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The Sony HT-A7000 soundbar offers balanced, neutral sound with immersive technologies and impressive build quality, great for mixed usage. Overall, despite volume issues, it’s a good choice for those seeking a minimalist setup with low latency.
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Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
The Sony HT-A7000 is a 2021 model high-end 7.1.2 channel soundbar that features an expansive soundstage with lossless Dolby Atmos for movie lovers looking for an ideal living room soundbar.
Unfortunately, it can’t get as loud as some of the highest-ranked speakers out there. And unlike the best-rated soundbars in the market, the standalone HT-A7000 does not come with a dedicated subwoofer; you need to purchase it separately.
If you need a soundbar that features a dedicated wireless subwoofer, visit our Sony HT-G700 review. Besides Dolby Atmos, this soundbar also features the lossless DTS: X audio codec over HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), which delivers a similarly wide soundstage.
In terms of wireless connectivity, this soundbar features a flurry of options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a built-in Chromecast module, and Apple AirPlay 1.0.
And its wired connectivity consists of two full-speed HDMI passthrough ports (4K 60 Hz with Dolby Vision and HDR 10 support) to act as an HDMI hub, one optical and a 3.5 mm auxiliary audio jack, an RJ45 ethernet port, and a USB port for thumb drives and external hard drives.
But its audio latency over HDMI is just okay, which isn’t great for veteran gamers.
Consensus
our Verdict
The Sony HT-A7000 soundbar shines on the connectivity front with various wireless playback options, including support for Spotify Connect. Additionally, it offers excellent latency performance, ensuring audio and video synchronization during video playback.
However, some users might face compatibility issues with certain Bravia TVs, leading to a constant hiss. The build quality is impressive, with a premium feel, but the fabric covering on up-firing drivers could be improved.
The bar also has nice, responsive touch controls to adjust volume and settings.
In terms of sound quality, the soundbar’s balanced profile is suitable for most audio content, but it struggles to reproduce deep volume for thump in low-bass genres.
Regarding the soundstage, the S-Front Pro Front Surround technology widens the audio perception, but it lacks pinpoint accuracy in sound object placement.
ReasonS to Buy
Largely neutral sound quality
The HT-A7000 is great for TV shows, but only satisfactory for movies and music. It has a fairly balanced profile with bass emphasis, and although the stereo soundstage is pretty wide, sound placement feels more general than precise.
Great voice clarity
You get great voice clarity with the neutral mids and the discrete center channel makes dialogues feel like they’re emerging from precise spots.
Emphasized bass
The strong bass is great for various music genres, but it isn’t thumpy enough for movies.
Smart integration
With the Sony Music Center app (iOS and Android), you can control some of the soundbar’s settings with your smartphone. But for full control, you still need the remote.
Excellent connectivity
The soundbar has excellent input options, including 2 x Full HDMI In, 1 x HDMI eARC, and 1 x Optical audio, making it suitable for serving as a hub between devices. Latency is low over eARC (48 ms), Optical (54 ms), and Full HDMI In (60 ms), and is moderate compared to our other tested products.
Reason to Avoid
Poor surround and Atmos performance
The surround performance is poor because there are no dedicated satellites and the soundbar uses front-firing speakers to create the illusion of a surround soundstage. Atmos creates some height, but it is not as immersive as what you will find on other Atmos-enabled soundbars and dedicated ceiling speakers.
Weak low bass
The weak low bass means you will miss out on deep rumbles during action sequences and bass-intensive music genres. There is also no bass adjustment feature.
Sony HT-A7000 Specs
Bluetooth Enabled
Yes
Depth
5.59"
Dialogue Enhancement Feature
Yes
Energy Star Certified
No
Equalizer Settings
Basic
HDMI ARC
Yes
Height
3.14"
Number of Audio Channels
7.1.2
Subwoofer
Optional (sold separately)
Voice Assistant
No
Wall Mountable
Yes
Weight
26 lbs
Width
51.18"
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Wireless Subwoofer Connectivity
Yes
Works With
Amazon Alexa
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Soundbars based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
Low End Roll Off (Hz)
63.496
High End Roll Off (Hz)
19,053.408
Max Volume Test (db)
89.5
Latency (ms)
48
THD @ 80dB
0.37
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The Sony HT-A7000 is a 2021 model high-end 7.1.2 channel soundbar that features an expansive soundstage with lossless Dolby Atmos for movie lovers looking for…
The Sony HT-A7000 is a 2021 model high-end 7.1.2 channel soundbar that features an expansive soundstage with lossless Dolby Atmos for movie lovers looking for an ideal living room soundbar.
Unfortunately, it can’t get as loud as some of the highest-ranked speakers out there. And unlike the best-rated soundbars in the market, the standalone HT-A7000 does not come with a dedicated subwoofer; you need to purchase it separately.
If you need a soundbar that features a dedicated wireless subwoofer, visit our Sony HT-G700 review. Besides Dolby Atmos, this soundbar also features the lossless DTS: X audio codec over HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), which delivers a similarly wide soundstage.
In terms of wireless connectivity, this soundbar features a flurry of options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a built-in Chromecast module, and Apple AirPlay 1.0.
And its wired connectivity consists of two full-speed HDMI passthrough ports (4K 60 Hz with Dolby Vision and HDR 10 support) to act as an HDMI hub, one optical and a 3.5 mm auxiliary audio jack, an RJ45 ethernet port, and a USB port for thumb drives and external hard drives.
But its audio latency over HDMI is just okay, which isn’t great for veteran gamers.
Thanks to its much broader 7.1.2 channel speaker setup, the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar features a much wider soundstage and better Dolby Atmos performance than the…
Thanks to its much broader 7.1.2 channel speaker setup, the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar features a much wider soundstage and better Dolby Atmos performance than the 5.1.2 channel Sony HT-A5000. The HT-A7000 also features two full-speed HDMI passthrough ports to double as an HDMI hub, whereas the A5000 soundbar only features one Full-speed HDMI passthrough port. To learn more about the HT-A5000, check out our Sony HT-A5000 review today.
As the Samsung HW-Q990B features a much more comprehensive 11.1.4 channel speaker setup, it delivers a much more immersive Dolby Atmos experience than the 7.1.2…
As the Samsung HW-Q990B features a much more comprehensive 11.1.4 channel speaker setup, it delivers a much more immersive Dolby Atmos experience than the 7.1.2 channel Sony HT-A7000 soundbar with a broader overall soundstage. In addition, the HW-Q990B soundbar gets much louder than the Sony A7000, and it suffers from fewer compression artifacts at the max volume. The HW-Q990B also features highly customizable EQ presets that the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar lacks.
Despite only having a 5.0.2 channel speaker setup, the Sonos Arc soundbar features a wider soundstage and better Dolby Atmos performance than the 7.1.2 channel…
Despite only having a 5.0.2 channel speaker setup, the Sonos Arc soundbar features a wider soundstage and better Dolby Atmos performance than the 7.1.2 channel Sony HT-A7000, thanks to its lower frequency response slope. However, the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar does have a slightly better build quality, and unlike the Sonos Arc, it features a full-speed HDMI passthrough port. The Sonos Arc also has marginally better low-frequency output than the standalone HT-A7000.
