Customer Ratings & Reviews

I was perfectly happy with my old sound bar that has a dedicated sub-woofer until I listened to the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8. There is a big difference between a sound being loud and being rich. While soundbars tend to produce loud sound with good bass, this Sony soundbar produces a rich sound. The clarity of the audio is simply amazing. I did not realize what I was missing out on, until I heard this and played them side by side. Size and Features ---------------------------------- It is amazing how a 2.5 x 43.5 x 4.5 inch soundbar can hold 11 speakers and complement one another to produce a high quality Surround sound with Dolby Atmos. - 2 speakers on the side - 3 tweeters (a big one in the center and 2 on the side) - 4 Deep bass woofer - 2 up-firing speakers They all combine to produce a 3-D immersive audio. I get a much better bass effect without a separate sub-woofer than what I used to get with my previous sound bar with a sub-woofer. (by setting Bass level to MAX in Sound settings). This seats perfectly between the legs of a 75-inch tv and a 65-inch tv. Installation ------------------------- Installation was a breeze. Just plug the power cable and the HDMI cable and connect it to the TV’s e-Arc port. For accessing all the speaker options and setting up a Sound optimization based on the room and seating position, install the BRAVIA Connect app and connect it through your phone. This also has an HDMI-IN option where we can connect an external HDMI device like Blu-ray player or PS5 or a fire stick TV and route the output to the TV. The sound is magnificent, as it directly routes the sound through the bar. The HDMI signal format is capable of transmitting 4K 120Hz or 8K videos. But of course, the TV should be compatible, else it would be toned down to TV’s max resolution. Speaking of HDMIs, the slots could have been placed better. I found it a bit difficult to access the HDMI-IN port as the IN and OUT ports are so tightly packed next to each other. Boot time is slightly longer. It takes about a minute to completely boot and to route the audio through the speaker. I wish it had a faster processor or whatever was needed to boot it quickly or at least on par with TV’s boot speed. However, once its ON, and as long as its connected to power, booting from stand-by is instant and super-fast. Bluetooth Connectivity ------------------------------------ The sound bar supports connecting a Bluetooth device to transmit audio from the device to play it through the bar. However, there is no option to transmit sound from the bar to a Bluetooth headset. At night, if I need to watch through my headset, I need to connect to my TV’s Bluetooth. The Soundbar also offers a 3.5mm port to connect to the center speaker of the TV if the TV has the port. But, like the Bluetooth, this cannot be used to transmit sound to a wired headset. There are no other connectivity options like optical cables etc. Sound settings & BRAVIA connect app -------------------------------------------------------------- This has a Night Mode and a Voice mode. Accessing the sound setting through Bravia app, I felt turning off the Audio DRC yielded a better sound to my liking. There HDMI settings, Sound settings let you play around with various settings to choose as per your liking. When connected to a Bravia TV, this is much more efficient with enhanced qualities like voice enhancement through AI machine learning technology to listen to clear voice sounds. Additional Wireless Subwoofer Rear speakers connectivity options -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sound bar can also be connected wirelessly to an external sub-woofer and rear speakers if you need to enhance your sound quality and listening experience. This is compatible with the following options: Subwoofers: SA-SW5 / SA-SW3 Rear Speakers: SA-RS5 / SA-RS3S This is undoubtedly a brilliant high-end speaker that produces rich surround sound through a bar which is much more space efficient. Although this is perfectly sufficient for a regular sized living room, I would have loved for Sony to provide some sort of bundle with additional sub-woofer and the rear speakers coupled with the bar.

