Sony - BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 with 11 speakers, Dolby Atmos/DTS: X - Black

IT'S A SONY! As I mention before in some of my reviews about Sony products, I’ve been a big, big loyal fan of Sony for decades due to the quality of their products, from Walkmans to TVs and AV systems, but I’ve been a little disappointed with their soundbars after testing a few of their latest models, including the 5 Stars rated HT-A7000 7.1.2 Channel Soundbar (with the SA-SW5 300W Wireless Subwoofer and SA -RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers) which couldn’t beat my 4 years old JBL 9.1 Sound bar (sorry Sony). After reading about Sony’s upcoming 2024 line of soundbars and their new features, I was curious to test the Theater Bar 8, I found it more appealing for my needs (and space). SET UP I have a Sony A80J OLED tv so connecting and setting up the Bar 8 through the Sony Bravia app was a breeze since I already have a Sony account, same with pairing the Subwoofer and Rear speakers. SOUND QUALITY In a word: AMAZING! The Soundbar alone sounds really great with crisp highs, balanced mids, pretty decent bass and over all the clarity of the dialog, the new Voice mode feature is awesome, especially if you set the TV speakers as the central channel (Note that this feature is available only with recent Sony tv models), big improvement over the A7000 in sound quality IMO. However, adding the SA -RS5 Wireless Rear speakers and SW3 (yes, I returned the big sibling because 300 watts is too much for me) and once I had the whole system set up…holy smoke, it is simply SPECTACULAR! The high-quality sound performance of the 11 speakers of the Bar 8 paired with the Sub and the Rears gives a rich immersive audio experience. The whole setup can be pricey but It's worth the Money. Sony finally made me happy with the new THEATER BAR 8!

The Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 has completely transformed my home theater experience with its powerful, immersive sound and cutting-edge Dolby Atmos/DTS:X technology. Its sleek design pairs perfectly with my setup, and the crystal-clear audio quality brings movies, music, and games to life. Sony has truly delivered a masterpiece, and Best Buy made the entire purchase process seamless. If you’re looking to elevate your entertainment, this is the soundbar to get!

Hearing this in the store I was blown away, but when I got home, I couldnt believe how unimpressive it was. I thought about buying the $300-400 Sony SA-SW3 200W subwoofer, but the guy who sold it to me said we listened to it without the subwoofer. He either lied or didn't realize, but that seems hard to believe given the drastic difference from listening to it in the store vs an hour later when I set it up at home. It apparently has two small woofers among its 11 speakers, but if I max out the bass through the Bravia app (which you have to use and is buggy as all get out), the woofer crackle at volume 35-40. Give me a break, Sony. In addition to all of that, the volune is completely inconsistent across different apps (all apps downloaded to the TV i.e not through my Firestick, which we dont even use anymore because the soundbar sounds even worse theough the Firestick). For example, YouTube is super loud and Netflix, Disney+, etc. often sound muted. The 360 Spatial Surround Sound we heard in the store is hardly noticeable, even after going through the setup numerous times. So, not only am I extremely disappointed in this expensive purchase, it's also been a huge waste of time. Now I have to package this thing up to return it. Hopefully I can find something half the price that sounds better, comes with a subwoofer and maybe even wireless rear speakers (looking at you, LG)! I do like the design. Its sleak and doesn't obstruct sight of the TV, so I guess there's that. In short, don't waste your money unless it goes under $300.