Customer Ratings & Reviews

I tried this equipment for couple weeks and finally replaced it by a Bose that I feel is better quality

After cuoples weeks of using it i had to return it. Subwoofer disconects from soundbar every time i switch functions.(my older and cheaper soundbar never did that)it sounds is pretty decent but not exceptional.ugly and outdated remote design for a pricey item.for the money it cost,you can find a better product for sure.

The Sony HT-Z9F is a feature packed soundbar providing 7.1.2 sound in a 3.1 package. It is a technological sound wonder! With all the features this review is a little long but worth the read if you are considering this soundbar. The Soundbar and subwoofer come in the standard L shaped box. The packaging is well designed and holds everything well preventing damage. The system was extremely easy to set up due to its HDMI connections and Wireless sub woofer (and later additional wireless rear speakers). The design is good looking, black finish and only about 2.5 inches tall. You can choose to use it with or without the speakers exposed using the magnetic speaker grill. If you are an audio purist you will get the best sound without the grill. If you have small children who like to poke things I recommend using the grill. The sound bar should fit under most TV’s without blocking the picture or IR receiver. The sound bar does have an IR repeater so you do not have to worry about the IR receiver being blocked anyway. The subwoofer is compact enough that it fits into a corner easily. All you have to do plug it in and turn it on and it pairs automatically with the sound bar. The finish is black also. The soundbar has 2 HDMI inputs, both of which are 4K HDR 18 Gbps pass-through and HDCP 2.2 allowing Dolby Vision,HDR10 and HLG. The HDMI out with ARC for the TV. I can also confirm the ARC implementation works bidirectionally allowing input and output. There’s also a LAN port, USB, 3.5mm audio, and optical audio. The soundbar also has built-in Bluetooth, WiFi, and Chromecast. You can also send music wirelessly to remote speakers around your house by using the Sony music pal app and other Sony wireless speakers. You can even control the soundbar with your Google home. Sony had endowed this soundbar with a decoder for almost every Dolby and DTS format. You do have to use the HDMI inputs on the soundbar for Dolby True HD. I was able to connect everything to my LG tv and pass it through on the ARC input. You do get Home theater available on the screen and have to switch the inputs to the desired device but I have it all set up with a Logitech Harmony another great device! Setting up the soundbar was easy through the onscreen interface and pairing the subwoofer (and later the optional rear speakers) was plug and play! The soundbar comes with a lot of options and preset sound modes. I recommend you use the express set up first then adjust with the advanced manual settings as needed later. There’s a lot of extra options if you do the advanced manual set up, but I didn’t find I had to change any of them except one. The HDMI signal format, which is set to Standard by default and needs to be Enhanced to pass through 4K/HDR. If you have your speakers set up so that they are not physically centered with your seating you can change the sonic center in the set up. This allows the seating to be any configuration and still providing sound as the director designed it. The soundbar sounds great with anything playing through it, but it sounds incredible when you’re watching something that really takes advantage of higher end formats like Dolby Atmos and True HD. To test this I’m using this soundbar with my LG 65 inch C6 OLED 4K HDR television and my Phillips BDP7501 4K UHD Blu-ray player an Nvidia Sheild TV, and Amazon FireTV2 which supports UHD HDR and Dolby Atmos or Dolby TrueHD sound. I watched Startrek on Beyond 4K Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos and the sound was Incredible. Netfilix and VUDU streaming from the TV and both streaming boxes sound great also. Most Dolby Atmos soundbars and speakers have extra speakers that are oriented to bounce off the ceiling and create the sound above you. The HT-Z9F doesn’t have any extra speakers for this, but Sony uses their Vertical Sound Engine, which uses the existing speakers to create a virtual soundfield. This works great, you hear sounds at all heights around you creating a cinematic experience right in your living room. There are optional rear speakers (SA-Z9R) that can be added to this, they are not included in the 3.1 package. I highly recommend the rear speakers as they give you 5.1 surround sound (7.1.2 emulated because of the vertical sound engine). The soundbar sounds great on its own, but with them this sound system really rocks! My former Vizio 5.1 soundbar sounded good but this Sony soundbar creates a completely exhilarating experience especially with with the optional rear speakers. The sounds are clearer and the sonic positioning is more accurate allowing you to have a true theater like experience thanks to DSEE HX (digital sound enhancement engine) and the Vertical sound engine. The remote is well designed it allows you increase the voice level for those movies and tv shows where you have a hard time hearing the characters speak. There is also a night mode that cuts most of the bass and softens the overall sound of the soundbar. The vertical sound feature can be turned off , although once you experience it you will probably never turn it off. In summary Sony has produced a sonic masterpiece in a compact soundbar. You will enjoy the theater like sound it produces for all your listening and video activities. This soundbar has every feature you may want.

Wait for the new model with Apple play. I didn’t Kerp it, I returned it.

Not what I expected from Sony. The sound is fair at best, should have returned it.