With Sony's reputation for high-quality products, the company continues to improve and release captivating new technology. I've added the new BRAVIA Theater Bar 8, featuring an impressive 11 speakers, to my Sony audio setup (Sony BRAVIA A90J OLED 55”, Sony STR-AN1000 7.2 AVR, and PS5) this BRAVIA soundbar produced an incredible sound. Sony has always been my trusted brand for audio upgrades. This high-end soundbar delivers an immersive audio experience, especially when paired with Sony BRAVIA TVs. It boasts 11 built-in speakers and supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and 360 Reality Audio for a truly immersive sound experience I felt immersed in. Out of the box, its sleek, modern design complements Sony BRAVIA TVs. I was impressed by the soft fabric wrapping the bar. Having used the Sony HT-A7000 7.1.2 for the past two years, I connected the new BRAVIA to my TV and used the BRAVIA Connect app on my iPhone for setup, which took only about 5 minutes. My first impression was that the sound was so incredible I had to check if it was coming from the soundbar or my wall-mounted speakers. The room-filling sound and clear voices made it feel like the actors were beside me. After rerunning the audio optimization as prompted by the app, I played Inside Out and Avengers movies. I was amazed as sound effects came from everywhere, thanks to Dolby Atmos and 360 Spatial Audio technology. The remote is well-designed and minimalist, unlike other Sony devices that share similar remotes, which I find confusing. I synced the soundbar with my TV’s central speaker, enhancing the sound experience. Sony thoughtfully includes the latest technology and connectivity options in its products. This soundbar features Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, and Chromecast for easy streaming. Connectivity-wise, it supports 4K HDR, 8K HDR, Dolby Vision, and HDMI 2.1 for high refresh rates of 4K at 120Hz with VRR and ALLM for the PS5. Gaming on the PS5 with this soundbar was incredible, providing a 360-degree sound experience. It also offers HDMI eARC, HDMI out, and optical for versatile connectivity. During the setup, the app kept asking me to add the wireless subwoofer SA-SW5 and Sony SA-RS3S rear speakers that I have in my other Sony setup in the living room which I ignored. There are two things I don't like about this soundbar: it lacks control buttons on the device, so you must use the remote or app, and the remote IR is compatible with other Sony devices. For example, turning on the soundbar also turns on my Sony AVR and HT-A7000, which requires unplugging nearby devices to avoid overlapping controls. I hope Sony designs unique remotes for each device in the future. Despite these issues, I'm extremely pleased with the experience, and my weekend movie night was fantastic.

I recently purchased a new Sony 4K TV and really wanted an external soundbar/home audio system to take full advantage of the new purchase. The Sony BRAVIA 8 Theater Bar with 11 speakers and Dolby Atmos/DTS:X (with optional SA-SW3 wireless sub-woofer and SA-RS3 rear channel speakers) is the perfect solution. The soundbar comes well packaged in a fully recycled box and includes the speaker, wall mounting brackets and template, attachable feet, remote with batteries, power, HDMI and Center channel cables and documentation including a quick start guide with link to the Sony BRAVIA Connect App. The build quality is top-notch as expected from Sony with 11 speakers and 360 Spacial Sound Mapping. The unit feels substantial but not overwhelming at 43” in length and weighing approx. 10lbs. Setup Once unboxed, setup was very straight forward...simply connect the sound bar to the TV via HDMI (eARC preferred if available)...which my TV has. Connect any other components via HDMI to the TV as there is only one HDMI port available on the soundbar. Plug in the power on the soundbar, optional sub and rear channel speakers and they all connect automatically at startup. At this point, the soundbar was up and running and automatically synced to the TV remote…this was too easy! The BRAVIA Connect App is necessary to connect the soundbar and there is a QR code in the box that calls this out and it also provides Sound Field Optimization during the setup process. This process maps the room and a user’s typical viewing location to create that 360 Spatial Sound Mapping. After initial setup, I disconnected the optional speakers to test the sound of the BRAVIA 8 Theater Bar only. Performance Initially I used the provided remote to try some of the sound options like “Voice Mode”, “Night Mode” and “Bass Level”. The remote is small but provides adjustments for Sound Field, Voice, Bass, Mute, Night Mode and volume. I have always had a challenge hearing/following dialogue and with the “Voice Mode” turned on this is no longer an issue. The dialogue level is raised while maintaining all other sound characteristics. Nice job Sony! With a BRAVIA TV that supports the Acoustic Center Sync feature, the BRAVIA 8 supports Voice Zoom 3 for additional audio enhancement. Bass can be adjusted from low to mid and Max. I tried the soundbar without the SA-SW3 wireless sub-woofer and the sound is impressive on the “Max” setting. Depending on and individual’s wants and room size, the BRAVIA 8 can easily stand on its own without additional speakers/subs. With the 360 Spatial Sound Mapping feature the single soundbar producing an amazing surround sound experience. I have this soundbar installed in my bedroom which has 14’ ceilings and it fills the room with incredible sound quality and dispersion…it’s like being at a movie theater! Overall, the Bravia 8 Theater Bar is an incredible solution as a standalone soundbar and can also be enhanced with the addition of a subwoofer and rear channel speakers. BRAVIA Connect App After a bit of confusion trying to pair this soundbar using the Sony Connect app, I followed the link in the box and downloaded the BRAVIA Connect app by Sony. It’s interesting that Sony has multiple “connect” apps available, but I should have just followed the QR code in the box. Anyway, the app does provide the same controls found on the Sony remote, but it also provides additional sound setup options like DSEE, Audio DRC and DTS Dialog Control. Now that I have the soundbar and system dialed in, I tend to use my Sony TV remote for basic adjustments. There are several sound options available including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced and it also supports video formats 4K HDR, 8K HDR, Dolby Vision and HDMI 2.1 gaming features 4K120, VRR, ALLM. For music, The BRAVIA 8 uses Bluetooth, Spotify Connect or Apple AirPlay 2 to connect to an audio device/phone. Connecting is straightforward and the sound quality is far superior to any BT speaker system I have ever owned. Pros: - 360 Spatial Sound Mapping – surround sound quality from a single soundbar! - Deep rich sound quality and great dialogue clarity with Voice Mode - Ease of setup, basically plug-and-play - Self connecting Wireless Sub-Woofer and Rear Channel Speakers (optional) - Bluetooth, Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay 2 connection option for enjoying music - Top-notch quality and modern design and aesthetics, wall mountable - Dolby Atmos/DTS:X supported - Good range of audio and setup adjustments via remote, app or Bravia TV - Attachable feet for clearing TV stands is a nice touch Cons: - Only 1 HDMI port on the speaker (optical and USB options included) Overall, this is a great sounding, easy to set up and great looking sound bar and speaker system. I would definitely recommend this setup to anyone looking for a premium-sounding soundbar that can provide cinema surround sound quality.

