Sony - Theater Bar 9

I should add that the Quads or Theater Bar 9 would obviously be even better with all the same benefits. It just comes down to how much money you are willing to spend. Any of these will be easy to setup and use.

I personally wanted the better integration that comes with the Theater Bar. I don’t want to be traveling and needing to do tech support for my wife. It sounds great. I am sure the Sonos does too though

I had one and liked it. It was paired with the SW3 subwoofer and the RS5 rear speakers, and the combination of those gave me nice surround sound. I ended up replacing it with the Theatre Bar 9, which has the additional advantage of side-firing drivers. I'm not sure that makes all that much difference. The main advantage of the Theatre Bar 9 is that you get louder sound out of the rear speakers. With the 5000 I had to turn them all the way up to get what I considered adequate sound out of them, which isn't necessary with the Bar 9. That being said, with the rears turned up all the way I felt it was a good system, more than adequate for my needs.

Bar 9 with RS5 and SW3. Very happy with it.

I find the Sony bar 9 (HT-A9000) with sub to be best without rears IMO, but only if you get it on sale, otherwise it's too expensive for what it is.

Samsung q990c I have this and it's very good in atmos. After seeing the prices at JBL or Sonos too... Sony bar 9 can be

From my experience of owning a bar 9, at that value you cannot beat it. You will want to get the sw5 subwoofer if you want good bass. By itself the bass is okay. In the future for surrounds definitely go for the rs5. While it may seem like I’m just only recommending the best they have you really lose out on a lot by not matching up the their best bar with the upgraded components.

550 for the Sony is a good price. You can upgrade it in the future with a sub and rears.

I rather get the bar 9, just because the sonos doesn't do dts-hd and dts:x.

Theatre Bar 9 mate, I have it and it's a beast and works seamlessly with my Bravia 9. Add in the wireless subs and rears and it is a fantastic plug and play system which is 'relatively' cheap. Going for a Sony SB will also allow you to use the Centre Sync too which admittedly is sometimes a bit off depending on contact but still good when it works properly.

I have the theater bar 9 and tried the Sonos ultra. Both are really good but if the Sony is on sale for around the same price I think the Sony is the better buy. The arc ultra has a really nice wide soundstage (a bit wider than the theater bar 9 in my room) and very detailed, forward projection. That sound motion driver also really does make bass thump, not just marketing. At its price it’s the best all in one assuming the other competitors aren’t on sale. The theater bar 9 imo has better atmos/spatial effects and sounds more balanced/accurate to my ears. That plus the additional hdmi port and support for more audio codecs makes the Sony the winner if prices are essentially equal.

Ja Sony är fina grejer! A7000 är utgående modell så finns bara på Amazon vad jag sett. Annars är det Theatre bar 9 som är deras flagship nu 👍

The Bar 9 and SW5 will run circles around a couple HomePods

Sonos app just went south this year. I went the bar 9 because of it.

Sony Bar 9 sounds great ! Even on its own. I guess that's the best sound you can get. And you can get it for less than 900€. Expansive like every Sony stuff but not that expansive 😂

What, Sony did U have ? I mean I have compared Bar 9 and q990d ? I did and as Samsung is great for your bucj I still think Bar 9 sounds better in terms of clearness and clarity. Of course it is really expansive with rears and sub. But the whole system of Sony is better than the Samsung for me. And Sony quality is always better than Samsung. Moreover you will get updates with Sony. Samsung will just sell q990e next year...

I am listening music with Sony Bar 9 and it sounds great !

I had the same choice to do and I went with the Bar 9. Dont regret as it sounds really good when settings are done correctly. Good integration with thé TV too and the app is actually working 😅Sony's quality 🤷🏼‍♂️

Height of sound on Up, Auto Volume on ON. Very important to get a good sound from the Bar.

Sony bar 9 sounds amazing!

