Whether you have just bought a Sony TV or you’re are just a stickler for Sony’s audio gadgets, then you won’t go wrong with any of the Sony soundbars on the market. But then, Sony has churned out a number of models and making the right choice can be difficult.
To get a fulfilling audio experience from your home entertainment system, you should consider a Sony soundbar with a standalone subwoofer. While some soundbars come with built-in subwoofers, a standalone subwoofer does a better job of bringing out the low bass frequencies that really round out the audio.
In this review, we’d be looking at some of the best Sony soundbars with wireless subwoofers.
Best Sony Soundbars with Wireless Subwoofer: Our Top 5 Picks
We scoured the market for Sony soundbars that come with wireless subwoofers and compared them based on design, features, performance, connection options, buyer reviews, and price. Then we pruned down the list until we were left with the best five.
Now, let’s tell you more about our top picks.
1. Sony HT-Z9F
The Sony HT-Z9F is a midrange soundbar from 2018, comprising the main unit and a subwoofer that delivers powerful virtual surround sound in the smallest profile possible. The biggest selling point of this premium audio system is its ability to create an expanded soundstage that’s peculiar to a 5.1.2 model despite being a 3.1 channel bar.
Design
A premium and sleek-looking finish is the first thing that comes to mind when you look at the soundbar. The bar is around a meter wide, with a removable grille to hide its drivers while the rest of its body is made of mostly good quality plastic with a glossy black finish.
Touch controls on the top of the bar for power, source, and volume as well as a small display on the front to show the current status of the bar contribute to keeping the design simple and neat.
The back of this soundbar feature ports that are well placed and easy to reach with ample space between them. Input options include two HDMI inputs plus an HDMI out with ARC. There’s also USB, an analog stereo 3.5mm mini jack, optical digital audio input, and Ethernet port to hardwire into your network. For wireless connectivity, you get Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Features
The Z9F is loaded with tons of features including support for Chromecast and Spotify Connect so you can enjoy your favorite streaming stations. It is also compatible with the Sony Music Center app that allows you to cast audio files to the soundbar.
Another notable feature is that the soundbar can help you conserve power by going into standby mode after 20 minutes of inactivity. Also, the bar comes with different listening modes like Cinema, Music, Sports, Movies and News.
Like most bars in its category, this unit has a voice enhancement feature that makes it possible to hear dialogue clearly by reducing the noise in the background. When it comes to surround sound processing, the Z9F supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby True HD, and DTS:X.
This soundbar uses Vertical Surround Engine technology to give a greater dimensionality to non-Atmos tracks.
Performance
The Z9F might be a 3.1 channel but it will wow you with its expanded soundstage without using the walls of your room to create its surround virtualization, thanks to the Vertical Surround Engine technology.
Watching movies gives a clear sound reproduction that enables you to hear all that is being said while delivering all the details that are often unheard when you use your TV’s speakers. And even when you listen to music, the bass of the subwoofer runs deep but manages to maintain tonal balance.
In addition, you might want to think twice before you crank this soundbar to the max because it can fill any room with earth-quaking sounds that will get your neighbors knocking on your door in no time. Interestingly, it gets quite loud with almost no distortion or noise. Overall, this soundbar might be expensive but its audio quality justifies its pricing.
Pros
- Premium, durable look and feel
- Lots of connectivity and audio format options
- Clear dialogue
- Impressive virtual surround
- Feature-packed
Cons
- Can get muddled during complex scenes
- Operationally complex
2. Sony HT-S350
The Sony HT-S350 is a 2.1 soundbar system that can deliver some serious thunder, thanks to a claimed 320-watt plant. It is a great entry-level sound system that is particularly suitable for those who just want to improve the sound of their TV.
Design
Out of the box, the S350 rocks a modest design with no distinguishing feature to rave about. Both the soundbar and the subwoofer come in matte black, but the former has rounded corners and a dimpled top panel.
The main unit is made of solid plastic, except for the metal grille that covers the front face. On the top are buttons for power, source, Bluetooth, and volume as well as indicators for MultiChannel, TV, or Bluetooth modes. The bar measures 35 inches wide and less than two inches high, making it small enough to slide under a TV.
As for connectivity, you will get an HDMI ARC and optical audio input while the power cable is permanently attached to the bar. There’s no Wi-Fi support but Bluetooth offers a way to connect wirelessly to newer Sony TVs.
