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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Best sound quality I’ve ever heard from any sound bar. Built in software tailors sound perfectly for my listening space and with the SW5 subwoofer and the RS5 surround speakers overall effect is truly amazing. With this audio system and my 65 inch Bravia 8 tv the movie viewing experience is every bit as good as the multiplex and better because it’s right in my living room.

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 :)

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

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.

The sound bar is great. Easy setup, great features, easily calibrated. Delivery on the other hand... A carrier service was used which resulted in non-delivery specific personnel handling it. I agreed to meet him at the to of the easement and requested he message me when he gets close. I receive the message, and not 30 seconds later, a second message stating he left it in the grass by the mailbox so he could start backing out.. $800 soundbar sitting along side the road...

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.

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.

Perfect fit for my 77” Bravia 8 tv and the Sw-S3 sub. Great sound and easy to set up.

The Bar 8 is simply amazing. I paired it with a Bravia TV, SW5 sub and SW5 rear speakers in my bedroom. The sound is amazing, lifelike, clear and really makes the most of my Sony TV. I also got the Bravia cam so it optimizes the sound automatically no matter where I sit.

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

Excellent soundbar. Will sound better after breaking in.

The bravo nine theater somewhere is awesome sound boy the sound is great especially when pair with the Sony speakers and woofers man awesome

So far this sound bar enables me to be in the kitchen and still be able to hear the voices on the shows I have in the TV. This is very important to me.

Decide to go with the Sony Bravia TV and Combined with the Sony soundbar, makes this purchase impressive! Excellent sound quality and clarity! Highly recommend!! The Best Buy customer service rep was extremely knowledgeable and helpful!