Sony HT-G700 overview: This Atmos-enabled soundbar boasts a trifecta of digital 3D modes, but no Wi-Fi

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Sony doubles down on virtualized 3D audio with the HT-G700, a 3.1-channel soundbar that may per chance presumably maybe ship immersive 3D audio the use of now not one, now not two, but three competing audio technologies. Whereas it lacks the upfiring drivers that virtually all Dolby Atmos- and DTS:X-enabled soundbars exercise for height effects, the HT-G700 simulates height and encompass cues the use of digital 3D solutions from Dolby, DTS, and Sony itself. The HT-G700 makes for a daring showcase for how far virtualized 3D audio has approach in most up-to-date years, but it also betrays its weaknesses, in particular by manner of Sony’s aggressive—per chance too aggressive—implementation.

The HT-G700’s $500 designate notice may per chance presumably maybe sound sexy given its array of 3D audio functionality, but it absolutely’s also lacking one mountainous characteristic: a Wi-Fi adapter. Meaning plenty of the wi-fi capabilities we’ve design to ask from soundbars in this designate fluctuate—including multi-room audio, AirPlay 2 or Chromecast connectivity, suppose reinforce for streaming tune companies and products, and train assistant reinforce—are lacking.

This overview is piece of TechHive’s protection of essentially top-of-the-line soundbars, the place you’ll pick up opinions of competing merchandise, plus a purchaser’s e-book to the facets you ought to withhold in mind when having a seek.

Configuration

A alternative for Sony’s 2.1-channel HT-X9000F, the HT-G700 arrives with extra energy than its predecessor (400 watts versus 300W for the X9000F), along with (in step with Sony) a distinguished broader sweetspot, a bigger subwoofer, and a brand new “Immersive AE” (Audio Enhancement) mode that’s capable of upmixing 5.1 and even stereo audio to virtualized 7.1.2 audio.

The Sony HT-G700 is a 3.1-channel soundbar, with a trio of 45 x 10mm oval-fashioned cones within the foremost unit for the left, swish, and center channels (the “3” in “3.1”) and a wi-fi subwoofer with a 160mm cone for low-frequency effects (the “.1”). For the reason that HT-G700 lacks the wi-fi capabilities of Sony’s pricier soundbars, it’s going to’t be upgraded to a fat-on 5.1-channel scheme the use of a position of wi-fi encompass audio system; in other phrases, what you seek (and hear) is what you acquire.

The HT-G700 supports 3D object-based sound formats similar to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, but it absolutely doesn’t ship height effects with upfiring drivers that bounce sound off your ceiling (which is itself a substitute for installing audio system in your ceiling). As a substitute, it makes use of virtualization to trick your ears into taking into consideration you’re listening to sound from above (now not to screech from within the wait on of, or from the sides). The soundbar unquestionably supports three flavors of immersive 3D audio virtualization: Dolby Atmos with height virtualization technology, DTS Virtual:X, and Sony’s aforementioned Immersive AE, which employs a pair of other Sony audio technologies—Vertical Surround Engine for height cues, and S-Pressure Pro for facet-to-facet encompass—to upmix 5.1 and even 2.0 audio to virtualized 7.1.2 sound.

In frequent, digital 3D height effects lack the precision you’ll hear from these delivered by upfiring drivers (which, in turn, aren’t as proper as in-ceiling audio system), and they may per chance presumably maybe moreover sound harsh and distractingly synthetic within the occasion that they’re utilized too aggressively. That acknowledged, digital 3D sound offers a key profit over drivers that bounce sound off the ceiling: its efficiency doesn’t rely on the form of ceiling you are going to need. To wring essentially top-of-the-line sound out of upfiring drivers, Dolby recommends a flat ceiling between 7.5 and 14 toes height, and vaulted ceilings merely gained’t enact. If the ceiling in your leisure room is simply too excessive, too low, or the rest other than completely flat, digital 3D sound may per chance presumably maybe presumably be your most effective choice, alarmed of proper in-ceiling audio system.

