Sony HT-A5000 in the test: The Dolby Atmos soundbar for hi-res audio fans
RRP $ 1,000.00
"The Sony HT-A5000 rocks with every sound format and every connection option we could wish for."
advantages
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8K capable HDMI input
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Excellent film and music sound
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Easy on-screen setup
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Tons of connectivity options
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High definition, Sony 360RA and DTS: X
disadvantage
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No EQ settings
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Some attitudes are buried
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Bad integration of music services
At the high end of the soundbar market, you can find great Dolby Atmos compatible models like the Sonos Arc for $ 899, the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 for $ 899, and LG's SP9YA for $ 1,000. And now you can add Sony's $ 1,000 HT-A5000 to that list. Wondering how it compares to the rest of the world – and to Sony's flagship HT-A7000 for $ 1,300? Let's check it out.
Big and easy
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In terms of design, the HT-A5000 (which we will simply call the A5000) is not very visible. The HT-A7000 lacks the glass cover and the cloth-wrapped speaker grilles, instead they have been replaced by a simple, textured black plastic housing and gray speaker grilles made of metal. It won't win beauty pageants, but that's a good thing. Personally, I think soundbars shouldn't draw attention to themselves visually as it could detract from their main purpose – to enhance the sound of your TV that your eyes should be focused on.
However, the size is more important. At 47.75 inches wide by 2.75 inches high, the A5000 should have no problem finding a home in front of everyone but the smallest TV. Sony even claims that their Bravia TVs can accommodate the A5000 between their movable legs, but I don't recommend that – any soundbar with speakers facing up should be placed as close to the front as possible to give those drivers every opportunity to hear the sound align with your ceiling, unimpeded.
The HDMI input can process 8K, Dolby Vision and 4K at 120 Hz, making it as future-proof as possible.
Sony also has everything you could need right in the box: soundbar, wall mounting hardware, HDMI and optical cables, a remote control and an analog patch cable to connect a compatible Bravia TV. Yes – if you are the lucky owner of one of Sony's 2020 or 2021 Bravia TVs, you can use this cable to hijack the TV's built-in speakers and let them enhance the soundbar's center channel audio. Unfortunately, I haven't tested this feature without one of these TVs.
HDMI in, HDMI out and 8K
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Some soundbar companies (ahem, Sonos, Bose) believe that a single HDMI ARC / eARC port should be enough for everyone. I disagree – and luckily neither does Sony. The A5000 has both a dedicated HDMI input and an HDMI ARC / eARC input / output. Better still, the HDMI input can pass 8K, Dolby Vision and 4K signals to your TV at 120 Hz, making it as future-proof as possible. There's also an optical port if your TV doesn't support HDMI ARC, but the A5000 drops the A7000's analog input.
When it comes to the ability to wirelessly connect to a speaker, the A5000 has it all.
Why is an HDMI input important? Aside from replacing the HDMI input on your TV that you had to sacrifice to connect the soundbar, with older TVs we can connect Blu-ray players or streaming media devices directly to the soundbar. This bypasses the inherent sound quality limitations of HDMI ARC connections that are imposed by televisions that do not have HDMI eARC. There is a lot to unpack. Instead of filling the space in this review with the full explanation, please read our guides on HDMI ARC / eARC and Dolby Atmos. If you care about the best possible audio quality, you'll thank me.
These ports are packed very tightly into a small recess on the back of the A5000, making them difficult to use, but as long as you don't have to access them often, you shouldn't be too hurt by it.
Setup on the screen
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Speaking of HDMI, the A5000 repeats one of my favorite functions of the HT-A7000 – the setup process and on-screen menus. Using a smartphone app to set up a speaker isn't difficult, but being able to use your TV's screen while sitting back on your sofa with the remote in hand is much better.
From the initial connection, to adding the A5000 to your Wi-Fi network, to quick automatic room calibration, Sony makes it easy and – dare I say it – fun. And you can always press the home button on the remote and navigate the soundbar's on-screen menus, which is much more convenient than reading on the small scrolling digital display behind the speaker grille or pulling out your phone.
