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The all-new HT-S400 arrives in Sony’s entry-level soundbar catalog with the mission of offering a simple and high-performance 2.1 listening solution for 300 €.
Sony HT-S400
Introductory price 300 €
Sony’s soundbar range is quietly continuing to evolve, this time with the arrival of a new entry-level reference in 2.1 configuration, the HT-S400. Logically, the latter should replace the HT-S350 launched three years ago. On the program: several improvements affecting the acoustic design of the system and its use.
The HT-S400 comes in a 2.1 configuration consisting of a soundbar, with two full-range speakers, and a subwoofer that communicates wirelessly with the latter. © Sony
The soundbar itself retains the same design but now houses two X-Balanced Speaker Unit speakers, which have already proven themselves on some Sony models, such as the expensive HT-A7000 soundbar or the SRS portable speakers. -XB33/43. The latter should logically provide very good distortion management. The subwoofer changes format very subtly and houses a 160 mm speaker. The virtual surround function is still provided by the S-Force Pro Front Surround, an interesting technology to say the least that can now be found on many Sony references.
The HT-S400 only supports Dolby Digital and PCM stereo stream. © Sony
Sony has also tackled improving the user experience for this HT-S400. The soundbar retains the same controls integrated on its upper face, but gets rid of the unnecessarily complex remote control for a streamlined version that is much easier to use, and we’re not going to complain about that. A small OLED screen also appears on the front of the bar to make navigation a little easier. Finally, owners of compatible Bravia TVs will have the chance to benefit from an ultra-simplified installation with the possibility of transmitting the audio stream wirelessly (as on Samsung bars/TVs for example) and above all the presence of a TV interface.
The remote control supplied with the HT-S350 (left), and that supplied with the HT-S400, as well as the connectors for the latter (middle/right) © Sony
In terms of connectivity, however, nothing moves. The HT-S400 is equipped with an HDMI ARC port, an optical S/PDIF input and a wireless connection via Bluetooth 5.0. The release of this new Sony soundbar is scheduled for April 2022, at an indicative price of €300.