Sony HT-A7000 Review: A Fully-Loaded Soundbar Experience
Sony HT-A7000 in the test: A fully featured soundbar experience
RRP $ 1,300.00
"Great sound, ease of use, and a huge list of features make it hard to beat."
advantages
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Great music and movie sound
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Easy on-screen setup
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AirPlay 2, Chromecast
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Hi-Res Audio, 360 Reality Audio
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2 HDMI inputs
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Upscaling audio to 3D surround sound
disadvantage
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Expensive
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No manual EQ settings
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Subwoofer not included
Soundbars come in all sizes, prices, and configurations. Some are characterized by two-channel stereo, while others opt for 3.1, 5.1, or even 7.1 surround sound. The most powerful models have Dolby Atmos, DTS: X and often offer some form of multi-room streaming capabilities. Sony's new $ 1,300 HT-A7000 7.1.2 soundbar has all of that and more, including Hi-Res wireless audio, Sony 360 Reality Audio, intelligent upscaling of a variety of audio sources, and compatibility with Apple's home automation platforms. Google and Amazon.
Sony also gives you two models of wireless subwoofers and a pair of wireless surround speakers to choose from, but these are optional upgrades that can raise the price of the soundbar well over $ 2,000.
Do all these outstanding capabilities justify the equally high price? We put it to the test.
What's in the box?
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The HT-A7000 (which we'll call the A7000 from here on) comes in a fair amount of Styrofoam, which is great for protection but is difficult to recycle in some places. Inside you will find the soundbar, a remote control with two AA batteries, an HDMI cable, a special analog cable to connect the bar to a compatible Sony Bravia TV (more on that later), a power cord, two wall brackets, a wall mounting template and a quick guide .
design
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At just over 51 inches wide, 3.25 inches high, and 5.5 inches deep, there's no getting around the fact that the A7000 is a large (and 19 pounds heavier) speaker. It's almost as wide as a 65-inch TV and, ironically, so tall that it obscures some of the undersides of Sony's own TVs, even when their stands are placed in their so-called soundbar position. Unless your TV is already wall-mounted or you intend to do so, it is best to take a few measurements before you hit the buy button.
It's great to have two HDMI inputs – on many soundbars, you're lucky enough to get just one.
Another consideration: even if the A7000 fits between your legs under your TV, you don't want to slide it too far back – its upward-facing drivers (keys for Dolby Atmos and DTS: X sound) shouldn't pass through. any other objects are covered.
But despite its size, Sony did a good job of minimizing the A7000's looks. The upward facing drivers are hidden behind black panels of fabric that wrap around the sides. The rest of the top of the bar is made of black glass. It's a fingerprint magnet, but when blemishes clean it looks really sharp. The glass houses a couple of touch controls that give you access to power, volume, source, bluetooth and a shortcut to Spotify Connect. A non-removable perforated sheet metal grid completes the picture.
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A row of drivers sit behind this grille. They're clearly visible in these photos, but don't worry – unless you light the A7000 with studio lights like I did, you won't see it at all. What you see is a scrolling text display that gives you vital information such as the source you are playing from, volume, audio format and various other helpful messages. I'm not a huge fan of these type of displays – I find the limited space and scrolling text a bit annoying, but it's way better than a bunch of color-coded LEDs that you have to decipher (ahem, Vizio).
The good news is that Sony is one of the few soundbar companies that takes full advantage of the A7000's HDMI connection to a TV, giving you on-screen access to all of the speaker's settings and modes.
There are several ports and connections on the back of the soundbar, including two full HDMI inputs with 4K / 8K / Dolby Vision passthrough, a dedicated HDMI ARC / eARC output, an optical input, an analog input, a USB connection for Music playback and port for the Bravia center channel connector that I mentioned earlier.
Having two HDMI inputs is great – many soundbars are lucky enough to get just one – but Sony doesn't exactly make it easy to plug in all of those cables. The connectors are buried in a small cavity and packed very close together.
Unless you're going to be plugging and unplugging a lot of cables, that's not a big deal, but I'm still amazed that soundbar designers find it useful when a USB port is so inaccessible. I would choose Sony, but I've made the same choices with other brands.