Connections galore
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I have to give it to Sony. When it comes to the ability to wirelessly connect to a speaker, the A5000 has it all. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Chromecast – choose your favorite. The Bluetooth connection, which is hardly a minor matter with many soundbars, is also convincing with the support of the Sony LDAC codec, so that you can stream in the highest quality from an Android mobile phone. You can also use LDAC for a high quality wireless connection to a compatible Bravia TV if you want to be completely wireless.
Thanks to the exceptional support for high quality wireless streaming, music generally sounds great.
These options mean that regardless of which phone you have or which music streaming service you subscribe to, you can get the most out of the A5000's features. And given the growing support for lossless, high-resolution audio from Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and others, these benefits are no longer theoretical marginal cases.
Sony cleverly offers you the option of switching the Bluetooth function from receiving to sending (again with LDAC support) so that you can use any set of wireless headphones or earphones for private listening.
Great for music, even better for movies
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OK, to the point: how does that thing sound? Damn good. If you stick to the basic mode of the A5000 (with the Sound Field function switched off), you will get perfectly clear and balanced stereo sound. It's great for sitcoms, news shows, and comedy specials – basically anytime you want to focus on dialogue. In this mode, the bass remains mellow even with the subwoofer set to the maximum and offers just enough bass to give the voices more depth and some weight to the background soundtrack.
It's also the preferred mode for listening to two-channel stereo music, especially if you're a purist looking to keep additional digital processing to a minimum. And thanks to the soundbar's exceptional support for high quality wireless streaming, music generally sounds great.
The only downside is there's not much you can do if you don't like the way Sony tuned the A5000. I have sued Sony for missing EQ adjustments on their expensive A7000 and will do it again for the A5000. It's an odd choice for a company that offers extensive EQ options for their wireless headphones and earbuds.
Dolby Atmos movies have all been rendered with this key ingredient – sounds that seem to be coming from everywhere.
If you have a Tidal HiFi or Amazon Music subscription, you owe it to yourself to try tracks mastered using the Sony 360 Reality Audio (360RA) format that the A5000 supports. Simply put, 360RA tries to mimic the sound of a live performance indoors by using surround sound technology to give the music an open, airy feel. As with Dolby Atmos Music, some tracks benefit more from this than others. Pink Floyd's Learning To Fly, for example, felt like it was made for 360RA, while John Mayer's I Guess I Just Feel Like seemed to lose something in the move.
But even if songs don't necessarily benefit from 360RA, sometimes the format itself is preferable when you want an ambient sound – for example, when entertaining a group of guests. I find it easier to have a conversation when the music is not directed at you, as is the case with traditional stereo. Currently, the 360RA only works over a WiFi Chromecast connection from a phone or tablet, so you cannot control it through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
The only downside to the A5000's musical capabilities is the lack of integration of music services into the Sony Music Center app. The app lists many of the most popular services (Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Spotify, Deezer, etc.) but tapping on it will only redirect you to the service's app on your phone (assuming you have it installed). Unlike Sonos, there is no way to access Search, manage favorites or playlists, or other music service features. However, you can use the app to control multiroom audio if you have other compatible Sony speakers.
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You're not buying a $ 1,000 Dolby Atmos soundbar for stereo audio. You want to be blown away by fully immersive 3D soundtracks that convey power, excitement and emotion and for that you need to enable Sound Field mode. This instantly changes the soundstage from a fairly narrow and forward-facing affair to one that spreads out across the room.
The A5000's built-in subwoofer is surprisingly powerful. For smaller spaces, that's probably all you need.
The Sound Field mode is not a 3D variant, but three – Sony's own Vertical Surround Engine, Dolby's virtualized speaker mode and DTS Virtual: X – and each has its own sound signature. Sony's version pulls back at low frequencies to create a high, wide, and deep presentation that emphasizes clarity. Dolby, on the other hand, pushes the built-in subwoofer to its limits for a thundering sound, but can introduce undesirable distortion and often cloud the mids and high frequencies. DTS Virtual: X is somewhere in between, but not Goldilocks way. It's more of a compromise.
