing sourround sound??
It likely won't deliver the same experience, but we can't say for sure as we haven't tried this sort of setup. Sorry about that!
Does it distinguish 5.1 channel sound and can we hear from left and right speakers?
Assuming we're on the same page, the center channel from a 5.1 soundtrack is not lost in this 4 speaker configuration. A phantom center is being played by the left and right speakers to make it sound like it's coming from the center. The difference from a real physical center channel is if you're sitting to the left or the right of the room, the localization is not as good since you're closer to one of those speakers and it sounds louder. For a lot of people it's not a big issue however. If this doesn't answer your question properly though, feel free to clarify! :)
I don't understand why people keep referring to this system as a "soundbar". It's quite clearly not a soundbar lol.
I don't understand why people care what it's called. It's quite clearly shown in the video lol.
Wasn’t the Atmos rated 7.1 when you first tested it?
No, it always scored a 6.8. If we retest something though, we will note any changes in the box of the written review.
@@RTINGSdotcom i think he ment 7.1 channels, rather than 5.1, but i might be wrong.
May I know comparing samsung q990b how is it comparing which is more recommending?
Unfortunately, we haven't tested it yet, so we can't say how it compares as we don't have our own data. We did buy the soundbar though, so we'll do our best to start testing it as soon as it gets delivered. Once we do, feel free to touch base with us and we'll happily offer more insight on how they compare. In the meantime, you can track the progress here: www.rtings.com/soundbar/suggestions
Once it gets delivered, it'll update to 'in the lab' and once we start testing it, the status will change to 'testing started'!
can i use a big bluetooth speaker with aux input as center channel by connecting it to the S-center out port on the A9 control module??
We haven't tested this, so we can't say for sure. However, the S-center needs to be used with a compatible port, so we don't think it will work with a regular aux port. Sorry about!
No it will not work
I think I will stick to my good old receiver with loads of connections, and me 5.1 surround. You get more for your money.
That is true but for someone who is not mechanically inclined or if you don’t have the room to run wires, ht systems like this might be a better choice. I have the HTA9 and I absolutely love it! I had a Marantz 1608 with Klipsh Dolby Atmos bookshelf speakers and a golden ear ff3 sub and in my opinion, the HTA9 does a really good job. But the old system sounds a lot better but the Sony still sounds really good!
It's virtual height ...if am not wrong
Guru, could you please comment in the Dolby features when connected to a 2016 4k TV with ARC, 2020 with no XR and 2021 TV with XR?? Thank you
I have the A-9 system. The demo set-up sounds AMAZING but, because the unit is wireless, the sound frequently drops out, or stops working altogether, requiring you to stop what you're watching, and re-set the entire system. My advice: not worth the cost so look elsewhere for a quality sound system!
Thanx ! However, You Didn’t Answer my Question ! I have a 2 Year old Sony Ht5000!! Is the Upgrade really an Advantage ?!?! Your Channel so Your Answer !!!
Smyth Realizer A16 SE with a good pair stereo hifi = up to 9.1.6 ! max 15.1.8 simulate ! but price is elevate : approx. 6000$
For the price, that frequency response is too rough - especially considering their supposed calibration software; why isn't it at least chopping off some of those nasty peaks?
Those are comb filtering artifacts from things such as grill design, and aren't necessarily audible. They're an example of high Q, whereas low Q (no peaks but gently sloping) tends to be highly audible. Dr. Floyd Toole has some free online articles that talk about these artifacts.
@@Daniel_Ho_Status_101 I guess that's worse; so, we seem to have diffraction? as well (which is surprising? circular cabinet should have fewer diffraction issues?) so bad hardware design - and no attempt to at least chop the peaks in software (I doubt some of those aren't audible, they're not that narrow - it's like +4dB between ~900Hz and 1.6Khz!).
Erin's audio corner and ASR did some Sonos reviews, and they still sound good despite their spiky-looking response curves. An Olive Score of 3.0+ gets sound that most people agree sounds good, though you don't get into serious hifi until you get a score of 7.0+ with subwoofer. You can built such as system for around same cost as this Sony package.
