THE FUTURE OF HOME THEATER? SONY HT-A9 REVIEW
Sony HT-A9 review by Andrew Robinson. Originally published on 9/26/2021.
HOW GOOD IS THE SONY A9 HOME THEATER SYSTEM? IS THIS THE FUTURE OF HOME THEATER?
Sony makes some pretty BOLD claims with the subject of today’s review. We’ve all seen various brands come out swinging only to pull up completely short in the delivery. Will Sony buck the trend? Well, get ready to find out because we have questions. How good is the Sony A9 home theater system and is this the future of home theater?
SONY HT-A9 SPECS
The Sony HT-A9 is a home theater system consisting of a hub and four bookshelf sized loudspeakers. If you go by actual channels, the A9 is a 4.0.4 surround sound system, however with the help of 360-degree Spatial Sound Mapping, these same four speakers can create an experience not unlike what you’d get from a 12 channel system. The A9’s four loudspeakers each possess a soft dome tweeter mated to a mid-bass driver as well as an upward firing driver both of which use Sony’s X-balanced design. Each speaker is powered using Sony’s own digital amplifier tech and connects wirelessly to the hub. There are 12 amplifiers in the A9 system for 504 Watts of total power.
Sony HT-A9 speakers with HUB and remote. Photo credit: Andrew Robinson
The A9 hub is a small black box that looks a lot like an AppleTV. It features an HDMI input as well as an HDMI out, the latter being compatible with ARC and eARC. The A9 system can playback both Dolby Atmos as well as DTS:X tracks, not to mention legacy surround sound formats as well as high-res audio either wired or wirelessly. The hub can pass through an 8K, 4K/120 signal and supports Dolby Vision, HDR and HLG. In my tests, I played Call of Duty on our PS5 without incident confirming that it can pass a 4K/120 signal. There is no readily available 8K content, so the verdict is still out on its 8K pass through claims. The A9 supports Google Assistant, Alexa, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth and WiFi and for more detailed specs please check out our links in the description.
Can you really put the A9 system anywhere? YES.
HOW FLEXIBLE IS THE SONY A9?
Like I said at the beginning of this video, Sony makes some pretty BOLD claims with the A9, especially when it comes to the setup. In almost every press image of the A9 you will see the four speakers strewn about a living room in a not-so-traditional-home-theater setup. The image is usually accompanied by a blurb about “flexible layout” or “place the speakers anywhere.” If you're like me, these types of promises are usually met with some skepticism. Never one to pass up the opportunity to be disappointed, I took Sony at their word and placed the speakers where they were most convenient for me and my living room. I plugged each speaker into a wall outlet, using the supplied power cables or my own if I needed something longer. I connected the hub into two TVs during this review including our VIZIO P Series Quantum X and Sony’s new X95J.
SONY HT-A9 SET UP
When powering up the hub and speakers for the first time you’re walked through an easy to follow setup procedure thanks to Sony’s excellent on-screen menus. Setup only takes a few minutes and is 100% necessary in getting the MOST out of this system --so don’t skip it. Once the speakers are set up and mapped to your room you’re treated to a short demo of Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound experience and I have to say, not since the first Dolby Digital or THX intros, have I heard immersion quite like this. I know it’s just a demo, a demo designed to wow, but damn it’s impressive.
NO, THE SW5 SUBWOOFER IS NOT OPTIONAL
Now, before I jump into the A9’s performance, I need to get a few things off my chest. First, I tested the A9 system with both of Sony’s OPTIONAL subwoofers; the smaller SW3 and the larger SW5! The SW5 is the ONLY sub to get for this system. Don’t even bother with the SW3, it’s junk. I know the SW5 is more expensive, but it is demonstrably better and no, I do not consider it to be optional. The A9 speakers have no real bass without a sub. Second, while the speakers connected to the hub without incident, the sub did not. I had to manually connect the sub to the hub --albeit wirelessly --but it was not a plug-n-play experience. Good news is, once connected, the sub never lost its signal and performed flawlessly. If you decide to ignore my advice and buy the sub separately later, you will have to run the auto setup procedure all over again in order to remap the speakers AND the sub to your room -failure to do this will result in potentially wonky sound. And if you decide to go rogue and not listen to my advice, don’t say that you weren’t warned. I don’t want to hear about how “it sucked” only for you to admit that you bought the A9 without the sub.
DOES THE SONY A9 SOUND GOOD WITH MUSIC?
Now before you get those keyboard fingers warmed up, I already know what you’re going to ask me: “Does the Sony A9 sound good with music?!?” You’re damn right it does. The A9 sounds incredible with music, in fact, it may be one of the more interesting aspects of its performance. Placing the A9 system in its Auto Sound preset and turning on Immersive AE -- which is Sony’s 7.1.4 sound mapping tech --proved to be a magic bullet for regular old two-channel mixes as well as 360 audio. When listening to music THIS WAY, the A9 is beyond impressive --and not impressive for a lifestyle or soundbar-like system --no, I’m saying it’s impressive, period.
