Sony has announced the availability of its flagship soundbar systems for 2024, which were first unveiled in April. They’re launching in major markets now and come with premium features and support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound, FlatPanels HD reported.
The new lineup of Sony audio products includes the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9, known as the HT-A9000, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 (HT-A8000) and the Sony Bravia Theatre Quad (HT-A9M2). The first two are the company’s most powerful soundbars ever, while the third is a novel 360-degree audio system that replaces the HT-A9.
In addition to those soundbars, Sony has unveiled another new audio product called the Sony Bravia Theatre U (HT-AX7), which is a neckband speaker designed to be worn around the neck to deliver TV sound wherever the user happens to be sitting or standing..
The Sony Bar 9 is a 7.0.2-channel solution, while the Bar 8 is a 5.0.2-channel device. Both can be used as a standalone product or expanded with Sony’s existing rear speakers and subwoofers. As for the Quad, this is a soundbar that comes with 15 external speaker units, and can only be expanded with a subwoofer.
The new products are designed to go up against other premium-quality Dolby Atmos soundbars, such as the Sennheiser Ambeo Max, the Sonos Arc and Samsung’s newly-launched HW-Q990D
Both soundbars come with advanced features such as 360-degree Spatial Sound Mapping, which has the effect of creating “phantom speakers” that appear to be located in various parts of the room, Sony said. They also support IMEX Enhanced, though that requires a firmware update that’s likely to be rolled out imminently. HDMI 2.1 passthrough is also supported for hooking up a Sony Playstation or Microsoft Xbox console, and there’s also support for regular HDMI eARC, the company said.
The new soundbars are the successors to the popular Sony HT-A7000 and Sony HT-A5000 models that launched last year. They're both notably more compact than their predecessors, sporting a more minimalist look that should ensure easier visual integration with any TV and sound setup.
The new products, including the Bravia Theatre U, which is basically just a soundbar that wraps around someone’s neck, are all on sale now, Sony said.