Accoustic Sync makes almost no difference for the sound (I own Bravia 7 and Bar 9+rears). It makes sense for good integration. Same remote control, settings on TV screen and no problem of connexion. Everything works perfectly together. But for the sound it doesn't bring much, really.

Bye the way Bar 9 sounds great, not sure Sonos (which has a shit app) or Samsung sound better... I think they all sound great.

Sony Bar 9. Very clear dialogues as well.

Sony Bar 9 +RS5 would complete the set up! It sounds great.

Sony Bar 9 is great you know 😉

Bar 9 sounds great to me. Clear and clean. Without Sub the bass is quite good from the Bar I think. Accoustic Synd doesn't bring much (but I still have it on ON all the time) and RS5 sound also really good and bring a lot to the surround sound (of course). Also you will get extra on-screen menus with Bar9. Then you don't need the app all the time. It's just a pity that Sony's products are so expansive. But Bar9 sounds really good 😉

Theater Bar9+RS5 (paired with Bravia 7) here. I tried Samsung q990c and it was very good (of course for the price...) but don't forget Samsung is shit company that has bricked their own Bar with an update... Ask these people if it was good value for the price they paid... Sonos is also in deep shit with their app now. Sony sounds great and fits well with Sony TV. The only problem is that there is the Sony tax. But if you can get Bar9 with a discount I would choose it. The sound is clean and clear! Surround and atmos sound great as well with RS5. And music sounds also good for a Bar. I don't know why but rtings is wrong with some notes. Some testing are just irrelevant and don't match with the reality.

Bar 9 with the mode DTS neural-X sounds great for music! Very impressive I think. It makes a kind of surround sound with stereo music.

This is the way. I have these and the sound bar 9. It definitely makes a huge difference overall. And watching movies is amazing to me. But that’s my personal opinion

the bar 9 setup you have is more than enough. yes it can get better, but you're at the place where getting a bit better is much more expensive.

I got a Sony Theatre Bar 9 because I like Sony integration. I like it. Got it on sale.

Get the Sony Theatre Bar 9. If you want the sub and rear-speakers right now buy it. SA RS5 and SA SW5 If you can wait, hopefully this year will Sony release a new sub and rear-speakers. The new sub/rear-speakers should sound better I think. The SA SW5 sounds better than the other subs imo. Q990D just over hyped. Yes it’s sounds great but it’s really just the Samsung name. Why people want it #nohate The Sonos Arc Ultra is just really good but you need to love the typical Sonos sound. I can’t really describe it but if you hear it you will know. I strongly recommend the era 300’s and the new big Sub4.0. The other soundbars you listed did I not hear yet, so I can’t comment on them.

I previously had the Sony HT-A7000, SW5, and RS5’s. Overall I gave the system a 7/10. The soundbar was very forward and dominated the sound. Rears (even at MAX volume) weren’t very present (Bladerunner 2049 is the exception). The system was very unbalanced. As of three weeks ago, I replaced the Sony HT-A7000 with the Sony Bar 9. The system is very balanced now. Vocals sound clear without being in your face. The rears are powerful now. As I’m writing this, I’m watching Pacific Rim on my ATV4K (purchased on iTunes). System volume at 25%, rears and sub at MAX. I can hear all of the atmos effects clearly and the experience is exceptional. Not the case when the HT-A7000 was the soundbar. The sub is good for what it can do and plenty for my needs.

In conclusion… HT-A7000, SA-SW5, and SA-RS5 system: 7/10 Bar 9, SA-SW5, and SA-RS5 system: 9/10

