Customer Ratings & Reviews

Prior to purchasing the Theater Bar 9, I owned the HT-A7000 along side the SA-SW5, SA-RS5's, and the 65" A95K (using the Center Sync feature). I sold the HT-A7000 to a friend and replaced it with the Bar 9. The Bar 9 is an improvement to the previous Sony flagship soundbar. It's less forward and in your face than the HT-A7000, but it made the entire listening experience more balanced. The SA-RS5 surround speakers are now more present than before. After viewing the car chase scene in the The Batman, a couple friends immediately said, "The rear speakers are actually noticeable now and they sound clean." I played that scene because that's what I noticed most after replacing HT-A7000 with the Bar 9. The SA-RS5 surrounds gained more presence. I've always set them to MAX volume, but once including the Bar 9, the impact they make to the movie experience is immediately noticeable. I'm not sure what Sony did, but the SA-RS5's are worth getting with the Bar 9 vs previously I almost regretted purchasing them. There are some cons about the Bar 9. Firstly, I wish the app had to option to manually adjust the volume of the speakers. The vocals are clear, but they can come across a tad bit veiled at times even when using Center Sync. This isn't always the case, but at times I find myself raising the volume, just to hear the vocals a bit better. I also personally prefer to not use Voice Mode. Secondly, there can be more separation in the mix. What I mean by this is the bar can sound caged by the limitations of being a soundbar. This is something that most soundbars have to overcome, because well, they're soundbars. Mind you, this can 100% be due to the current setup of my living room. It's not ideal for the soundbar and it's a similar complaint I had with the HT-A7000 so it's not entirely on the Bar 9. Thirdly, there does seem to be less bass when comparing the individual bars. It's not completely an issue because the SA-SW5 provides more than enough impact and body to the listening experience. I will say this. Sony needs to update their subwoofer lineup to remain competitive with Sonos, Samsung, and others. When discounted, the SA-SW5 is a good deal, but not at MSRP, All in all, I've had a great experience with the Bar 9 for the two weeks. With a better room configuration and setup for movie watching, I know the sound and immersion this system can provide will only improve. I hope I didn't miss any crucial points, but this is my experience thus far.

IT'S A SONY! As I mention before in some of my reviews about Sony products, I’ve been a big, big loyal fan of Sony for decades due to the quality of their products, from Walkmans to TVs and AV systems, but I’ve been a little disappointed with their soundbars after testing a few of their latest models, including the 5 Stars rated HT-A7000 7.1.2 Channel Soundbar (with the SA-SW5 300W Wireless Subwoofer and SA -RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers) which couldn’t beat my 4 years old JBL 9.1 Sound bar (sorry Sony). After reading about Sony’s upcoming 2024 line of soundbars and their new features, I was curious to test the Theater Bar 8, I found it more appealing for my needs (and space). SET UP I have a Sony A80J OLED tv so connecting and setting up the Bar 8 through the Sony Bravia app was a breeze since I already have a Sony account, same with pairing the Subwoofer and Rear speakers. SOUND QUALITY In a word: AMAZING! The Soundbar alone sounds really great with crisp highs, balanced mids, pretty decent bass and over all the clarity of the dialog, the new Voice mode feature is awesome, especially if you set the TV speakers as the central channel (Note that this feature is available only with recent Sony tv models), big improvement over the A7000 in sound quality IMO. However, adding the SA -RS5 Wireless Rear speakers and SW3 (yes, I returned the big sibling because 300 watts is too much for me) and once I had the whole system set up…holy smoke, it is simply SPECTACULAR! The high-quality sound performance of the 11 speakers of the Bar 8 paired with the Sub and the Rears gives a rich immersive audio experience. The whole setup can be pricey but It's worth the Money. Sony finally made me happy with the new THEATER BAR 8!

We tried the sonos. It sounded muddled to my wife and I agreed. This is crisp and clear even at high volumes. I got the subwoofer to go with it. It was a large investment but ive been very happy with it. Sound does come out of the top so I lowered it so its not riding the bottom of the tv to let that sound get out. Its not my favorite to see the mounting bracket for the soundbar. If you are setting it on a matle or something that wont be an issue.

The product was really easy to install and setup! Love the bass and sound especially when watching a movie with lots of the fam. It’s especially great for gaming as it sounds like the game is surrounding you.

I’ve always had full surround systems from Pioneer but when I bought my Sony Bravia 9 Tv, I decided to upgrade my entire sound system with Sony products. The Bar 9 Sound Bar is simply amazing on it own but I also added the Sony SA-SW5 Subwoofer and the Sony SA-RS5 Wireless surround speakers and my sound went to the next level. This system was everything that I was looking for. Easy setup with regular firmware updates, integrates with my Bravia 9 Tv, easy access to all the settings through the Sony App, and the absolute best thing is the amazing sound that makes my movies come alive around me. My wife even said I made a great purchase after our first movie which of course was Top Gun Maverick. I highly recommend the Bar 9 as a stand alone sound bar but if you include the rears and the sub you may never leave the couch. Good luck!

The Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 is a well-designed soundbar that enhances TV audio with clear dialogue and an expansive soundstage. However, to achieve a truly immersive home theater experience, especially for larger rooms or bass-heavy content, investing in additional components like a subwoofer and rear speakers is advisable. Its current discounted pricing makes it a more attractive option for those seeking quality sound without the complexity of a full surround sound system.

The Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 has completely transformed my home theater experience with its powerful, immersive sound and cutting-edge Dolby Atmos/DTS:X technology. Its sleek design pairs perfectly with my setup, and the crystal-clear audio quality brings movies, music, and games to life. Sony has truly delivered a masterpiece, and Best Buy made the entire purchase process seamless. If you’re looking to elevate your entertainment, this is the soundbar to get!

Quality sound demo at Best Buy prompted my to buy the soundbar. With 11 individual speaker elements, it provides a deep, immersive sound field, even without the sub woofer or rear ATMOS surrounds. For the family room setup, using the auto calibration to shape the room sound provides an excellent result. To my surprise, the sound field produced is noticeably different from a setup in the living room to one in the family room. The Theater Bar 8 ended up being a better (size) fit for my Sony 55” Bravia 5 vs the 75” Bravia 7. The HT-A5000 is several inches longer and a bit deeper width snd pairs better size wise with the larger tv. Sound and setups are reasonably comparable. Both sound great.

Honestly a very sub par speaker system. Bought this thinking it was going to blow my mind, but really disappointed for the price of a premium speaker. There are many others out there like Sonos or Samsung that seem to do better. The speaker itself sounds 'fine', but lacks customizations and ability to tweak the sound. The app is supposed to do all this for youz but it really doesn't adjust much. More of a placebo effect. It lacks any ability except for 3 sound options, and low med high base. Theres very little 3D sound effects with just the bar itself, base is reasonable but again, only have low med high options to adjust. Gets loud.. but for 1400 I can get many others for loud. There also seems to be a very long latency, with the bar out of sync with the TV words a lot of the time, requiring adjustments. Limited ports, only two HDMI (one for ARC to the TV and the other for an additional input), but oddly even this input HDMI has a long delay. Looks wise - very nice and sleek MAJOR downside, there's no RF repeater. I paired this with my Sony TV (all Sony's have the remote receiver on the bottom) and it completely blocks my TV remote from working, with no solution other than buy a separate top box set for your tv. Sounds like a stupid design flaw from Sony products to build TVs with a RF receiver On the bottom, and build a ln incompatible sound bar that blocks the bottom of a TV. Id expect more for 1400. Since I have a slightly older Sony TV, there's really zero brand loyalty or compatibility benefits. No built in Chromecast compatibility, only Bluetooth connectivity. Requires you to download the phone app, the control is more or less useless and you can't tell what setting you've enabled or disabled (see pic). Only indicator on soundbar is some LED lights that blink. Overall I would highly not recommend. Buy another better product for cheaper.

I’ve been extremely happy with the Sony Bar 9. The sound quality is a huge upgrade from my TV speakers—everything is crisp, clear, and surprisingly immersive, especially when watching movies. Setup was simple, and it integrates seamlessly with my TV, which made the whole experience feel very polished. Even without a separate subwoofer, it still sounds full enough for everyday use. Overall, it feels like a premium product that delivers exactly what I was hoping for.

The Sony Bravia Theatre 8 with 11 speakers is an absolute game changer. The surround sound is incredibly immersive, every detail is clear, and the room fills with rich, balanced audio that feels like being in a cinema. Dialogue, effects, and music all blend perfectly, creating a true theatre experience at home. Pairing it with the SA-SW3 subwoofer takes it to the next level, delivering powerful bass alongside the crystal-clear mids and highs. Sony has once again proven their quality and innovation. This system is a must-have for anyone who wants the ultimate home theatre setup.

Fantastic soundbar! The Dolby Atmos performance is outstanding, and the 11-speaker system creates a rich, immersive surround sound experience. Clear dialogue, powerful audio, and excellent build quality. Highly recommended!

The sony bravia theater bar 8 clubbed along with the sony sa-sw5 subwoofer and the sa-rs5 satellite speakers is a beast! I even compared this setup with the Sonos arc, gen 3 sub, and the era 300 setup and im glad to let yall know that the sony setup is at point or even better than the sonos setup. However, the new bravia connect app do have some issues. It have trouble detecting my soundbar everytime my phone connects to the home wifi network. Also unlike the sonos app, the bravia connect app lacks eq settings or sound modes. You might be able to select different sound modes if you use the soundbar with a bravia TV. Im using a LG C3 with this setup.

Bravia Theater Bar 8 sounds amazing. The Sony app makes the setup and sound adjustments so easy. My Bravia 7 TV and Sony SA-SW3 subwoofer work so well together. I really enjoy the Voice Zoom 3 setting control to really get dialogue so clear and loud.

I was skeptical of a soundbar's ability to deliver the audio experience I am accustomed to with my high-end audio speakers. However, I'm very satisfied with this soundbar's full spectrum sound. Glad I purchased the this verses the less expensive model. I also purchased the sub-woofer which freed up the soundbar from trying to produce low end and thus the soundbar's clarity really shines now. Best Buy's installers set it up quickly and flawlessly. It would have taken me quite some time to figure out the on my own so definitely worth getting it installed with the TV. Thanks Best Buy :)

10/10 the best soundbar I've ever owned. Works seamlessly with my Sony TV, and added the Sub 3 for extra kick.

Sounds great, but I didn't notice much of an upgrade from my Samsung sound bar. It's also as wide as the TV. Sound is good and better than TV speakers alone. I recommend connecting to the TV through HDMI/eARC vs. an optical cable. Very expensive for a sound bar.

A must buy. We bought rear wireless speakers to compliment the packet. We didnt buy the subwoofer initially. After playing the system it has enough base with out it so we chose not to. This system is supreme.

Very good sound love it. Quality with the ability to add more and when you add more it just gets better and better.

Best sound system I have bought. Easy to set up my family is enjoying it. Matter I am watching right now.