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The 5 Best Sony Soundbars of 2024 Reviews

Updated
Best Sony Soundbars

We've currently tested seventeen Sony soundbars. Sony produces sturdy, well-built soundbars. They tend to excel in dialogue reproduction, but their lack of sound enhancement features can be a drawback if you want a touch more bass or treble in your mix. As Sony produces soundbars at several price points, they can range in features.

Updates

Best Sony Soundbars


  1. Best Sony Soundbar

    The best Sony soundbar we've tested is the Sony HT-A7000 with Speakers + Bass Module. This 7.1.2 setup gives you a versatile overall performance with everything from music to movies to TV shows, with many features on hand to make the most of its sound. As with most premium soundbars, there's a room correction feature to optimize the bar's audio reproduction based on the unique acoustics of your living space—it's called Sound Field Optimization. With it on, the bar's sound is fairly balanced, meaning everything from dialogue in your favorite movies to instruments in your favorite music are clear and accurate in the mix. The sub brings the rumble in the bass, though you can always purchase it as a standalone bar if you prefer.

    This soundbar supports lots of common audio formats. You can enjoy 5.1 surround sound content like Dolby Digital, and the included rear speakers bring a clear and real feel to your audio, so sound effects seem like they're coming from the space around you. There's Dolby Atmos support, too, so you can take advantage of more immersive object-based formats commonly found on streaming services. That said, no soundbar is perfect. It's a good choice, but it doesn't have a lot of options to customize its sound. Given its balanced sound out-of-the-box, you might have an issue—but if you love to control your bar's sound, you can check out more customizable setups like the Samsung HW-Q990C or the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module instead.

    See our review

  2. Best Mid-Range Sony Soundbar

    If you're looking for a more affordable alternative, consider the Sony HT-A5000. It's a mid-range option released in 2021 as a more affordable alternative to the Sony HT-A7000. Its soundstage isn't as wide as the HT-A7000, so you don't quite get the same immersive feel, and it comes with one less HDMI port—but otherwise, the bars perform very similarly. You get the same sound enhancement features, including Sony's Sound Field Optimization room correction feature. Like its premium cousin, it also supports Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos content.

    A standalone soundbar like this is a great alternative if you have limited space in your setup. That said, if you use the soundbar independently, there are some tradeoffs in the sound. First, you feel less rumble in the low-bass, especially on bass-heavy soundtracks and action-centered scenes. Also, without rear satellites, you don't get the same life-like feel with surround sound content. You can always purchase a separate sub and satellites from the manufacturer separately, too, meaning if you move to a larger space down the line, you can upgrade it for a more cinematic sound.

    See our review

  3. Best Lower Mid-Range Sony Soundbar

    The Sony HT-G700 is a more wallet-friendly option from Sony's 2020 lineup. This 3.1 soundbar has a simple design that makes it easy to plug into your TV for an improved sound. It clearly reproduces dialogue right out of the box, and voices and lead instruments are present and accurate in the mix. A few EQ presets and a dialogue enhancement mode are available to switch up its sound. However, compared to the Sony HT-A5000, you won't find a room correction tool, so it sounds slightly different depending on your space.

    Still, this soundbar supports many common audio formats you're likely to come across on streaming platforms, like Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos. It has to downmix them to play them, but Sony has designed the bar's built-in S-Force PRO virtual surround feature to give a more immersive sound. It can sound a little fake and forced, though, and it doesn't have the same cinematic feel as the top picks on our list. That said, it's still a fine choice if you want an upgrade over your TV speakers without all the extra bells and whistles.

    See our review

  4. Best Budget Sony Soundbar

    If you're shopping on a budget, check out the Sony HT-S400. This entry-level 2.1 model is affordable for those who want a simple upgrade over their existing TV speakers. It's smaller and more compact than some of the more premium models on this list, too, so it doesn't take up a lot of space in your setup. Add on the subwoofer to enjoy the thump and rumble in the bass, especially with bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop. The subwoofer level adjustment lets you control the amount of punch in the mix, too, so you have some control over the bar's sound.

    As a 2.1 setup, this bar is ideal for listening to stereo content, which includes most music and vocal-centric TV shows like sitcoms. The dialogue enhancement tool makes voices clearer in the mix, which is great for following along with your favorite shows. That said, compared to the Sony HT-G700, this soundbar doesn't support more immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos. 5.1 surround sound is downmixed into stereo, which doesn't bring the most clear and real feel. Still, for the price, it does a solid job improving your TV's sound.