I recently replaced my HT-A7000 with the Bar 9. I know it’s not the Bar 8, but thought it could be helpful nonetheless. I also have the SA-SW5 and SA-RS5’s which I used with both bars. From my experience, these are the differences that stand out the most when the entire system (soundbar, sub, and rears) is being used. 1. The sound from the A7000 is very forward and in your face compared to the Bar 9. I noticed the soundbar significantly more than the rears even though I was only a few feet from the rears. The A7000 made itself the star of the show, and I don’t think that’s a good thing. Some may, but I don’t. 2. Vocals from the Bar 9 are clearer than the A7000. Not by much, but enough to notice. Mind you, I use(d) the S-Center Sync feature on my 65” A95K with both bars. 3. I don’t know what caused this, but ever since adding the Bar 9, the SA-RS5’s have become more present when watching movies. With both soundbars I always set to rears to MAX volume, but now I can actually hear them while using the Bar 9. They’re powerful at MAX volume and their sound is clean. System volume for movies I usually set anywhere from 50-70 depending on the movie. The other night I watched A Quiet Place Part II. Rears were set to MAX but system volume was set to 30. I could still hear the rears loud and clear. This is with the Bar 9 in the system. When using the A7000, there’s no way at 30% system volume that I’d be able to hear the rears. Sony did something. I don’t it’s firmware, but the RS5’s are amazing now. 4. The complete system with the Bar 9 sounds very balanced and clean. The complete Bar 9 system now sounds like one. This was not the case when the A7000 was being used in the system. The A7000 dominated the sound every second it could. From a home theater perspective, this was not ideal for me. The rears were quiet and only came always during certain films (especially Bladerunner 2049). 5. The SW5 subwoofer sounds more or less the same regardless of which soundbar was being used. I will though that the system as a whole has ever so slightly less bass with the Bar 9 than with the A7000. Those are my thoughts. Let me know if you have any questions or if I can clarify anything. Also, at the time of writing this, the Bar 9 is on sale for $898 on Amazon brand new. I received the Price Match with Best Buy this morning.

In one room, I have a Bar 9, rear RS5's, and a SW5 Sub paired with a Bravia 7. In another I have a Theatre Quad and a SW5 Sub, paired with a Bravia 9. The Theatre Quad is far better than my Bar 9, it's a more immersive experience, I highly recommend it.

The direct "match" is the Bar 9 or the A9M2. With either, I would recommend a subwoofer. The RS5s also pair nicely with the Bar 9.

Everyone agrees that the TV sound is inadequate for watching quality movie content. Below are some observations for sound system newbies - this is NOT for audiophiles: If you really like managing your audio menu options with your Sony TV remote, you can add a Sony Soundbar or Home Theater In a Box system - these get heavily criticized but IMHO they are not bad for most average users. You don’t need to get caught up in gimmicks like virtual surround, virtual Atmos, etc. If you have a cozy space less than 15ft x 15ft and you’re just trying to enjoy life and have a simple elegant looking set, you will have a very solid stereo sound experience and excellent bass from the economical Sony HT-S400 2.1 system with subwoofer included. If your space is larger than 15ft x 15ft and you want movie sound effects and swooshes across the room to come from the rear of your seating position, you can get the HT-S40R for affordable powerful sound, again with subwoofer included. For Music, 5.1 is NOT good; you are better off investing in an awesome 2.1 configuration with a set of large active bookshelf or floor standing speakers (ideally with 4 to 6 inch mid-range cones and a subwoofer output) AND maybe also get a powered subwoofer. eg Klipsch Fives with a Klipsch 10 sub. This will produce an amazing musical performance while still letting you enjoy your movies. The only downside is that you will need to use the speaker systems remote to make adjustments to bass, treble, balance, etc. Thanks to HDMI, you will still be able to adjust the volume level with the TV remote. It’s all plug and play. The whole 5.1 speaker concept was designed for watching movies so the main sound would come from the front three speakers while the ambient sound effects like background street noises, door knocks and laughter would come out of the rear speakers. The subwoofer is meant to carry all the weight of thunder and deep bass from the sound tracks - its location is usually in a corner of the room. If you are value-minded Ignore the hype about Atmos, virtual surround, etc. Of course if you have larger than 15 x 15 feet of space, and you can afford to splurge, you can upgrade to the HT-A5000 or HT-A7000, Bravia Bar 7 or 9. You could even get a higher-end systems such as a Sony HT-A9 or Sony Quad with a wireless subwoofer like the SW5 to give you true spatial seperation. And of course, if you have more refined taste with a desire for absolutely real cinema sound, then you can spend the money to get a full-blown receiver and component speakers with real Atmos speakers mounted in the ceiling. All of the extra effort and spending on the premium sound systems will improve your listening experience by 5 to 10% at every step and is only worth it if you have the ear for it. For most average people there is no need to go overboard, just stick with basic 2.1 (if Music is priority) or 5.1 (if Movie is priority). All the best!

