Customer Ratings & Reviews

Excellent soundbar. It’s crystal clear and adjusts the audio depending on where you’re sitting in the room. I can’t wait to get the full kit

The sound in this soundbar by itself is amazing! I ended going all out with the rear speaker rs3 and sw300 subwoofer. The entire system including the app is seem-less! Even being able to pair your phone easily to use as a massive blue tooth speaker is a nice addition.

Excellent soundbar. Will sound better after breaking in.

Paired perfectly with the Sony TV both for looks and sound. Quality sounds in all frequencies which made watching a movie enjoyable.

I'm guessing this is for the sound bar... Product came packaged well, super easy assembly and installation, and it worked nicely with my home set-up. Product arrived on time as expected.

Great look. Great build. Great sound (in the store). Unfortunately when I bought the Bravia 8 it would not complete the installation in the app. Keep in mind that the only way to use this system is with the app. I called in for support and was told to go to the store and swap the unit out. I went to the store and they didn’t have another 8 in stock so I paid the difference for a 9 that was in stock. I took it home, set it up, and launched the app only to run into the same problem. It would not complete the connection. After hours of restarting my router, my modem, my phone with no success I decided that the Sony Bravia 8 or 9 was not for me. I returned the 9 and the subwoofer and went for a Sonos Arc Ultra system. I went home, set it up, launched the app and completed the installation and now have an amazing system that brings movies to life. This is not meant to slam Sony but the app needs help..obviously. Also I want to mention that Cole who works in the Independence Blvd store was great to work with. Go see him if you are in the market for a home theater system.

The sound and vibe are behond my expectations. To sit back and enjoy this speaker system is fabulous!

Very excellent sound quality. Fits perfectly under the Sony TV.

Soundbar is AMAZING! Sounds, Music fills the room accurately, it’s like being at the theater, to me BETTER!

Great sound quality from a sound bar you would think you are in a major Home theater room

Sounds sooo good.it makes my house like a theater.Sony is the best

Sounds great. Pairs great with the Sony A95L TV. Good for movies, TV, and gaming.

Loved my TV Sony top of the line and I tought buying top of the line center speaker from sony as well i would have a perfect system, but I was wrong

Feel like it should be way louder for the price honestly, no offense to Sony

Inside the post consumer recycled box and packaging, is everything you need to interface the new Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 to your eARC capable TV; AC power cable, remote & batteries, optional feet, wall mount bracket, template, and of course the soundbar. Coming from an existing Sony hime theater system (comprised of at HTA-5000, SA-SW5, and a pair of SA-RS5), I had high expectations for Sony’s nee flagship sound bar. On paper, the BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 is a nice upgrade to my existing system, packing in more drivers and higher watt amplifiers into a package that manages to be a slightly smaller footprint compared to the HTA-7000 this soundbar seems to replace. Though slightly larger than my HTA-5000, it isn’t monstrous and looks at home in front of my modest 65” TV. The 13 speaker system is wrapped in acoustic fabric, providing a clean look without having a reflective surface or being a fingerprint magnet. Time will tell if the fabric holds up to wear and tear. Following a minimal design the information screen is gone, replaced with a status LED. The remote is a welcome improvement over the previous design, which had a dated and cluttered feel. The Bravia Connect app is required to setup the soundbar, but Sony has really refined the app and setup process with the new BRAVIA branded soundbars. The BRAVIA app is polished with a clean, intuitive interface while simplifying setup by finding and connecting to the soundbar with little interaction. After entering my wifi details, it also automatically detected my existing rear speakers and prompted to update the firmware. I had to manually pair the sub with the sync button on SA-SW5, but for the most part the setup seemed quicker using the BRAVIA app. Sony also utilizes your phone during the sound optimization, quickly tuning the system to your space without the need to walk around waving your phone. I tested the BRAVIA theater bar 9 on its own and it sounds pretty good. Sound is sharp and crisp even at lower volumes. Though I didn’t feel the height effects were well pronounced, the soundstage is nice and wide. Dialog is clear and the bubble effect of Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping is a great experience for a moderately sized living room or studio. The lows are punchy but I found myself missing the lower frequencies with the bar on its own, but I am used to having a sub in the mix. Listening to music via Airplay is a breeze and provides a nice rich sound, but switch the sound to the DTS: Neural X and it really opens up stereo music. Paired with a set of compatible rears and a sub to lift the low end off the soundbar, the BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 transforms your space in achieving what the marketing promises. Watching Atmos content or similar, that takes advantage of the upper channels, does a convincing job of overhead audio. Previously, I always felt my rears could be louder but when paired with the BRAVIA bar 9 they are more pronounced. I am not sure if it is a combination of the new calibration, firmware, and the bar 9 helping shape the audio but the 360 effects are really good now. The room filling sound does a convincing job of simulating optimal speaker placement, providing an amazing 3D audio experience. I also found music playback far better now, especially when playing through the Apple TV with Neural X. My only gripe is I wish there was an easier way to toggle between the sound field operating modes without needing my phone. I also miss some sort of display that could be used to indicate volume, sound field mode, or even input. The BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 is an outstanding soundbar when paired with a sub and rears, but on its own it I felt the low end was a little thin. As soundbar only it still has great sound, wide presence, and a clean design while also capable of expansion if needs change, making it easy to recommend to those existing and new to Sony home theater products.

