Customer Ratings & Reviews

PROS: + 360 Spatial Sound really expands the soundstage + Sound Field Optimization very quickly adjusts the sound for your space using built-in microphones + Ability to adjust speaker distance & position manually for fine-tuning the audio + Vertical Surround Engine & S-Force Pro successfully heighten soundstage for Atmos & DTS:X + Comes with on-screen display for adjusting settings, it addition to visible display on soundbar + Great remote with lots of control right on the remote without needing to nest through menus + Can easily expand with wireless speakers and wireless sub + Integrated support for music streaming services + Built-in Atmos & 360 Reality Audio demos for testing CONS: - No HDMI Inputs for passthrough - Sound field can sound a bit hollow when off-angle from the bar - No EQ for fine-tuning sound - Bass is fine, but really could use a dedicated sub (which costs extra) SO-SO: * For some reason the power input and HDMI eARC are on opposite ends of the bar, which makes for weird cable management THE LONG & SHORT OF IT The Sony HT-A3000 is a unique soundbar in the world of 3D audio in that it supports modern 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, but doesn’t actually have up-firing speakers to bounce off the ceiling like. The result is that the HT-A3000 uses audio processing to simulate a “bubble” of sound while watching content, and this virtualization actually works quite well. I have used a lot of Atmos enabled systems, and the pure virtualization approach here does not provide a more convincing experience than something like dedicated speakers can provide, but it does come a lot closer than it has any right to. Turning on the 360 Spatial Audio mapping results in a soundstage that feels both noticeably taller & wider than without it, and as sounds move through the space, you do get the definite impression of movement of objects through the air. The downside to this is that, while the sound field is great, it can sound a bit muffled or messy in heavy action scenes, as the virtualization tries to emulate everything at once. Adding in Sony’s wireless rear speakers does help this quite a bit by providing dedicated channels for the rear sound. One other issue with the virtualization is that, when off-angle of the soundbar, the sound can also sound more hallow than when watching dead-on, which isn’t an issue for me since I always have mine set-up in the center to my seating, but with an L-couch or wide seating, you may find a noticeably different sound profile than when direct to the bar. While I never got the impression of audio going directly above my head, I did get the sense of height effects being higher in the sound field than other effects. For example, when the T-Rex roars in the Ready Player One chase scene, it sounds definitely higher above my TV than the rest of the lower channel effects, although nowhere near to being over my head like it is supposed to be. One benefit of this virtualization approach though is that it is less dependent on your ceiling height, and in my living room I have high vaulted ceilings, which are awful for speakers that need to bound sound off of them and back down on you. I actually found the HT-A3000 quite effective in this set-up. Additionally, when listening to music, not only do you get full support of most modern streaming services, but the HT-A3000 does a great job of making them sound even clearer through its audio processing. In fact, all told, this is probably the most software driven soundbar I have ever owned, with so many audio engines it is hard to count. What is missing though is a dedicated EQ option, so you can’t really tune the sound profile to your liking. This being said, the spatial audio optimization does a great & quick job of tuning the sound to your space, by playing a few fast test tones from the soundbar (and rear speakers & sub if you have them), and calibrating using the built-in mics. You can also manually go through and adjust speaker distances to further tune the sound for your listening position. If I had one complaint on the sound, it would be that the soundbar really does need a dedicated subwoofer. The built-in subs are fine, and may be good for a smaller space, but for a larger room they really don’t provide the low-end needed for a lot of movies and even music. That being said, like with the wireless rear speakers, you can add a wireless Sony sub as well. I paired the soundbar with one and it significantly improved the audio experience, but it is an additional cost to keep in mind. One other small gripe with the bar is a lack of any other HDMI passthrough ports, other than the eARC port. This means to get Atmos or DTS:X, you need an eARC TV. I have one, and so this is a non-issue for me, but even still, I do have a lot of devices, and it is nice to be able to plug them into the soundbar instead of a separate HDMI switch for passthrough to the TV, if you need more ports than your TV has. Also, weirdly the power input is on the opposite end of the bar from the HDMI input, which makes for weird cable management when you have cables coming from both ends of the bar. Design-wise, I think the bar looks and feels great. You have a slim profile, on-bar display, fully functional remote, on-screen menu for advanced settings, and buttons on the top of the bar for control as well. It looks great under my TV, and I imagine it will easily fit under most people’s TVs without any issue. I had no connectivity, drop-out, or other technical issues. The bar was set-up in minutes and the on-screen calibration is very straight forward. As an added bonus, you get two built-in demos with the bar, one for Atmos and one for 360 Reality Audio, which you can use to demo your calibrations and adjustments of the sound field in your space. All-in-all, this is a great soundbar, and does amazing work with its virtualization. It sounds good, has great center channel and 3D audio performance, and works great with both music and movies. If you add the rear speakers and sub, you will notice a very worthwhile upgrade to the audio experience, but as a standalone bar, it really does hit a lot of the boxes. It doesn’t work miracles, but it does push the bounds of what a single, thin soundbar can do from an audio processing perspective. The other question with all of this is price, which is still on the mid-to-upper range at $699.99. If you are willing to invest in a quality sony sub and rear speakers, and you don’t need the up-firing drivers, then I think you can get a solid surround sound system. That being said, if you are looking for a true all-in-one solution from a single bar, you may want to demo this one ahead of time if you can, to make sure it suits your needs, as it really does benefit from adding the rears and sub.