I currently have several home theater setup's by a couple of different manufacturers of which a couple of them are Atmos capable. Given this, I think that I can make a fairly bias opinion on where I think the new Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 stands in regards to its competition. There are aspects that I think the Bar 8 excels and some where it falls short. Everything arrived safely & in tact however this $1k soundbar was shipped in a package that did not contain a single piece of tape to "lock" it in, 2 simple "flaps" and the whole thing comes tumbling out. Like I said, it was packaged nicely & comes with everything you need to get setup and also included a set of wall mount brackets which other brands consider as an option. Overall setup is fairly straightforward & simple however I am soo frustrated with every product that now forces you to download yet ANOTHER app and sign up/register on some website, STOP IT, ENOUGH ALREADY! I will many times now search out products that do not force you to do this and purchase them instead. If I am forced to have the app then why have a remote and then the app only provides simplified functionality for sound settings. This is a $1k unit & does not have some sort of EQ adjustability, the bass adjustment is low-med-high, like what? The overall sound from the BAR 8 is quite good but seems as though it could have been soo much better if you were given the ability to adjust everything to your liking. I get a feeling that the development was taken seriously and then along the way decided the budget is gone soo just produce what we have. A perfect example of this is the ports on the rear of the bar & the way the plugs go into the soundbar. I had to get a new HDMI cable because the one I had was too big to fit in the e/Arc port. The end part was too wide where the plug is, I get that it needs to be sideways because this can be wall mounted but there needs to be a little more room for various size plugs. My largest isssue with all of these systems no matter the brand is that unless you also buy the satellite speakers then there is no sense in spending $1k for just the bar itself because if you do then you will forever feel lacking like peanut butter without jelly or a hotdog without the bun.