Features
This unit comes with different sound modes for Music, Game, News, Cinema, Sports, and Standard. There’s also the Auto Mode that enables the bar to detect and adjust the settings for the best sound. You also get the voice enhancement feature to improve dialogue and the Night Mode to keep the volume down without affecting dialogue
Although this bar is compatible with Dolby Digital, it lacks support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. While that’s bad news, the S350 does offer Sony’s S-Force Pro virtual surround engine for a very basic expansion of the 2.1 soundstages during cinema playback.
Performance
With up to 320 watts of power, the S350 knocks out some really powerful sounds, especially when it comes to its beefy subwoofer. The performance isn’t entirely flawless though as the sounds tend to get boxy and become occasionally balanced.
For an entry-level soundbar, this unit is quite decent as its major forte is in its loudness, which may result in distortion if you raise the volume too high. Although Sony claims that this bar is capable of delivering surround sounds, its surround capabilities were anything but impressive.
The S350’s performance isn’t any different whether when used for movies or music playback. So if you don’t really care about surround sound, this bar might just be the best choice for you. Overall, this bar can get quite loud but it has scarce features, limited sound processing options, and decent performance – all at an incredibly affordable price.
Pros
- Big bass response
- Powerful sound
- Easy to setup
- Affordable
Cons
- No Dolby Atmos and DTS support
- Struggles at max volume
- Limited connectivity options
- Struggles at max volume
3. Sony HT-G700
Specially tailored for smaller rooms, the Sony HT-G700 is a 2.1 channel soundbar that delivers a cinematic experience that’s hard to pull yourself away from. It achieves a decent sound output at a reasonably affordable price point.
Design
Sony’s G700 is a soundbar and wireless subwoofer combo, both looking sleek like other soundbars from the company. The main unit measures 64 x 980 x 108 mm, making it ideal for TVs of 55 inches or bigger.
There’s a slight two-tone aspect to its black finish with the top surface sporting a matte black texture while a metal grille punched through with a host of holes cover the three full-range drivers in the soundbar.
At the top of the bar are touch controls including input selection, power, and volume while a blue LED display is positioned at the front. The display brightness can be dimmed or turned off if you find it to be distracting.
Inputs on the back include an HDMI in, a separate HDMI ARC/eARC output, digital optical, and USB. Surprisingly, there’s no Wi-Fi connection as the only way to go wireless is to use Bluetooth.
Features
The selling point of the G700 is that it comes equipped with Vertical Surround Engine technology that aims to deliver a 7.1.2 surround sound experience using just digital sound processing. It is complemented by another technology called ‘S-Force Pro Front Surround.’
The s-Force Pro handles the task of creating the illusion of surround speakers so it seems the sound is coming from all around you while it also gives a sense of height to the audio so it matches that of the screen.
Furthermore, the G700 is compatible with both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding processing technologies. The bar also comes with a range of sound modes namely Cinematic, Standard, music, and Immersive AE. You also get the night mode and the voice enhancement mode to enhance dialogue over the background noise.
Performance
As with all great soundbars, you will notice an instant improvement when you fire up the G700 as opposed to the built-in speakers on your TV. Although Sony’s claim of a surround sound experience is overstated, this bar offers a clean and accurate delivery of an expansive soundstage under nearly all circumstances.
It is not totally immersive or punchy as a soundbar with up-firing speakers but it still does an impressive job considering the fact that it is doing this through digital processing. You may not find it perfect but this bar will give you the cinematic experience you desire.
With 400W of output, the G700 can get really loud, filling your room with a wall of earth-shaking sounds. It manages to operate decently at maintaining clarity when the volume is increased to the max even though there is some noticeable thumping and compression at max volume.
Pros
- Compact design
- Tight, punchy bass
- Great overall audio quality
Cons
- Can’t create true Atmos effects
- No Wi-Fi
- Not upgradeable
4. Sony ST5000
An unashamedly upmarket audio gear, the Sony ST5000 is an elegant 7.2.2 channel, consisting of a non-compromise soundbar and subwoofer. It is clearly a pricey product but it justifies its price tag by offering audiophile drivers and refined digital amplification that send its rivals into hiding.
Design
The build quality of the ST5000 is undeniably fabulous even though it adopts the conservative design approach. The main unit is a rectangular box with a durable feel and a luxurious look that will appeal to those who care about aesthetics.
It has a fabric grille that’s not really necessary because the drivers make for a stunning sight. At 80mm, it is just low-profile enough not to impinge on the view of most TVs when placed underneath. Prominent features of the bar’s design include Sony’s logo, the touch-sensitive buttons, and a display that provides information about the status of the bar.
