Customer Ratings & Reviews

I like the balance but there is no rumble. Good punch but no rumble.

I’ve been using Sony’s previous Dolby Atmos soundbar (HT-ST5000) for the past few years and have loved every minute of it, though I’ve always wished I could add rear speakers for a more immersive surround experience. Similarly, the user interface of the HT-ST5000 is becoming a bit slow and dated. Sony’s new HT-A7000 offers some incredible improvements to Sony’s high-end soundbar, including the ability to add optional wireless rear speakers and a choice of wireless subwoofers. These improvements—along with some new sound optimization features—make the HT-A7000 an absolute powerhouse and likely the most feature-rich soundbar on the market. === SETUP AND CONFIGURATION (5 Stars) === The soundbar ships in a large, rectangular box, though it is quite easy to unpack and set up. Once unpacked, the system is incredibly easy to set up. A 4K-capable HDMI cable is included. Plug the HDMI cable into the ports labeled HDMI eARC/ARC on the soundbar and your TV, and then connect your other devices to the two HDMI IN ports on the soundbar. If you choose to purchase the subwoofer (SW3 or SW5) or rear speakers (RS3S), those are completely wireless and automatically connect/sync with soundbar once plugged into a power outlet. Follow the on-screen setup procedures that appear when you first power on the soundbar and you'll be up and running in just minutes. Be sure to run the “sound field optimization” wizard - not only does it optimize your system, but it provides a neat demo of what the system is capable of. === DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY (4.5 Stars) === This is a big soundbar. It is just over 51 inches wide and about 3 inches tall, so it might obstruct the bottom portion of some TVs with shorter stands. It is roughly the width of a 65-inch TV and takes up the entire width of my entertainment stand. Compared to the HT-ST5000, the new HT-A7000 looks much more premium with a glossy finish on the top (although it’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet). The upward-firing speakers are covered in a nice mesh fabric. Unlike the HT-ST5000, the metal grille on the A7000 is not removable, but it looks great. There is a crisp display on the front which shows the volume level and current input selected, but it can’t display much text at once and often scrolls to show a full word. Connectivity is generous, with two HDMI 2.1 inputs on the rear along with a USB port, optical port, and analog port. However, all of these ports are placed at awkward angles and are rather hard to access. The included remote control is easy to use, but feels a bit cheap in comparison to the rest of the system. === FEATURES AND OPTIONS (5 Stars) === Sony has made it very easy to customize and adjust the settings of this soundbar. By pressing the Home button on the remote, you can access the Setup screen and adjust the settings for ceiling height, seating distance from the soundbar, advanced HDMI settings, and much more. Spotify, Chromecast, and AirPlay 2 are built-in as easy ways to stream content to the soundbar. The inclusion of AirPlay 2, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa mean that A7000 can be easily added to a multi-room speaker setup. There are preset sound profiles for “Cinema,” “Music,” and “Standard,” as well as a new feature called “Immersive Audio Enhancement” that converts standard surround sound signals into a 7.1.2 format. Immersive AE works surprisingly well, adding a nice boost to 2.0 and 5.1 content. The inclusion of two HDMI 2.1 inputs is nice, though it is a small step down from the three HDMI inputs included on the HT-ST5000. The on-screen interface is nicely laid out and very responsive. I couldn’t find a way to label the HDMI inputs with something like “Blu-ray” or “Game,” which was a feature of the HT-ST5000. The “Display” button on the remote brings up an on-screen information screen that shows you the type of audio track/codec that is being played through the soundbar. There are plenty of advanced options in the settings menu which should satisfy even the most technical