TL;DR: 1. SETUP: Plug the wall adapter into the soundbar and into the outlet (mine is in a surge protector). Connect the included HDMI cable into the soundbar and TV. Download the mostly required Sony Bravia app and create an account. Follow the step-by-step directions on the app. Accept the privacy requests and customize the sound settings. 2. USE: Once set up, you can use the app (easier) or the included remote (not difficult, but there is a slight delay. 3. USABILITY: It’s simple. There are included “feet” if you need to adjust the height by up to about an inch and wall adapters if you want to install on a wall. 4. OVERALL: It takes a short time before the settings seemed stable. Movies, music and sports sound great. The 360° sound works well. There is good bass even in my medium to large living room with 14’ vaulted ceilings. A subwoofer and additional rear speakers would help with the fully immersed 360° feeling. As is, it has very good sound. It integrates fine with my LG TV, but probably would integrate better with a Sony. It’s still an excellent choice. 
I replaced an older soundbar with this Sony Bravia Theater Bar. The Sony is slightly wider and longer than my older (10+ years old) Samsung soundbar. It’s amazing there are so many speakers that all do their function very well. On my other TV and soundbar (different brands) I purchased over the holidays, the set up was much more time intensive and difficult. With the Bravia’s app assistance, it made set up very easy. The quick cheat sheet guide that was attached to the liner the soundbar came, made it simple (picture below). Once I plugged everything in (very quick and painless), I downloaded the app and followed it’s on screen directions. The privacy agreement was a bit of a surprise, but nothing more than anything else these days. The full set up was less than 10 minutes. One of my favorite movies to test sound out with is “Top Gun” or “Top Gun: Maverick”. I played a few minutes of both. The Theater Bar did not disappoint. I was able to hone in and adjust the sound to how I like it. There are also several songs in several genres that I will listen to and they all sounded great. There was a slight delay when initiating a song through Apple Music, but everything else seemed fine. Sony has a connection with Spotify, so if you have Spotify, you may not see the delay. YouTube, TV shows, movies, etc. were all seamless without any delay. My criticisms are minor, but I want to address them. The included remote control is very basic and could have better features (although they do include Sony AAA batteries which is a positive). My other criticism is wondering why It lacks a display on the Theater Bar itself. There are 2 lights, but a physical display would be a nicer touch; the app and remote control work fine, though.

The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 is an excellent Dolby Atmos Soundbar. I love the slimmer form factor compared to the previous generation of Sony’s soundbars as it is easier to fit into a smaller home theater setup. I also think it’s a very good looking soundbar. The build quality seems to be very good although I’m not that much of a fan of fabric speaker grill covers as I worry about accidentally tearing them. It was also a little bit lighter than I expected. The soundbar comes packaged in a very eco-friendly box that uses absolutely no plastic or Styrofoam. Included with the soundbar was a simple remote, batteries, HDMI cable, TV center speaker mode cable, AC power cord, wall mounting brackets and a set of speaker feets. –Feature Set– Some of the standout features of the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 are: - One HDMI Input that supports HDMI 2.1 (Supports video formats 4K HDR, 8K HDR, Dolby Vision and HDMI 2.1 gaming features 4K120, VRR, ALLM). This feature also allows you to be able to get the best audio quality even if your TV doesn’t support eARC - Support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced for future proofing. - Supports Bluetooth, Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay 2. - Expandable with optional wireless surround speakers (SA-RS3R or SA-RS5) and subwoofers (.SA-SW3 or SA-SW5). - DSEE Ultimate. This uses AI technology to improve the sound quality of compressed music such as MP3 music files. –Setup– Setup was very easy. You just download the Bravia Connect app and follow the instructions. You do need to have a Sony account for this. During setup, you should definitely perform Sound Optimization as I feel it does make a big difference in sound quality. –User Experience– The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 has been very reliable with my TCL 49 inch 5 Series TV. My two other soundbars have had issues with this TV (a lot of times, I have to cycle the other soundbars off and on to get sound to play) but the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 does not seem to have this issue. It has been rock solid. The included remote is a little too simple for me as it and the soundbar gives no indication on whether a button turned a feature on or off. Because of this, I prefer to use the app on my phone to make any adjustments to the soundbar. –Sound Quality– Overall the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 has excellent sound quality. I thought it produces a well balanced sound that is bright and crisp. Dialog clarity is extremely good and this is very important to me. My initial impression was a little underwhelming as I thought it lacked the theater quality ambience and bass that I experienced with my other sound bars. I decided to increase the Bass to Max (instead of MID), and redo the Sound Optimization setup. The first time I did Sound Optimization, I didn’t follow the suggestion to remove the cover from the phone (since it might obstruct the microphone). This time I did remove my phone’s cover for the Sound Optimization and the end result was much more impressive. I watched John Wick 4 and Moonfall and I thought the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 produced a wide immersive sound field with excellent dialog clarity but it seemed to be lacking a bit on sound directionality. I never felt as if any sound was coming from above or behind me. I only got the sense that the sound field was wide. But I might be expecting too much from a single sound bar. My other soundbars do have optional surround speakers and I can’t remember how they sounded without them so I might be making an unfair comparison to my other soundbars. I have purchased the optional SA-RS5 surround sound speakers and will be posting a review of them soon. For this review, I only wanted to test the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 by itself. Music also sounded great. Vocals and instruments sounded clear and crisp and with decent punchy bass when using Bluetooth. Overall, I can recommend the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 to anyone looking for a Dolby Atmos soundbar. It has an excellent feature set that allows the soundbar to grow with you and helps future proof your purchase. I think most people would be happy with this soundbar for a small to mid-sized home theater setup. It provides an excellent theater-like experience with excellent dialog clarity.