Because the A7000 is a full-featured, modern soundbar, Sony's remote control design has been basically unchanged since the mid-1990s. While very functional, it's decked out with buttons, some of which will only work if you buy Sony's optional wireless surround speakers. I actually like having all of these buttons as the A7000 can partially replace an A / V receiver, but the lack of a backlight is disappointing at this price point.
Connections, setup and configuration
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If your TV supports HDMI ARC / eARC, which most models over the past seven years do, you can use a single HDMI cable to connect the A7000 to your TV. If your TV doesn't have this feature, you're still using an HDMI cable, but that must also be connected to an optical cable.
Unfortunately, if your TV can connect using HDMI ARC / eARC, there is no way to use the optical port as a source for another device like a CD player – if it isn't being used to receive a TV audio signal, it is essentially redundant.
Once connected, you can begin Sony's excellent on-screen setup process.
Those who use an optical TV connection won't get advanced audio formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS: X from their TVs, but given the A7000's dual HDMI inputs, there are still plenty of ways to get those formats from Blu-ray players to get streaming media devices or other third party boxes.
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Once connected, you can begin Sony's excellent on-screen setup process.
In less than five minutes, the step-by-step process takes you through the placement, automatic calibration, setting up Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Amazon Alexa integration – all without having an app on your Have to use phone or something small, scrolling display.
Not that you have to go without an app when you need it: the Sony Music Center app for Android and iOS gives you another interface for controlling the A7000, including the ability to group the soundbar with other Sony speakers.
I've struggled with speech intelligibility with other soundbars, but the A7000 is clear as a bell.
But thanks to Sony's support for all three of the major home automation platforms (Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa), you can add the A7000 to virtually any multiroom scenario, regardless of whether your other speakers are Sony devices or not.
Sound quality
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As a single speaker, the A7000 does an excellent job of processing films and music. If you're wondering if Sony's claims about a built-in subwoofer are the real deal or just marketing hype, I can assure you that it's powerful enough to feel these low-frequency effects when you turn up the volume. Even better, the center channel reproduces dialogue with such clarity and precision that I doubt you'll ever need to use the included speech enhancement feature. I've struggled with speech intelligibility with other soundbars, but the A7000 is as clear as a bell.
When it comes to Dolby Atmos, the A7000 really delivers. However, the speaker's secret weapon is the Immersive AE (IAE) mode.
But regardless of the content you're playing, I have two tips that I think will help if you don't find the audio overwhelming. First, Sony's automatic room calibration appears to be taking a conservative approach to speaker levels. In my media room, the ceilings are low and the TV is much closer to the left wall than the right. If you go into the advanced settings and adjust parameters such as the level of the height and side channels and their calculated distances from your listening position, you can significantly improve the overall performance as well as immersive formats such as Dolby Atmos.
Second, the A7000 is a beast when it comes to volume. With 75% of its range, I was already well above what I could comfortably endure in my room. But I've found that around the 45-50% level there's a real sweet spot where the sound goes from good to great. I encourage you to explore all of these options to get the most out of the soundbar.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
When it comes to Dolby Atmos material, the A7000 really delivers – especially when you make the tweaks outlined above. The side-firing tweeters help project a wide soundstage, while the upward-pointing treble drivers create that distinctive sound dome effect that movies like Mad Max Fury Road and Ford v. What makes Ferrari so entertaining.
However, the speaker's secret weapon is the Immersive AE (IAE) mode. It is accessible at the touch of a button on the remote control and uses Sony's 3D upscaling technology. Whether you're watching 2-channel stereo TV shows, streaming music, or even playing Dolby 5.1 surround content, it will render as if it was mastered as a 7.1.2 source. Purists may find it overprocessed, especially when applied to stereo tracks, but I found it addicting.
When listening to Dolby Atmos or in IAE mode, Sony offers you the choice between three special sound modes: cinema, music or standard. As the names suggest, they offer some digital processing to enhance certain types of content. As with all types of EQ presets, you may find that they improve or detract from your listening experience – I didn't find them nearly as interesting as the Immersive AE feature itself.
But that brings us to my only real criticism of the A7000: there is no way to directly control the equalizer. No frequency-specific adjustments, no controls for bass, treble, or mids – there isn't even a loudness switch I could find.
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Not that I'd make a few gross changes to the soundbar's signature – it's already nicely balanced to my ears – but leaving out those controls on a $ 1,300 system feels untenable. If you are serious enough about your home theater sound to make this investment, you should be able to get under the hood if you choose to.