But for you audiophiles out there, let’s get one thing straight - the Sony system is NOT neutral. It is a Sony system after all, so you should expect a smile-like curve to EVERYTHING. Slightly accentuated highs, leaner mids and punchy bass. That is this system’s sound in a nutshell. This isn’t a knock against Sony or the A9, as it keeps music feeling lively and completely engaging at all volumes. And when you engage Sony’s Immersive AE, it elevates two channel playback in a way few pseudo surround systems do, because Sony has struck a very nice balance between the front of stage performance and using the rears to flesh out ambient cues. The result is a soundstage that is incredibly detailed between the speakers, and vastly more spacious side to side and top to bottom than just about anything on the market right now. Traditional stereo setups can't touch this. Seriously, listening to Mr. Luck Live featuring Ronnie Wood and The Ronnie Wood Band sounded spooky real with respect to the A9’s recreation of physical space. More impressive is the fact that the remapping isn’t a one-size fits all type solution, as the surround channel’s seem to adjust in their intensity based somewhat on the source signal. Live albums, they do more heavy lifting, whereas studio recordings are a little more subtle --it’s incredibly effective.
THE SONY A9 AND MOVIES
Switching gears to movies, Dolby Atmos mixed content sounds bloody brilliant. Films like A Quiet Place II, 6 Underground and the remastered Matrix Trilogy are presented with all the scale, dynamics and presence you’d expect from a dedicated 12 channel system, only you’re doing it with four speakers and a single sub. Transformative scale is not an issue, nor is face-ripping dynamics, which I’ll touch upon more in a moment. What impressed me most was the sheer resolution and detail retrieval of Dolby Atmos mixes. Watching A Quiet Place II, I heard things in the mix other speaker systems have missed entirely. Through the A9, these cues were given a level of importance that I have to imagine the filmmakers’ intended. The subtle heartbeats and breath reverberating inside the chest cavity of Regan -the hearing impared daughter -that underscores her point of view throughout the film was something to behold. I’ve heard her heart beat before, but never with the dimension, purpose and clarity that I experienced through the A9. It was eye-opening.
SONY A9 SURROUND SOUND PERFORMANCE
But like with two channel music, the more impressive aspect of the Sony A9 surround sound performance was just how good it was with “lesser” formats like 5.1 Dolby Digital. There was almost no difference in the cinematic experience between Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital. Watching the disaster flick, San Andreas was AWESOME! I’ve seen this film a dozen times on a dozen different setups, and the A9 ranks among my favorites. Spatially, had you told me it was an Atmos mix, I would’ve believed you. Had you blindfolded me and said there were more than four speakers in the room, I would’ve believed you. If you told me the subwoofer was a 500 plus Watt-er with a 10 to 12 inch driver, I would’ve believed you. No bullshit...it was a true cinematic experience.
A9 DIALOG INTELLIGIBILITY
What’s more impressive is that despite not having a true center speaker, the A9’s dialog intelligibility and center fill is center speaker like. It’s actually better for me, because I find some center speakers to be too directional, sometimes pulling my focus away from the screen and down towards the speaker itself. This doesn’t happen with the A9 so actors never sound trapped in a box. While I would love to hear the A9 with a dedicated center, its phantom center is so good, why bother.
SONY HT-A9 DRAWBACKS
But all of this isn’t to say that the A9 is perfect. It’s not. Impressive, oh yeah. Ideal, well, that’s going to depend on a few things. First, the effectiveness of any upward firing Atmos speakers is going to rest on ceiling height. Ours are 9 feet, which is ideal. If yours are higher than say 12 your mileage may begin to vary. Also, I absolutely HATE that Sony does not include a subwoofer with the A9 system. This is a premium product that has no real bass to speak of, and as a result NEEDS a sub and one is NOT included - but after a quick chat with Sony, they agreed to at least offer a bundled option so you can save a little money. You’re welcome. But back to my complaints about the subwoofers, Sony gives you the illusion of two choices when in my opinion, there really is only one -the larger, more expensive SW5. The smaller SW3 subwoofer is too boomy, vague and not up to snuff for a system as good as the A9. Thankfully Sony gives you some measure of control over the sub in terms of volume, but the system is limited with respect to its overall control. You don’t get independent channel control, really. Tone controls, nope. So like the Cinema 1200, you’re somewhat at the mercy of what the manufacturer wants, which in Sony’s instance worked out, but man, it could have easily gone the other way - just ask Klipsch.
SONY BRAVIA TVS AND THE A9
Now, Sony likes to tout how well the A9 integrates with their latest gen Bravia TVs. They’re not full of it when they say this, because when paired with a Sony TV, the whole experience becomes more streamlined save for one feature --using your Sony TV as the center speaker. My god is this awful. First, Samsung and LG have similar tech between their TVs and soundbars, only theirs is wireless --the Sony forces you to use a 3.5mm headphone-like cable to TETHER the A9 hub to your TV in order to use the TV speakers as a center channel. Barf. Moreover, the timbre of the TV speakers are in no way a match for the rest of the A9 system, so the experience sounds rather disjointed sonically. Does it work? Sure. Would I use it? No.
