Sony HT-A7000 Review

High-end model for limitless sound enjoyment?

With a width of 130 centimeters, the flagship soundbar from Sony is definitely one of the larger models on the market. Accordingly, you should also plan for sufficient space and not have a TV that is too small – preferably a device from 65 inches. Due to the height, however, it can happen that parts of the picture are covered depending on the type of TV stand and the placement of the soundbar. The surface – or the wall in the case of wall mounting – should also be sufficiently stable, because with 8.7 kilograms the A7000 is no lightweight.

The design of the soundbar is kept in plain black, using different materials. Thus, a metal grille can be seen on its front, which protects the two tweeters and five front speakers inside. The two up-firingThese speakers are positioned diagonally upwards so that the reflection of the sound from the ceiling reaches the viewers from above. They are mainly used for 3D sound formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. speakers on the top are shielded by fabric membranes, otherwise the top has a piano lacquer look. It looks chic, but is unfortunately also susceptible to fingerprints, which is an unfavorable combination with the touch buttons placed there for operation.

Although the HT-A7000 comes without an external subwoofer, it contains an already integrated dual subwoofer. Therefore, there are two small bass reflex ports on the sides.

Even though the soundbar itself takes up quite a bit of space in the box, the rest of the package has not been skimped on. Besides a HDMI cable, an AUX cable is also found inside. For wall mounting, corresponding brackets were included, as well as various manuals.

Of course, a remote control is also included in the scope of delivery. This is comparatively large and has plenty of buttons. If the soundbar is connected to the TV via HDMI, the respective TV remote can also be used for control. Those who prefer it digital can also use the Sony App to operate the 7.1.2-channel system.

The connection options for connecting the TV or another device to the soundbar are found on its back. Here, too, no savings were made, which means that the connection variety could not be greater. To ensure the best possible data transfer, the HDMI eARCEnhanced Audio Return Chanel: A significant increase in the data transfer rate, which means that audio signals no longer need to be compressed before being transmitted to the music system. This noticeably increases audio quality. output is suitable for coupling with the TV. The soundbar can play all common formats uncompressed, including Dolby AtmosDolby Atmos is a 3D sound format that adds sounds from above to surround sound systems and can also assign additional information to sounds so that they can be reproduced even more realistically. and DTS:XJust like Dolby Atmos, DTS:X is also a 3D sound format, with which the surround sound is expanded by height speakers. In addition, it is also an object-based sound format, whereby additional information is assigned to sounds, making them sound even more realistic.. In our test, the start-up was very fast. Which input of the soundbar is used can be read on its small display between the front speakers.

Apart from the classic connection via HDMI, the connection via optical or analog input is also possible. Those who want to play files from a USB stick can also do so thanks to a corresponding interface. Of course, the manufacturer of the Playstation 5 also thought about gaming enthusiasts, which is why the HT-A7000 has two additional HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K@120Hz.

With its total power of 500 watts and 100 volume levels, the HT-A7000 is capable of providing good sound even in somewhat larger rooms. Out-of-the-box, it also offers a wide, very detailed and precise soundscape. The dual subwoofer is also very present at first impression and provides a surprisingly powerful bass. However, this is not noticeable during action scenes – you simply need a soundbar with external subwoofer for that.

The opulence of bass also becomes clear when you look at the frequency response of the Sony HT-A7000: The basses and low-mids show themselves present here, while the trebles drop significantly from about 8000 Hz. An overemphasis of the mids was not audible in our practical test; instead, details were precisely reproduced. This may also be due to the high mids and presences, which are quite balanced. This results in very good speech intelligibility.

For a standalone soundbar, Sony’s model definitely creates an impressive surround sound. This is partly due to the virtual spatial enhancement provided by Sony’s Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO front surround (more on this in the Special Features section). Even with three-dimensional formats like Dolby AtmosDolby Atmos is a 3D sound format that adds sounds from above to surround sound systems and can also assign additional information to sounds so that they can be reproduced even more realistically. and DTS:XJust like Dolby Atmos, DTS:X is also a 3D sound format, with which the surround sound is expanded by height speakers. In addition, it is also an object-based sound format, whereby additional information is assigned to sounds, making them sound even more realistic., which use the up-firingThese speakers are positioned diagonally upwards so that the reflection of the sound from the ceiling reaches the viewers from above. They are mainly used for 3D sound formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. speakers, the sound is quite enveloping. For truly immersive sounds, however, you should invest in the additional Rear Speaker from Sony.

Sony’s sound giant not only has enough power to fill your room with sound, but also the intelligence to distribute it optimally. For this purpose, it was equipped with a sound field optimization, which acts as a room correction and can also be performed with external rear speakers. However, the sound does not only adapt to its environment, but also to the played content: An auto sound setting has also been integrated.

The other sound adjustments are unfortunately limited to the basics, because the Sony HT-A7000 cannot serve with a graphical equalizer. Thus, one only has to resort to EQ presets, of which ‘Cinema’ and ‘Music’ are available in this case. At least the soundbar still comes with a night mode and a voice mode for dialogue enhancement.

Vertical Surround Engine, S-Force pro Front Surround and 360 Spatial Sound Mapping: With the HT-A7000, you’ll encounter a few terms from Sony’s ABC. However, a closer look reveals that there are no really extraordinary features behind it. Thus, S-Force Pro Front Surround is merely a technology for spatial sound only with front speakers, so to speak virtual surround sound. The Vertical Surround Engine additionally provides a virtual extension around the vertical axis, so that a three-dimensional listening impression is created – even without Dolby AtmosDolby Atmos is a 3D sound format that adds sounds from above to surround sound systems and can also assign additional information to sounds so that they can be reproduced even more realistically.. However, we could not determine an impressive difference in our listening test.

Those who own the matching rear speakers from Sony can also use 360 Spatial Sound Mapping. Several phantom speakers are created in addition to the two separate speakers, which is supposed to provide a stronger immersion. A goodie is also on board for owners of a Sony Bravia: Via S-Center connection, it can be coupled with the soundbar and then function as a center speaker.

Thanks to diverse smart features of the soundbar, there are no limits to the wireless transmission of smartphone and co. Besides a Bluetooth interface, it also supports Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Airplay 2. Voice control, on the other hand, is only possible with an external third-party device: Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are supported, but not integrated.