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ZDNET's key takeaways
- Sony announces seven new Bravia home theater products.
- It includes one TV, two soundbars, three subwoofers, and rear speakers.
- All products, except Theater Bar 5, can be mixed and matched.
Sony's new Bravia home theater lineup is stacked with some interesting newcomers, such the Bravia Theater Bar 7, a pair of Bravia Theater Rear 9 speakers, a new flagship Bravia Theater Sub 9 subwoofer, and an upgraded midtier TV in the Bravia 3 II.
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The entire lineup includes one midrange TV, one midrange and one upper-midrange soundbar, three subwoofers, and one pair of rear speakers. Its arrival could spark interest for people wanting a modular Bravia home theater that's most compatible with their Sony TV, starting with a soundbar and adding peripheral devices over time.
Here's what you should know about the lineup's most standout products.
Bravia Theater Bar 7
Rendering of the Bravia Theater Bar 7's internal speaker channels.
Sony's Bravia Theater Bar 7 debuts as Sony's upper midrange soundbar, as it's sold without an included external subwoofer, signaling that it's a basic building block of a modular Sony home theater. The Bravia Theater Bar 7 features nine speaker drivers, complete with upfiring speakers for height and side firing speakers for horizontal movement.
Also: Should you buy a Sonos or Samsung sound system? I compared both brands to find out
This soundbar also features Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Mapping for room calibration to enhance the spatial audio experience, though it's equipped with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X spatial audio compatibility. With Dolby Atmos, users can experience spatial audio content mixed in Dolby Atmos, which you'll typically find in TV shows and movies on at-home streaming services.
DTS:X is a less common spatial audio format for major home theater manufacturers, but Sony offers it, and it's one of my favorite audio features in the company's soundbars. Although it's impossible to achieve an IMAX aspect ratio at home (even on one of Sony's 100-inch TVs), Sony's soundbars and rear speakers can support a 12-channel audio mix when watching IMAX Enhanced content on Disney+.
Bravia Theater Sub 9 and Bravia Theater Rear 9
Rendering of the Bravia Theater Sub 9's dual woofers.
Sony's Bravia Theater Sub 9 is the company's flagship premium external subwoofer, featuring two opposing 200mm drivers. Like its contemporaries, Sony positions the woofer units in a mirrored configuration so that each driver cancels the other's vibration, minimizing vibrations throughout the cabinet.
I expect that Sony's Bravia Theater Sub 9 performs similarly to Sonos' flagship Sub 4 subwoofer, which features similar speaker components. Sony also equips the Bravia Theater Sub 9 with dual subwoofer play, allowing users to add two Sub 9 units to a single home theater system. Sony also announced the Bravia Theater Sub 8, which features a single 200mm driver and supports dual subwoofer play.
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The Bravia Theater Rear 9 speakers feature 80mm upfiring speaker channels to complete the surround sound experience. Rear speakers are a small but essential component of a home theater system, taking some of the audio load off your soundbar, allowing its center channels to shine and deliver clear dialogue.
Bravia 3 II TV
The Bravia 3 II TV is the star of Sony's Bravia home theater lineup, debuting with palpable upgrades and premium features wrapped into a midrange price (midrange for Sony's standards). The Bravia 3 II TV is powered by Sony's advanced XR Processor and XR Triluminos Pro color technology. No matter the space, Sony has a Bravia 3 II TV size for it, ranging from 43 to 100 inches.
According to Sony, its XR Processor uses an AI scene recognition system that analyzes a TV's picture to mimic realism, drawing attention to focal points and reproducing vibrant colors. This processor also helps recreate a more realistic soundscape, enhances audio imaging, and improves the spatial audio listening experience.
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The Bravia 3 II TV also includes four HDMI 2.1 ports to accommodate all your streaming sticks, gaming consoles, and soundbars, and supports 4K at 120Hz, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X. Sony fitted the Bravia 3 II TV with Google TV with Gemini, allowing users to use conversational phrases to find TV shows and movie recommendations, ask for help with travel plans or dinner ideas, and more.
Pricing and availability
According to Sony, the Bravia Theater Bar 7 will retail for $870, the Bravia Theater Sub 9 will retail for $900, the Bravia Theater Rear 9 speakers will retail for $750, and the Bravia 3 II TV begins at 43 inches for $600 and ends at 100 inches for $3,100.
All products will be available for presale this spring.
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