It broke in 1 year and 4 months. Sound stopped both via TV and phone via Bluetooth yesterday. Green light on subwoofer brinks for 10 seconds but turns red. No trouble shooter fix regarding this condition. I enjoyed it while it was working.

This is my first time buying a Sony soundbar. The sound is excellent and really fills the room. Great buy

Sound bar has not been setup. Geek Squad Tech was not proficient enough to get it working.

I recently purchased a new Sony 4K TV and really needed an external sound bar to take full advantage of the new purchase. The Sony HTZ9F 3.1 Channel Sound Bar with Wireless Sub Woofer and (optional rear channels) is the perfect solution. The sound bar comes with the sub woofer, an HDMI cable, remote and batteries, a wall mountain bracket/template and user manuals. It was well packaged to keep the units safe in the box. Once unboxed, setup was very straight forward...simply connect the sound bar to the TV via HDMI (ARC) if available...which my TV has. Connect cable box and any other components via HDMI (there are only 2 HDMI ports on the sound bar). Plug in the power on the sound bar and sub and turn them on..the sub (and rear channel speakers) connect automatically. Within minutes, the system was up and running...and man the difference was so noticeable. My Xfinity remote supports the Sony remote, so the remote controls TV and audio no problem. You still need to see the included Sony remote to set up other functions and sound settings. The sound is very good, the first thing that really jumped out was the clarity and volume of voices. It seems like some TV shows or channels muffle voices and I really need to crank up the volume to hear the dialogue....that is completely gone with this sound bar. There are a number of sound options available and I'm still experimenting with them all, but the Cinema or Standard settings seem to be the best so far. Now for music, I was curious to see how easy this system would be to use with my iPhone or laptop. There are 2 options for connecting for music: Bluetooth and WiFi. With BT, it's as easy as turning the sound bar to Bluetooth mode and connecting your phone...boom, deep and rich music in less than a minute! I then downloaded the Sony Music Center App and connected the system to my home WiFi network. The app walks thru the install/set up process and takes just a couple minutes. The app is pretty straight forward and gives you access to a number of music options including Pandora and TuneIn radio. Pros: - Easy set up - Self connecting Wireless Sub Woofer and Rear Channel Speakers (optional) - Bluetooth and WiFi connection options for music - Modern design and looks, magnetic cover on sound bar - Deep rich sound quality and great dialogue clarity Cons: - No backlight on the remote control - sought to see in dark room - HDMI inputs are at an odd angle and can be challenging to connect to - Only 2 HDMI ports Overall, this is a great sounding, easy to set up and great looking sound bar and speaker system. I would definitely recommend this system!

The Sony Z9F is an impressive sounding 4K-supported soundbar with features that give it an upper edge in audio and video. Prior to receiving this setup, I had a very nice soundbar with 9 drivers, but did not have a subwoofer to pair with it. My previous soundbar had excellent bass response for a standalone soundbar, but moving to the Z9F soundbar + subwoofer, my cinematic experience and music experience has never been more immersive. I immediately noticed that Z9F’s soundbar focuses on mid-range and treble response while depending heavily on the subwoofer for the low-end. As a result, the soundbar does not suffice without the subwoofer, unlike my previous soundbar. But adding a subwoofer to my home theater setup has added a level of immersion I was absolutely lacking. Instead of trying to make one soundbar do everything, Sony has focused on making a soundbar that delivers sonic clarity while pairing it with a subwoofer to create impact and immersion for music and movies alike. Ultimately, this creates a system without compromise, unlike a standalone soundbar. As an audiophile and basshead, listening to music on the Z9F is an absolute pleasure. You can control the volumes of both the soundbar and subwoofer to achieve a balance that best suits your tastes. I find that turning off virtual surround by using the “Music” mode provides the best clarity for music, as the other settings will create virtual separation that is undesirable. In fact, I believe that the “Music” setting is the best setting for all audio that does not have a surround sound setting like Dolby Atmos. For the content that *does* support Dolby Atmos, the Z9F’s “Cinema” mode creates an immersive experience with decent audio separation and clarity, as well as impact, thanks to the subwoofer. The system gets plenty loud without distorting and is very expressive with subtle nuances that might otherwise go unnoticed. The Z9F also has Chromecast Audio built-in so you can stream music from supported services, which is very convenient for individuals like me who’d rather not rely on a Bluetooth connection (which it also supports). That being said, it does support LDAC over Bluetooth, but I did find that the built-in Chromecast Audio features better clarity. Alternatively, you can use an Auxiliary cable or even USB. If price isn’t an issue for you, I think this system can be enjoyed by many.

