Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 & Bar 9 Dolby Atmos Soundbar Review (HT-A8000 & HT-A9000)
Audio Advice reviews the Bar 8 and Bar 9 together as Sony's 2024 Dolby Atmos soundbars.
Sony · 2024
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9
Sony's 13-driver flagship soundbar: a five-star Atmos performer for What Hi-Fi, with just one HDMI input and no display.
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The verdict
What Hi-Fi says the Bar 9 comfortably beats the HT-A7000 it replaces for clarity, detail and Atmos immersion, and picked it over the Sonos Arc Ultra for features. It is a strong choice for buyers who want a premium single bar now and may add Sony's surrounds and subwoofer later. Note the single HDMI input, the lack of a display and the lack of built-in voice control.
The BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 (HT-A9000, sold as the Bravia Theatre Bar 9 in the UK) is Sony's flagship one-box Dolby Atmos soundbar, with 13 drivers, quad passive radiators and 360 Spatial Sound Mapping. It decodes Dolby Atmos and DTS:X and can be expanded with Sony's wireless subwoofers and rear speakers. What Hi-Fi awarded it five stars for clarity, detail and its effectiveness with Atmos, though it found the tone a little clinical. The bar has one HDMI input and no front display.
Strengths
- What Hi-Fi rates sound at five out of five, citing clarity, detail and dynamics from its 13 drivers and quad passive radiators.
- What Hi-Fi calls its Atmos presentation arguably the most convincing it has heard from a single soundbar.
- Supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which the rival Sonos Arc Ultra lacks.
- One HDMI 2.1 input passes through 4K 120Hz, VRR and ALLM for a console or other source.
- Sound Field Optimisation room calibration through the well-regarded BRAVIA Connect app.
Weak spots
- Only one HDMI input, down from two on the HT-A7000.
- No front display and no built-in voice control.
- What Hi-Fi finds the tone slightly clinical and notes that some very deep bass notes stick out.
- Tidal Connect is not supported, and surround speakers and a subwoofer cost extra.
Great for
- Buyers who want a premium single bar for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
- Sony TV owners who may later add wireless surrounds and a subwoofer
- Gamers who want HDMI 2.1 passthrough on the soundbar
Skip if
- Anyone needing several HDMI inputs on the soundbar
- Buyers who want built-in voice assistant control
Full specifications
From the manufacturer unless noted. Shown for this model.
Sound
- ChannelsWritten as bar.sub.height, or total channels. 5.1.2 means five main channels, a subwoofer and two overhead “height” channels.
- 5.1.2source
- Stated power
- 585 Wsource
- Subwoofer included
- No
- Rear speakers included
- No
- Room correction
- Sound Field Optimisation via the BRAVIA Connect app
- Dialogue enhancementA setting that lifts voices above music and effects, useful if dialogue is hard to follow.
- Voice mode
Audio formats
- Dolby Atmos
- Yes
- DTS:X
- Yes
Connections
Wireless
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.2
- Apple AirPlay
- Yes
- Spotify Connect
- Yes
Size & placement
- Bar width
- 1,300 mm
- Bar heightIf a soundbar sits in front of a low TV stand, its height can block the bottom of the picture or the remote sensor.
- 64 mm
- Bar depth
- 110 mm
- Bar weight
- 5.579 kgsource
Primary source: whathifi.com
Setup notes
- Connects to the TV through HDMI eARC, leaving one HDMI 2.1 input for a source device.
- Works with Sony's SA-RS5 and SA-R3S rear speakers and SA-SW5 and SA-SW3 subwoofers, per What Hi-Fi.
- IMAX Enhanced was due to arrive through a software update and needs wireless surrounds and a subwoofer, per What Hi-Fi.
- Room calibration runs through the BRAVIA Connect app.
Video reviews
Each video was checked to exist and to be about the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9.
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 Review with PS5 and Xbox Series X gaming
A review of the Bar 9 that also covers using it for PS5 and Xbox Series X gaming.
What reviewers found
Summaries in our own words. Follow the link to read each review in full.
Gives it five stars for sound and says it clearly improves on the HT-A7000 for clarity and dynamics, with one of the most convincing single-bar Atmos presentations it has heard. Faults the lack of a display, a slightly clinical tone and occasionally over-emphasised deep bass.
Read the originalA head-to-head with the Sonos Arc Ultra that favors the Sony on features for its HDMI 2.1 input and DTS:X support, describes its sound as highly detailed with strong spatial organization, and notes that some very deep bass can sound a little overdone.
Read the original
What owners are saying
From Reddit and forums, paraphrased with a link to the original discussion. Community reports are anecdotal.
An owner who had to send a faulty HT-A9000 away for repair says the bar sounds great when it works, but that getting it set up with Sony's rear speakers and subwoofer through the Sony app was a frustrating ordeal.
Read the original
Questions
Does the Sony Bar 9 include a subwoofer or rear speakers?
No. It is a single soundbar, but it works with Sony's optional SA-RS5 or SA-R3S wireless surrounds and SA-SW5 or SA-SW3 subwoofers if you want to expand it.
Does the Bar 9 support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X?
Yes. It supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. IMAX Enhanced was announced as a future software update that also needs surrounds and a subwoofer.
How many HDMI ports does the Bar 9 have?
It has an HDMI eARC output for the TV and one HDMI 2.1 input that passes through 4K 120Hz, VRR and ALLM. That is one input fewer than the HT-A7000 it replaced.
Does the Bar 9 have Wi-Fi and AirPlay?
Yes. What Hi-Fi lists Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect. Tidal Connect is not supported.
More soundbars
Sources for this page
Last reviewed Nov 9, 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us.