The Sony Home Theater systems sounds really good. Atmos is overrated for causal viewers tbh. Everyone agrees that the TV sound is inadequate for watching quality movie content. Below are some observations for sound system newbies - this is NOT for audiophiles: If you really like managing your audio menu options with your Sony TV remote, you can add a Sony Soundbar or Home Theater In a Box system - these get heavily criticized but IMHO they are not bad for most average users. You don’t need to get caught up in gimmicks like virtual surround, virtual Atmos, etc. If you have a cozy space less than 15ft x 15ft and you’re just trying to enjoy life and have a simple elegant looking set, you will have a very solid stereo sound experience and excellent bass from the economical Sony HT-S400 2.1 system with subwoofer included. If your space is larger than 15ft x 15ft and you want movie sound effects and swooshes across the room to come from the rear of your seating position, you can get the HT-S40R for affordable powerful sound, again with subwoofer included. For Music, 5.1 is NOT good; you are better off investing in an awesome 2.1 configuration with a set of large active bookshelf or floor standing speakers (ideally with 4 to 6 inch mid-range cones and a subwoofer output) AND maybe also get a powered subwoofer. eg Klipsch Fives with a Klipsch 10 sub. This will produce an amazing musical performance while still letting you enjoy your movies. The only downside is that you will need to use the speaker systems remote to make adjustments to bass, treble, balance, etc. Thanks to HDMI, you will still be able to adjust the volume level with the TV remote. It’s all plug and play. The whole 5.1 speaker concept was designed for watching movies so the main sound would come from the front three speakers while the ambient sound effects like background street noises, door knocks and laughter would come out of the rear speakers. The subwoofer is meant to carry all the weight of thunder and deep bass from the sound tracks - its location is usually in a corner of the room. If you are value-minded Ignore the hype about Atmos, virtual surround, etc. Of course if you have larger than 15 x 15 feet of space, and you can afford to splurge, you can upgrade to the HT-A5000 or HT-A7000, Bravia Bar 7 or 9. You could even get a higher-end systems such as a Sony HT-A9 or Sony Quad with a wireless subwoofer like the SW5 to give you true spatial seperation. And of course, if you have more refined taste with a desire for absolutely real cinema sound, then you can spend the money to get a full-blown receiver and component speakers with real Atmos speakers mounted in the ceiling. All of the extra effort and spending on the premium sound systems will improve your listening experience by 5 to 10% at every step and is only worth it if you have the ear for it. For most average people there is no need to go overboard, just stick with basic 2.1 (if Music is priority) or 5.1 (if Movie is priority). All the best!