users. Gamers should be aware that the HDMI inputs on the soundbar do not support variable refresh rate (VRR) signals. Hopefully Sony can enable this in a future firmware update. Otherwise, this soundbar supports pretty much every major format you can think of: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, LPCM, LDAC, etc. as well as Dolby Vision and HDR passthrough. === SOUND QUALITY (5 Stars) === The soundbar by itself delivers crisp, immersive, and rich audio and does a very admirable job at virtualizing a “surround” experience without the optional rear speakers and subwoofer. Before I installed the rear speakers and subwoofer, I activated the built-in demo on the soundbar and was pretty amazed at how effectively the side-beam and upfiring drivers seem to “bounce” sound off of my walls and ceiling. I played several minutes of the Dolby Atmos track on the Godzilla vs. Kong 4K Blu-ray continued to be impressed, with the soundbar clearly separating dialogue, music, and explosions and placing sounds all around my living room. The overhead Atmos effects seem much more noticeable than on the HT-ST5000 as I actually looked up at the ceiling while watching Godzilla vs. Kong during one of the jet fly-by sequences. Sony claims that the A7000 has a built-in subwoofer, and it certainly seems powerful enough to hold its own without one of the optional, standalone subwoofers. However, I really have to crank up the volume on the soundbar to get the best impact from low frequencies from the built-in soundbar. It’s not quite powerful enough to shake my living room or annoy my neighbors, but it definitely adds a rich, deep element to the unit’s sound profile. If powerful, room-shaking bass and low frequencies are important to you, you’ll probably want to consider one of the optional wireless subwoofers. There’s no doubt that one of the main selling points of the A7000 is the ability to add wireless rear speakers and a wireless subwoofer. Since those are sold separately and not included with the soundbar, I won’t go into too much detail here. I added the 300W SW5 subwoofer and RS3S rear speakers to my setup and I’m absolutely thrilled with the result. Hands down, this complete package is the best home theater audio system I’ve ever owned and I would highly recommend adding the rear speakers and a subwoofer if you are able. I wish Sony had at least included an entry-level, standalone subwoofer with the soundbar like they did for the previous HT-ST5000, even if they had to charge just a bit more. As it stands, it is VERY expensive to get this complete package of the soundbar + subwoofer + rear speakers. The good news is that the soundbar by itself is still an incredible piece of kit and will provide many many years of thrilling sound. === OVERALL === The HT-A7000 sets Sony comfortably atop the pack of high-end soundbars. By itself, it has some of the best virtualized surround sound I’ve ever heard, and the Immersive Audio Enhancement feature can transform even a standard stereo track into a vibrant surround track. The easy-to-use interface and plethora of connectivity options are unmatched in most other soundbars. Adding a dedicated subwoofer and rear speakers really unlocks the full potential of the A7000. Unfortunately, the need to purchase both of these things separately will certainly make many consumers question the value of this soundbar. And rightfully so. To get the complete package (soundbar + 300W subwoofer + rear speakers), you’re looking at a retail price of $2,350. Many other soundbars at least include a subwoofer in the package. So is it worth it? If you only have the space or budget for a soundbar and don’t care much for the powerful bass that a standalone subwoofer could provide, I think you will still love the sound produced by the A7000. There are some other soundbars at roughly the same price point that include a subwoofer, but they won’t have nearly as nice of a design or user interface. If you are willing and able to purchase a dedicated subwoofer and rear speakers for the A7000, you will truly have one of the best (if not *the* best) sounding and most capable soundbar systems on the market.