The skin color is the best and overall brightness is the best I have seen. Life gets better

Returned this soundbar and bought a Sonos. This one has poor sound quality and tinny dialogue. Not worth the high price.

Sounds like crap !! TV sound cuts in and out. I’ll go back to Bose

 Wi-Fi  good DVD player a lot nicer than the ones I purchase in the past

Thought for that price we will get a better quality of sound and it was not what we expected.

Missing a remote control They told me comes with everything but not. I did not know it And I can return it because 14 days policy but I jus opened the item a week ago.

Mac air is an exceptionally good product……………………..

Horrible. It only works well for a day, then the sound fluctuates and is not loud at all. I returned mine for another brand.

I have had some time to use this product by Sony. I have to say it is probably the best sound bar that I have ever used, and that says a lot! The easiest set up the wireless subwoofer and the optional wireless rear speakers truly makes this an immersive sound experience. Sony really outdid their selves with the sleek design, ease of use, sound quality, among many more features. The sound bar is lightweight for the type of sound it emits. The sound quality emitted from this sound bar is comparable to a high end home entertainment system. I highly recommend this Sony sound bar if you are an avid Television watcher. The sound bar is easily adjustable to fit your liking as far as what type of sound you would like to hear. The direction that the speakers emits the sound truly fills the room with high quality sound. The additional options such as the rear speakers only immerse is the listener into the sound. I would rate this sound bar 100 if I could. Sony truly outdid themselves with bringing a theater into your home!

The sound bar creates a loud buzz when you try to use the TV as the center speaker.

Died in 2 days, hope this is just a fluke. This is being replaced. I should be able to rate in a couple of days

Poor quality and cheaper other places. Save your money

If you want to listen to a tin can this is the way to go

The simple word for this system is, “stunning.” It really delivers tremendous sound and I am thrilled to have it. I was worried when I first received it as the shipper had ripped the end of the box for the sound bar and all I saw at first was the styrofoam sticking out. I was mortified, but when I took it out of the box, it seemed to be ok, and is. Setup is probably the easiest thing you could possibly do. No app to download or anything. Literally plug the bar, the wireless speakers and subwoofer into the wall, and then plug the hdmi cord to the hdmi eARC inlet on your tv and the system does all the work, including the setup of the optional speakers (which are a must buy in my opinion). You have to change the input on your tv to the one you plug the soundbar to in order to start the setup process. It’s as simple as plug and play. If you want to use streaming music services, Alexa, or Google Home, you need to setup the wifi connection through the settings menu. You can also connect your devices via bluetooth if you want and believe me, you will! Once setup is complete and your spatial mapping “sound bubble” has created, sit back and enjoy. This isn’t my first foray into surround sound and I have to say that this system takes it to the next level. I will never need to go to a movie theater again. It gives a real pop to everything you watch. You really do feel like you are in a sound bubble. It’s as if the sound reaches out from the screen and grabs you! And while the sound for TV and movies is outstanding, I am awestruck by what this setup does for my music experience. Apple Music has a Spatial Music channel that specifically caters to music that is good for Dolby Atmos. It was a different experience to say the least. Sitting in the bubble, I felt immersed into the music in a way I don’t think I have experienced before while sitting in a living room. It was as if the music moved through me and around me. It really did give me goosebumps. Just when you think they’ve done it all, this system, with the optional wireless rear speakers and subwoofer, shows that there are still places to go with regards to sound. I am impressed. There is nothing wrong with this that I can find. 5 stars no doubt.