I am extremely impressed with my new Sony HTZ9F soundbar and subwoofer. This system can get very loud and has all the bass I would ever need for my home theater. The sound is clear and absolutely wonderful and the vertical sound feature is a truly amazing accomplishment by Sony. The Z9F not only comes with a demo disc to play, it also has a built in demo mode that will play with a 3 second press of the button on the soundbar. When the manufacturer adds a built in demo mode, you know or at least hope, it’s going to be a pretty great product and this soundbar does not disappoint in any way whatsoever. It’s also pretty neat to be able to press the demo button when friends are over to quickly show-off the amazing vertical surround sound without having to put in a movie. The Soundbar and subwoofer came nicely packaged and the system was extremely easy to set up. I’m using this soundbar with my Sony XBR55X850C 4K HDR television and my Sony UBPX800/B 4K Blu-ray player. Being that all three of these are Sony products you would expect them to play well together and they absolutely do just that. When setting up the soundbar, if you are using a 4K tv and/or a 4k blu-ray player, be sure to go to the soundbar settings to upgrade the HDMI port(s) that you are using to the enhanced format so that 4K and HDR content can pass through the soundbar. If you do not enhance the port you will not get the true 4K experience you want. You also want to be sure that the HDMI ports you are using on your television are upgraded to an enhanced format if that is an option. Be sure to use the HDMI (ARC) port if you have that available. Another cool feature of this soundbar is that it will act as an IR relay for your television remote, or at least it does for mine. Which means that I just have to aim my television remote at the soundbar and not have to worry about the remote sensor on the television being covered up by the soundbar. This is a wonderful feature as my previous soundbar blocked the tv remote sensor and I could only use my bluetooth television remote, with it’s limited control options. The soundbar comes with a lot of options and preset sound modes. You can control the volume of the rear speakers and subwoofer individually, which is really cool. It definitely comes in handy since the subwoofer has a lot of bass and can be pretty loud sometimes. The rear speakers are not included but can be purchased separately. I do recommend the rear speakers as they give you 5.1 surround sound that really adds to the overall listening experience, however even without the rear speakers this soundbar sounds great. With the remote you can increase the voice level for those movies and tv shows where you have a hard time hearing the characters speak, it works and works well. There is also a night mode that cuts most of the bass and softens the overall sound of the soundbar. The vertical sound feature can be turned off however I leave it on all the time because it improves the sound and makes you feel like you are right there in the scene of the movie or TV show. With vertical sound when there is rain on the TV show or movie it sounds like the rain is actually coming from above and falling all around you, it’s really cool and works very well. The design in great, in my opinion. It looks really nice, is not too tall and I love that the grill/cover is connected with magnets and can be easily removed for cleaning and/or just to have a different look. I’ve read some complaints about how compact all the ports are on the back but I think they are actually better than the few other soundbars I’ve had in the past and I didn’t have any problems reaching or plugging in any of the cables. Overall I’m blown-away by this soundbar and subwoofer, the clarity, THE BASS, the mids, lows and highs all sound perfect. Once again, the bass on this system really “thumps” and I love it! This is hands-down the best soundbar I’ve ever owned and probably the best soundbar in this price range that I’ve heard to date. Yes, the price is a little high, but you get what you pay for and I think it’s worth every penny! I would without a doubt recommend this to anyone who wants to own one of the best soundbar subwoofer systems, in this price range, available on the market today.

Excellent sound quality. Terrible setup and sound issues from the sound bar. Every couple minutes there will be sound cutting out and no matter what fix I tried the bar would never work correctly.

This speaker started off great but stopped working after 5 months! I tried every possible troubleshooting step and the speaker no longer produces sound from the TV, I even tried using different HDMI ports. Will try to return at Best Buy and see how it goes.

The price was expensive and the product was not so great every time we use the speaker once it starts playing I keep having to reconnect the hdmi cord or the speaker can't find the source would never buy this product or recommend this to anyone

Had to return! This did not put out the sound for the price

The sounds just bounces every directions. It gets unbearable when the volume is high.

Not great but ok deep bass but when my TV turns on the sound is delayed Buy Bose

Do not buy this soundbar. I purchased the soundbar and the wireless speakers that go with it. The soundbar and speakers cut in and out all the time. There is an issue with how all these wireless pieces talk to each other that Sony doesn't want to address. I have sent it in for repair and of course they can't duplicate the issues. I've had the system work for 4 days straight at one point, then other times, it's minutes before I start having issues after I've done a factory reset to the unit. The only thing that others are saying that fix the issue is to hardwire the unit. That kind of defeats the whole wireless setup which I was keen on having.

DON’T BUY... Only If I can give zero stars I would happily give. I bought this as bundle with Sony X900 TV. It worked for some days and audio started cutting out at least 5 times in an hour I thought the product is defective so exchanged it for new one and this started cutting out from day one. Apparently there is whole thread on Reddit about how worst this sound bar is and sound issues. It says it supports erac but it’s not and you will have to buy a optical audio cable and use it with hdmi that’s my next plan, if that doesn’t work I’m gonna return for good. Invest few more dollars and get good sound bar and peace of mind.

Expected better performance for price paid for product.