I just opened the box but automatic 5 stars for including mounting brackets and a mounting template!

I liked this system so much I did a review of it youtube... https://youtu.be/OnnLrXQHsa0

Because of Best buy Premier status, I could try out every sound bar. Sony 7.1 is better than Sonos, Bose Samsung 11.1.

We Love the quality of Sony Products. This doesn't disappoint.

We are so loving the clear and exquisite sound effects that surround our cozy living room. Impressive, we complemented the sound bar by adding the SW5 Sony subwoofer.

Excellent speakers. Works very well. We are able to hear the sounds clearly and has a great effect watching movies.

Took a firmware update and got this(see photo). Had to send away to Sony for repair. A little concerning for Sony's top end line.

Some background, this soundbar, along with the rears and subwoofer, is replacing a sonos system with surrounds and the Sonos Sub. I was so excited to have this delivered today. I had been thinking about replacing my Sonos Beam with the Arc, but I had thankfully I had the opportunity to pick up this one. I opened it up and was shocked by how heavy this thing. You can really tell that this is a high quality, high performance piece of equipment. Through the mesh on the front and more on top, you can see all of the speakers inside, looks amazing. It comes with the remote of course, HDMI cable, aux audio cable and mounting brackets, a nice touch. I had my other sound bar mounted under the tv, so instead of spackling and repainting that area, I decided to mount this one too. I was a little concerned about the weight of it so I kept my fingers crossed. I used the included wall mounting template to get the holes right and level and then used wall anchors to attach the mounting brackets. I would have preferred going into wall studs, but i didn't have that option. The mounting brackets do have legs that hit the wall to keep them more secure which is nice, unfortunately, those legs stick out under the soundbar and are very visible while watching tv; I was hoping for a more streamlined look than that. The sound bar has a pair of 2.1 HDMI inputs which come in handy for the PS5 and other future devices that work better with 2.1, I plugged in my Apple TV and my PS5, then ran another HDMI cable to my TV's eArc port. I like that the soundbar has video passthrough as opposed to the sonos which does not. It's easier to have those cables running to the soundbar instead of the TV. Now that everything was plugged in and mounted, I turned everything on and followed the on screen instructions. I have an older Sony Soundbar and was familiar with this screen which was nice. Before I added the sub and the rears, I wanted to try this on its own. The sound was incredible, especially for music. I am so used to surround sound, though, that I needed more. I linked the other speakers, ran the sound optimization tool and bam, I was ready. I put on Avengers: Infinity War because it has great audio but also Dolby Atmos. I turned it up to a decent volume and suddenly, I was immersed in crystal clear, room filling sound. The bass was perfect, vocals were clear and the surrounds performed perfectly. I was in heaven. Next, I played some MLB and again, perfect. I love that this is future proofed as well. Next came music. I am a huge Airplay 2 fan and have compatible speakers in all rooms. I was so excited that this soundbar finally added that feature for Sony. I prefer using my phone to control music, so I connected using Apple Music with lossless audio and the sound was great. I played around with it and decided that it sounds better without the rears and without the Immersive AE function. This really performed well, nice deep bass and the highs were at the perfect level, I was surprised that I didn't have to adjust the settings to get the sound just right. I also setup Google and Alexa but was disappointed that this is only controlled by a different device, it does not have a mic built into it like the Sonos and Bose products. A little disappointing for such an expensive system. Regardless, I linked it to a different Alexa device and can control it that way if I want. Aside from my Alexa issue and the legs of the wall brackets sticking out, I could not be happier with this system. If you're looking for a sleek system with ultra premium sound, this is the one for you. This is really an amazing home theater setup.

So far I have had nothing but issues. I have tried connecting via hdmi, optical, and Bluetooth and the soundbar will always freeze around 15 minutes in and then need a long time unplugged before it can operate for another 15 minutes. Oh and it also arrived with a hole on the right speaker cover.

I tried to like this device, and the sound was amazing, but the HELLO screen of death killed it.

I’ve had this sound at for two months and one day it froze when I started it up. Now I can’t get it to do anything but say “hello” on the front display. I can’t get the TV to display the settings. I’ve tried unplugging for hours and days. Using different HDMI cables… nothing. Not sure what else to do at this point. Seems crazy to think that a sound bar this expensive would cut out so quickly…

Received a gift and just opened it. Sound bar was damaged. Bought less than 30 days ago but the return period is only 14 days. Used to be thirty. Now Best Buy is sticking me with a damaged product. 14 days is a ridiculously short return period. I would recommend you get your electronics elsewhere.

The bar drops the add-on speakers and read it out on the screen during the movie. I've tried everything and it keeps happening; nothing is more aggravating. Sony missed the mark on this sound bar, and now I'm stuck. I'll wait for an upgrade and hope for the best.I will go with another brand next time.