This is a very nice soundbar. It is really long (designed for 65 inch televisions at the very smallest), but super slim and elegant. The sound is a mixed bag - on the one hand it is detailed and wonderful with good bass. On the other hand, when pushed past about mid level, bass completely disappears, and on standard television programs, the sound is way over-processed so dialog develops an annoying echo. Cost-wise, this is not a great value (more below). Sound I directly compared this to a similarly priced Bang and Olufsen (Stage) soundbar. The two are comparable at low to medium volume, good bass, good voice localization, good soundstage. Except the B&O sounds far more natural - I never notice that system trying to add echo or effects. When pushed past mid volume, the B&O is a million times better, including up to ear bleeding sound levels. The Sony completely loses bass - no bass is output. It's physics working, there just isn't enough space for the bass speaker to output enough bass, and the system protects itself by dropping bass altogether. Setup - the Sony was probably one of the easiest soundbars I have ever setup. I basically plugged it in, and it worked, right out of the box. But, I was moving the HDMI connection from a television with a soundbar already connected via eARC HDMI. The Sony app spends a long time setting up speaker optimization. And, honestly, after I went through all that, I didn't hear a lot of difference. But the app allows you to set sound fields and a few other options that are worthwhile. Once setup, the app isn't necessary. My Apple TV remote worked flawlessly with the soundbar. Value Well here's where things get a bit strange. As is, this is about the same price as many other soundbars, and is just about exactly the price point of the B&O. And the Sony sounds far better than anything by Vizio or Samsung. Here's the rub. In order to get bass out of the Sony, you have to add the wireless subwoofer (and only two Sony subwoofer models can be used - no RCA output for a standard sub). Then to get real surround sound effects, you have to add two wireless speakers. The SA-SW5 subwoofer and the pair of SA-RS5 speakers, total up to about the same price as the soundbar (so for really great sound, double the price of the soundbar). Sadly, now you are into a range where a discrete real surround system is a better purchase. And that will sound far better than a soundbar. Granted, it will be bulkier and less seamless to use - but it is a far better value. Now in a small to medium sized room, the Sony is a good choice. In a larger room, it isn't exactly a great idea. Mounting This is where things go really wrong - like seriously bad wrong. Two metal L brackets are included for wall mounting. That's very nice, they're heavy duty and well made. What is a major mistake, as in virtually a fatal mistake, is the spacing. The brackets screw into one single hole in the soundbar. The spacing is nowhere near 16 inch centers - it cannot be mounted on studs. And the brackets have to positioned virtually perfectly on the wall to allow those screw holes to mate up. To work properly, the brackets would need to be mounted in a rail with independent spacing. If you are using a universal soundbar mount hanging from the television, the mounting holes will work. Included in the box are two well made feet to lift the soundbar up off a table top if you are just setting it on an AV center. The inputs are perpendicular to the soundbar, so you have to use the included 90 degree angle connectors. Overall I like this soundbar. But I don't like that the price is really twice as much to get really good sound. I do love the look - subtle elegance. And I don't like the mounting options.

