Customer Ratings & Reviews

I really enjoyed using the SA-RS5 Wireless Speakers to enhance my audio experience. For the most part, I found the sound pleasant, loud, and clear when it needed to be. However, results may vary with any speaker system. What makes these speakers unique is that they work in creating a full, 360 audio experience (when using a compatible Sony Soundbar, of course). Setup was easy as my HT-A5000 guided me throughout the entire process in flash. Where things get interesting is with the placement of the speakers. Arranging the units takes a little bit of strategy. If your couch or loveseat isn't very long then each speaker can be place on each end and listened to without issue by all parties. I did encounter problems where the speakers didn't seem loud enough. Fortunately, I was able to remedy the situation by testing out different setups before settling on something that works. The best feature for me regarding the SA-RS5 is the battery operated feature. They come with bulky adapters that I had to use extension cables with. Yet, being able to just sit them on stand without unsightly wires makes for an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for when people come over. Battery life lasted on upwards to 8-10 hours. With all this being said, I'm quite happy with these speakers, and I can't imagine my home theater system without 'em.

I added the Sony RS5 wireless rear speakers to Sony HT-A5000 soundbar and Sony SW3 wireless subwoofer. It made an absolutely gob smacking difference in the surround sound in my home theater. They can be used wirelessly for 10 hours using the built-in batteries, or attached to the power supply. Setup was very easy - basically plug them in and add to the HT-A5000 setup using the on-screen menus. The system automatically optimized the surround sound and I immediately started running demos online. Completely submerses you in sound. They additionally fill in the mid range that the soundbar lacks - not that it really "lacks" - it just fills in the open space. An absolutely wonderful addition to the sound system and home theater - then again, what does Sony make that isn't wonderful? The RS5 speakers put out a combined total of 180 watts of premium sound. Added to the combination other components that I am running and you get 860 watts of pure audiophile joy! The only drawbacks? With all this sound, I think I'm going to have to seek emergency dental work because my fillings are being rattled out of my teeth :-)