The A7000 really brings Sony 360 Reality Audio to life.
The A7000 may be the first soundbar I've auditioned that doesn't make me flinch when using Bluetooth. Using a Google Pixel 5, I streamed a variety of songs using Sony's Hi-Res wireless audio LDAC codec as well as the garden variant AAC codec and they both sounded really solid. There's usually a big leap in quality when you switch from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi streaming, e.g. Chromecast or AirPlay, but they are remarkably similar on the A7000. I attribute this to Sony's DSEEE Extreme upscaling technology, which is designed to restore lossy, compressed digital audio to an approximation of lossless audio.
I also took a quick tour of some Sony 360 Reality Audio (360 RA) tracks over Tidal HiFi to see how the A7000 handled it. This reinforced two things I already knew about 360 RA: not all 360 RA traces are created equal, and your speaker will dictate much of the experience. I wasn't particularly impressed with Sony's $ 700 SRS-RA5000, a speaker the company designed specifically to deliver 360 RA audio, but the A7000 really brings that format to life.
Tracks like Dave Brubeck's Take Five and even the much newer Invisible by Duran Duran are in no way exciting, but turn up the Everlong from Foo Fighters or The Chainsmokers and Halsey's Closer and you get a feel for 360 RA's ability to place itself In a live music environment.
Is it worth adding one of Sony's wireless subwoofers and wireless surround sounds? If you have the resources, it is absolutely something I would recommend. As good as the built-in subwoofer and side radiating tweeters are, there is simply no substitute for discreet speakers. The resulting combo is exciting in every way.
Extras
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Unfortunately, my time with the A7000 didn't give me the chance to try out every single one of its many features, but they are absolutely worth mentioning because they illustrate how thoughtful Sony has been with the development.
You can connect Bluetooth headphones for private listening. Many TVs support this, but when yours doesn't, it's really handy. Bose also offers this feature on its soundbars, but the company only promises that it will work with Bose headphones. Sony, atypical of a company that has a history of promoting its own technologies and standards, lets you use any bluetooth headset.
The Sony Music Center app gives you direct access to Amazon Music, Apple Music, Tidal, TuneIn Radio and any music on your home network, e.g. on a NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive.
As mentioned earlier, if you have a compatible Sony Bravia TV, you can connect the A7000 using a dedicated cable and use the TV's entire built-in speaker system as the center channel. I didn't have a Bravia TV available, but I suspect the sound will be pretty good, especially for dialogue and other on-screen noises.
Our opinion
Though expensive, Sony's HT-A7000 is a feature-loaded Dolby Atmos soundbar that sounds great on its own – and even better when accompanied by Sony's optional wireless subwoofers and surround speakers. With an easy-to-use screen interface, it's much more intuitive to get the most out of the speaker than some of its competitors.
Is there a better alternative?
I'm not sure if there are soundbars at this price point or below that are better than the HT-A7000, but I can think of two models that are better value for money depending on your needs and tastes:
LGs $ 1,000 SP9YA saves you $ 300 and comes with its own wireless subwoofer. Given its great audio performance for movies and music, and the ability to add wireless surround speakers later, it's a great alternative to the HT-A7000. However, it only has a single HDMI input, it lacks Sony's sleek on-screen menus, and you can't stream 360 Reality Audio. Some may also find it difficult to work with the hardwired power cord depending on the installation.
Vizios Elevate soundbar Also costs $ 1,000 and includes wired surround speakers in addition to the wireless subwoofer, which means it's a true all-in-one system. It has two HDMI inputs, but like many Vizio products, its primary focus is on being a TV companion, not a complete alternative to an A / V receiver-based system. As a result, it doesn't support Hi-Res audio (unless it's a Blu-ray Disc soundtrack in Dolby TrueHD), Apple AirPlay 2, or Amazon Alexa, even though Chromecast is on board. Still, it's a beautifully designed product that sounds fantastic.
How long it will take?
Sony builds great products and has a good track record of keeping those products updated with new software over time. I expect you will spend many, many years with the HT-A7000. With support for every audio format under the sun, it will be a long time to be considered obsolete.
Should you buy it?
Yes. At $ 1,300, it's an investment, but given its considerable capabilities and excellent sound quality, the payback will pay off over many years of audio and video enjoyment.
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