Customer Ratings & Reviews

Purchased this unit even after reading a lot of reviews about audio dropouts. Installing was very quick, the fastest I've ever seen for a home theatre system. The speakers and sub paired automatically; and the on-screen instructions were super easy. My speakers are not placed at typical location, but as Sony claims the unit does a really good job in compensating for the different. Sound quality is fantastic, the demo tracks played during initial setup was very lively. I feel bass is a bit low but works well for my setting. The phantom speakers just feels like the room is full of speakers, however I noticed that some movies have weak center. Would be interesting to pair with a compatible Sony TV for center channel; however switching sound mode to "Dialog" makes it better but just not ideal for a unit at this price point. I really wish Sony made this mode compatible with their earlier TV models like A9G. Audio dropouts - My receiver unit was hidden inside the TV console along with a wifi router. Surprisingly I faced no drop outs for first couple days. I tried changing different settings in home theatre menu but nothing seemed to work. Finally, I decided to move the receiver unit out of my TV console and also move my wifi router farther away from receiver. This actually help and I don't face a single dropout to date. I hope this helps anyone who faces audio dropouts.

Have you ever put on a pair of gaming headphones with 7.1 surround sound (like HyperX) and turned on the spatial sound? That's what the HT-A9 sounds like to me. It sounds as if a lot of reverb is being applied making everything sound large and spacious. This is a good and a bad thing. Good in that it makes everything sound large and spacious, but bad in that it sacrifices audio quality to accomplish that. I used these with the SW5 sub so my review is based on this full setup. I kept the sub volume at 8 and rear volume at 8. Auto Sound mode with Immersive Audio Enhancement on. I have experienced no connection drops. When watching music videos, these things sound amazing. Clarity is top notch and the sub can bump hard. It upscales 2-channel sound in a similar way that an AV receiver would by providing ambient sound from the rears and up-firing speakers. However, when I listened to 360 audio from tidal, it was terrible. I may have listened to some poorly mixed tracks, but the quality truly suffers when it's up-mixed with these speakers. Music from Spotify was also a bit underwhelming compared to some other sound bars, but enjoyable enough. For movies, this thing sounds great. The "bubble" is truly there. What you feel is there is sound everywhere around you. That sound though, may not always be pleasant or high quality, but its presence is there. This is where the immersion comes in. I don't have a Sony TV, but the ghost center channel does a great job. Voices are clear and I don't feel the need to turn on subtitles to enjoy movies. For video games, this thing is not so great. Games sound spacious, but sound effects can sound very shrill and unpleasant. I tested this with Elden Ring and I can't count the number of times I flinched from loud shrill sound effects when I was playing in 5.1, 7.1, or Dolby Atmos for home theater (both on PS5 and PC). If you set the sound output to 2.1 the sharpness/shrill sounds smooth out, but the spatial audio diminishes. This is a trade-off. I may experiment more with this, but these are my current finding after a month of use. After comparing this to Sonos Arc (full setup), Sony HT-A7000 (full setup), and Samsung Q990B (full setup), I've decided to keep these for my game room. The main reason is that they make the room feel bigger than it is. And although the quality of the sound quality isn't as high as something like the Q990B, hearing sound all around you is actually quite amazing. I didn't understand how good these were until I compared them directly to a few different TOTL sound bars. I realize now that these sit between sound bars and speakers. They provide a far grander more spacious listening experience than any sound bar can, but they lack the quality of home theater speakers. However, they cost significantly less than setting up a home theater system with a receiver, and I love the simplicity of setup and use. The only thing I would want to make these even better is the ability to reduce/increase the spatial audio as needed based on what I'm watching. I think that would make these perfect.

I own dozens of speakers which includes two full atmos setups with real height speakers, and I consider myself to be an amateur Audiophile. While the Sont HT A9 is far from the best audio product I own, it is the most fun. So easy to setup and use! I had both the SW5 and SW3 and kept the SW3. I find it offers plenty of bass for my needs, and honestly, the SW5 is waaay overpriced compared to its performance. Without a subwoofer, the A9 can't hang in the bass department. Overall, really good quality and sound, no regrets!

Great surround sound! Does an amazing job creating a phantom center channel but I myself use my A90J as center channel with S Center option. If you have a Sony that has acoustic audio plus you're good to use TV as center channel if the TV is anything less I would not use TV as center channel. Power cords are ridiculously short, that's a huge miss and a separate sub is must have. If you own a Sony TV the integrated quick options are nice. Definitely worth it especially now that pricing has came down.