Pros Battery allows placement anywhere No routing wires from amplifier Can still be used hardwired Charges quick Easy to set up Expands the soundstage Makes movies more immersive Cons Limited adjustments Occasional signal loss Can’t be used as independent Bluetooth speaker Design and Features The Sony SA-RS5 is designed to compliment the A5000 and A7000 soundbar. In this review, the SA-RS5 was paired with the A5000 soundbar and the SA-SW5 subwoofer. At the time of writing there is no mention of it working any way except when paired with one of those two soundbars. In fact, the addition of the Sony A5000 soundbar seems to be a new edition as the manual states it only works with the higher end A7000 and the cloth speaker cover is only present on the A7000. The A5000 uses metal grill speaker covers so, while the look still works, it isn’t as close of a match. The power connection is in a cavity on the bottom of the speakers with a clip to hold the cord. This way if you want to keep them always plugged in, they can remain securely plugged in. If you prefer to mount the speakers on the wall, there is a hidden mounting hole behind a plate on the back. It’s a subtle, but nice touch, to have it covered in case you prefer to have the speakers sitting somewhere where the back is visible, such as an end table. On top is a power and Optimize button. If you move a speaker, just press the Optimize button to recalibrate it. In front, hidden behind the cloth grill, is a power status light and 3 level battery status lights. The overall look is very muted allowing the speakers to blend into the décor more easily. Usage and Performance Setup is very simple. If you have them in range of a compatible soundbar they are automatically recognized and paired. Most likely the next step will be a firmware upgrade to enable new features such as the 360 sound. If you have ever set up a traditional surround sound system, you know you run a calibration by moving a microphone and remember how slow the process can be. You might also remember how if you either put the microphone at the wrong position or noises were made, several minutes of work would be wasted. This optimization process is much quicker and far simpler. After making sure all speakers are up to date, the soundbar will prompt to run sound optimization by playing a series of sounds and measuring them with the built-in microphones. There is no need to connect a microphone or move anything. The process is very quick and doesn’t require anything more than clicking next. Once optimization is done it will play a demo. This is where you start to hear the difference. Compared to traditional surround speakers, the soundstage is larger with far less fuss. The addition of vertical firing Atmos speakers seems to help enhance the overall experience of space. Even though the A5000 has its own Atmos speakers, they don’t give the experience of volume the same way as when paired with the SA-RS5. It makes it seem you are listening to music or watching movies in a much larger room. It also means that instead of it sounding like sounds were coming from a thin soundbar under the TV that they were coming from a much larger area and not all from one spot. An example is the movie Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The combo of the A5000 and the SA-RS5 did something other Atmos setups haven’t done. In the scene right after the characters learn their traits a rocket comes spiraling through. You could hear the rocket spin through the room with enough clarity where both my dogs jumped up startled looking for what made the noise in the room. They are accustomed to regular audio and surround sound test so getting this response is no small feat. Also, in scene where the first character respawn happens and you hear the chime distinctly above you. This doesn’t happen in the same way when just using the soundbar. This shows how much these speakers are adding to the effect. Another welcomed bonus is if you use these speakers in your bedroom. Most people put their bed up against the wall, which is the worst listening position for surround sound of any sort. For the effect to work properly the speakers need to be behind you. The SA-RS5 didn’t seem to have this problem. While some sounds didn’t sound as far behind you, it could still create an immersive experience with the bed against the wall and the speakers pointing towards the bed. When playing music, the sound unsurprisingly wasn’t as rich as a larger set of speakers but still above what you would expect for the size. The overall experience was well balanced and didn’t need any adjustments. This is good because there is no EQ. Adjustments are limited to changing the rear channel volume. This is ok as it keeps things from getting overly complicated for a system that is supposed to make things simple. Listening to 360 audio, at first just seems like they used an old trick of adding an echo to make it sound like a larger space. This changes the more you listen and hear certain instruments in physically different places. Battery life is respectable lasting an entire day with a mix of somewhat loud music and several hours of TV. If they had been turned off between use, they likely could have lasted longer but they didn’t seem to lose much battery life and charging is quick. It’s worth noting the specs say battery life could be as low as 3 hours at high volumes. At that point, battery life might be less of a worry and heat might be more of a concern. The instructions say that the speakers will get hot with extended higher volume use. It even warns to be careful with more delicate surfaces. This seems like it would be a rare problem for a few people. What might be more comment are interference issues. The speakers work with the soundbar on the 5Ghz frequency. If that sounds familiar it’s because it’s the same frequency as more modern Wi-Fi systems. With this frequency range getting more crowded, you might have to make some adjustments to improve signal reliability in built up areas. The troubleshooting in the manual gives you some tips on how to do this, but the system tries to take care of this for you. Overall, the speakers have been excellent and are well balance with the rest of the system. The only omission, or missed opportunity to be more accurate, is the lack of Bluetooth support. These speakers already have a battery to allow placement where you like. Imagine if they had the flexibility to serve double duty as portable Bluetooth speakers. Maybe Sony will decide to add that in the second generation. Final Thoughts If you are in the market for a soundbar that is easy to set up that creates a more immersive movie and movie experience, then Sony A5000 or an A7000 soundbar is worth considering. If you already own one, then including adding a set of SA-RS5s almost seems like a requirement. They create a more immersive listening experience in a way the soundbar alone cannot do.

