The Sony reference HT-A7000 is therefore a 7.1.2 sound bar. But it can greatly evolve, overflowing in 9.1.2 configuration with the addition of a pair of compact wireless surround speakers, the Sony SA-RS3S, then taking advantage of the addition of an external subwoofer without - optional Sony SA-SW3 wire (160 mm membrane and 200 W power, see second photo below) or Sony SA-SW5 (180 mm membrane and 300 W power, see first photo below).
Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping
The Sony HT-A7000 is of course innovating fundamentally with, like the HT-A9, the exclusive 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology. The latter first scans the listening room, then assesses the placement of each speaker and the distance between them. In the optics of a fine calibration to optimize the diffusion of the sound coming from the various discrete channels.
360 Sony Acoustic Center Sync, 360 Reality Audio and DSEE Extreme
Another innovation available on the Sony HT-A7000 is the Acoustic Center Sync function. This, in the presence of a 2021 vintage Sony TV (Sony X95J, Sony Z9J, Sony A90J and Sony A80J series), allows the TV audio system to be integrated. The latter then plays the role of central channel to further enrich the sound experience. Likewise, the 360 Reality Audio music mode for a 3D sound close to that of a live concert is also in order.
Namely, the streaming services Amazon Music HD, Deezer and Tidal offer albums encoded with 360 Reality Audio technology. And to be complete, the speakers also take advantage of the DSEE Extreme principle to magnify in real time (via the Edge-AI algorithm) the sound quality of compressed audio files.
Acoustic package
The Sony HT-A7000 sound bar has eleven speakers. Seven on the front, including two X-Balanced (rectangular shaped) for the bass, plus two beam tweeters. For Dolby Atmos and DTS: X compatibilities, it benefits from the S-Force Pro Surround process associated with two Up-Firing speakers and Vertical Surround Engine technology (vertical surround processing). The idea is to enjoy the height sound effects of these soundtracks without any ceiling speakers.
Specifications in bulk…
For the rest, the Sony HT-A7000 is also equipped with voice assistants Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Connectivity is rich with Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Chromecast (integrated), Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2 compatibilities. HDR Dolby Vision and Hi-Res Audio certifications are also on the menu. The connection has two HDMI 2.1 inputs / output (with eARC function, 4K / 120 or 8K / 60), an optical input, a 3.5 mm mini-jack auxiliary input, a USB-A port and an S output output -Center Out for the Bravia 2021 TVs mentioned above.
To know again, the Sony HT-A7000 pack is optimized for the PlayStation 5. By this mean that if the next-gen Sony console is connected, no negative impact is to be expected on the Input Lag. No additional delay is to be feared either, the Input Lag linked to the soundbar is reduced to zero.
Availability announced for September. Indicative price: € 1,300 for the Sony HT-A7000, € 500 for the Sony SA-SW3, € 800 for the Sony SA-SW5 and € 500 for the pair of Sony SA-RS3S speakers.
Reminder of the key features of the Sony HT-A9:
• Type: four speaker pack
• System: 4.0.4
• Speaker (s): soft dome tweeter 19 mm + HP X-Balanced + HP Up-Firing
• Subwoofer: optional, wireless
• Technologies: 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, DSEE Extreme, 360 Sony Acoustic Center Sync
• Bluetooth compatibility
• Wi-Fi compatibility
• AirPlay 2 compatibility
• HDR10 compatibility
• HDR Dolby Vision compatibility
• eARC compatibility
• Codec compatibility Hi-Res Audio
• 4K Pass-Trought
• Chromecast function
• 4K / 120 function
• 8K / 60 function
• Connectivity: 1 HDMI / 2 CEC 2.1 outputs, 1 Ethernet port, 1 subwoofer output
• Other (s): Wireless surround speakers
• Dolby Atmos decoder
• DTS decoder: X
• Voice assistants: Works with Alexa, Works with Hey Google, Works with Apple Homekit
• Hi-Res Audio Certification
