Sony Support

Article ID : 00349718 / Last Modified : 03/11/2025Print

What do I need to check before buying a Soundbar?

    A new audio experience

    A Soundbar or Home Theatre System is a great way to elevate your audio experience to the next level. Maybe you enjoy gaming, or you enjoy weekends filled with long movie nights, and you want to treat yourself to an upgraded audio experience. Whatever your reasons, we listed a couple of things you should consider or check before making a purchase.

    Reading the room: size, placement and setup

    Consider your current TV setup and visualise or even measure the space you have to put your Soundbar or Home Theatre System: make sure it fits your placement area:

    • Is there enough space in front of the TV?
    • What are the shape and dimensions of your TV stand and the TV legs?
    • Will you mount the Soundbar? 
    • How am I going to deal with cable management? 
    • If I have multiple speakers, where will I position them? 

    Don't forget that you can find the product dimensions (depth, height, and width) listed inside any product specifications.

    Connectivity options

    Usually, a soundbar or Home Theatre System is connected to a TV, but you can also connect it to other devices such as gaming consoles or smartphones. 

    You can connect a Soundbar to your TV via an HDMI cable or an optical audio cable, included with the product. 

    If your TV has Bluetooth, you can connect it via Bluetooth (but you will miss out on audio features such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X). You can also just use the Bluetooth functionality of your Soundbar to connect your smartphone and use it as a speaker. 

    • What devices am I going to connect? If you want to use your Soundbar as a hub, make sure it has multiple HDMI ports. 
    • Does the device or your TV have an available HDMI ARC or eARC port?
      Learn more about ARC and eARC here.
    • Do I need to purchase additional speakers to enjoy certain audio features (e.g. 360 Spatial Sound Mapping)? 

    Soundbar features

    Depending on your wishes and budget, there's a whole range of Soundbars and Home Theatre systems that offer a range of audio-expanding options:

    Multiple Channels and their benefits

    ChannelsWhat it meansWhat you getBest for
    2.1

    Two channels (left and right) plus a subwoofer (the ".1").

    		Stereo sound with added bass for richer, deeper audio.Movies or music where bass matters, like explosions or drumbeats.
    3.1Adds a center channel to 2.1.Clearer dialogue because the center channel focuses on speech.TV shows and movies with a lot of dialogue.
    5.1 Five channels (left, right, center, and two rear/surround) plus a subwoofer.Surround sound, where effects like footsteps or vehicles come from specific directions.A home theater experience.
    7.1Like 5.1 but with two extra surround channels for even more immersive sound.A richer surround sound experience, especially for larger rooms.A home theater experience.
    360 Spatial Sound Mapping 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology creates phantom speakers that reflect sound off walls and ceilings.The convenience of many speakers without the hassle of placing them. A bespoke home theater experience in a compact way.

    Immersive Audio formats

    Dolby Atmos and DTS:X can provide richer, cinematic experiences. For more information, check our article on understanding DTS:X and Dolby Atmos audio formats.

    Sound modes

    Finally, you might be interested in having many sound modes at your convenience. Sound modes are presets that optimise the audio experience for a specific instance. Examples are:

    • Sound field: Outputs sound with the surround sound effect.

    • Voice mode: Emphasizes dialogue and makes it easier to hear.

    • Voice Zoom: This feature works when your Sony TV is compatible. When you select TV input on the speaker system, the Voice Zoom feature is automatically activated instead of the standard Voice Mode.

      Voice Zoom adjusts human voices to make them clearer or quieter, without changing the overall sound. For example:

      • You can make the newscaster’s voice louder to hear them more clearly.

      • You can lower the commentary during live sports or other events if it feels too loud.

    • Night mode: Outputs clear sound even at a low volume for late-night use and features clear dialogue and minimum loss of fidelity.