i wish i could review this set individually, its been a week since i started using Sony latest HTA5000 soundbar, SA SW5 300w subwoofer, and the latest SRS5 rear speaker with upfiring speaker. man i love this set i currenlty have, i live in condo and my spot about 1200 sqft so having all this in my house is almost over kill, but let me tell you about my experience of having these amazing set - i still remember when Atmos was fairly new in soundbar few years back, i bought Vizios first $500 atmos set, and i was all ready happy and satisfied at the time. 5 years later here we are chilling with this badass of a soundbar from Sony. the HTA5000 made me smile first time using it, i mean its a much pricier soundbar which it cost retail $1000, but my god you will definitely get what you paid for, what i was lacking on my old soundbar was voice clarity, i have no choice but to turn the volume up just to hear the dialogue but that also turns up all other affects on the movie so it was frustrating. the HTA5000 is a 5.1.2 soundbar, its perfect for 65'' inc TV. i love atmos and im a huge digital movie collector, so far ive been testing all my movies that support atmos. to complete the experience having this massive 300w subwoofer in my small condo is overkill and you know what i dont really care and im glad i got it. this subwoofer will not be shy shaking your floor from crazy bass movie like Kong vs Godzilla. i bet my neighbor downstairs hates me now,but youll feel all the heavy foot step of the giant. adding the two wireless RS5 upfiring speakers youll be amaze of how good sounds travel with these, and this hands down the biggest rear speakers ive ever own from a soundbar. they have up to 10 hrs of battery life and can be totally placed wherever you want, hearing all sounds travels with all this set makes me want to replay all these movies i own, John Wick 3 gun scene with Haley Berry was fantastic, Ready Player One first race scene had tons of moving parts that youll hear it around you, RS5 rear speaker is hands down the best rear speaker, the quality of these two is top notch. the other great thing about Sony is there simple home app thats built in the soundbar, setting up the whole set was a breeze, it automatically found the subwoofer and rear speakers in no time. Sony 360 reality audio is also will be calibrated when using this set. it came with the latest update specifically for the use of RS5 to be fully compatible with HTA5000. soundbar remote comes with night mode and voice button, those two are pretty handy and glad they have those two on the main remote theres alot of great thing about this Sony set but, theres also couple of things that i got frustrated about. when i setup the soundbar system, it was also due for the latest update that adds the 360 spatial sounds, the main thing frustrate me about this soundbar is that while using HDMI IN at the back of the soundbar, Dolby vision does work properly. i had the appletv plug and i have to keep trying to switch it to dolby vision (DV) coz it kept switching back to regular HDR, and when i finally forced dolby vision to work. i end up getting white dots everywhere, then my screen would flicker until its all black. first i thought it was my apple tv or HDMI cord issue. but i had zero problem having the appletv connected to my old soundbar thats $500 and it was running dolby vision. i even tested this while pluggin in the new XBox series X since the console support dolby vision gaming and the issues ive listed was also present while using the xbox, again the only way to fix it on the xbox was to also disabling DV and stick with standard HDR. also the subwoofer alone will cost you $600 and sony cant even let you have an option to adjust treble and bass, audio profiles is also something thats messing, my old visio sounbar have way more option than what sony can offer for price. its alot of money if you own all this set, its so weird how sony doesnt offer some quality of life settings for users. one last thing sony need to stop using these terrible remote, its so cheap! overall i love my soundbar more options for user to fiddle with would have been great. the whole HDMI IN issue is such a massive let down for me, again same setup with an older atmos soundbar thats half of the price of HTA5000 5 years ago and still perform a lot better when it comes to connectivity, RS5 ill say my number one pick out of all this full set that i have. i hope you can add more RS5 in the future, and i hope my dolby vision issues on HDMI IN is something that an update can fix in the future

These speakers definitely have a nice build quality and look really good. They are quite large for a surround sound speaker, definitely closer to Shelf Speaker size. Unfortunately the size is deceiving for the perceived power output…each speaker is 90W, which should produce some good sound. Which I guess I can still say it does, just not loud enough. When watching 5.1 or 7.2 content my Sony HT-A7000 soundbar just overpowers anything these speakers can put out. And if you are going to go with the traditional surround sound setup have these behind you, then they need to be pretty close. If you are watching on a 65” screen typically you would be sitting at least 8ft -12ft from the TV and these speakers would be another 2’ behind you and at least 8ft apart. However, given that these are supposed to be able to serve an a typical setup with the 360 Spatial Sound, I just don’t hear it. I have the RS5’s at Max volume and keeping the soundbar at 40-45 level, you can get the surround sound effect going, but it is just enough to hear it at certain times. I am finding this is the case when watching movies and tv, when running the included 360 Spatial Demo or the Rainforest Demo, or the Dolby Atmos Bluray Demo disc I have, the sound is loud and you get that surround sound feel. I am watching off of a 55” set and don’t have the ability to put the speakers behind me, so they sit on side tables and the speakers are turned towards me.If you are going to mount them on a stand you will need a pretty sturdy stand and a deep mounting screw if that stand requires the speaker to be screwed against a plate; the instructions say 30mm. There is a screw slot if you are going to mount to a wall and if doing so you will definitely want it in a stud as these speakers are not light. Possibly a certain kind of drywall anchor would be fine, but I wouldn’t use the typical plastic insert style, especially if you are going to be running wireless and taking off to charge every 10 hours of use. I was hoping with these being wireless that I could use them standalone and in tandem with each other like a typical wireless speaker, but that is not a feature they have, they only work with the HT-A5000/7000 soundbars. I know none of the Sony literature said they would do this, but I secretly hoped with the 360 Spatial update out of the box, this may be an included feature. I was hoping for a bit more from the 360 Spatial update, but I just cannot get the effect, but to be honest Dolby Atmos systems I have tried I also feel the same about. You really need a 9ft ceiling and quite a large tv viewing area to be able to position yourself in the right spot under the deflection of the sound off the ceiling. Like I already stated, if my typical viewing content audio sounded like the included demo’s this review would be totally different, but my streaming and disc based content just isn’t loud enough to compete with the sound bar and that defeats some of the features these speakers are meant to benefit, the biggest being able to put them in non-traditional locations. I have not needed to recharge the batteries yet, the Manual states 10 minutes = 90 minutes run time as the power bricks put out 45watts of charging. The cord is heaving and thick and definitely wouldn’t want to run these on the surface of your wall, they would be pretty unsightly. Sony does a good job with cable management underneath the speaker and hiding the mounting bracket points behind an easily removable panel (albeit it needs a very tiny screwdriver…I recommend the tip of a credit card/rewards card to remove the plate).