The Sony HT-G700’s foremost soundbar unit measures 38.6 x 2.6 x 4.4 inches, making it a miniature bit narrower than my 55-journey LG C9 OLED TV, with the soundbar barely grazing the bottom fringe of the show hide from the vantage level of my living room couch. In the intervening time, the 7.6 x 15.25 x 16-journey wi-fi subwoofer (which isn’t unquestionably wi-fi, because it requires a energy wire) is ready as mountainous and burly as individuals who approach with competing soundbars.

Setup

The Sony HT-G700 takes handiest minutes to position up. Potentialities are you’ll presumably maybe presumably possess the choice of inserting it in entrance of your TV or mounting it on a wall below your TV; a wall mounting e-book is integrated, but no brackets or screws. I skipped the mounting direction of and merely plunked the soundbar down in entrance of my TV position.

Whenever you’ve place the soundbar the place you snatch to possess it, swish recede within the energy wire (there’s no outlet-blocking off wall wart or energy brick, thankfully), then living and energy up the pre-paired wi-fi subwoofer, which ought to connect to the soundbar robotically (you are going to moreover pair the subwoofer manually if one thing goes pass with auto-pairing).

For the reason that HT-G700 lacks community connectivity, you gained’t possess to take care of including it to your living Wi-Fi community, a direction of that (as I’ve discovered with other soundbars) may per chance presumably maybe moreover be surprisingly exhausting.

Whereas its lack of Wi-Fi connectivity makes the HT-G700 a snap to position up, it also approach that the soundbar lacks bevy of key facets, including multi-room audio, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast audio casting, and the flexibility to straight connect to streaming audio companies and products similar to Spotify or Amazon Song. Potentialities are you’ll presumably maybe’t adjust the HT-G700’s facets or settings with a mobile app, nor with Alexa or Google Assistant train instructions. For a $500 soundbar, that’s lots to hand over.

Sony does offer a identical soundbar with Wi-Fi capabilities: the $700 3.1-channel HT-Z9F (which we haven’t reviewed but).

Inputs and outputs

The Sony HT-G700 comes geared up with a pair of HDMI ports: one is an odd HDMI enter, whereas the 2nd is an HDMI ARC (immediate for “audio return channel”) port that supports eARC, an “enhanced” model of eARC that enables for lossless audio formats similar to Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Grasp Audio (you are going to be taught all about ARC and eARC in this myth). To boot to the HDMI ports, there’s also a Toslink optical digital enter, plus a USB port that’s swish for installing firmware updates.

Ben Patterson/IDG

The simplest manner to place the HT-G700 to your TV is by technique of the aforementioned HDMI ARC port, which helps you to withhold your varied video sources linked to your TV whereas sending audio to the soundbar over the integrated HDMI cable. If with no doubt one of your video sources is a Blu-ray participant (both standalone or individuals who are built into PlayStation 4 and Xbox One game consoles), the HT-G700’s eARC reinforce will enable you to revel in lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Grasp Audio soundtracks in all their glory—supplied your TV also supports eARC, that’s.

One other choice is to place a video source to the soundbar’s single HDMI enter after which connect the soundbar to the TV by technique of the HDMI ARC port, which supports 4K HDR video passthrough. Primarily the most entertaining thing about plugging a video source straight into the soundbar is that you just’ll be in a order to hear lossless audio from a Blu-ray participant even when your TV doesn’t reinforce eARC (which it likely doesn’t, unless you bought it within the closing 12 months or so). The design back, nonetheless, is that you just’ll possess to physically swap out HDMI cables whereas you are going to need extra than one video enter.

Built-in buttons, far flung adjust

On high of the foremost soundbar unit, you’ll pick up touch-sensitive buttons for energy, enter raise out, Bluetooth, and volume up/down. Peeking out from the gloomy aluminum speaker grille is a five-personality allege that tells you (amongst other issues) the volume level, the detected audio signal (Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, etc.), which enter is chosen, and plenty of others. Potentialities are you’ll presumably moreover position the indicator to head gloomy after a transient duration, to hand for cutting down on visual distractions.