Great soundbar, but setup requires mobile phone software that requires a sony account login to use. First of all, I am coming to this review from owning a previous Sony soundbar, the HT-A7000, which has and continues to be a fantastic soundbar. This new soundbar, in my same medium size living room area, definitely sounds better. Not by leaps and bounds, but it does sound better to me. However, you now have to set up everything in an app via your phone. The app unfortunately requires a sony account login. Should you already have a PlayStation account, you can use that same Sony account to log in, but there truly should be no real reason you need to have to be logged in to use the app. Sony has a history of trying to force its customers to make a Sony account, and has had many recent controversies with their PC published games forcing users to create Sony accounts. Unfortunately this feels like the same thing PC gamers have been grumbling about in recent weeks. It makes no sense to me as to why they need you to do this. While you can use the soundbar right out of the gate without the app, and it does sound great out of the box, the only way to access some of the features is via the app, including calibrating for your room. The app itself at least is pretty robust, but all of this was previously done on their previous HT-A7000 directly on the soundbar via on TV screen menus. I really wish they had just made using the app optional, and left everything totally usable without an app like the previous models. Once setup via the app however, everything does sound fantastic!! Now, the only other issue I have with this soundbar is that they increased the price for this soundbar, yet took away 1 HDMI input. So you can only have 1 HDMI input on this soundbar versus the previous HT-A7000 that had 2 HDMI 2.1 inputs which was fantastic. Most major TV manufacturers only have 2 HDMI 2.1 inputs on their TVs, and if you have let’s say a PlayStation 5 and an Xbox Series X, you will lose one of those HDMI 2.1 ports on your TV with this soundbar. Because of the high price point on this soundbar, I am disappointed they didn’t leave it with 2 HDMI 2.1 ports on the soundbar, this just feels like a step back and not forward at this price point. Ok, so now, now all setup, I do have to say, this soundbar is a CHAMP! It really sounds fantastic, and a setup from my previous HT-A7000 in terms of sound, and even bass. It really gets loud, and most people will not even feel like they need to get the optional external wireless subwoofer, especially in a smaller viewing room. This thing just sounds great with Dolby Atmos 7.1 and DTS-X movies!! Before I was a soundbar user, I only had AV receivers with 5.1 speakers setup, but this is one of those products that I would say I wouldn’t even bother considering any more. It sounds better than every traditional wired speaker setups that I have had! There are 13 speakers in the soundbar if you do not add in any optional rear channel speakers, or wireless subwoofer. I recommend that you connect your main HDMI 2.1 device directly to the sound bar for best performance (though I cannot say I had any issues with any HDMI 2.1 devices I tried regardless). In my usage case, I fed my Nvidia Shield directly to the soundbar input, leaving consoles plugged into the TV, and also be sure if your TV has an eARC port to be sure you go from there to the soundbar output port. This is the only way your TV will “pass thru” Dolby Atmos and DTS-X surround audio to your soundbar. So the question then I guess comes down to what you might be coming from if this is an upgrade. If I were coming directly from a HT-A7000, I would stay there, this isn’t quite enough of an upgrade to justify moving to this soundbar. While the sound is better, I think the HT-A7000 sound bar is better as you can customize everything on the TV screen via menus, and doesn’t require this BRAVIA app, plus you have 2 HDMI 2.1 inputs. If you are however coming from an older soundbar, or even a lower end one, even though it is a little frustrating to have to do everything via the app, the sheer quality of the sound, and surround track handling makes it very worth the couple minutes of setup, and I would absolutely get this soundbar. Most people likely will not need to go to the app very often after initial setup and can use the included physical remote control for most things afterwards. I would love to have given this a five star rating, but have to take off 1 star for the use of the app for configuration. Otherwise, this thing is an absolutely stellar sound performer!

This is a terrible product, it stopped working after 3 months. There is absolutely no support from Best Buy based on the short time since purchase. I’m currently working with Sony to resolve connection issues. I would not recommend this product.