The Sony A7000 Soundbar is their new High end 7.1.2 Atmos soundbar. The soundbar itself has 2 up firing speakers, five front speakers (one built in subwoofer, two teeters and two full range speakers). The soundbar by itself produces great sound. You can add the optional wireless rear speakers and Subwoofer to bring your home theater to truly amazing sound levels. With 500 W of power from the soundbar itself and 300W from the optional subwoofer plus 100W from each optional rear speaker you will have to warn your neighbors if you crank it up. Star Wars never sounded so good! This soundbar is large 51.25 in x 3.25in by 5.63in weighing 19lb 2oz. It is good looking with a piano black case and dark cloth mesh. There are buttons on the top of the soundbar for control and a full feature remote control included. Sony also includes wall mounting brackets if you need them. Sony includes an onscreen user interface to perform the setup and management of the soundbar. One of the great utilities is the Sound Field Optimization routine that automatically optimizes the surround sound field this saves you from the task of manually adjusting levels of each speaker although you still can. You can connect your WiFi and integrate with Alexa or Google Assistant. Sony has built in Chromcast, Spotify connect and Apple airplay as well as Bluetooth. This soundbar is one of very few that pass through 4k and even 8k at 120HZ with 2 HDMI 2.1 input ports with Dolby Atmos and DTS:S sound. This can expand your ability to connect devices to you TV that has a single 4k eARC HDMI port. If you have a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S you can connect it directly to this soundbar and experience awesome sound with your gaming. The other inputs are analog and optical audio and USB A as well as Bluetooth. You can even connect headphones by Bluetooth for private listening. The list of supported codes are dizzying: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Dual mono, DTS, DTS HD High Resolution Audio, DTS HD Master Audio, DTS ES, DTS 96/24, DTS:X, LPCM, DSD, Wav, Flac, ALAC(.m4a, .mov), AIFF(.aiff, .aif), HE AAC, AAC, mp3, Monkey Audio, WMA and Ogg Vorbis. This soundbar even supports Reality sound 360 with the appropriate streaming service subscription. I have had several soundbars before this one and the sound from this one is by far the best. Adding the optional rear speakers and Subwoofer transform this into a the best sounding system I have ever owned. While there are some that come close if you want the best this soundbar is worth every penny.