    See our review

  5. Best Sony Soundbar For Large Rooms

    The acoustics of your living space impact how you perceive the sound of your setup—especially for those with larger, more open living spaces. Fortunately, some offerings are better suited to meet your needs, including the Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module. This 4.1.4 setup has a unique design that pushes the boundaries of our definition of the soundbar. It replaces the wide "bar" with a control box and two left and right stereo speakers, while its two satellites can be placed anywhere in your setup to stretch its sound around you. It gives you more flexibility than a traditional bar, as you can move each satellite to different locations based on your preferences.

    The bar's soundstage is wide and immersive, rivaling the performance of other top-of-the-line setups on the market. Compared to the Sony HT-A7000, it lacks a center channel, which does create some holes in the soundstage for more avid audiophiles. Still, sound stretches all around you as if you dropped your couch right into the middle of the action, which is a cool touch. For those with larger and more open living spaces, the wide soundstage, matched with the flexibility of the satellites, makes this bar a really good option.

    See our review

Compared To Other Brands


  • Well-built design.
    Sony soundbars have a generally sturdy build thanks to their plastic and metal design.
  • Good for dialogue.
    Most Sony soundbars are well-suited for dialogue content, especially when combined with their Dialogue Enhancement feature, and the audio produced is clear and accurate.
  • Lacking sound enhancement features.
    Most Sony soundbars lack bass or treble adjustment, which can be less than ideal as some of these soundbars have a less-than-neutral sound profile. Sony only provides preset EQs, so you can't customize or fine-tune your audio experience the way you like. None of the Sony soundbars offer a room correction feature.
  • Poor surround sound.
    All of the Sony soundbars we've tested tend to have inadequate surround sound, even with those that use Sony's S-Force Front Surround to simulate the experience.

Sony vs Samsung

Samsung and Sony both create soundbars available at a wide array of price points to address different market segments. Their top-of-the-line models include Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, as well as tools like room correction to optimize their sound. More budget-friendly options are available from both to address stereo listeners. However, Samsung soundbars tend to come with far more sound customization tools, including graphic EQs.

Sony vs Sonos

While Sony's products are available at many different price points to address a broader range of users, Sonos is a more premium soundbar manufacturer that generally produces more premium setups. Sonos bars come with built-in smart features like voice assistants, and they use psychoacoustic principles to create wider and more immersive soundstages than other setups. However, Sonos offers fewer options at budget-friendly price points, and they might not be worth the value for those who want a simple upgrade over their TV speakers.

Sony vs Bose

Bose is a premium soundbar manufacturer that focuses on creating premium, top-of-the-line offerings with built-in smart features like voice assistant control. Sony offers similar devices with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, as well as voice assistant capabilities. However, Sony has more budget-friendly options, which may be a better value for users who mostly listen to stereo content.

Sony makes a wide range of soundbars at several price ranges, so it's easy to find one that works for your budget. Although this range is large and available features vary, Sony soundbars are generally well-built but ordinary in overall sound performance. When compared to Samsung soundbars, Sony isn't as well-rounded in performance. Some models can also struggle to produce a deep, rumbling bass suitable for movies or music. Since most Sony soundbars lack bass and treble adjustments, the basic preset EQ offered in their place may not be enough customization for some users. These soundbars are well-suited for dialogue-centric content and will be more than adequate for everyday use.

Lineup

Sony has a couple of different soundbar lineups on the market, but their naming strategy isn't very clear. Soundbars in a particular lineup generally address a certain market segment based on price; however, you may find a model with similar features under a different lineup on the market at the same time. Here are a few of their common naming conventions:

  • A Series: Sony's top-of-the-line releases from 2021 and 2022.
  • S Series: Sony's more budget-friendly options from 2017 to 2022.

Others, like the Sony HT-G700 and the Sony HT-Z9F, seem to be standalone models that don't come as part of a broader lineup.

Recent Updates

  1. Dec 08, 2023: We haven't tested any new Sony soundbars since the last update. Our picks are still accurate and available, so they stay the same.

  2. Aug 10, 2023: Product picks remain the same. Minor text edits for clarity.

  3. Apr 13, 2023: We haven't tested any new Sony soundbars. However, the Sony HT-S200F is no longer widely available, so we've replaced it with the Sony HT-S400.

  4. Dec 14, 2022: No changes in product picks after verifying their accuracy and availability.

  5. Aug 24, 2022: Altered category titles to reflect price-based article structure. Added the Sony HT-G700 as 'Best Lower Mid-Range'.

Conclusion

Sony is a well-known brand offering a variety of soundbars across several price points. Overall, they're sturdy and well-built. They're also well-suited for reproducing dialogue, which is great for your favorite TV shows and audiobooks. Unfortunately, if you don't like their default sound profile, Sony only provides EQ presets, making it challenging to fine-tune your audio experience.

Test Results