Sony Soundbars Review: Best Hearing Enhancements for a Cinematic Home Experience
Top-Recommended Sony Soundbars in 2025 by Our Experts: Insight into the 5 Best Models for Exceptional Audio Quality
If you wish to elevate your TV's audio, a soundbar is a convenient solution for many home cinema enthusiasts. Compared to the investment in a full multi-speaker surround sound setup, it offers a more affordable alternative.
When selecting a brand, Sony has established a solid reputation in both the home cinema and audio industry, and for a good reason. Numerous Sony 'bars have received a five-star rating from us.
One of its impressive soundbars is the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6. Although it did not make it to our top list, the mid-range Dolby Atmos soundbar package still earned four stars for its substantial audio performance.
However, it's essential to highlight that simply being a Sony product does not guarantee exceptional sound quality. The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8, for example, received a three-star rating from our site due to its middling performance.
Rest assured, we have over three decades of experience testing soundbars and can identify a worthwhile product when we hear one.
Below, you will discover the five best Sony soundbars for various budgets that we have reviewed and recommend based on sound performance.
At the end of this page, you can find detailed information about how we test Sony soundbars. The brief version is that each unit is thoroughly assessed in our test rooms by our team of experts, evaluating audio quality, value for money, and other key factors. Thus, you can trust our buying advice.
Top Picks
Best Overall:This choice is perfect for serious movie fans and those who appreciate high-quality audio.
Best Cheap Atmos:It delivers impressive sound quality along with features like Dolby Atmos, HDMI eARC, and more that some competitors lack.
Best Step-Up Atmos:If you are seeking cinematic sound on a budget, look no further. The affordable A3000 offers an affordable solution.
Best Mid-Range:The middle child in Sony's soundbar family offers numerous reasons to recommend it.
Best Cheap:This budget-friendly soundbar is an excellent step up from your TV's built-in speakers.
In the past 20 years, we've seen countless TVs that look great but sound terrible. Without good sound to immerse you in the experience, it's like watching the TV through a shop window. That's why we always endorse pairing a TV with a decent soundbar, and Sony offers some of the best around...
The Best Sony Soundbar Overall
1. Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9
"Our Expert Review:"This staple in our best Dolby Atmos soundbar guide impresses for its overall excellent performance. The unit is designed to accommodate more space and budget.
Upgrades include a new 13 driver arrangement and quad passive radiators. They include four front-facing woofers, three standard tweeters, two beam tweeters, two up-firing speakers, and those passive radiators. The four front-facing woofers are larger than the older HT-A7000's, aiming to boost bass and midrange performance.
During testing, we found the setup delivers excellent audio, excelling in its Dolby Atmos performance, providing a rare sense of height that's unusual for a soundbar. Its clarity, detail, and punch make it an easy five-star recommendation and the best Sony soundbar currently available overall.
"The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 comfortably surpasses the excellent HT-A7000 that preceded it. For clarity, detail, dynamics, solidity, and outright Atmos-ness, it's hard to fault, and its design is a big improvement, too."
(Read the full Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 review)
The Best Cheap Sony Soundbar for Atmos
2. Sony HT-S2000
(Specifications, Reasons to buy, Reasons to avoid)
The Best Step-Up Sony Soundbar for Atmos
3. Sony HT-A3000
(Specifications, Reasons to buy, Reasons to avoid)
The Best Mid-Range Sony Soundbar
4. Sony HT-A5000
(Specifications, Reasons to buy, Reasons to avoid)
The Best Cheap Sony Soundbar
5. Sony HT-SF150
(Specifications, Reasons to buy, Reasons to avoid)
Also Consider
- Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6: Sony's mid-range Dolby Atmos soundbar may not have made it onto the main list, but its bass-heavy and room-filling sound could be an ideal addition to your home cinema setup. Though we found the sub and soundbar do not integrate well, you get an impressive amount of equipment for your money.
- Sony HT-G700: Although it's not the smallest soundbar, it's big on sound and value. It's pricier than the SF-150, but for extra cash, you get a compelling Dolby Atmos soundstage, bolstered by a substantial subwoofer that adds plenty of power to big explosions. Its slightly lacking crispness and the absence of music-streaming features count against it, though.
How to Choose the Best Sony Soundbar for You
Sony offers a wide array of soundbars, varying from budget options to higher-end models. However, there's more to consider than just the price. First, think about where your soundbar will be placed. Ensure there is enough space for it under your TV, and if not, consider if there's a suitable slot in your TV unit (though this isn't an option if you want one with upward-firing drivers, as the drivers would be blocked). Another option is mounting the soundbar on the wall, ideal for wall-mounted TVs.
Most of Sony's soundbars employ S-Force Pro Front Surround technology to create a virtual surround sound effect. More expensive models include additional features like 4K and HDR passthrough, more advanced vertical effects, cutting-edge gaming features, Chromecast for wireless streaming, and voice controls.
If you seek the most immersive experience, opt for a soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X – multi-directional sound formats designed to replicate a cinema-style 3D audio experience.
Also, consider the number of HDMI ports you'll require. Choose a model that offers enough for your TV, games console, Blu-Ray player, or any other media devices. If you think you might also use the soundbar for music, ensure your preferred streaming service (Spotify Connect, Tidal, Deezer, etc.) is supported.
Once you have decided on the soundbar that suits your needs, refer to our guide on how to set it up.
How We Test Sony Soundbars
Each product that passes through our doors at our website HQ is sent to one of our state-of-the-art facilities in London or Reading for testing. As part of a thorough testing process, our in-house reviewers pair each Sony soundbar with an appropriate reference TV and ensure everything is calibrated correctly.
After an initial period of running-in (allowing the components to relax), each soundbar is tested using a range of movies and TV shows, from action-packed blockbusters to intimate dramas packed with dense dialogue.
All supported audio formats are thoroughly evaluated, whether it's expansive 3D sound or basic stereo decoding, while standard music playback across various genres is tested as well.
Our website believes in comparative testing, so products are never tested in isolation. All of the above Sony soundbars have been compared with their class-leading rivals and the latest our website Awards winners, ensuring we always tell you what's good and what takes it to the next level.
The reviews are never written in isolation; they are the result of a team decision, which prevents personal preferences from influencing the outcome. Ratings are decided by the editorial team alone, without influences from PR representatives or our sales team, ensuring all our website reviews are honest and unbiased.
- Sony has been highly regarded for its soundbars, offering a solid reputation in the home cinema and audio industry.
- In our review, we evaluated the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 and found it to be an excellent soundbar with an impressive performance, earning a five-star rating.
- Another Sony soundbar, the HT-S2000, offers impressive sound quality with features like Dolby Atmos, HDMI eARC, and more, making it an affordable choice for those seeking cinematic sound.
- For those on a mid-range budget, the Sony HT-A5000, with its numerous advantages, is an excellent recommendation for a soundbar.
- If you're looking for a budget-friendly Sony soundbar that’s a significant step up from built-in TV speakers, consider the Sony HT-SF150.
- We've tested soundbars for over three decades at our facility, giving us the expertise to identify high-quality products.
- In addition to soundbars, our website also provides in-depth reviews on various other products, including fashion-and-beauty, home-and-garden, technology, entertainment, sports, fashion, food-and-drink, and streaming services.
- When shopping for a soundbar, it's important to consider factors like where the soundbar will be placed, the number of HDMI ports, and whether the soundbar supports Dolby Atmos and other advanced sound formats.
