“With Z9R rears, do ALL speakers play 2-channel sources when in “Music” mode? Most 5.1 receivers have a mode like “all channel music” sends a stereo (2 Chan) source to all 5.1 speakers (presumably honoring R & L in F & R :-).”

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• For those wondering about buying the optional Z9R rear speakers, I received a more useful answer via email from SNA Social Support . I had further simplified my pre-sales question via email: "Will I hear music playing from the Z9R speakers when the HTZ9F is playing 2-channel audio content in "Music" mode? How about while in "Auto" mode?" Erin replied from [email protected] as follows: "When playing music and auto mode while the Z9R is connected, the sound is still in stereo and will be outputted to the soundbar and the rear speaker. Additionally, you can enjoy the surround sound that makes you feel as if you were actually listening to a live performance when using the Z9R." Sony folks apparently can't resist blending in a bit of upbeat marketing speak, so to net it out: Yes! The Z9R rear speakers will play 2-channel (stereo) content along with the front speakers (in the soundbar) while the HT-Z9F is in "Music" mode (also while in "Auto" mode). This is important to those planning on listening to music because "rear speakers" in 5.1 surround systems are, by default, only for channels 4 & 5 (background and sound effects in most surround sound source content). I personally won't spend $300 just to hear the occasional explosions and other ambient noise originating from my rear :-). If I buy the Z9Rs and find that this stereo content treatment is not the case, I'll post another "answer" to this surprisingly-hard-to-answer question.

  Answered by bmeek 4 years ago

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• After hours with Sony Support, I can answer that it mostly doesn't work. If you are playing music in Analog mode, in Spotify, through Alexa, and Chromecast, it 100% will not play in the back speakers. For bluetooth music, it depends on the device you are transmitting from. According to the rep on the phone, your bluetooth transmitter must support AAC or LDAC. Having said that, he was the 3rd rep that I spoke with and the only one to say that. But I can confirm that when I transmitted music from my phone, I did hear music in the rear speakers, but when I played music from my computer, it didn't.

  Answered by Anonymous 3 years ago

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• Hi Bmeek, Thank you for your inquiry with the HTZ9F soundbar. The Z9R rear speakers are designed for playback of the surround part of the multi-channel sound and surround sound that is created from the 2-channel sound using virtual processing. Sound modes are pre-programmed sound effects that are tailored to different kinds of sound sources. With Music sound mode, vividness and glossiness of the sound are expressed in detail. This mode is suitable for enjoying music in a way that moves you. Should you need further assistance, please email the below information to [email protected]. Full Name: Best Buy Username: Telephone Number: Model Number: Issue: Regards, Kris

  Answered by SonyListens 4 years ago

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