The sound quality of the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 is truly exceptional. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my home. At first glance, this slim bar may not seem to pack a punch, but it is a game-changer once set up correctly with your system and the BRAVIA Connect app. Fine-tuning the settings allowed me to unlock the full potential of this product, delivering a sound experience that is truly immersive and unparalleled. I do not own a Sony TV, but I have another brand that is less than six months old, and it, too, has all the newer technology built in. The BRAVIA Connect app guides you through a simple setup process, and connection through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and HDMI are options to connect the soundbar and the TV. However, I could not get the soundbar to stay connected, and I had to keep removing and deleting the connection of the soundbar of the same manufacturer of the TV that had been connected. Several times, I went through resetting the Sony Bravia 8 and reconnecting it to the TV, just to have it fall off again and search for the one I had removed and deleted from the system numerous times. Finally, I reset the sound bar again and went to the connection setup on the TV. Immediately after connecting using that method, I went to the BRAVIA Connect app and finished setting up the soundbar to maximize the 360-degree spatial surround sound, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced High-Resolution Audio. At this point, I was really impressed with the potential of this piece of audio equipment. The app takes one through a series of steps and maps the sound based on the seating arrangement and size of your TV viewing area. This gives the “theater effect” of the bar. The capability exists to add rear speakers and a sub-woofer, but I am pleased with it as it is, and it really does not need a sub-woofer. The BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 has eleven (11) speakers built into one sleek and slim soundbar. At only 2.51 inches tall, 43.3 inches wide, and 4.44 inches deep, it weighs just 10.36 lbs. It is wall-mountable and comes with all the hardware to mount it. Design provisions were also considered to make it sleekly fit as the bar with the TV's support legs. The soundbar has one (1) HDMI input and one (1) HDMI output. The packaging includes the remote control and batteries, which are the primary way to operate the soundbar if it is not programmed to work with a universal remote, the HDMI cable, and a simple power cord without the brick, which makes it genuinely nice for wall mounting. Sony offers a one-year warranty on both Parts and Labor. I have only had time since receiving the sound bar to watch a small part of an action movie, but I found the sound thrilling like I had not experienced in my home before. I have been playing audio through the bar using Spotify and have really enjoyed the rich sound it delivers. Whether or not you own a Sony TV, I recommend this to anyone looking for an audio sound bar. It has a dynamic sound that you will genuinely enjoy. It is important to remember that you could experience the initial connectivity issues I did before I thought about using my TV’s connection setup in conjunction with the BRAVIA Connection app. I still think this soundbar deserves five stars because the connection issues I experienced probably had nothing to do with Sony and the BRAVIA Theater 8 Soundbar but were instead an issue of the manufacturer of the brand of my particular TV.

I picked up the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 to use with my 65” TV. My goal was to enhance the sound of my viewing experience. What I didn’t expect was the enveloping sound that came out of this Sound Bar. Knowing that the Bar 8 has surround sound doesn’t begin to tell the story. The sound seems to come from everywhere. The Good! • Setup using the Sony Bravia Connect app on your Phone is very easy and includes Room Optimization to provide the best sound at your seating position. Once the Optimization process is finished, the sound is noticeably better. • The Bravia Connect app provides three sound modes, Night mode, Sound field and Voice Mode. You can also change the volume, mute the volume and change the bass levels. • The surround sound seems to come from everywhere out of this single sound bar. Usually, it takes many speakers to achieve this level of quality sound. The Bar 8 decodes Dolby Atmos, DTS-X and IMAX. • The Bar 8 is expandable so you can add wireless surround sound speakers and subwoofer to elevate the sound even more. • The Bar 8 is also Bluetooth enabled for streaming content to it from your Phone or Bluetooth sources. • EARC for return sound from TV and sources that are connected to the TV works well and provides easy setup and connectivity. • The Bar 8 can connect to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to integrate into the ecosystem of your choice. • There is one HDMI input and one HDMI EARC output. • The included wall mounts are easy to use and gives a look of the Sound bar floating on the wall. The Not so good! • There are very basic instructions that don’t provide any real setup information. I had to go to the Sony support page to find the setup guide. Once there, it was a breeze! • Size! The Bar 8 is very long, at 43 ¼ inches long by 4 ½ inches wide and 2 ½ inches high, placed on a TV cabinet takes up a lot of real estate. • The Price is higher but provides higher quality sound. Conclusion This is a great Sound bar for a small to medium size room that provides outstanding performance and is very versatile. You can expand your home theater experience by adding wireless surround speakers and subwoofer. After using the room sound enhancements through the Bravia Connect app on your phone, the Bar 8 comes alive with movie soundtracks and music that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is a very strong sound bar in a sea of sound bars and I highly recommend it.