SONY HT-A7000 SOUND BAR vs sony ht-a9
Before I get into third party comparisons we need to address the other Sony product that launched alongside the A9, their NEW HT-A7000 sound bar. We have it and frankly, I think that bar sucks and like the Cinema 1200 (which still has no app update) you should skip it. If you’ve been on the fence between the 7000 and the A9 -get the A9.
The 7000 is built to the standards set by Bose and Bang & Olufsen. That’s where the good news stops for me because despite being based on the same tech and arguably the same platform as the A9, it simply does not deliver the goods. The 7000 sounds like a soundbar, only not a good one or at least not a modern one. It is easily bested by the likes of the Samsung Q950A, and the Samsung does it for less money, because the 7000 is an a la carte style system that’s going to run you more than two grand all-in! And don’t believe for one second that the 7000 achieves a cinematic experience without a separate sub and surrounds, it doesn’t. The 7000 just isn’t worth it in my opinion. You can read my full review of the Sony A7000 soundbar HERE.
comparable speakers and soundbars
Getting back to the A9, I struggled with what to compare it to; soundbars or dedicated home theaters? I’m going to err on the side of soundbars because at its core, that is the market I believe Sony is targeting. Compared to the BEST soundbars on the market right now, the Sennheiser AMBEO and Samsung Q950A, the Sony A9 is better and my new reference at this more premium price point. Obviously the AMBEO is an all-in-one solution, and as a true all-in-one solution it has no peer, though the Q950A comes close. In terms of transforming your room into a cinema however, the A9 simply does a more convincing job than either of them.
Samsung Q950A soundbar featured with the 2022 Samsung QN900B TV. Photo by Andrew Robinson.
SONY A9 VS SAMSUNG AND SENNHEISER
Now, the Q950A is impressive, and until Sennheiser proves that it isn’t abandoning it’s soundbar line, the Samsung is still MY go-to soundbar solution, especially considering it’s recent drop in price, but if you’re going for maximum impact and suspension of belief, the A9 is better. If you already own the Q950A or AMBEO don’t feel like you're missing out - both are still great systems. Now, if you own the Q950A and pair it with a newer Samsung TV and take advantage of Q Symphony, the gap between the A9 and the Q950A performance narrows.
Update: We haven’t tested the new Samsung sound bar, the Q990B so we can’t speak to how the two compare just yet.
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 speakers.
THE A9 VS DEDICATED HOME THEATER SPEAKERS
With respect to dedicated home theater speakers the A9 competes favorably and in many respects matches or surpasses the performance bar set by our Monitor Audio Bronze 5.1.2 system (Bronze 100 speakers, Bronze center speaker, Bronze 50 speakers) driven by either a Sony or Yamaha receiver. This setup will run you approximately $3,700 plus cables and stands, so let’s call it an even four grand. At that price the Sony is a relative bargain coming in at $2,500 $2696 (as of 7/12/2022) for the A9 plus the price of the larger, SW5 sub. Plus you have a system that takes up less real estate, is easier to set up and live with, and gives you a fuller, more immersive Atmos experience. True, a setup like the Monitor Audio Bronze theater does give you the flexibility to upgrade and improve your rig with time, but if you’re looking for an ease of use and a set it and forget it home theater setup the A9 is hard to beat.
Obviously, if you’re rocking a dedicated home theater built around Klipsch 8000Fs, Focal 826Ds or Polk Reserve speakers you’re already having a different discussion, and no the A9 is not likely to best THOSE setups. But I’d wager the A9 would surprise you and definitely wouldn’t be outright embarrassed.
IS THE SONY A9 REALLY THAT GOOD?
In the end I was not expecting to be this blown away by the HT-A9 from Sony especially after our A7000 experience. Like many of you, I saw the launch videos, heard the testimonials from movie producers and sound engineers and thought, yeah, sure, Jan. But, at least when it comes to the A9, I don’t think Sony has misspoke, or over promised. Dialed in and especially when watching movies, the A9 with the SW5 subwoofer delivers! While I’m sure my reaction to the A9 will be met with eye rolls, snarky remarks and skepticism from my usual critics, when it comes to home theater, what matters most to me is that the system puts me in the center of the film and keeps me there until the credits. If I have time or the inclination to look at the speakers, think about the receiver and go full-on Internet forum nerd in the middle of the movie --- I don’t care what anyone says -- that’s not a good home theater setup. The A9 kept my attention and my focus on what matters and in doing so, impressed me in ways very few products manage. Is it perfect? No. Is it sonically the most accurate speaker system? Nope. Would I rather watch a first run movie on HBO Max through the A9 system than just about anything else I’ve heard in the past year? Heck yeah. One hundred percent. If you can park your ego at the door. Have the funds and an open mind to match, I think the HT-A9 from Sony is freaking awesome!
