Sony has launched the HT-A9 home theatre system and HT-A7000 soundbar in India. Both systems are very unique and cater to different requirements. The HT-A9 has four individual units that offer a 7.1.4 channel output. These four individual units do not need to be placed symmetrically to give the user a surround sound experience. They calibrate to the room based on the position you keep them in, which is quite cool.
On the other hand, the Sony HT-A7000 is a traditional soundbar and just like the Sony HT-Z9F (review) is modular in nature which means you can pick up the soundbar and subwoofer first and add the rear speakers later on to enhance your surround sound experience.
In terms of features, both the systems offer a lot of similar features, so let's run through those first before delving into the specifics of each. To begin with, both the Sony HT-A9 and the Sony HT-A7000 offer users support for both DTS-X virtual surround sound and Dolby Atmos. Both also support Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. Both also support HDMI passthrough with support for HDMI 2.1. This means that if you have a PS5 and an Xbox Series X and a limited number of HDMI 2.1 ports on the TV, then you can connect your console to the soundbar itself to take advantage of features like 4K 120Hz support.
When connected to select Sony BRAVIA TVs, both the HT-A9 and the HT-A7000 support BRAVIA Acoustic Centre Sync. This means that the TV is used as the centre channel for the speakers to add a level of immersion to the content consumption experience. Both also support Bluetooth, Wi-Fi along with support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Let's dive into the specifics of each system.
The Sony HT-A9 is a uniquely versatile system when it comes to where the speakers can be placed in a room. There is no need to rearrange the room to suit the position of the speakers. In fact, the 4 individual units do not need to be placed at the same height or at a particular distance from each other for the optimal experience. According to Sony, “with Sound Field Optimization, the A9 uses dual microphones in each speaker to ingeniously measure their relative height and position, allowing the system to generate twelve phantom speakers that completely encircle the room in immersive spatial sound. To activate Sound Field Optimization all you need are a few clicks on the remote and in just a few seconds it's auto-calibrated. The four speakers connect wirelessly so there are no cables running across the living room”.
When it comes to the design, the HT-A9 features Sony’s Omnidirectional Block Design. Each unit has a cylindrical shape with a flat back making it easy to wall mount the unit if needed.
Users can also add the optional SA-SW5 or the SA-SW3 subwoofer to the system for a more immersive experience.
When it comes to specifications, the Sony HT-A9 will give users a 7.1.4 channel setup with 504W of power output. It supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI eARC connectivity along with an HDMI 2.1 pass-through port. It also has an optical port. For audio formats, it supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono, LPCM 2ch, LPCM fs(48kHz).
Moving over to the Sony HT-A7000, this has a more traditional soundbar design and users can choose to pair it with either the SA-SW5 or the SA-SW3 subwoofer. Users also have the option of the SA-RS3S rear surround speakers to add to the immersion. The A-7000 gives users a 7.1.2 channel surround sound experience. The soundbar itself has up-firing drivers and side-firing beam tweeters to add to the surround effects. How effectively this works in the average room where you may have a door or a glass window is something we will tell you in our review.
Coming to the specifications, the HT-A7000 is a 7.1.2 channel with 500 W of power output. For connectivity, it has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI eARC connectivity along with an HDMI 2.1 pass-through port. It also has an optical port. For audio formats, it supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono, LPCM 2ch, LPCM fs(48kHz).
Both the HT-A9 home theatre system and HT-A7000 Soundbar are available starting today, January 20, 2022. As for pricing, the Sony HT-A9 with the SW3 subwoofer is priced at Rs 1,70,980. The HT-A9 with the more powerful SW5 subwoofer is priced at Rs 1,97,980.
Moving over to the Sony HT-A7000, paired with the SW3 subwoofer, it is priced at Rs 1,50,980,
while the HT-A7000 paired with the more powerful SW5 subwoofer is priced at Rs 1,77,980.
The SA-RS3S surround speakers are priced at Rs 30,990.