When I first received this the sound bar, I was surprised it didn’t come with a subwoofer as other sounds bars, I have used usually do or they don’t sound great. There is an option to add a sub and speakers but after setup and trying it actually sounds good without. On the sounds side I was impressed and would recommend it beyond just the speakers of a TV. I would have like to see how the option sub and speakers sound and if it’s better but generally the sound is pretty good. Setup was simple too. Take it out the box, connect to HDMI 1 on the TV and download the app. The app runs you through the setup and gets it working with your TV and also connected to your internet. Once setup you can still use the app to turn it on and off. The AirPlay also seems to work pretty well at first, I used Bluetooth but then found I can simply go to the share menu on the iPhone and the soundbar shows up and you can output to it. So, if you’re listening to music and want to turn it on just switch over. The one thing missing is just being able to use the app to play music. It needs AirPlay to work so there isn’t too much to use the app after install. The other bad part is to get the full experience you need to add more and the sub and speakers. Wish it was all together but even just the sound bar is good. Overall a good soundbar with nice integration with airplay. Good upgrade from a regular TV speaker.

Overall I am very happy with the rich sound my new Sony Bravia 8 sound bar provides. Starting with the basics which I typically don’t get into, but this Sony soundbar was shipped in very solid packaging to keep this sound machine safe from damage and/or moisture. It comes with a hdmi cable for connection to your tv so no need to scramble to find one. The remote is tiny with few buttons needed to control things. There are feet that come with it if you need to elevate the bar to slide a tv stand under it or you can wall mount with the provided brackets. Set up was quick and easy using the Sony Bravia app. The app has many of the same controls as the remote with additional features to customize the sound to your room, connections, and quality as seen in the pictures. You should definitely optimize the sound for your room for the best 360 spatial sound quality. The default sound quality is exceptional after optimization. The bass is adjustable within the app and at the mid level provides a nice deep boom without bothering the neighbors. Worried you’re going to disturb someone? Switch to night mode in the app or on the remote and get clear sound with a lower volume without rocking the house. The 11 speakers produce a very full sound with the 360 spatial mapping which bounces sound off walls to create what Sony terms phantom speakers. It’s really immersive and upscales your content in real time to make compressed sounds sound full and rich as they are intended to be. Again overall, I’m thrilled with the sound coming from this Sony Bravia soundbar. I like to not only hear my music and movies, but to also feel them and immerse myself in the sounds and moods they provide and this soundbar definitely allows for this.

The BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 sounds better than the speakers on the BRAVIA 8 OLED TV, but it is not very user friendly. The Bar 8 doesn't provide anything other than a couple LEDs on the front-it doesn't provide any on-screen information to indicate settings or aid in configuration. Sony apparently thinks an app on yet another device (a smartphone) makes more sense for configuration than using the video device that the Bar 8 is directly attached to. Sony may be more interested in harvesting data through the Sony account you have to create to use the app than making the Bar 8 and Bravia 8 TVs easy to operate. One quirk that I found is that if the Bar 8 is used as a Bluetooth speaker from another device (an advertised feature), then it stops working automatically from the connected Bravia 8 TV until it is reconnected. Surprisingly, the Bar 8s operation with the Bravia 8 TV (both current year models from the same manufacturer) is far less "automatic" than my Denon 2313 surround sound system working with my 2013 Panasonic Plasma TV (a 12 year old multi-vendor system), which flawlessly switches between various audio sources.

