Sony’s Best Soundbars Just Got a Bass Boost (And Two Little Brothers)

Today Sony unveiled two new soundbars in their BRAVIA Theater line, the BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 (HTB-500) and BRAVIA Theater Bar 7 (HTA-7100). The Bar 5 is a simple two-piece 3.1-channel system that comes with the bar itself plus a powered subwoofer and can handle Dolby Atmos or DTS:X surround via virtualized surround sound. The Bar 7 is a step-up model that can be used on its own, or enhanced with rear speakers and a powered subwoofer (or two!). 

The company also announced a new pair of wireless surround speakers (BRAVIA Theater Rear 9), which are compatible with the new BAR 7 and the existing BAR 8 and BAR 9 as well as Sony’s latest generation of AVRs (audio/video receivers). Sony also announced three new subwoofers (BRAVIA Theater Sub 7, Sub 8 and Sub 9) that will be compatible with the new and existing soundbar-based systems and receivers.

But I’ve saved the best news for last. Lovers of deep powerful cinematic bass will be happy to hear that Sony now supports the use of two subwoofers with the new BRAVIA Theater Bar 7 and the existing BAR 8 and BAR 9 soundbars. By using two subwoofers, you can get a more uniform, more extended bass response, even in larger rooms with open floor plans. This dual-sub functionality will come with the BRAVIA Theater Bar 7 right out of the box and will be added to the BAR 8 and BAR 9 via a free over the air software update.

In our review of the BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 system, our main gripe was that the bass response wasn’t as extended or powerful as we would have liked, even using their best (at the time) powered subwoofer. With the new larger Sub 9 subwoofer and the ability to add dual subs, it appears this criticism has been addressed. And, based on a quick audition of a system that used two Sub 9 subwoofers, we believe it will be more than up to the task of providing deep, precise bass even in large rooms.

The BRAVIA Theater Bar 7 supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Sony 360 Reality Audio, either on its own or with the addition of a pair of rear speakers and one or two powered subwoofers. With the addition of a subwoofer and rear speakers, the Bar 7 becomes IMAX Enhanced Certified, and can reproduce the IMAX Enhanced DTS:X soundtracks currently available on Disney+ and Sony Pictures Core streaming services, as well as select Blu-ray Discs. The Theater Bar 7 is compatible with Sony’s current Rear 8 speakers and the new Rear 9 speakers. For subs, the BRAVIA Theater Bar 7 can works with one or two of the new Sub 7, Sub 8 or Sub 9 subwoofers.

A Sony rep told us the company’s current BRAVIA Theater Quad system runs on a different chip-set than the BRAVIA soundbars so it will not be getting the dual-sub upgrade (at least not yet).  

BRAVIA Theater Bar 7 – A Great Choice for Medium Sized Screens

Smaller than the BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 ($999.99) and Bar 9 ($1,499.99), the Theater Bar 7 ($869.99) still packs a punch. It features a total of nine drivers including front-firing, up-firing and side-firing drivers to create a 5.1.2-channel system on its own, expandable to 7.2.4 with the addition of two subwoofers and a pair of the Rear 9 speakers. You can also use the more affordable Rear 8 speakers, but those lack up-firing drivers so you won’t get as pronounced a height effect as you will with the Rear 9s. Like the Bar 8 and Bar 9, the Bar 7 includes Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping (360 SSM) to create an immersive and enveloping soundstage, no matter where you place your speakers.

Like the Bar 8 and Bar 9, the Bar 7 can be controlled with the BRAVIA Connect mobile app, and can be fully integrated into the TV’s settings menu when used with a compatible Sony BRAVIA TV. It also supports Sony’s AI-based Voice Zoom 3 feature for intelligent enhanced dialogue reproduction that raises voices with minimal impact to the rest of the soundtrack (also requires a compatible Sony TV).

Holding Down the Rear

Sony’s new BRAVIA Theater Rear 9 speakers ($749.99/pair) are replacing the current SA-RS5 in the line-up. The cylinder-shaped Rear 9s appear similar in cosmetic design to their predecessors, but the new ones come with an integrated swivel stand which can help direct the rear channel sounds to the listening area better. This is particularly useful when your seating area or room layout is not ideal, like when your couch is right up against a rear wall. Directing the sound will help Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping work even better to create an immersive dome of sound, even with non-ideal speaker layouts.

Bringing Up the Bass

Sony’s new BRAVIA Theater Sub 7 ($329), Sub 8 ($499) and Sub 9 ($899) offer customers three options based on budget and size preferences. As the size goes up, so does the price as well as the bass extension and output.

As for driver sizes and configuration, the Sub 7 features a 130mm (5.1-inch) bass driver, the Sub 8 has a single 200mm (7.9-inch) bass driver and the Sub 9 includes dual 200mm (7.9-inch) drivers in a vibration-cancelling dual-opposing driver configuration for deep bass extension and low distortion. With dual subwoofers now an option, you can always start with one sub and add a second later one if you feel like you need more bass.

The Bottom Line

We’re surprised (and pleased) to see Sony addressing the one main area of weakness of their soundbar-based systems: low bass reproduction. While we don’t have full specifications of the new woofers, we have heard a pair of Sub 9s in action and were quite impressed with what we heard. Of course, with this new functionality and performance, up goes the price. A fully spec’ed out system with the BRAVIA Theater Bar 9, Rear 9 speakers and pair of Sub 9 subwoofers will set you back around $4,000 (MSRP) and that’s quite a price tag for a soundbar-based system. But for those who want a simple, elegant, high performance and cosmetically pleasing solution, particularly for use with a large screen Sony BRAVIA TV or Projector, it may actually be worth the investment.

Pricing & Availability

All of these speakers are available now to pre-order at the following prices:

• Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 (HTB-500) – $329.99
• Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 7 (HTA-7100) – $869.00
• Sony BRAVIA Theater Rear 9 (SA-RS9) – $749.99
• Sony BRAVIA Theater Sub 7 (SA-SW7) – $329.99
• Sony BRAVIA Theater Sub 8 (SA-SW8) – $499.99
• Sony BRAVIA Theater Sub 9 (SA-SW9) – $899.99

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