I wished rtings would have at least added their music rating score to this review. I have audio separates and not in the market for a sound bar, but I do like knowing that these products keep getting better. An rting score of 8.0 or higher would make me confident in recommending the Sony to anyone.
the point is that they work very well
So why do they keep saying soundbar?
its literally sold out everywhere. Only Ebay scalpers have it
So did Sony make like 50 samples of HT-A9? Nobody but "review people" had opportunity to approach this system??....
We can't speak to other reviewers, but we bought our own right from Amazon. We don't accept review units and we buy all of the products we test.
Your audio level is low, at -11.5dB (relative to RUclips's target of -14 LUFS). For a talking head video like this it would be better around -3dB (i.e. -17 LUFS).
Wow it costs a lot more than I thought, I was under the impression that it would cost around $800~$900
You must not know Sony lol
@@RealJoeAverageGamer oh no I do, I own a shit load of their stuff, but not sure why I thought these were cheaper that's all
@@TaimatCR these have been out a while now and there's also a few reviews here on RUclips going back to the Autumn so I'm rather like "wow how didn't you know how much it costs till now"
@@charliezobel511 well this is the first one that I see that they actually mentioned the price, but the other videos I watched were more like showcases than actual reviews so it makes sense I guess
@@TaimatCR technically it should be around $699, or maybe $999 max. Boy was I wrong
HI, i have a question that i can't find a clear answer to. I have a Samsung NU8000 series, it has ARC but in the specs it doesn't support dolby atmos. If i'm watching a movie in netflix in the native app that has atmos. Would the sound bar that has atmos play it with atmos? Or i'm always limited by the TV suported formats? It's really important to know otherwise there's no point on getting an atmos sound bar as of now.
A year later what did you find out?
Is there a reason why we are pretending these speakers should be compared to soundbars and we are even referring to them as a bar? It’s not a bar. It’s a 4.0 or 4.1 system. Period.
Its not worth the price considering the sub is not included. Way overpriced.
Interesting most all other online reviewers compared this to a receiver system with traditional speakers. Yet you compare this to a soundbar. Comical......
It's an excellent gaming monitor! Here's our written review for it: www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/asus/rog-strix-xg27aq
Agreed! There reviews are not trustworthy!
a discrete center channel is completely unnecessary for 90+ percent of installations...total nonsense to be concerned about it. These sony speakers are vertical...which right away will sound better. They will image right in front of the screen, whereas a soundbar will image below the screen. The center channel is the most authentic when it is created right in front of the screen. Only 8 foot wide screen and huge rooms need a center channel.
there is no bar in this "soundbar"
Out of stock everywhere.
I bought a focal speaker system and receiver instead of this. Thank god
You call it wireless 😂 yet you have to have a power outlet for each speaker.
I still tje way it sounds than bose 900,
That isn’t a sound bar
Connectivity issues are what kills it.
This the wifi of the home, not fault of the unit. Just like bad wifi kills sonos also.
@@IcemanX504XAgreed!
Overpriced bunch.
This Is not your momma's atmos!
Weird looking bar
Great concept but I just can’t get past that horrible frequency measurement, especially for the price
Really, a 500 dollar Yamaha homethetre package from 10 years ago will sound better than this garbage
These speakers are an absolute waste of money. For just a bit more $ you can buy a $500 receiver, $1000 left/ right/ center/sub and just having that as a front stage sound setup would blow these HT9s away.
No the are not a waste of money! But Sony should had made the SW5 come with the HTA9 abd set the price point a little lower
"Not your Average Soundbar" It's literally not a soundbar.
"Up next, the new Ford Bronco Review - Not your Average Soundbar"
Its unfair you people have never reviewed Yamaha YSP5600 the daddy of all soundbar.
I own the YSP5600 it is missing crucial features, making it not viable for the majority of users today. It has no Dolby Vision or HDR passthrough and no e-arc. The only way to get Atmos to the YSP5600 while mantaining Dolby Vision, VRR, 120hz etc... Is with a PC graphics card with 2 HDMI outs, one going to TV the other to the YSP5600. Or something like the hd-fury vrroom.
Weird "soundbar" solution.
4.0.4?
You mean 4.0.0 don't you?
Probably the count the up firing ones hence the last. 4