The HT-G700’s long, thin, and non-backlit far flung may per chance presumably maybe moreover be complicated to use. Whereas the mountainous spherical volume button is easy to pick up within the gloomy (as is the jumbo-sized energy button within the tip-swish nook), upright success figuring out the alternative miniature, circular buttons without turning a delicate on.

A dozen of these identically fashioned buttons are organized in two columns of six buttons every, including the soundless button, the evening and train modes, and the subwoofer level buttons. All of these sit down below the volume rocker. Eight extra buttons, including four for sound modes (similar to Cinema and Song), particular person who toggles Sony’s Immersive AE characteristic, one other that cycles the allege, and but one other for picking the fascinating enter, are above the volume rocker.

Ben Patterson/IDG

To navigate the HT-G700’s settings menu, you’ll possess to press the Menu button, which sits within the swish column of buttons below the volume rocker. You press the Up and Down arrows within the left column to navigate the menu strategies, after which press the Enter button that’s below the Menu button to desire an choice. The Menu button is the handiest manner to enable DTS Virtual:X and Dolby’s digital 3D sound modes, and to acquire to these menu strategies, you’ll possess to navigate two menu ranges deep, then step all the model down to the very bottom of the 2nd menu.

Virtual 3D modes

The Sony HT-G700 offers a humiliation of riches as far as digital 3D audio engines are concerned; certainly, whereas you ever wanted the opportunity to stack the digital 3D sound technology of Dolby, DTS, and Sony in opposition to every other, this versatile soundbar items the particular opportunity to enact so.

DTS Virtual:X is likely essentially the most familiar of the three competing digital 3D modes. Following its debut in 2017, DTS Virtual:X showed us swish how life like digital 3D audio technology may per chance presumably maybe sound. Dolby’s digital 3D technology, recognized as Dolby Atmos height virtualization, is handiest now making its manner onto soundbars (such because the upcoming TCL Alto 9+).

Then there’s Sony’s Immersive AE mode, which requires some explaining. As I discussed earlier, Immersive AE is certainly a combination of two Sony audio technologies: Vertical Surround Engine, which supplies height effects, and S-Pressure Pro for facet-to-facet encompass effects. These two technologies are utilized—or now not—reckoning on the tell material you’re taking notice of and the sound mode you’ve chosen.

Both the Vertical Surround Engine and S-Pressure Pro are auto-enabled—and essential— everytime you’re staring at object-based Dolby Atmos or DTS:X tell material (and assuming you aren’t the use of the Dolby or DTS virtualizers), which approach that pressing the Immersive AE button on the far flung gained’t possess any enact. Whenever you’re staring at 5.1- or 2.0-channel tell material, pressing (to illustrate) the Cinema button and enabling the Immersive AE mode engages every the Vertical Surround Engine and S-Pressure Pro; whereas you disable Immersive AE in Cinema mode, the Vertical Surround Engine is grew to alter into off, but S-Pressure Pro stays on. Song mode behaves a piece in a different way; whereas every the Vertical Surround Engine and S-Pressure Pro will (as with the Cinema mode) swap on whereas you enable the Immersive AE mode, they’ll every turn off whereas you toggle off the Immersive AE mode. 

• The HT-G700’s $500 designate notice may per chance presumably maybe sound sexy given its array of 3D audio functionality, but it absolutely’s lacking a mountainous characteristic: Wi-Fi connectivity.

  Execs

  • Aid for digital 3D modes from Dolby, DTS, and Sony
  • Crisp, punchy sound
  • Straightforward setup
  • Evening and train enhancer modes

  Cons

  • Virtual 3D modes sound harsh at cases
  • No Wi-Fi reinforce
  • Far flung is complicated to use