If you have sound-drops. Try to connect your streaming devices straight to the Sony Hub. I have the system for about 2 weeks now. I had the Nakamichi 9.2.4 soundbar system before, and this Sony system totally out perform the Nakamichi. I pair the Sony system with the SW5 subwoofer, and I think it is a must. I use Nvidia Shield TV as my streaming devices. When I connect the Shield TV to my Vizio Tv and connect Arc Hdmi to Sony A9, I have sound drops every often. I dont think it is the connection issues between the Sony hub and the speakers because the light on speakers still green. I have other devices (ps5, Nintendo Switch) connect to Vizio Tv and using Arc Hdmi back Sony hub, but the sound-drops only happen when I used the Shield TV. So, I connect Shield TV straight to Sony hub, and it works flawlessly. I assume that my Vizio TV is the problem. I may need a TV that has eArc instead of Arc. I know that all streaming services like Netflix only has compressed Dolby Atmos, so technically, I dont need eArc for it. A firmware update in near future may also fix my initial problem when I use the Arc connection for my Shield TV. Now, because Sony Hub only has 1 hdmi in, so I need a HDMI switch. Because I have a 4k blu ray player, which will play un-compressed Dolby Atmos, so I need to connect 4k player straight to Sony Hub (Arc Hdmi will not work will un-compressed dolby atmos, but eArc will) The bottom line is, if your TV does not have eArc, try to connect your streaming devices straight to Sony Hub. It may fix the sound-drops issues. Keep in mind, you can buy a Hdmi switch if you have multiple devices that need to be connected straight to Sony hub.

Absolutely amazing home theatre sound system!! This is truly an immersive home theatre sound experience. I have never experienced such clear and immersive sound from 4 speakers!!. This sound system truly creates a 360 degree sound dome around your listening area. Dolby Atmos and DTS-X sound amazing. Paired with the subwoofer, its a theatre experience like no other. I would reccomend to get a sub-woofer with this system to truly get the theatre effect for 4K movies. Very easy to set-up. I would recommend connecting the HT-A9 receiver with your WI-FI router with an ethernet cable directly instead of going the wifi route. There are no sound dropouts with the hardwire connection.

Easy to set up but takes some tinkering in the settings once everything’s all set up to get the sound profile you like. You have to be patient and do the optimization and manual settings and switch back and forth between sound modes to get that perfect balance for YOUR ears. Once everything is dialed in, this system is impeccable. The separation and surround sound is amazing and on par with dedicated home theater systems.. almost. It’s better than a soundbar by a mile but not as good as some top of the line home theater systems. It’s a nice middle ground and very unique and one of a kind. Sony is going to make a killing with these until another company creates something similar. Worth the money for those that don’t want to do the whole in ceiling speakers and home theater crap with wire everywhere.

Setup was easy. Connected everything to power including the sub and when turned on it all came together. I have used different out of box systems and I have never been so impressed. I have a Sony tv, so I can use the tv as the center channel. But from what I can hear, using the tv as the center channel does not make a difference to the system. I do have the sub. I do not know how the A9 sounds without the sub, but I feel if you want the whole experience, you need the sub.

The sounds is amazing. Setup can be a little tricky but very easy. Just make sure you have clear line of sight between all of the speakers. The do discount and reconnect but this can be fixed with a reset. They sound amazing when they work. The biggest issue is that for this price they shouldn’t have as many issues as they do. Same goes for the A80L we purchased. Constantly locks up. No matter how many resets we still need to hard reboot at least once a week.

It is a good system, different than a soundbar, but i didnt find it better than my ARC, I read a lot of good things about this and realy realy wanted to love it, but it just was GREAT, It was just good, and looks different, the speakers are pretty large, so it isnt going to hide away. Plus i bought the lg. Sony bass module, and the price, was high verses other options. I went through, 5 bars before the ARC, which was the most impressivs, without thinking of price as some of the other options were more and expensive and looked better... i had high hopes for this new type of system, maybe if it had a center speaker... but just wasnt the wow i had hoped for. For almost double the price.

I'm not sure where to start....These speakers are by far the best speakers I've ever owned! I did my homework, listened to all the reviews out there. There seemed to be some consensus on the cons of these speakers. (TV as the center channel was lacking, connectivity issues, speakers not pairing correctly at set up) I had none of those issues. Setup was a breeze. I paired the speakers with the Sony SASW5 and holy smokes did that subwoofer deliver! The speakers themselves delivered a great quality but I can't imaging not having the SASW5 with them. The sound is completely immersive. I have the Sony HTZ9F in my basement and have been very satisfied with that. However, I am seriously considering replacing those with the HT-A9's (That is if I can get my hands on another set, took a while to get them in.) Thanks SONY! You knocked these speakers out of the park!

Coming from a 10 yrs old dedicated 5.1 system with DTS HD master I wanted Atmos and DTS X but I didn’t want the problem with tons of wires and ceiling speakers so I did some research and pulled the trigger on this HT A9 system and wow it’s impressive, just four speakers create a bubble around you and the immersion is way better than my previous system. The phantom speakers really work and the Atmos sounds amazing, it really puts you in the movie. The only issue I could see if the need to buy the subwoofer separately, it should be included in the package since it’s 100% needed. I really recommend this system if you don’t want to deal with multiple speakers and wiring, I haven’t had any dropouts so this is the best wireless system out there, it’s really impressive. Congrats Sony.