Since each of these 3D flavors sounds so different, they can all be great choices depending on what you're playing. I found the Sony version to be ideal for native Dolby Atmos movies and music. Avengers: Infinity War, Mad Max: Fury Road and Ford v. Ferrari have all been rendered with this important Dolby Atmos ingredient – sounds that seem to come from everywhere and move in sync with the action on the screen. Wondering if you need one of Sony's wireless subwoofers? You would definitely get better low frequency effects, but the A5000's built-in subwoofer is surprisingly powerful. For smaller spaces, that's probably all you need.
I plugged a Shield TV into the HDMI input and enjoyed Dolby Atmos songs from Tidal like Save Your Tears from The Weeknd and Riders On The Storm from The Doors. Dolby Atmos Music can feel lackluster at times, especially if you're using headphones, but the A5000 lets you enjoy the emerging format to its fullest.
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But here's a tip: as with most Dolby Atmos sound bars, if you feel like something is missing – like you're not listening to an immersive mix – dive into the advanced audio settings and turn up the levels for the treble and treble Surround channels. Sony's calibration software tends to take a conservative approach that doesn't always produce the best results.
Definitely worth trying out Dolby and DTS Virtual: X's virtualized speaker mode for all content, whether it's Atmos or not, but switching between these 3D versions isn't much fun. There is no way to do this in the Sony Music Center app, including by pressing a preset button on the remote control.
Instead, you need to pause your movie or music, press the home button on the remote, then navigate to Setup> Advanced Settings> Audio Settings> Sound Field Settings from the on-screen menu. You can then choose a different 3D variant and return to your content.
This may not be too bad if it is just a question of finding the one you like the most, but since there is no way to tweak the EQ, switching between them is your only option if you want the performance of either dislike them.
Beyond the bar
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As with most mid- to high-end soundbars, you can expand the sound capabilities of the A5000 by adding two Sony wireless subwoofers of your choice (SA-SW5 or SA-SW3) and a number of wireless surround satellites (SA-RS3S). This does not improve the performance of the altitude channel of the system, but it can make a huge difference to the overall level of immersion. If you have the room in your home and on your budget, I highly recommend these additions.
Our opinion
The Sony HT-A5000 offers a premium price, but offers both music and movie lovers a first-class sound experience.
Is there a better alternative?
At this price point, the HT-A5000 has several direct competitors, and all of them are excellent in their own way. The choice among them really depends on the features that are important to you. Here's what you should know:
- If you are an audiophile, LG SP9YA is a strong competitor because, like the A5000, it supports Hi-Res audio over Wi-Fi and USB. It also comes with its own wireless subwoofer, which makes it satisfactory for movies right out of the box. It doesn't support Bluetooth LDAC or Sony 360RA, however, and its hard-wired power cord could be a nuisance for some installations.
- If you want easy, powerful control over your music sources and multiroom audio, and want some smart home perks, drag the Sonos Arc or the Bose Smart Soundbar 900. Both don't have HDMI inputs, which limits their flexibility, but that's only a problem if you have an older TV. Both can serve as smart speakers with your choice of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
- If you're looking for a real replacement for a home theater system for movies and TV shows but multiroom audio isn't that important, this is it Vizio Elevate comes with a wireless subwoofer and surround satellite speakers that usually cost extra.
- Would you like even better sound, but don't want to clutter your room with more speakers? For $ 300 more that Sony HT-A7000 is a larger, more powerful speaker (with two HDMI inputs plus one analog input) that is well worth the extra investment.
How long it will take?
Sony products are very well made and the HT-A5000 is no exception. If you are considering 8K compatibility, it could be 10 years or more before you even have to think about upgrading. And even then, it will be a choice, not a condition.
Should you buy it?
Yes sir. the Sony HT-A5000 will be a huge movie and music upgrade for any TV room in the house.
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