The Sony HT-A7000 is Sony's latest flagship soundbar. It can be paired up with a 200W or 300W subwoofer and/or wireless surround speakers. All items are sold separately. This single soundbar package comes with the soundbar, remote control (2 AAA batteries included), mounting hardware, 4K HDMI cable, 3.5mm analog audio S-Center Out connector cable, power cable, & paperwork. The soundbar comes with a 1-year manufacturer's warranty. Rather than go over every single specification which you can already find on this Bestbuy.com page, I'll try to give more observations of those specs instead. DISCLAIMER: I have all 3 components for the complete surround experience: 1) HT-A7000 7.1.2ch Soundbar (Review for this product) 2) SA-SW5 300W Subwoofer for the HT-A7000 3) SA-RS3S Wireless Rear Speakers for the HT-A7000 PROS: ----------- * Setup is very user friendly with the on-screen user interface using the HDMI/ARC connection. Each step was explained well on the screen, and the sound demos were very useful. Part of setup is also having the system perform a sound check so it can tell where all the speakers are placed distance-wise, in order to have the most optimal volumes and delays for each given speaker (if you have the subwoofer and wireless rear speakers). * This is a well-constructed sound bar - it feels solid. It weighs approximately 20 lbs. * If you use the mounting brackets provided, connecting the speaker to the brackets is easy with the 2 mounting screws provided. If you place the soundbar on a platform, the rubber feet keep it in place and from vibrating off that surface. I have shown that in one of my pictures. * 2 HDMI ports + ARC gives the ability to hook up 2 different sources (say a gaming system, Blu-ray player, or PC perhaps) while still offering 2 other audio options with optical/fiber cable or 3.5mm analog. If you already use certain Sony Bravia TVs, there is the capability to use the S-Center Out port to pair up your TV's speakers with the center channel of the soundbar for added sound. I do not have a Sony TV, so I did not use this option. * The bar offers a multitude of wireless options including Bluetooth (BT), Wifi, Spotify, Chromcast, and Apple Airplay2. Using Spotify via the on-screen interface keeps you from having to have your phone nearby using BT. It would have been great to have Pandora as an option as well. * If you use Google or Alexa, those are incorporated into the soundbar. * It has the option to play "360 Reality Audio" which is a nice added feature but may require a subscription to use. Services currently available with this feature are 360 by Deezer, Amazon Music, nugs.net, and TIDAL (see pictures). The demo was pretty cool. * The remote control allows for easy volume levels for both the MAIN and the sub/wireless without having to go thru a screen interface. * I watched 2 online movies in 4K - The Tomorrow War (Amazon) and Zack Snyder's Justice League (HBO Max). Both featured surround sound and both impressed with immersion experience. I felt like I was in the middle of the action (with the sub and wireless speakers setup included). Explosions, vocals, left/right sounds were all unique and really brought me into the movie itself. CONS: ----------- * Unlike some other sound bars, you can't change the look of the front of it by removing the grill. The metal grill is permanently fixed to the soundbar. * Wall mounting hardware (screws/anchors) is not provided. OTHER OBSERVATIONS: ----------- * The top of the soundbar, between the 2 upward-facing drivers, is glossy black and will show fingerprints easily. * The soundbar includes forward-facing drivers in addition to the beam tweeters on the end. Add in the up-facing drivers, and this soundbar really does a great job of creating surround sound as it bounces sound off of the ceiling and the walls. CONCLUSION: ===================== Overall, this new soundbar is exactly what sound enthusiasts need that don't want to go the route of buying an amplifier and external speakers. This system is on par with other flagship brands, if not better. There are very few (to no) issues with this product technically, and should be great for most peoples' homes. It has a ton of power, bass, and surround sound to put you in the middle of the action. I highly recommend getting one of the two available subwoofers, and if you can go the distance, get the rear wireless speakers as well. Job well done, Sony. (I did reviews for the other 2 products in this audio line as well if you enjoyed this review.)

Sony High End Home Sound Bar This Sound Bar coupled with a Bluetooth Subwoofer and stereo speakers is my first audio system and it is a great sounding system. The Sound Bar itself is 46" long and weighs 18 lbs. so it does have some mass to it. The Subwoofer is quite large in size as well weighing 31 pounds. The speakers seems to produce good sound and using bluetooth you get great separation. Since it was a large unit, I needed some time to determine where and how this system would be installed. Two confessions: 1. I am not a sound expert and I don't have any experience or products to compare it with. 2. My wife is the furniture and fixture arranger in our house and she installed this system while I was at work and she did an amazing job. She is no techie but she said the installation was simple. She did have an issue with the Fire Stick. It seems it needed connected to the Sound Bar and she found the solution on the net. Other than that, everything went smoothly with help of the installation guide. The system was designed for a much bigger room than the room we installed it in. Someday, hopefully we will be in a house with a room to do this system justice. Nonetheless the speakers and the subwoofer need no wires which means you can get nice separation as they are Bluetooth and set up for them was a snap. The system comes with a remote control that controls the options on the unit. The remote has some preset programs including Cinema, Music and Standard. Volume controls and sound adjustment controls are available on the remote. If you have the funds, and want a really good Sound system I would have no problem recommending this system to you. In the home I am in, this system quite frankly is overkill. I do not regret acquiring it because moving day gets closer all the time.

