The Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module is a 4.1.4 setup with a very unique design. The manufacturer's 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology offers a fantastic soundstage performance, so your audio seems to fill the room around you. The addition of the SA-SW5 subwoofer helps reproduce a more extended low-bass, too. With its Sound Field Optimization feature turned on, its sound profile is a bit muddy, so vocals and lead instruments are a bit thin. That said, its Atmos performance is among the best of the soundbars we've tested.
Note: The standalone Sony HT-A9 is compatible with both the SA-SW5 and the SA-SW3 subwoofers. Our results are only valid for the SA-SW5 subwoofer.
Our Verdict
The Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module is satisfactory for mixed usage. This 4.1.4 setup has a Sound Field Optimization room correction feature that optimizes audio reproduction based on your room's acoustics. With this feature on, its sound profile is a bit muddy, so vocals and lead instruments are thin. That said, its incredible soundstage performance can immerse you in your audio content. It supports Atmos content, too, and its surrounds performance is very good.
- Fantastic soundstage.
- Immersive Atmos experience.
- Doesn't get loud.
- No graphic EQ.
The Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module is good for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Voices are reproduced pretty clearly, though they may sound a bit thin due to the muddiness in the high-bass. There's a dialogue enhancement feature to make voices more clear, though. This setup lacks a discrete center channel, meaning you may notice some holes in the soundstage. That said, Acoustic Center Sync lets you pair it with a compatible BRAVIA TV to use your TV speakers as its discrete center. While this helps anchor voices to a more accurate location in the soundstage, we also noticed that it can reduce sound quality.
- EQ presets.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Lacks discrete center channel.
The Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module is satisfactory for music. Its Sound Field Optimization feature automatically adjusts audio reproduction based on your room's acoustics. On its 'Standard Surround' mode, its sound profile is a bit muddy, so vocals and lead instruments can be thin. There are some EQ presets and a subwoofer volume feature to help you adjust its sound, though.
- EQ presets.
- Fantastic soundstage.
- Doesn't get loud.
- No graphic EQ.
The Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module is satisfactory for movies. Its 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology offers an incredibly wide and immersive-sounding soundstage. Its discrete surround speakers accurately localize sound objects in the soundstage, and it also supports Dolby Atmos content. You can even use its Immersive AE feature to turn on its up-firing speakers for a more immersive sound. That said, it seems to be missing a touch of low bass, so you may not feel as much rumble in action-packed scenes.
- Fantastic soundstage.
- Immersive Atmos experience.
- Doesn't get loud.
- Lacks a bit of low-bass.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 14, 2023: Updated text in Other Input Specifications box for clarity. No changes in test results.
- Updated Sep 11, 2023: Added information about updating the bar to firmware version 1.779 for ALLM and HDMI Forum support in the Video Passthrough to TV box. No changes in the score.
- Updated Apr 06, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Apr 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module is available in 'Light Grey' with a black subwoofer. You can see the label for the model we tested here.
You can also find this setup with Sony's SA-SW3 subwoofer. However, we haven't tested the setup in this configuration, so we can't confirm its performance.
If you come across another version of the Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module has a very unique design. Instead of a large bar, this setup has four speakers and a small control box, which may be more suitable for some users' setups. Thanks to the manufacturer's 360 Spatial Sound technology, it offers a very wide and immersive soundstage performance that stands out among the other soundbars we've tested. Its Atmos performance is very immersive; however, it lacks a touch of low-bass compared to other premium setups like the Bose Smart Soundbar 900.
See also our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best soundbars with subwoofer.
The Sony BRAVIA Theater Quad with Bass Module is the successor to the Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module. The most immediate difference is in the design of the discrete speakers. The previous generation's were cylindrical and bulky, while the newer model opts for a sleek, rectangular design with dual-function mounts/stands. The Bass Module (subwoofer) remains the same. While there are similarities in performance and features, there are some trade-offs, too. The Theater Quad has a better default frequency response and a better stereo dynamics performance, which is a great fit for movies. That said, pushing the volume too high can result in the speaker's malfunctioning. While both systems feature HDMI 2.1 compatibility, with 4k passthrough @ 120Hz, the Theater Quad's latency performance isn't the best and might require some tweaking of the AV Sync feature. For this reason, the HT-A9 has the edge if you plan on using your setup for gaming.
The Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module and the Sony HT-A7000 with Speakers + Bass Module are both premium setups. The HT-A9 has a unique design that may be more suitable for users with less space in their setup. It also has better soundstage and Atmos performances. That said, the HT-A7000 has a better center channel performance, and it can reproduce a more extended low-bass with the same subwoofer.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module is better than the Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module. The Bose is a 5.1.2 setup with better center and surround performances. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, and it gets louder with less compression at max volume. That said, the Sony has better Atmos and soundstage performances. Unlike the Bose, it also supports DTS content.
The Sony HT-A9 with Bass Module is better than the standalone Sony HT-A9. With the addition of a dedicated subwoofer, the full setup can reproduce a more extended low-bass. This also improves its surround and Atmos performances, meaning you can feel more thump and rumble in action-packed movies. That said, the subwoofer does add some compression at max volume compared to the standalone bar.
Test Results