Out of the gate, these surround speakers truly complete the set for the Sony soundbars, and you should absolutely add these to your setup when possible. The speakers themselves are fairly small and can easily fit on a nightstand. They’re also battery-powered and chargeable for 10 hours of battery life, though higher volumes may make the life decrease faster, so if you don’t have the ability to keep them plugged in, these will still be valuable for those big gaming sessions, movie nights, and watch sessions. The speakers have both a power button and an optimize button, which runs the acoustic calibration for 360 sound mapping between it and your bar/sub for if you move the rear speakers in order to keep the bubble/phantom speakers optimally placed with the app providing a more advanced calibration. The sound quality itself is very good. The rear and surround channels sound great with the rear heights giving you true forward-to-back sound tracking. As a product designed for the last generation of Sony bars, you may notice that there is a slight difference between the timbre for the rear speakers vs the soundbar speakers, but it’s very slight and you get used to it very quickly to the point that it’s unnoticeable. Connecting these with one of the theater bar products and a sub will also allow you to utilize IMAX Enhanced, which for supported media on Sony Pictures Core and select titles on Disney+, truly sounds incredible. Overall, the RS5s truly make your soundbar setup into a home theater environment that will bring enjoyment for years to come.

The first time I switched from a soundbar to a soundbar + subwoofer, my home movie experience changed dramatically. The first time I took the next step to add rear speakers, I felt like a kid at the movie theater again for the first time. From that point, I will always recommend a full surround setup over a soundbar alone. I from experience, even an inexpensive surround setup is preferred over a standalone expensive soundbar. The Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers make a great addition to an existing Sony soundbar+subwoofer and really round out the full theater experience. Setup: Getting started was easy. After connecting my skid bars, powering my subwoofer and rear speakers, I used the soundbar remote to start a firmware update. Once that was complete, I followed the speaker setup guide, which included a spatial audio setup feature designed to make it sound like there are even more “invisible speakers” beyond the soundbar, subwoofer, and 2 rear speakers. Throughout this process, each of the speakers make a variety of sounds, and it feels like the speaker software is mapping the location for each of the speakers and adjusting their individual outputs to maximize the sound quality and overall experience. It took 15 or so minutes between the initial update and setup, which felt like a long time as I was excited to really take the speakers for a spin, but the process was simple and calibration worthwhile, The Sony theater system, including rear wireless speakers was an upgrade to a good wireless speaker system I previously was using. One thing I noticed is the overall sound feels more balanced, so instead of being “blown away” by the sound coming from the rear speakers, it feels more like they aren’t designed to be noticed or to stand out. Instead, they create a balanced, immersive experience that doesn’t distract from the movie or content being watched. The remote does allow some manual tweaking of speaker settings if desired, but so far I’ve left it at the default calibration and been quite happy. The wireless speakers do include a battery option, though I primarily used them while connected directly to power using the included power cables. My previous wireless speakers were also battery operated, and while it was convenient for a time to be able to move them freely, knowing the speakers are always fully charged means never being surprised in the middle of a movie after forgetting to charge the speakers. Another convenient feature is the ability to use these speakers either standing on something, or mounted to the wall. The rear of the speaker has a cover that can be removed to expose a wall hanging hook that can latch onto a nail. I had a minor issue with my tv rediscovering the audio output periodically when I was first using the soundbar, but I swapped the HDMI cable I had been using for the high speed HDMI cable included with the Sony soundbar, and haven’t experienced the issue since. Overall, If you’re looking to add onto an existing Sony soundbar + subwoofer, or looking to build out a sound system, I would recommend these rear wireless speakers.