Located on the recessed area of the bar are four HDMIs and One ARC-enabled – all of which support HDCP 2.2 for 4K sources. You will also find an optical digital audio connection, mini-jack for stereo, USB port, and Ethernet. As expected, wireless credentials include Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Features
Although the ST5000 functions as a 7.1.2 channel setup, it actually has no side or rear speakers. Its ability to produce immersive sounds is due to the S-Force PRO front surround technology that comes with this bar.
Also, this unit supports audio streaming protocols such as Chromecast and Spotify Connect, which means you can access trendy entertainment services like Pandora, Google Music, YouTube, Spotify, and Tidal. Even more, the ST5000 is equipped with hi-res audio technology with DSD file support as well as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
As far as preset modes go, this bar comes with several of them including Music, Movie, Standard, and Game Modes (which deactivates Dolby Atmos so you can get detailed sounds for your gaming.) Or you can go with ClearAudio+, which selects the mode it thinks is most suitable for the audio source.
Performance
When in full-flight, the ST5000 delivers an open and detailed front soundstage that results in an enjoyable experience. Although Sony claims that this bar creates breathtaking realism with 360-degree surround sound, it won’t fill your room with surround sounds as the immersion depends on your room’s dimensions and even your listening position.
Most people try to solve that problem by connecting rear speakers for a full surround experience but the ST5000 makes no provision for such. Nonetheless, it creates a wide and high soundstage with a superb spatial placement. Even more, the hi-res audio will give you the subtlest nuances of studio-quality sound.
Thanks to its 800W of power, this bar can get very loud, enough for even large rooms but you don’t want to crack up the volume too much so you don’t hear some distortion in top notes. Overall, you may not find a perfect soundbar in the Sony ST5000 but you can rest assured of getting an audio performance that’s excellent.
Pros
- Excellent integration
- Weighty bass
- Premium build quality
- Hi-res audio file compatibility
Cons
- Expensive
- Dolby Atmos lacks surround depth
5. Sony HT-X9000F
Sony’s X9000F might be a compact 2.1 channels system but it packs a potent punch that will earn the praise of any audiophile. It offers support for Dolby Atmos surround sound even though it has two drivers, making it a blend of exceptional audio quality and affordability.
Design
Like all other soundbars from Sony, the X9000F takes on a sleek and stylish design with a trapezoidal form, which is pleasing to the eyes. It measures 190 x 58 x 85 mm, indicating that it was built to complement Sony’s X900F TV but this doesn’t mean you can’t use it with any other TV. The bar is made of good quality plastic but it feels well-constructed.
It features five capacitive buttons for power, Bluetooth, source and volume selection alongside 5 LED indicators for TV, HDMI, Bluetooth, Analog and USB. The indicators light up to show the current status if the bar.
Rear connectivity includes a single HDMI socket and a matching HDMI output socket, an optical digital audio input, a 3.5mm stereo analog input, and a USB socket for playing back music on memory sticks. You won’t find Ethernet port or Wi-Fi on this bar as the only available option is Bluetooth. The package ships with a remote for controlling the unit.
Features
Much like any other soundbar, the X9000F comes with a range of presets (Theater, Game Studio, Music, Sports, and News.) But with the auto mode, you don’t have to select any mode as the soundbar will detect incoming sounds and automatically adjust the sound settings accordingly.
Also, the X9000F comes with sound enhancement capability to adjust the dialogue up a notch or two while the Night Mode helps boost dialogue while keeping the noise down, suitable for movie watching at night.
A major selling point of the X9000F is the introduction of the Vertical Surround Engine, which helps to create a realistic surround environment around you, making it possible to get a simulated 7.1.2 channels soundstage.
Notably, this soundbar supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which presents loud, full, and sub-supported sound output.
Performance
Don’t let the diminutive size of the X9000F fool you; the audio quality is superb as the sound is clear and crisp with no distortions even at max volume. This bar might have only two channels but it sounds like a complete multi-channel system due to the integration of the Vertical Surround Engine technology.
One would have thought that the bass tones of this bar would be lackluster because of its slim profile but the subwoofer knocks out strong bass tones to register its presences. The soundbar didn’t give a complete surround activity but it tries its best to push the action closer even if the sound from behind is barely noticeable.
As far as loudness goes, the X9000F has a maximum power output of 300 watts. In general, the soundbar offers a satisfying performance with a solid and satisfying front stage with good clarity.
Pros
- Good front soundstage
- Solid bass performance
- Supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
Cons
- Music performance is average
- No Wi-Fi
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