The Sony HT-A7000 delivers huge sound (and even good bass) from a single box – and has future-proofed connectivity as a bonus
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(Image credit: Sony)
(Image credit: Sony)
T3 Verdict
Reasons to buy+Punchy, expansive sound+Real height and width to Atmos+Extensive specificationReasons to avoid-Lacks complete HDMI 2.1 feature-set-Oddly disjointed looks-Not the easiest soundbar to accommodate
Reasons to buy+Punchy, expansive sound+Real height and width to Atmos+Extensive specification
Punchy, expansive sound
Real height and width to Atmos
Extensive specification
Reasons to avoid-Lacks complete HDMI 2.1 feature-set-Oddly disjointed looks-Not the easiest soundbar to accommodate
Lacks complete HDMI 2.1 feature-set
Oddly disjointed looks
Not the easiest soundbar to accommodate
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Sony HT-A7000 deals
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You’ll need space beneath your TV, because this Sony soundbar is relatively tall. And you’ll need a biggish TV too, because this soundbar is almost ostentatiously wide. But if you can accommodate it, and afford the not-inconsiderable asking price, the Sony HT-A7000 is incredibly hard to resist, in sonic terms at least. In aesthetic terms, maybe not quite so much.
Sony HT-A7000 review: price & release date
And it’s not like the Sony is the only game in town. We’re big fans of theSonos Arc, a very capable Atmos soundbar that comes in below the four-figures mark, and theBoseSmart Soundbar 900 is no slouch either. Add in the always-competitive likes of LG, Samsung and Yamaha, and the HT-A7000 is going to have to do a bit more than show up to earn its stars.
But there’s some great feature support here that could make it worth the price for you – as well as excellent sound quality.
(Image credit: Sony)
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony HT-A7000 review: features & what’s new
The Sony HT-A7000 is a single-box soundbar – meaning that it does everything from the bar itself. No wireless sub, no wireless rear speakers.
Just like the Sonos Arc (which is its biggest rival as a single-box soundbar), the Sony HT-A7000 can optionally be partnered with a subwoofer and wireless speakers to create a true surround-sound audio system. But just as with the Sonos Arc, that’s rather beside the point – after all, if you wanted a complete system, you could just buy something like theSamsung HW-Q950Athat’s designed around that, wouldn’t you? And besides, the HT-A7000 is as thoroughly specified as a full-on home cinema audio system as many multi-box rivals – more so, in some ways.
The Sony intends to deliver a 7.1.2 multichannel audio effect – that’s seven front-and-side channels, a subwoofer channel and two height channels. To this end it features an integrated subwoofer, two upward-firing ‘racetrack’ drivers to produce the crucial sense of height, and seven drivers across the front of the bar. The three in the centre handle – hey! – centre-channel information, while the pair of tweeters at either end have their sound channelled out to the sides of the soundbar in order to give a sensation of width to the sound. A total of eleven channels of Class D amplification, packing an all-in total of 500 watts, provide the necessary oomph.
This HDMI connectivity is a real crowning glory here – the Sonos Arc doesn’t haveanyHDMI passthrough option, let alone support for HDMI 2.1 (which is still rare in soundbars). If you have a TV with a limited number of HDMI 2.1 ports and you’re a gaming fan, it instantly makes the Sony HT-A7000 much more tempting.
(Image credit: Sony)
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony HT-A7000 review: performance
Let’s get to the goods, shall we? With the HT-A700, Sony has combined physical driver placement with digital sound processing to very successful effect.
The sonic height the Sony generates is, if anything, even more impressive. Again, you’re not about to be tricked into thinking there are speakers above you, but the sound the A7000 makes escapes both its physical confines and that of the screen you’re watching to an almost comical degree. There’s a strong sense of verticality to the sound – and it’s in no way equivocal. The Sony generates a soundstage of frankly unlikely height and width, and manages to position and isolate specific effects really convincingly as it does so.
And it’s equally cinematic elsewhere. There’s really dynamic potency on display, so when the going switches from ‘very quiet’ to ‘very loud indeed’ (as it surely must in any modern movie soundtrack at some point) the A7000 breathes deeply enough to make the difference explicit.
It’s very detailed in general, and especially through the midrange/centre channel – so dialogue is plain, easy to follow and packed with character. The integrated subwoofer generates eye-widening levels of bass response for a one-box soundbar. Yes, this is a big unit, but it doesn’t automatically follow that it should have this degree of low-frequency extension and control.
And despite all its very many tweeters, the Sony shows expert judgement where treble sounds are concerned – there’s bite and crunch to the top end, but it’s properly controlled and never impolite.
It’s a similarly civilised device where music is concerned, too, with just a few caveats regarding Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format. Broadly speaking, there’s good integration of the frequency range (despite the A7000’s numerous drivers), proper spaciousness and impressive dynamism to the presentation, and better timing and unity than our experience with soundbars as music speakers has primed us to expect. It’s a coherent and enjoyable listen.
Or, at least, it is with stereo information. Sony’s spatial audio format is rather more hit-and-miss – music can sound overly processed and artificial, and in extremis the low frequencies gain a lot of ill-deserved confidence. But let’s face it, no £1K+ soundbar ever stood or fell on its ability to deliver music – the movie part is impeccable, and that’s what care about most.
(Image credit: Sony)
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony HT-A7000 review: design & usability
This is a fairly hefty soundbar. It’s 130x14x8cm, which means it’s a) quite tall, so won’t automatically sit below any old TV (check the height of your stand, people!); and b) so wide that it looks a bit daft and overgrown if it’s accompanying TVs any smaller than 55 inches.
The HT-A7000 is compatible withAmazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit andGoogleHome too – and if those voice-control options aren’t enough to get you what you want, there’s a reasonably thorough remote control handset and compatibility with Sony’s Music Center app too. The glass portion of the top surface features a few capacitive touch-controls, and there’s a brief-but-distinct scrolling display on the front panel.
(Image credit: Sony)
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony HT-A7000 review: verdict
There’s no question this produces stunning home cinema sound for a one-box soundbar. Meaningful bass without a subwoofer, scale and direction without rear speakers.
Really, your biggest considerations are size: of the soundbar itself and of the price-tag attached to it. If neither of these things is an obstacle, then there’s nothing to prevent you giving the Sony HT-A7000 some serious consideration – it’s a hugely capable and endlessly listenable addition to your home setup.
And gamers should give it special consideration, because its support for HDMI 2.1 features means it really future-proofs you for having multiple next-gen consoles.
Sony HT-A7000 review: Also consider
The other one-box soundbar in the same price range as the Sony HT-A7000 we like is the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. It’s very stylish, and sounds wonderful with movies or music. It’s possibly even harder to accommodate than the Sony, but especially if you’ll wall-mount, it offers a great combination of looks and performance. Here’s our five-starB&O Beosound Stage review.
Sony HT-A7000: Price Comparison
$998View$1,192View$1,298View$1,299View$1,398View
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$1,398View
$1,398View
$1,398View
$1,398
$1,398
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