Sony announces HT-A9 and HT-A7000 speakers

Sony did not come to play this summer. After launch four new speakers in May, the company is now revamping its home theater lineup with the HT-A9, a new modular system, and the HT-A7000, an incredibly powerful Dolby Atmos soundbar. The kicker: ThThey cost $ 1,800 and $ 1,300 respectively.

To be fair, the HT-A9 sports four wireless speakers with Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping (SSM) system and a small control box the size of an Apple TV. During a news briefing, Sony explained that the idea behind the A9 is to appeal to people who want a home theater but don’t like a soundbar or complicated setups. You can pretty much see it in the design, which seems to blend in more easily in your decor than the typical boxy black speaker. The four speakers are identical in terms of specifications. Each has a dual microphone setup, X-Balanced speakers for enhanced bass and sound pressure, and a new wide-directional woofer. Sony claims they can calibrate themselves automatically in any room, which means they don’t need a particular location to create an immersive experience. The company also claims that the A9 is able to create a much wider sound field thanks to its SSM technology. Specifically, Sony claims that the four speakers can create up to 12 “phantom” speakers, which makes sound seem like “is coming from beyond the wall.”

Tthe HT-A7000 is Sony’s new flagship soundbar, replacing the ST-5000. Although it is a single soundbar, Sony claims that it can serve as a 7.1.2 system because it has two ascending speakers to mimic airborne sound, two beam tweeters, five front speakers and a built-in dual subwoofer. It also has the same auto-calibration feature as the A9, the first for a Sony soundbar, and supports 360 Reality Audio.

One thing to note: with the A7000 you get simulated height. We found Sony’s simulated surround sound technology to be quite good with sound. HT-G700 Sound Bar, but that’s definitely not going to beat the overhead speakers or the rear speakers. That said, the A7000 is a modular system and you have the option of purchasing compatible subwoofers and rear speakers. overtime. Many home theater systems already come with a fixed set of speakers. It’s convenient, but can also be intimidating for anyone just starting out. However, the optional speakers are also expensive. The $ 700 SA-SW5 is a wireless subwoofer that focuses on bass with a 180mm driver and passive radiator, while the $ 400 SA-SW3 has a more compact 160mm driver. Meanwhile, the $ 350 SA-RS3 are 100W rear speakers that can also be wall mounted.

The A9 and A7000 support high resolution formats, such as Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and DTS: X, HDMI 2.1, eARC and 8K and 4K at 120 fps. New this time is that both can also be used with Sony Bravia TVs (X95 or later). Basically, you can control the settings from the TV itself, as well as turn your TV into a center channel via a 3.5mm cable. In this scenario, the A7000 would focus on background noise, while the TV itself would handle things like dialogue. Both are also compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa, Spotify, Chromecast and, first, Apple AirPlay 2.

the HT-A9, HT-A7000, and the optional subwoofers and rears up will all be available in September or October of this year at authorized dealers.