I was use to other soundbars where you have to constantly make sound adjustments. So at first I was confused and searching for things to tweak. But soon I realized that after initial set up and having my optimal settings completed, I could just relax and watch my content with minimal involvements on my part other than volume control. I competely understand why some other reviewers are unnerved by not being more involved with the operation of the soundbar. However, this soundbar sounds great with almost no manual input from the user post set up. It is very inteligent that way. Once I realized I could just enjoy the content, I realized what a great soundbar this is.

First and foremost the Sony Bravia Soundbar 8 produces good sound for all types of sources it is connected to, whether it is cable/satellite, streaming services, 4K/regular Bluray player, etc. This soundbar especially shines when Dolby Atmos is engaged (available thru various streaming services and 4K Bluray discs); the soundfield is truly remarkable with the widening sound stage you are presented with. I do not have a subwoofer like some of you have, as I personally feel it is adequate enough for my needs. As far as issues I’ve had with this, well when I turn on my excellent Sony XR65A95L OLED TV (review coming soon on that one) it takes a solid 10 or so seconds before the audio from the soundbar gets connected. During this 10 seconds you’ll hear the voices then it will cut out, you’ll hear voices once more and then it will cut out again until finally a few seconds later the voices will come back permanently. Really not sure what the problem is but it is annoying to say the least. Other issue is about a handful of times the soundbar did not connect to my TV and the audio was coming from the TV speakers, not the audio system (it tells you this) so I had to disconnect the soundbar from the TV, waited about 10 seconds, reconnected and then everything was fine…audio system recognized. Funny things happen with bluetooth connectivity is what I’ve attributed this to but again, just annoying. So in summary this is a good sounding soundbar, make no mistake about it but it is a bit buggy at times that can get frustrating.

Best Sony Soundbar I’ve owned! Upgraded to this soundbar from at Sony AT-5000. This sound bar is incredible! I didn’t think it would sound better but I was pleasantly surprised. Easily paired with my Sony Subwoofer and Sony TV, home theater experience is stellar!

Paired with the Theater Bar 8, RS5 surrounds, and SW5 subwoofer. An amazing Sony setup! The sound field it creates in the room is wonderful. Looks good underneath the 77" Bravia 8.

I bought just the bar to start with with a plan to add more speakers down the road. The bar by itself has impressive sound and was quite easy to set up. I am quite happy with this and I do still plan to add rear speakers and a subwoofer at a later time. You will need to install the app to run the setup but the setup is pretty straightforward.

The product is great / I bought an open box excellent but it did not come in as such. Item is missing the instructions, and missing the correct cable to plug into the wall. So had to go out and buy one. I do believe that Best Buy doesn’t take the time to really look when they put an Excellent open box sticker on it. More fair and should have been much cheaper, especially missing the cable that is needed for it to work. Another thing, you should really take out the batteries from the remotes before shipping, one battery had some build up.

I am a music lover who recently replaced the Denon Home Soundbar 550 and matching subwoofer with the Bravia Theatre Bar 8 and SA-SW5 Subwoofer. I purchased the Theatre Bar 8 from my local Best Buy but had to order the SA-SW5 online, but it was on my front porch 2 days later. The Sony soundbar and sub absolutely destroys the pricier Denon in every area except hi-res stereo music playback. The Denon is a 2.1 soundbar and while providing better mid-range and tighter bass for streamed music from Amazon Music HD, Apple Music and SiriusXM, dialogue was muddy and frequently unintelligible, making watching my favorite programs or movies a chore. The Sony does an admirable job with hi-res music and is a pleasure to listen to without ear fatigue, plus, it provides a much wider 2.1 soundstage and absolutely kills on all movie soundtracks with their various codecs. It will shake the furniture and rattle windows if required with the SA-SW5 Sub and the center dialogue channel is the best I have heard on any soundbar in its price range. No more of my wife and I looking at each other constantly during a movie and asking, "What did he/she say"? The Dolby Atmos adds excellent height effects as well. I'm extremely happy I made the switch.

Sony theatre bar is absolutely amazing. The quality of the sound with the surround sound speakers makes a huge difference in viewing the show you are watching. The sound is like being in an I Max and I’m not kidding. Make sure you invest in this product. You won’t be disappointed and your friends will be amazed by it. My son in law is now going to purchase everything we purchased. He is so excited. He has been wanting to update his TV system. The wires show and he is not happy with that and wants a larger screen and better quality overall for his TV viewing.

The best soundbar I have ever purchased so far. I did buy Samsung before and honestly it very disappointed be even it was including the two sub speaker but the sound quality was horrible.