This soundbar is the one. If you're looking to bring your home theater to life and want to have a no fuss setup, great sound, and some amazing features, then this is the one. Setup The longest part of the setup was just taking everything out of the box. You get one HDMI cable in the box so you can immediately connect from the soundbar to your eARC input on your TV. The setup process involved placing the soundbar on the entertainment center, plugging in the HDMI, and power cable, and finally running through the setup wizard. From beginning to end it took less than 15 minutes. I took almost as much time just speaking to my FedEx driver about the soundbar when he dropped it off. I also got the rear speakers and subwoofer (SA-SW5) and again setup was a breeze. Once the rear speakers and subwoofer were plugged in, the soundbar automatically linked to them. I have heard some folks commenting on how you can get a full home theater with individual speakers instead of a soundbar for the same amount of money; but I doubt any of them can be setup this quickly and painlessly. I love that I didn't have to mount any speakers or run any wires. A traditional home theater setup would have taken an afternoon to get all connected. Plus, with the Sound Field Optimization in the setup process, which you can run this later as well in settings, it calibrates the soundbar, rear speakers, and subwoofer for the best sound in your room. Sound I was a little worried in choosing to go with a soundbar instead of traditional setup. The only reason for my hesitation is because my living room where I want to use this, is a large wide-open room. We have an open floor plan, so the living room opens to the front foyer and the kitchen. I was worried that the sound would get lost, and I would lose some of that immersion. I can report that this is not the case in the slightest. The sound is amazing, and you feel like you are right in the middle of what is going on. Movies I have a one of the latest generations AppleTV 4Ks connected to the soundbar and a 75" 4K TV. We subscribe to just about every streaming service you can think of, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+, HBOMax, Netflix, YouTube TV, and Apple+. We have been really enjoying some of our favorite shows/movies coming in Dolby Vision, and with this soundbar we finally have the last piece of that puzzle, Dolby Atmos. Our first few days using our new soundbar we watched, Paw Patrol The Movie, Skyfall, Suicide Squad (2021), The Matrix, The Bad Batch, What If...? and Reminiscence. Each viewing felt like we were sitting in a movie theater. This is great since we haven’t had the opportunity to go to the movies in the last year, so this was a real joy bringing the cinema experience home. I really enjoyed rewatching The Matrix fight scenes which were amazing. Again, it really felt like everything was happening around us. Slabs of marble falling around us, ricochets, and bullets zipping around! Games We connected our Xbox and PlayStation to the soundbar and running some games again left us with our mouths hanging open. It was a great experience. The soundbar has one eARC HDMI output to the TV, and 2 HDMI inputs so I connected my Apple TV 4k and Xbox systems to the soundbar and the PlayStation to the TV directly. Both methods sounded amazing and just like the movies, it felt like things were happening all around me in the games. Music I am obsessed with music. My wife says it's a problem. I have more headphones that I can use, and we have subs with most of the music streaming services. I connected our Apple Music and Amazon Music HD plan to the soundbar. Listening to supported albums in Dolby Atmos with Apple Music and 360 Reality tracks with Amazon Music was great. Sitting in my living room, you could really hear the separation of instruments and vocals. Some tracks felt like singers were standing on either side of me. It was really a great experience. It sounded much better than what I already thought was an amazing sound, coming from my AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Overall This is an amazing system. Even if you decided to go with the soundbar and forego the rear speakers and subwoofer the system is still a real treat. I unplugged the rear speakers and soundbar and was still impressed by how much better it was, compared to my 2-year-old soundbar. Adding the rear speakers and subwoofer just adds to the texture of the sound and improves the overall immersion. Again, this is such an enormous upgrade from any other home theater systems I have heard recently, and the setup process could not be any quicker or pain free. In less than 30 minutes we had everything setup and were enjoying rich sound. The easy eARC connection to the TV, 2 HDMI inputs, ability to connect with AirPlay 2, Alexa, Chromecast, and Spotify lets you get to your content easily with little friction. This soundbar should be able to tackle any of your home theater needs for the next few years.

Spatial mapping audio is incredible. Tons of highs mid bass and i dont know how they shoved subwoofers in there but it’s incredible loud when youre watching a movie, playing video games (also one of the few units to feature true 8k pass through so gou dont lose an ounce pf quality. Very easy to setup and its sleek with its glass top. Almost got the ambeo im glad i went with sony. Just to get the rears and sub to irritate the neighbors unit puts out a ton of bass on its own ive owned atleast 50 soubd bars but nothing like rhis. Spendthe money and be future proofed. Everything is completely wireless and the rears are rechargeable thats pretty sweet