TL;DR If you are looking for a truly immersive, adaptive spatial sound system, this Sony Theater Bar 8 soundbar, this one might be the one you have been looking for. It beautifully complements a Sony Bravia TV by providing a real cinematic experience for Dolby 2.0, Dolby 5.1, Dolby Atmos, DTS, and more. The 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology works stunningly and awesomely well for TV/ movie enjoyment and Audio. It’s amazing to hear what this soundbar does for stereo sources, from Dolby 2.0 sources, to lossy MP3s, to lossless HiRes 192kHz/24-bit [FLAC] sources. The soundbar’s bass truly provides an immersive movie and audio experience even without an external subwoofer (select “Max” in the Bravia Connect app’s “Bass Level” setting), though this soundbar supports the addition of an external wireless subwoofer as well as a set of wireless rear speakers. In my opinion, however, these are not really necessary to add. My spoiled ears loved the sound as is. Verdict: This soundbar is simply perfect. Very highly recommended. UNPACKING The well-built and designed soundbar ships in a very well-organized box. Apart from the soundbar itself, it ships with all needed accessories, such as a remote control with batteries, a 3.5 mm-plug speaker mode cable (for using Sony Bravia TV speakers as a center speaker), an HDMI cable, a power cord, two feet for the soundbar, wall-mounting brackets, and a wall-mounting template. INSTALL/SETUP Ideally, you want to set up the soundbar using an Android-based smartphone or an iPhone. You will be prompted to download and install the BRAVIA Connect app. What a genius idea to use the smartphone’s microphone to measure the room for an optimal sound experience. Note that part of the setup process is creating (or signing in to an existing) Sony account. If you have an existing one, double-check you can log in to it with your ID and password to achieve a smooth setup experience. Place the soundbar in front of your TV and connect the supplied HDMI cable to the TV’s eARC HDMI output. If you plan on using the TV’s speaker as a center speaker in addition to the soundbar (highly recommended when you have a Sony BRAVIA-compatible TV), also connect the supplied speaker cable (you may do that later too as you will be prompted in the setup routine whether or not you want to use the TV’s speaker as a center speaker and will then be given time to install the cable), and connect the supplied power cord. After powering up the soundbar, best connect it to your home Wi-Fi network so the soundbar can download software updates before setup starts. Once the setup begins the app walks you through various sound tests. The entire easy and flawless setup takes about 10 minutes, and the app gives good on-screen feedback and time estimates for each step. DAY-TO-DAY USE The soundbar powers up (and down) together with the TV. Though I enjoy Google TV, I prefer to use an external Apple TV 4K box for all my streaming needs, which works perfectly well with the soundbar, too. I use the BRAVIA app to double-check on video streaming quality (e.g., Dolby 2.0 vs. Dolby 5.1 vs. Dolby Atmos, etc.) to ensure I receive maximum enjoyment. The soundbar switches to the best decoding mode automatically always, but sometimes it’s the streaming source which you need to force to send, for example, the Dolby Atmos stream. As for audio sound, I use DNLA (media server, connected to an ASUS wireless router) which I access through the VLC for Android App (see screen capture). I love the new spatial experience allowing me to enjoy my music in a way I could never do before. The spatial stereo effects are truly immersive and stunning. There are new details I did not hear before, especially when I play my lossless High-Resolution sources. Bob Marley’s Legend in 192 kHz / 24-bit sounds amazing including the bass, wow! In summary, this soundbar is simply perfect in all aspects, from its design, and its immersive sound without the addition of subwoofers and rear speakers, to the easy setup, to everyday use. As such, I very highly recommend this soundbar to friends and family.

Pros: • Sleek and thin with big sound • Great bass • App is robust Cons: • No display or any volume buttons on the soundbar • Needs app to fully unlock all the benefits • Sound Field is a hit or miss on content. More on this later. A soundbar is a fantastic upgrade to any TV without bulky tower speakers ruining your living room aesthetics and décor. This soundbar I’m reviewing today is Sony’s 2024 latest and flagship soundbar called Bravia Theater Bar 9 with 13 speakers. The Bravia holds a very thin profile yet still sounds very nice with good amount of bass. 2 of the 13 speakers in the soundbar are upward firing “atmos” speakers that’s meant to reflect sound off your ceiling down to your ears. In a true home theater setup, you would have actual speakers above your left and right tower speakers to produce the “atmos” sounds. With this soundbar, the Atmos is replicated by upward firing speakers to reflect the sound back to the listener replicating real height speakers without the need for actual height speakers. While this works, it only works to a certain extent. Don’t expect miracles but it does ultimately raise the soundstage a bit and is better than soundbars without the upward firing speakers. Initial setup is easy via the app. Just need power and HDMI from the TV to the soundbar. If your TV supports it, turning off the TV will also turn on and off your soundbar in unison. The app is robust and walks you through firmware updates and even room calibration. The entire calibration only takes a minute and all through your smartphone using the phone’s microphone. There is also an option to easily calibrate the system based on your seating preference. I have 2 spots I sit on my sectional couch and it’s easy enough to open the app to run a quick calibration on where I decided to sit that day. My content streamer is an Apple 4k TV box and music, especially Spatial Audio, sounds fantastic on the soundbar with “Sound Field” turned on. Sound Field is Sony’s way of digitally upmixing utilizing all 13 speakers even if the content was recorded in 2 channels. While the soundbar sounded great listening to music mixed with Atmos/Spatial Audio, it was a hit or miss with standard YouTube TV’s live TV. I find that I would need to turn off “Sound Field” via the provided remote or phone app if I watched the nightly news. Sony’s upmixing made the voices forced and sounded harsh and disconnected. Watching movies mixed in Dolby 5.1 sounded better in “Sound Field” than movies mixed in Atmos. Which is very bazaar to me and hence why I can’t give this soundbar a perfect score. In summary, I do recommend this soundbar if you’re looking for great sound and bass without taking up much room. I would especially recommend this soundbar to pair with folks with the latest Sony Bravia TVs as that would unlock all the features including using the actual TV as a center channel. But I can’t give it a perfect score because I find myself constantly turning on and off the “Sound Field” feature based on the content im watching. It’s too hands on for me to make it perfect. I want a soundbar to set-and-forget and dynamically change the settings based on the content via AI. This Bravia soundbar doesn’t do it and will require adjustments based on the content. This soundbar is nearly perfect only if a future firmware update can fix the “Sound Field” to work flawless across all content.