Coming from Sony this autumn: A peculiar dwelling theater audio map and a peculiar flagship soundbar, both of which additionally toughen Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
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Sony announced two fully unusual high-terminate dwelling theater merchandise nowadays: The four-speaker HT-A9 dwelling theater map and a peculiar flagship soundbar, the HT-7000A. The audio producer additionally announced two wi-fi subwoofers that can add deeper bass to both product, and wi-fi rear speakers that can supplement the soundbar.
The Sony HT-A9 dwelling theater map ($1,800) contains a defend an eye on box with a LAN port and HDMI interior and out, along with four cylindrical, wi-fi, self-powered speakers. Each and each speaker has two constructed-in microphones that measure the speaker’s relative high and assign within the room. Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound and Sound Discipline Optimization expertise then creates as much as 12 phantom speakers by synthesizing sound waves based entirely totally on positional recordsdata.
Sony says its sound discipline optimization tech ensures every body within the room can own the equal sound journey, no topic the assign they’re sitting within the room, despite the incontrovertible truth that every speaker is positioned at a definite high from the bottom and at unequal distances from every varied. Each and each speaker has a vitality cord, nonetheless they scream with the defend an eye on box using a wi-fi connection.
The map helps the 2 valuable immersive audio standards for movie soundtracks—Dolby Atmos and DTS:X—in addition to to Sony’s have 360 Actuality Audio format for track streamed from Amazon Music HD, Tidal, Nugs.gain, and Deezer. The map can additionally circulation track from Spotify (including Spotify Join capabilities), and there’s toughen for both Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2.
As smartly as to supporting both ARC and eARC (you are going to also read all about those standards within the linked article), the defend an eye on box helps as much as 8K HDR, 4K 120-frames-per-2nd passthrough, and Dolby Imaginative and prescient. When paired with a acceptable Sony Bravia tidy TV offering Acoustic Center Sync, the A9 promises to precisely match the assign the audio is coming from with the inch on the display.
Sony HT-A7000 soundbar
Sony’s flagship soundbar is a 7.1.2-channel model with two up-firing speakers that will soar the high cues in a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X soundtrack off your ceiling. The speaker is additionally outfitted with two beam tweeters and 5 front speakers for a wide soundstage, and a constructed-in subwoofer for low-frequency outcomes.
The company says its Vertical Encompass Engine lets within the speaker to assign sound in vertical position with out a need speakers within the ceiling. As with the A9 map, Sony’s Soundfield Optimization expertise makes exercise of microphones constructed into the speaker to measure the high and width of the room. The map will accept as true with in mind the presence of an optionally accessible subwoofer or surround speakers whereas optimizing the sound for the room the speaker is in.
Just like the HT-A9 dwelling theater map, the HT-A7000 ($1,300) helps high-resolution audio (outlined as audio recordsdata with sampling rates better than 44.1kHz and better than 16-bit resolution) and Sony’s have 360 Actuality Audio format. The soundbar additionally aspects Sony’s DSEE Grievous audio-processing expertise, which is designed to revive the upper frequencies that can gain squashed when audio recordings are digitally compressed.
The unusual soundbar aspects dual HDMI inputs and a single HDMI output with toughen for ARC and eARC. The HDMI ports toughen 8K HDR, 4K circulation-by at 120Hz, and Dolby Imaginative and prescient. You’ll additionally salvage a Toslink optical digital enter to toughen older TVs, and a 3.5mm analog audio enter. A USB-A port is geared up for streaming audio from a thumb pressure. All of the equal streaming products and companies (Spotify, et al) that the HT-A9 map helps can be found here as smartly, as is toughen for Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2. Each and each dwelling theater merchandise work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, too.
Might perchance additionally merely mild you crave more bass than what the HT-A9 or HT-A7000 can pump out, both systems might maybe maybe well also even be supplemented with one of two wi-fi subwoofers: Sony’s SA-SW5 ($700) aspects a 180mm (7.08-meander) driver powered by a 300-watt amplifier (a passive radiator is additionally within the cupboard), whereas the corporate’s SA-SW3 ($400) pairs a 200-watt amp with a 160mm (6.3-meander) driver in a compact bass-reflex enclosure. If the HT-A7000’s digital surround sound doesn’t scratch your immersive audio itch, you are going to also add Sony’s $350 SA-RS3S surround speakers to your listening room.
Sony says all of the unusual dwelling-audio merchandise announced nowadays shall be accessible to repeat within the September/October timeframe.
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Michael covers the tidy-dwelling, dwelling-entertainment, and residential-networking beats, working within the tidy dwelling he in-constructed 2007.