Sony’s latest Dolby Atmos soundbar is much more reasonably priced

I recently reviewed Sony’s flagship Dolby Atmos 2021 soundbar, the HT-A7000, and found it to be a fantastic performer made even better by two passthrough inputs that support features. HDMI 2.1 like 4K games at 120Hz. But with a price tag of $ 1,300 (and that’s before adding rear speakers and a sub), Sony’s latest and greatest won’t be practical for everyone. . So with that in mind, the company is announcing today a cheaper, smaller model called the HT-A5000 that costs $ 899.99.

That price brings it a bit closer to something like the Sonos Arc, but Sony’s new soundbar might win people over for its extra features and durability. The HT-A5000 retains a lot of the benefits of the top-of-the-line model: it’s still an Atmos bar with up-firing speakers – although fewer pilots overall. This is a 5.1.2 configuration compared to the 7.1.2 HT-A7000. But you still get built-in support for Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth audio.

Image: Sony

At 10 pounds (compared to the huge 26 pounds of the HT-A7000), the HT-A5000 also measures much smaller than the more expensive model. It will certainly be more comfortable next to a 55 inch TV like mine than the super long HT-A7000. But with these smaller dimensions, you can expect lower sound performance than the flagship. The larger, heavier body of the HT-A7000 prevents unwanted vibration and helps maintain cleaner sound at high volume levels. This also allowed Sony to have two tweeters facing the left and right sides, which is not the case on the HT-A5000.

Image: Sony

One key difference is that instead of including two HDMI 2.1 passthroughs, Sony is sticking to one on the HT-A5000. It will still send 8K, 4K at 120Hz, and Dolby Vision video. But unfortunately, like its more expensive sister, this soundbar does not currently support Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) or Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Sony is studying these two features but does not promise anything yet.

Like the flagship, the HT-A5000 features acoustical optimization to automatically produce the best sound for the room you place it in. Sony technologies such as Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force Pro are also present for compelling height effects and a wide, immersive surround experience. It supports the same optional rear speakers ($ 349.99) and two subwoofer choices as the HT-A7000. These will obviously increase costs, but at least you start spending $ 400 less. The HT-A5000 is expected to ship in early fall.