Wow… the Sony HT-A9 speakers are super easy to set up, and configure. Took about 45 minutes to unpack, attach a wire to each speaker and plug into elec outlet, then run through the Sony TV built in app that makes the connections to each speaker and the subwoofer… It does take some patience with where to place each speaker for the best sound .. I’ve found that spaced wider is better, if possible. I was amazed at how much better the sound was coming from my 3-4 year old $500 LG soundbar,. I’ve had no problems with it, and it’s been on about every day for the past several months. I recommend if you have deep pockets

I enjoy streaming and watching movies, so I wanted a Sony Bravia TV I could only fit a 48 inch in my bedroom and then of course you need a good sound system to go with it so I bought the Sony A5000 sound bar, SA-SW3 subwoofer, and Sony SA-RS5 wireless speakers everything sounded real nice, but I wanted my watching experience to be GREAT. So I had to get the HT-a9 home theater system, took a chance on an open box excellent condition and they arrived in excellent condition. Now I am a 63 year old women and the set up went smooth and a little tweak hear and there and I got them dialed in. OMG they are GREAT I have had no drop outs at all. The subwoofer is only 200 watts but perfect for my small bedroom. LOVE, LOVE,LOVE this system. Way to go Sony. Oh and I got a real good deal on them.

out of the box, this is a mediocre system and doesn't justify the price tag. i was so disappointed that I put it back in the box and wanted to return it. Then I decided to try it with SW5. well, I was shocked at the performance after adding SW5. Dont put speakers close to ceiling, keep at ear level and calibrate it. You ll be amazed how good it sounds. I am listening to songs over and over and they sound amazing. biggest con is price. with the sub it ends up costing 2800 which i think is too much. if you dont care about that, then definitely go with this.

First let me start by saying I’ve tried everything from Samsung to Sonos, etc… and I will say this system is easily the best. The soundstage and atmos effects are unmatched. Of course, I strongly suggest getting the SW5 subwoofer with it to give you that theater like sound. The speakers can be placed almost anywhere and still sound great. The room filling sound and clarity are just something you have to experience to believe. Don’t be fooled by any criticism about a center channel, the phantom center sounds perfectly fine. If you are looking for an easy setup that can be placed virtually anywhere and also want the best atmos theater like sound, get this system and don’t look back. I hope this helps potential buyers. Great work Sony

Sounds are crystal clear.. You can feel real dolby atmos output if you are are watching real 4k movies with good sound output.. the installation is pretty simple and easy to follow. This is perfectly works and sounds great for my den area.

Coming from AVRs. There is really nothing to beat this type of setup. However, I too have moved towards soundbars and the convenience of wireless. I have a Q990B, which is a great all a rounder. This Sony HT-A9 is sublime and no current Soundbar can beat it imo. Immersive-ness is ace! The separation is really the key which you can’t get from a Bar, even w 15+ physical drivers. HT-A9 sound and the quality of detail is superb. The phantom center is too real. DTS:X and Dolby Atmos is AVR like. This system is hard to best when consuming tv/movies. No connection issues whatsoever! My Wi-Fi6e does not affect the HT-A9. I read so many disconnect issues. What I found is having another Soundbar or other wireless devices that beams music can interfere. If that is somewhat within distance. More than happy with the purchase. Definitely looking forward to the next HT-A9.

The 1st setup was very quick it literally paired everything up in 1st try and had no issues for a good week. But after 1st week ive been experiencing issues, cuts on and off like more than half the time and i didnt move anything it was all left the same way i did it the 1st time just out of nowhere the cutting off would happen very frustrating hesring the spund come on and off with 5 sec delay in between. The overall sound is great and what really made me purchase this product was due to the receiver being a small box were it recivers all the connections hdmi arc etc. I didnt want a soundbar due to the limited space i have. And subwoofer is a must i went with the smaller 1 the w3 i think and its good enough for me just hate the sound cutting off gets me mad paying over 2k i would expect not to have issues but you will have them! Do i recommend no because there DC and you more than likely wont be able to find it anywhere brand new

So I've read a lot about people complaining that the speakers drop out. So far it hasn't happened to me once. I have a feeling it may be a distance issue or maybe your wifi? I don't know but I have to say that when you first turn you speakers on and run the wizard -- OMG. It plays a 360 degree demo and it blows you away. No way you can get this without the SW5 sub. It's a must. There's an Sw3 that's cheaper but it's not good. I watched A Quiet Place 2 last night and Jeez-- I heard things clearly I have never heard before in the movie. This is fantasic.