The Sony HT-S350 is a simple 2.1 setup released in 2019. It comes with Sony's S-Force Pro Front Surround technology, which is advertised to replicate an immersive surround sound experience without the need for dedicated rear speakers. While this feature sounds decent with surround content like movies, unfortunately, it isn't ideal for stereo content like music and TV shows. You can't turn this feature off, either. Its sound profile can reproduce voices pretty clearly, but the audio is also dark and muddy. There aren't a lot of sound customization features available like bass and treble adjustments, either.
Our Verdict
The Sony HTS350 is acceptable for mixed usage. Out-of-the-box, it has a dark and muddy sound profile that lacks the deep thump and rumble in the bass range. Vocals and lead instruments are pretty clear, but they can also sound a bit dark. It has to downmix surround content into stereo, which doesn't sound very immersive. Also, there's no support for Dolby Atmos content, and you can't turn off its S-Force Pro Front Surround mode.
- Gets pretty loud.
- Subwoofer level adjustment.
- No Atmos support.
- Can't turn off its surround sound mode.
The Sony HT-S350 is decent for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Its balanced mid-range reproduces voices pretty clearly, although they can also sound a bit dark. There's a TV EQ preset that doubles as a dialogue enhancement mode, too. However, there's no discrete center channel, so voices aren't anchored to a pinpoint location in the soundstage.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Auto-volume mode.
- Can't turn off its surround sound mode.
- Mediocre center channel performance.
The Sony HT-S350 is fair for music. Its sound profile has a balanced mid-range that can reproduce vocals and lead instruments clearly, but it's also quite dark and muddy due to the lack of bass and treble. You can customize its sound with its subwoofer level adjustment, but there aren't a lot of other customization features like bass and treble adjustments. While it gets loud, there's also a bit of compression at max volume. Also, its S-Force Pro Front Surround mode isn't ideal for stereo content, like most music.
- Gets pretty loud.
- Subwoofer level adjustment.
- Can't turn off its surround sound mode.
- Compression at max volume.
The Sony HT-S350 is sub-par for movies. This setup struggles to reproduce low-bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in action-packed movies. It supports surround content, but it has to downmix it into stereo to play it, which doesn't sound as immersive. There's no support for Dolby Atmos content, either. Its S-Force Pro Front Surround mode sounds decent with movies, but you can't turn it off.
- Gets pretty loud.
- No Atmos support.
- Can't turn off its surround sound mode.
Changelog
- 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.
- Updated Dec 14, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Feb 24, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sony HT-S350 comes in one color variant: 'Black'. You can see the label for the subwoofer of the model we tested here. Some retailers sell a version of this soundbar known as the Sony HT-SD35, which appears to be the same bar but with a different name.
If you come across another version of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Sony HT-S350 is a very simple 2.1 setup. Unfortunately, you can't turn off the S-Force Pro Front Surround mode, which isn't ideal for listening to stereo content like music and TV shows. Its dark and muddy sound profile isn't suitable for some listeners, and there aren't a lot of customization features available. It's still decent for TV shows, but you can find more versatile options at this price point.
See our recommendations for the best soundbars under $200, the best soundbars under $300, and the best budget soundbars.
The standalone Sonos Arc is a better soundbar than the Sony HT-S350. The Sonos is a 5.0.2 setup that's better built and offers better soundstage, center, and surround performances. It supports Dolby Atmos content, offers built-in voice assistant support, and has a room correction feature. However, unlike the Sonos, the 2.1 Sony has some EQ presets for sound customization.
The Samsung HW-T450 is a better soundbar for mixed usage than the Sony HT-S350. The Samsung reproduces a more extended low-bass, so you feel more thump and rumble in your audio. It also has a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, which some listeners may prefer. That said, the Sony is better built and comes with an HDMI ARC port.
The Sony HT-S400 and the Sony HT-S350 are both 2.1 bars with similar features. The S400 is a bit better overall since it reproduces a more extended low-bass to help you feel more rumble in the mix. Its sound is also more neutral and balanced, especially in the treble range, so it sounds less dark than the S350.
The Samsung HW-A450 is better than the Sony HT-S350. The Samsung soundbar reproduces a more extended low-bass, and some users may prefer its more neutral out-of-the-box sound profile. It's also more customizable thanks to its graphic EQ, and it has a better surrounds performance. However, the Sony is better built with an ARC port, and it has a better center channel performance.
Test Results