Everyone agrees that the TV sound is inadequate for watching quality movie content. Below are some observations for sound system newbies - this is NOT for audiophiles: If you really like managing your audio menu options with your Sony TV remote, you can add a Sony Soundbar or Home Theater In a Box system - these get heavily criticized but IMHO they are not bad for most average users. You don’t need to get caught up in gimmicks like virtual surround, virtual Atmos, etc. If you have a cozy space less than 15ft x 15ft and you’re just trying to enjoy life and have a simple elegant looking set, you will have a very solid stereo sound experience and excellent bass from the economical Sony HT-S400 2.1 system with subwoofer included. If your space is larger than 15ft x 15ft and you want movie sound effects and swooshes across the room to come from the rear of your seating position, you can get the HT-S40R for affordable powerful sound, again with subwoofer included. For Music, 5.1 is NOT good; you are better off investing in an awesome 2.1 configuration with a set of large active bookshelf or floor standing speakers (ideally with 4 to 6 inch mid-range cones and a subwoofer output) AND maybe also get a powered subwoofer. eg Klipsch Fives with a Klipsch 10 sub. This will produce an amazing musical performance while still letting you enjoy your movies. The only downside is that you will need to use the speaker systems remote to make adjustments to bass, treble, balance, etc. Thanks to HDMI, you will still be able to adjust the volume level with the TV remote. It’s all plug and play. The whole 5.1 speaker concept was designed for watching movies so the main sound would come from the front three speakers while the ambient sound effects like background street noises, door knocks and laughter would come out of the rear speakers. The subwoofer is meant to carry all the weight of thunder and deep bass from the sound tracks - its location is usually in a corner of the room. If you are value-minded Ignore the hype about Atmos, virtual surround, etc. Of course if you have larger than 15 x 15 feet of space, and you can afford to splurge, you can upgrade to the HT-A5000 or HT-A7000, Bravia Bar 7 or 9. You could even get a higher-end systems such as a Sony HT-A9 or Sony Quad with a wireless subwoofer like the SW5 to give you true spatial seperation. And of course, if you have more refined taste with a desire for absolutely real cinema sound, then you can spend the money to get a full-blown receiver and component speakers with real Atmos speakers mounted in the ceiling. All of the extra effort and spending on the premium sound systems will improve your listening experience by 5 to 10% at every step and is only worth it if you have the ear for it. For most average people there is no need to go overboard, just stick with basic 2.1 (if Music is priority) or 5.1 (if Movie is priority). All the best!

I'm gonna say Sony new theater 9 given you want a soundbar with as much potential as possible on it's own. maybe add a sub. sony with sony does make sense for two reasons... sony is top 3, the calibration w/ your tv shouldn't be overlooked. Just my opinion

I would say that as long as you have something that tries to create the height information of Atmos and DTS:X, you're good. Of course you can always pay more. But a soundbar with rear speakers, subwoofer, and upfiring tweeters will at least give you discrete channels for all or most of the sounds contained on the disc. As such, the Bravia Bar 9 with sub and rears is totally fine, very good even. I have the Sony HT-A9 with the same sub, and I feel no need to upgrade. When it comes down to it though, anything external is better than the TV's internal speakers.

Depending on your room size & budget, choose either the Bravia theatre bar 8 or 9. I got the 8 paired with the subwoofer, got them both on sale from Sony online for much less than a bar 9, they sound really good in my apartment living room. The Sony tv speakers become part of the system by providing additional sound clarity from the front.

To be honest as a former sales rep of both brands I would say the Sony bar 9 at a deal like say 1299cad is an unbeatable one. If that’s too expensive for a standalone for you the bar 8 comes with the rs3 and sw3 as a bundle for 1499cad. Sony pretty much lasts longer according to my perspective. Sonos has one of the shittiest apps on the market.