Great for what theyre supposed to do. Sometimes they freak us out a little when is quiet and you hear a voice from the speaker. But excellent sound for a soundbar wireless system with no dedicated reciever. Down sides? A little on the large side, but quality made. Plenty loud, but I'd like them to be able to go a touch louder. And price... i bought everything separately and while on sale. Even then, it's like "Really, THAT much?"

So I have the Sony HTA5000 Sony Dolby atmos soundbar paired with the Sony 300 watt subwoofer for my living room downstairs. I recently picked up a new earc tv and I wanted to take full use of the awesome Dolby atmos. I wanted true to life surround sound. But didn’t want to settle for standard surround rear speakers. So I chose these atmos Sony surrounds and I am so so glad. They truly give you full effects with either Dolby atmos or Sonys spatial 360 audio. Sounds bounce off the ceiling in my house and back to our ears. And we just love watching movies down stairs so much. Crystal clear sharp effects. I do turn the rear speakers up to max level. As far as design, these look great and feel great as well. A cloth type material. Solid build and not too heavy even with built in rechargeable batteries. And that leads me to the one of the best features in the true wireless rears. The built in batteries last at least 5 days in our use case. We run them about 4 hours a day. Which is amazing how long they last. You can literally put them any where and no have to worry about running long wires to power them. Great speakers and definitely worth the upgrade if you have a compatible Sony Dolby atmos sound bar. I recommend 100%. Pricey but worth the happiness these bring. Especially if you are a movie like me, my wife and kids are. Great job as always Sony!

I bought these speakers to go with a STR-AZ5000ES receiver. With my odd room shape, I was never able to run wired speakers from my receiver, so being able to have wireless surround sound was something that I have desired for a long time. The speakers were detected right away when I set up my receiver. With a little over a month of ownership, I haven't had any connectivity issues. Playing Spiderman 2 on the PS5 is amazing with these speakers. I am able to get a sense if there are enemies or projectiles coming in from behind. The sound quality from them is very good, and I highly recommend them that wants a full surround sound experience in their home. My one complaint with them is that the plug is rather large. I wall mounted the speakers and use cable runners to conceal the cords, but the plug kind of sticks out. I wish they would have just embedded the transformer into the speaker.

These speakers are excellent. None of the systems that i have had in the past made you feel like you were immersed within the sound like these and the HT-A5000 I have them paired with do. I have also never had so many people ask where the additional sounds are coming from which to me shows how well the spatial mapping works with these speakers. You can really hear the sound move throughout the room even though there are no middle or high mounted speakers, planes sound like they are above you, rain sounds just like it does when outside in it. I will say that you do need to have the volume up and the right room size for these features to work well, and of course it doesn't work as well as a proper full setup of speakers, but even with the cost of the soundbar its also not as expensive. The speakers themselves look great and I like the fact that they come ready to be mounted on the wall without having to buy additional mounts. They are pretty heavy though, so strong anchors are recommended. If you plan on using stands, make sure they will support the weight. I read numerous complaints about how quiet these can be when first setup, but a quick google search lead me to several post/videos on how to resolve that and I followed those instructions and haven't had any issues with them since. As for my biggest and really only complaint. In order for these to automictically turn on with your system, they have to be plugged in, which of course makes them not truly wireless. I am also concerned with the battery life with the speakers always being plugged in as well. I am sure Sony has their reasons for this, but it is a big misstep in my opinion. Yes these are expensive, but if you don't have the ability, or even more money to go with a traditional system (amp, 7+speakers, wiring) then I highly recommend these unless you have a really large room with high ceilings as you really won't get the best sound these have to offer.