I have been putting the HTA3000 through the paces for a couple of weeks now and have to say that I have been blown away by the sound quality, clarity, and overall performance. First off, setup is parctically foolproof. After unboxing, connect via HDMI to the eARC on your TV and choose that input. From there, all you have to do is follow the on-screen instructions and you're up and running within minutes. I paired mine with the optional subwoofer and powered rear surrounds. During the setup process, the HTA3000 knew I had done so and led me through the setup of those speakers as well. It was amazing how this system did a "sound check" of the room to optimize the output to match the acoustics of the space. After the initial setup, I went in and did some fine tuning just to suit my preferences and wow! The 360 spatial sound is actually incredible. I thought it would be more of a gimmick, but I was quite wrong. The sound seems to be seemlessly coming from all around the room. Even at high volumes, dialogue and high treble sounds are clear with zero distortion. Add in Dolby Atmos or DTS:X and you are cooking with gas. With sound like this, it really feels like a movie theater experience. When streaming music (which is a cinch with Airplay or just direct Bluetooth connection) you get near concert-level performance. Again, crisp highs, deep lows, and all-over sound. I can't say enough good about this soundbar setup. I have had several others from competing brands and in my estimation, Sony has hit this one completely out of the park.

5 stars all the way! Let me tell you, this thing will blow you away! I’m in love. I did not expect this system to be this good. When I unboxed this unit I had no idea Sony was moving like this. I’ve had Sony in the past and it was mediocre but this is great. I don’t care much for the way the menu is but not a dealbreaker at all. I like how crisp the sound is with the rear speakers. It truly sounds like I’m in a movie theater. The subwoofer is huge and carries big bass. I actually had to turn it down in fear of busting the speaker it’s so deep. The surround rear speakers and subwoofer connect wirelessly and automatically as soon as the sound bar recognizes them. Easy peasy. My tv automatically recognized the sound bar as soon as I connected and set up was a breeze. Like I mentioned earlier the interface is dull but I didn’t get this for the interface. There’s a button on the remote that says “sound field.” If you press that button get ready to get blown away. It’s like you’re swept into whatever movie your watching. Then there’s this 360 audio feature that’s just crazy! There’s not much content available to listen in this format but there’s a demo of it on the sound bar and I’m telling you, if someone is sleep in your house they won’t be for long if you turn this thing up. The only thing I wish is that there were more sound modes. I love this sound bar. (I wish the hdmi input was in a better location also). Still giving this 5 stars though.

Not quite what i expected . I am going to exchange for the next level sony soundbar . The only thing holding me back is the price right now .

Have had the unit for 30 days and your Geek Squad is so scheduled for our home December 23 because the unit is still not working.

I have been very happy with this soundbar so far. It was easy to set up, and the optional wireless subwoofer and rear speakers were straightforward as well. Pairing the wireless speakers to the soundbar went smoothly. The soundbar also supports wireless updates of not only the soundbar firmware, but the firmware of the wireless sub and rear speakers as well. If you change your TV input to the HDMI ARC input that your soundbar is using, it has a nice built in GUI where you can use the remote to adjust all of the soundbar settings directly on your tv, instead of using a phone app or the tiny LED screen built into the soundbar. The soundbar lets you choose between multiple sound modes, including Dolby options, DTS, and Sony's own 3D virtual speaker mode. The remote also lets you quickly and easily adjust rear speaker and sub volume without digging through any menus, which I appreciate. I also appreciate a dedicated button on the remote to enhance voices, which is very helpful while watching content that has lower voice volume. This soundbar has great features and a big sound that fills my entire living room with clear audio, plenty of boom from the subwoofer, and excellent surround effects from the rear speakers. I highly recommend it!