Bar 9 is working well for me

B9 + Theatre 9, sw5, rears Sounds great

I’m looking for some advice on setting up a sound system for my second home’s living room and feeling a bit torn between a few options. At home, I have a full-blown 5.1 AVR system with dedicated amps for the LCR channels and high-end LR speakers—easily costing 20-30 times more than most flagship soundbars. Needless to say, I’m used to high-quality sound! For this setup, I want to keep things compact while sticking to a $3K budget (or less, if possible). However, I also need something that will genuinely satisfy me for daily use. If the sound is too dull or has overpowering frequencies, I know I’ll start looking for a replacement within days—I’d like to avoid that! What I’ve Listened to So Far: **Sonos Arc Ultra** – Tested in-store with the Sub 4, both engaged and disengaged. Unfortunately, I only got to hear music through it, and the experience was very disappointing. Without the sub, bass was almost nonexistent; with the sub, it was slow and lacked control. Compared to reviews online, I feel like I got the worst Sonos Arc Ultra demo ever. **Sony Theatre Bar 9** – Demoed with Sony’s curated Atmos tracks (bar only, no sub or rears). It was seriously impressive but leaned towards an artificial sound. I assume everything was mixed with Dolby Atmos, so it made full use of its speakers. **Bose Smart Ultra** – Listened to Bose’s demo tracks in-store. It had an incredibly wide soundstage—I even looked around to see if rear speakers were playing (they weren’t). However, it sounded even more artificial than the Sony, which made it a no-go for me. If I Had to Choose Right Now: Based on my in-store experiences, the Sony Bar 9 would be my pick. It was immersive, nothing stood out in a negative way, and overall, it sounded quite decent. My Current Options: **Sennheiser Ambeo Plus** – Read great things about it, but the lack of rear speaker options is a downside. **Klipsch Core 300** – Supposedly great, especially with Dirac Live. **Sony Bar 9** – Solid in-store impression, immersive, and well-balanced. Go AVR with compact 5.1 speakers – Something like the Focal Sib Evo Atmos, but my space limits front speakers to max 20cm in width, which makes AVR options tricky. I’d love to hear from anyone who has switched from AVR to soundbar (or vice versa) or has experience with the soundbars I’m considering. Any recommendations, experiences, or insights would be hugely appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help!

Ok thx. My bar 9 artiges for some hours but the Voices are so low. Any tips.

Tested Lord of the rings non atmos 5.1 over streaming and voices are very low. All the others effects are loud. Used dts neural and 360

I have sound bar 9 paired with bravia 8. Watching all 5 resident evil movies really showcased how good the bar 9 is.

That's a big budget you got for a soundbar. You can definitely afford to buy one of the better higher end systems. Would definitely recommend Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9, that's what will get you the atmos experience without the subwoofer or the rears. However, I definitely recommend you consider the subwoofer, as it makes a significant difference. However, even stand alone, the Sony Bravia bar 9 does pretty well. Moreover, has licensing for all Dolby and all dts formats. So amazing for anything with Dolby atmos/IMAX Enhanced dts:x format, unlike LG.

Besides Sonos and Flexus. Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 works extremely well without a subwoofer. Would definitely recommend you check it out. Moreover, has all dolby and dts codec licenses. And very easy to use and setup.

Since you're using a sony, you can definitely try the Sony HT-Z9F which is pretty good, perhaps little bit more expensive. Another better option is the HT-A3000, which is a significant step up, a good atmos and sound bar experience, yet costlier. Or your best option and one of the best systems out there the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9, which is top of the line, yet $$$. However, you should read about these three models and choose one that suits you best. Either way you'll definitely really enjoy any of them. For LG users, the SC9 or SC9S definitely. It's a stellar system.

👆This! I have this same setup (Bar 9 + SW5). Took advantage of the “Black Friday in July” deals. Absolutely love it. Audio and dialogue are crisp and the subwoofer rounds out the range. I really like how the soundbar incorporates the TV speaker as an extra channel too.

I bought the Bar 8 and SW3 - the bar sounded so thin and hollow, the sub only kicked in at what seemed like a certain threshold so there was always what sounded like a huge gap in the freq response of no low mids, then a boom or rumble during louder instances. The ppl who like that sub call it “punchy” but I call it uneven. Got the Bar 9 and SW5. Much better. The sub is way more even and more natural across the lows. The actual bar is decent. Returned the 8 and SW3 and kept the higher models. $600 off on sale otherwise I wouldn’t have. I didn’t like the look of the Samsung at all, but that was important enough to me to not consider it. I thought the Sonos sounded the best, so full just on its own and then the sub added to it, while the Sony bars are so anemic and *require* a sub. I primarily game on my Bravia 8 so I opted to keep it in the Sony ecosystem and have that extra 2.1 port since all my HDMIs are used now - just couldn’t do that conveniently with the Sonos. No real customization of the settings but I’m happy with it. Hope that helps a little, at least knocking the 8 out the list.