I love the sound of these speakers & the fact that they are ‘truly’ wireless makes it even more great.

If I could give a 4.5 I would. In terms of sound quality I think they are excellent. I have seen where some people have issues with them not being loud enough. I am using them with the Bravia Bar 8 and RA-SW5 sub and that has not been an issue. One issue is that if you are using them battery only they will not power back on unless you press the power button. There should be a low power standby move evon battery. Sony could also have recommended stands. There should also be bottom mounting screw holes for stand for a more aesthetically pleasing look.

First thing, they were on a huge sale. They were a little fussy to set up the sound parameters (blue took connection was easy and effortless though). Maybe I'm a little OCD, but wanted specific 7.1 sound out put. Now that they are set up, I wondered how I have lived with out them. They produce plenty of volume and spatial awareness. It almost makes You purchase media that has all those sound fields.

Will need the Sony Soundbar to work. Obviously. But once paired up they provide a wonderful sphere of audio. The demo provided does a good job of showing them off, but where they really shine is Gaming. tired of feeling like you have to wear a headset to enjoy a MP game? Feel like at a disadvantage if you don’t have 360 audio? Worry no more! These bad boys can do what your headset can AND they won’t put a dent on your head or wallet! Dolby atmos support is also a plus.

Bravo Sony!!!! Finally some true wireless rear surround speakers that can run off an internal battery. I had some battery operated Sony speakers that ran off of D cells back in the late 1980s hooked up to my Dolby Pro Logic AVR. My wishes have finally came true to have true wireless rear speakers that actually sound good available for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content. I tested the HT-A7000 sound bar without the SA-RS5 surrounds and SA-SW5 sub and it does a fantastic job with virtual surround by itself if you sit no more the 7 feet from it. Any further than 8 feet you will definitely want to add these rear surrounds and a sub. The surrounds do a fantastic job in conjunction with the sound bar to produce sound that should be in the rear especially during a Dolby Atmos / DTS;X soundtrack movie. I used the Dolby Atmos app on Xbox series X to test the function of these speakers. And yes the height, surround, and virtual rear surround all work appropriately. They sound great for being primarily a surround speaker. The $600 MSRP is steep for surround speakers. But the quality sound and function of true wireless justified the cost for me.

If you've got one of the soundbars like the HT-A7000 and want real surround sound with dolby atmos, then this is what you need. Yes, the price is outrageous, but they are well thought out and engineered speakers. They are beefy with good bass, wireless (with a built in battery even for true wireless), with no noticeable lag, and super simple set up. The speakers also have a button so you can run the room calibration at any time. A must to get the best atmos soundscape. The dolby atmos effects with these rear speakers really complete the experience. I feel like there is dome of sound around and above me. Much like the bars, theses are pricey, but I don't feel ripped off. as I said in my review of the HT-7000 though, this isn't for anyone that has a house and can use a real receiver and discreet speakers with a subwoofer. If you live the apartment life though, and want the best experience you can have at reasonable volumes, then this is it.

These are excellent rear speakers. They are paired with an HT-A7000 and an SW5 subwoofer in my living room. Sound quality is exceptional - feels like we are in the theater. For the first year or so I would charge these. They hold a charge well and would only need recharging every couple of weeks. I decided to keep them plugged in recently, and am much happier not having to pull them down to charge them. It is probably all in my head, but sound quality seems a bit better now that they are always plugged in.

Great surround / rear speakers for my soundbar. These definitely create the immersive environment when watching movies with Dolby Atmos. Nice feature that they can be used while plugged in or unplugged from the wall. I paired these with my Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 and a Sony Sa-SW3 Subwoofer. No lag in connection and works very well.

These wireless rear speakers from Sony that are intended to pair well with certain models of their wireless soundbars and subwoofers work well and add an extra dimension of sound even to the oldest dvd's that don't necessarily have a lot of action. When the entire system is optimized and those speakers do kick in, the sound is very impressive, particularly if you have a 4k/bluray player that beautifully upscales blurays to near 4k quality. I may be wrong but I think the sound is getting a "goose", too! Highly recommended, (wait until BB puts them on sale as they invariably will for a holiday), to make that high-tech Sony soundbar, with its optimization to create sound from "phantom" speakers around your room, even better!