The Sony HT-A9 reference is of course innovating in substance with a number of new technologies on board but also in form. Neither classic sound bar, nor traditional Home Cinema pack, the Sony HT-A9 is in fact made up of four wireless speakers (Sony proprietary Wi-Fi link) to be placed on either side of the television and behind you, at like a multi-channel audio system or a soundbar with surround speakers.
Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping
However, in order to take into account user feedback about such sound equipment, Sony offers an innovative solution in the form of four compact speakers (equivalent in size to that of a Sonos Play speaker). : 1) capable of great flexibility in terms of placement. Indeed, it is rare to be able to arrange the front and surround speakers in a square or a perfect rectangle in order to optimize their sound reproduction and the audio effects of the soundtracks.
That's why Sony has equipped the HT-A9 speakers with exclusive 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology. The latter first scans the listening room, then assesses the placement of each of the four speakers and the distance between them.
With the aim of course of a fine calibration to optimize the distribution of sound, by positioning them in relation to each other: for example, a surround speaker placed further back than the other, or more in height, will play the sound a bit ahead or behind so that the two surround channels reach the listening point perfectly simultaneously. Here is a welcome ergonomics which greatly facilitates the installation of the speakers (see visual below).
Another advantage of the 360 Spatial Sound Mapping process, it creates twelve virtual speakers to deliver a wide surround environment and fully immerse the viewer in the action.
360 Sony Acoustic Center Sync, 360 Reality Audio and DSEE Extreme
Another innovation available on the Sony HT-A9 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 speakers in the Sony HT-A9 package have three speakers. Two on the front, an X-Balanced specimen (rectangular shape) for bass and a 19mm soft dome tweeter, plus an HP in Up-Firing configuration placed at the top. For Dolby Atmos and DTS: X compatibilities, they are also available via an audio Upmix available with the Immersive Audio function.
Specifications in bulk…
For the rest, the Sony HT-A9 is also equipped with voice assistants Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Connectivity is rich with Bluetooth, Chromecast (integrated), Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2 compatibilities. HDR Dolby Vision and Hi-Res Audio certifications are also on the menu. The connection has an HDMI 2.1 input / output (with eARC function, 4K / 120 or 8K / 60), an Ethernet port and an S-Center Out output for the Bravia 2021 TVs mentioned above. Finally, for even more impactful low frequencies, the Japanese manufacturer offers two subwoofers, the Sony SA-SW3 (160 mm membrane and 200 W power) or Sony SA-SW5 (180 mm membrane and 300 W power ).
To know again, the Sony HT-A9 pack is optimized for the PlayStation 5. Understand that if the next-gen Sony console is connected to the Sony HT-A9 electronic box, no negative impact is to be expected. plan on the Input Lag. No additional delay is to be feared either, the Input Lag linked to the box is reduced to zero.
Availability announced for September. Guide price: € 1,800 for the Sony HT-A9, € 500 for the Sony SA-SW3 and € 800 for the Sony SA-SW5.
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 S-Center Out
• 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
