New Dolby Atmos soundbars with Spatial tech announced by Sony and Bose for $900.
On September 9, 2021, Sony Electronics Inc. unveiled the HT-A5000, the latest addition to their premium soundbar portfolio. Thanks to Sony’s renowned audio technologies, such as Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO Front Surround, consumers can enjoy the excitement of the cinema in the comfort of their own homes with this 5.1.2 channel Dolby Atmos® soundbar.
On September 7th, 2021, Bose unveiled the Smart Soundbar 900, a Dolby Atmos® speaker that delivers unrivaled immersion for music and movies. The 900 elevates Dolby Atmos content by isolating instruments, conversation, and effects and placing them in discrete regions of space – far above, and to the far right and left — using unique Bose spatial technology. It also enriches non-Dolby Atmos content by giving the same experience regardless of what you’re listening to or watching.
“We are committed to creating the best sound experience possible for our customers, no matter their home setup,” said Tyler Ishida, Deputy President for Consumer Business Group, Sony Electronics Inc. “With impressive optimization capabilities, the A5000 offers an immersive soundscape that’s suited for any room.”
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S-Force PRO Front Surround is also included in the soundbar, which creates a larger horizontal soundscape. It employs Sony’s proprietary digital sound field processing technology and the front X-Balanced Speaker Unit to realistically duplicate a vast and immersive sound field horizontally.
Bose Soundbar 900
Soundbar 900 enriches non-Dolby Atmos content by giving the same experience regardless of what you’re listening to or watching. The Soundbar 900 uses HDMI eARC to connect to a TV with just one wire and houses all of its technology in a beautiful single shell. For a premium audio multi-room system, it includes Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® for the best of both worlds, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for voice control, a simple app for touch control, and compatibility with Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, and all other Bose smart speakers. The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 will be replaced with the Soundbar 900, which will be available on September 23rd for $899.95 and can be pre-ordered at www.bose.com.
Bose Spatial Technologies Meets Dolby Atmos
The Smart Soundbar 900 immerses you in your music or movies in a completely new way. It achieves a level of realism that no other speaker can match by integrating bespoke arrays, dipole transducers, and low-profile transducers with Bose spatial technology.
The 900 accomplishes more than traditional Dolby Atmos soundbars, which create sound “overhead.” Other dimensions are carefully added by Bose PhaseGuideTM technology, which places and “pins” separate sound to the right and left when there are no speakers. As a result, the helicopter hovers above you, and the actors’ race past you rather than across your screen. Alternatively, the singer may perform while standing center-left, and you may hear them perform center-left in your room. When Dolby Atmos content isn’t available, the horizontal spatial effects are just as good, and Bose TrueSpaceTM technology takes over for the vertical experience, remixing signals to add “height” without the need for a ceiling speaker.
Bose QuietPortTM technology delivers superb bass performance and virtually no distortion at any volume for programming or playlists. And if furniture or system placement obstructs audio quality, ADAPTiQ® technology automatically corrects it, ensuring optimal performance in every area, every time.
The Soundbar 900 is only 2.3 pounds “41” long, a little over 4″ high, and just over 4″ deep. It has a polished, impact-resistant tempered glass top, a wraparound metal grille, tight seams, clean lines, and an oval-shaped design. It fits perfectly under televisions with a 50-inch screen “or a greater size.
With HDMI eARC and a single connection that plugs into the TV, setup is simple. Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2 are simple to use over Wi-Fi, and connection to a phone or tablet with Bluetooth® takes seconds. For voice control, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are built-in, with Alexa extending to taking and making calls, as well as enabling the exclusive Bose Voice4VideoTM feature, which switches a TV onto the channel or input requested with just one command.
The 900 can be used with Bose bass modules and rear speakers for a more complete home theatre experience, Bose smart speakers for a multi-room or whole-house system, and the new QuietComfort® 45 headphones for the ultimate private viewing party. Pairing, customization, and updates are all made easier with the Bose Music app.
Sony HT-A5000
Sony’s A5000 comes with included Sound Field Optimization. Built-in microphones automatically measure the room’s height and width, as well as the location of the optional subwoofer and rear speakers, and tailor the sound to the layout exactly. Sound Field Optimization is available with or without supplementary speakers; simply start the calibration procedure during initial setup or from the home menu.
The A5000’s powerful speakers work together to create clean, wide-ranging music with minimal distortion. The soundbar has two up-firing speakers that reflect sound off the ceiling for overhead music and a built-in dual subwoofer for deep bass. Two beam tweeters on the A5000 bounce sound off the sidewalls and augment surround sound, giving customers an immersive experience that extends beyond the size of their TV.
Sony’s X-Balanced Speaker Unit is found in the up-firing speakers, built-in dual subwoofer, and front speakers. The rectangular design enhances the size of the speaker diaphragm and improves sound pressure for more punchy bass and vocal clarity.
The A5000 also features DSEE ExtremeTM, which uses Edge-AI to upscale compressed digital files in real-time and restore the high-range sound that is lost during compression for a richer, more complete listening experience.
The A5000 is ideal for music enthusiasts. With High-Resolution Audio, listeners may enjoy music the way the artists intended, or try something new with 360 Reality Audio1, an immersive music experience that seems as genuine as a live concert. On Amazon Music HD, Deezer, nugs.net, and TIDAL, users can listen to 360 Reality Audio.
Spotify ConnectTM, Chromecast, Apple Airplay 2, Bluetooth®, and Wi-Fi are all supported by the soundbar, allowing customers to stream their favorite music at the tap of a button.
Optional Speakers
The addition of a low-frequency subwoofer to the system allows the system to reproduce music with greater impact and power than previously. There are two models available, both of which are designed to bring out more bass, vocal clarity, and fidelity in all forms of audio content. A 180mm driver with a passive radiator delivers 300W3 of deep, rich bass to the SA-SW5. The SA-SW3 is a tiny bass reflex subwoofer with a 160mm driver that produces 200W4 of sound. Add the SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers with 100W5 of broader surround sound and wall mount functionality for even more cinematic pleasures.
The A5000 also works with favorite voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The HT-A5000 will be available for order in early fall 2021 at authorized dealers for a suggested retail price of $899.99.
Dolby Atmos soundbars with Spatial tech announced by Sony and Bose.