Sony HT-A9

What Sony delivers with the HT-A9 is unusual - but damn fun. Instead of relying on a classic soundbar, you get four individual speakers that are installed quickly and without annoying connecting cables. The distribution in the room and the pleasant size of the speakers allow the home cinema sound to spread out so much better...

Sony's HT-A9 speakers can sound impressive, no question, especially in combination with the 300-watt subwoofer. I also find the largely wireless and free placement very practical: I only need a suitable power connection, the rest is pleasantly flexible to choose from. For my taste, the soundscape is best in games as well as in films when it fills the room atmospherically without me being able to...

Sony's HT-A9 cannot compete with a full-fledged home cinema system, but at least with an additional subwoofer and a matching Sony TV as a "centre speaker" it still catches up in terms of sound - especially since the 3D effect comes across really clearly in a room with a matching ceiling. Consequently, the set is recommended above all for users who already have a Sony TV with "Acoustic Center Sync"...

With its new HT-A9 home cinema system, Sony has left the beaten track and completely rethought the topic of 3D audio. They didn't get bogged down with any DSP gimmicks, but instead gave the system a powerful acoustic basis as well as a sophisticated automatic calibration system that allows for a much more flexible positioning of the speakers...

Even if some cinema fans might expect even more aggression from a home cinema set, the calculation is right for owners of current Bravia XR models with S centre channel connection: The HT-A9 speaker set is the most comfortable and highest-quality way to combine music and film enjoyment in your own living room. The combination of four loudspeakers and a TV as centre speaker may therefore find further...

The Sony HT-A9 entertainment system is literally convincing all round. Rarely has an audio setup for the home cinema been set up and calibrated faster, so that after just a few steps you can enjoy a sound experience that goes far beyond the possibilities of a soundbar. Although Sony rightly writes "Best with Bravia", the combination is also worthwhile with an existing TV, even if it does not bear the...