Alongside the launch of its television catalog, Sony presented a new range of audio products intended to accompany the latter. Consisting of two soundbars, a home cinema system and a neckband speaker, this BRAVIA Theater series aims to enhance the cinema experience at home.
The BRAVIA 7, BRAVIA 8 and BRAVIA 9 Mini-LED and OLED televisions don’t arrive alone! With its range of home cinema products, the manufacturer intends to offer a harmonized experience between its televisions and its audio products.
BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 and Bar 8: two decidedly premium soundbars
Featuring a slimmer and more elegant design than the brand’s previous soundbars, the BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 and Bar 8 feature Sony’s exclusive technology, 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, to offer an immersive experience and recreate a 360 degree spatial sound.
This function consists of creating several phantom speakers around the listener, above and on the sides, so that they can perceive sounds coming from several directions, without needing to install loudspeakers. -additional speakers in different positions.
The Sound Field Optimization function adds realism by adapting the audio rendering to the environment. In other words, it is a sound calibration taking into account the space where the soundbar is positioned. Soundbars, like the BRAVIA Theater Quad system, are of course compatible with the Acoustic Center Sync feature, which allows you to use TV speakers and Sony audio products in concert. Note that the Voice Zoom 3 function, present on the three new series of televisions, is naturally included in this audio range.
In terms of technical characteristics, the BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 has a total of 13 speakers, and the Theater Bar 8 makes do with 11 speakers, with the difference being the absence of two side tweeters. The two soundbars are entitled to four woofers promising deep and precise bass, while the X-Balanced Speakers technology is required to obtain clear and balanced sound reproduction, regardless of the content broadcast.
Both models feature Dolby Atmos, DTS: 120 Hz with HDR.
BRAVIA Theater Quad: the cinema experience according to Sony
For its part, the BRAVIA Theater Quad is a real home cinema system which is based on 4 flat speakers to be positioned as you wish within your room. This system features the same audio technologies as mentioned previously for sound bars and goes further than its predecessor, the HT-A9, thanks to a new elegant design, to be placed or fixed to the wall, 4 additional speakers (one per speaker, for a total of 16 speakers) and control with the Home Entertainment Connect app.
The particularity of this home cinema system is of course to allow the freedom to place the speakers in the desired location, the calibration then being done with wireless communication between the speakers and thanks to Sound Field Optimization.
BRAVIA Theater U: surround sound around the neck
And if you don’t have several hundred dollars to spend on a soundbar or the BRAVIA Theater Quad, Sony may have a solution for you. The BRAVIA Theater U indeed offers interesting features to enjoy immersive sound, with the difference that it is necessary to have several if you want to share it with other members of the family (it is possible to connect two BRAVIA Theater U simultaneously on a Sony TV).
Simply placed around the neck, it creates an audio bubble around the person wearing it thanks to 360 Spatial Sound technology. Having tried it during our visit to the Sony showroom, it is true that the effect is pleasant and surprising at first glance.
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatible, this neckband speaker also benefits from the 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer function, this smartphone application which allows you to create a profile according to the shape of your ear. However, we wonder if it is really useful and effective on a speaker of this type.
Comfort should also be there over time, with a weight of only 268 grams. In addition, the presence of Bluetooth allows it to be paired with a smartphone. In terms of autonomy, Sony announces a longevity of 12 hours before having to recharge the battery.
No prices have yet been communicated by Sony for this entire new audio range.
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