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Sony HT S350 Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Dec 20, 2023 11:31 AM

True Score

79
80
9

Experts

88
6,653

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

Featuring a remarkably loud output, the Sony HT-S350 is a good option for upgrading the sound in living rooms. However, it lacks advanced features like Dolby Atmos and extended low bass that would appeal to movie enthusiasts.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Sony HT-S350 is an entry-level 2.1 soundbar that made its debut in 2019, offering deep bass for movie and music lovers. Equipped with a dedicated wireless subwoofer, this system adds bass to any TV sound profile but lacks that deep rumble for home theater settings.

You can find devices with deeper bass among the best speakers on the market today. This soundbar has a handy auto volume mode for adjusting the sound output.

However, it has a muddy sound profile out of the box. Achieving a top output of 95.5 dB, this system gets really loud. It has an HDMI ARC and optical input.

It also downmixes surround to stereo, providing a mediocre surround soundstage, so it is not very immersive for movies. This soundbar doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, so it’s unsuitable for advanced Blu-rays and other formats.

The audio latency of the optical port is a bit high, so sensitive users may see things on the screen slightly before hearing the corresponding audio.

This unit connects via Bluetooth but lacks other wireless streaming methods. You can learn more about the Sony HT-S350 in our review below, see our top-rated soundbars to explore your options.

Best For

  • Large Rooms

Consensus

our Verdict

Experts love the loud output of the Sony HT-S350, recommending it for music, TV shows, and casual movie playback. Experts from TechRadar hailed this system’s loud volume, saying that it is good enough for large living rooms.

Critics from PCMag were delighted by its Bluetooth streaming tech. However, it doesn’t support other wireless streaming options like Wi-Fi. It also has a clouded sound profile out of the box and doesn’t have a bass or treble slider.

Users can customize the sound profile via some presets, though. The HT-S350 comes with a dedicated wireless subwoofer, which provides some bass but doesn’t accurately reproduce that deep rumbling low bass required by many movie and music enthusiasts.

It also has no app and doesn’t support voice control.

However, if you need a more compact model, check out our Sony HT-S200F review now.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Moderately balanced sound
    • This soundbar is good for TV shows and acceptable for music. It has a fairly even mid-range, which makes dialogue and vocals clear, but the underemphasized treble and low bass make instruments sound a bit unclear. The stereo soundstage is slightly wider than the soundbar, with relatively accurate sound placement.

  • Adequate voice clarity
    • It delivers clear dialogues and vocals because of its fairly even mid-range.

  • Satisfactory connectivity
    • This soundbar’s connectivity options are only satisfactory with 1 x HDMI eARC and 1 x Optical audio. The lack of a Full HDMI In means the bar can’t act as a hub between multiple devices.

Reason to Avoid

  • Mediocre surround sound and no Atmos
    • The HT-S350 isn’t suitable for action movies with rich sound effects because its 2.1 setup downmixes surround content to stereo and doesn’t sound as accurate and clear as a setup with satellites. There is also no Dolby Atmos.

  • Weak bass
    • The low bass is underemphasized and lacks rumble, and there is no bass adjustment feature. For a soundbar from the same brand with bass adjustment, read our Sony HT-S200F review.

  • No smart integration and high latency
    • There is no app to control the soundbar with your smartphone, and that means you won’t have a backup if you lose the remote. You’ll notice some lag in the audio because of the high tested latency over eARC (98 ms) and Optical (113 ms), which is among the highest we’ve measured. But different TVs and apps have systems to compensate for this lag, so you may not experience it consistently.

Sony HT S350 Specs

Bluetooth EnabledBluetooth EnabledYes
DepthDepth3.5"
Dialogue Enhancement FeatureDialogue Enhancement Featurena
Equalizer SettingsBasic
HDMI ARCHDMI ARCna
HeightHeight2.5"
Number of Audio ChannelsNumber of Audio Channels2.1
SubwooferSubwooferYes
Surround Sound SupportedSurround Sound SupportedDolby Digital
Wall MountableWall Mountablena
WeightWeight5.3 lbs
WidthWidth35.6"
Wireless ConnectivityWireless ConnectivityBluetooth
Wireless Subwoofer ConnectivityWireless Subwoofer Connectivityna

All Specs

Test Results

Low End Roll Off (Hz)63.496
High End Roll Off (Hz)15,342.664
Max Volume Test (db)98.75
Latency (ms)98
THD @ 80dB0.38

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Product Comparison

Sony HT S350 Review

True Score

79
81
NR
NR

Ranking

#

43

/

149

#

25

/

149

#

/

#

/

Market Context

The Sony HT-S350 is an entry-level 2.1 soundbar that made its debut in 2019, offering deep bass for movie and music lovers. Equipped with a…

The Sony HT-S350 is an entry-level 2.1 soundbar that made its debut in 2019, offering deep bass for movie and music lovers. Equipped with a dedicated wireless subwoofer, this system adds bass to any TV sound profile but lacks that deep rumble for home theater settings.

You can find devices with deeper bass among the best speakers on the market today. This soundbar has a handy auto volume mode for adjusting the sound output.

However, it has a muddy sound profile out of the box. Achieving a top output of 95.5 dB, this system gets really loud. It has an HDMI ARC and optical input.

It also downmixes surround to stereo, providing a mediocre surround soundstage, so it is not very immersive for movies. This soundbar doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, so it’s unsuitable for advanced Blu-rays and other formats.

The audio latency of the optical port is a bit high, so sensitive users may see things on the screen slightly before hearing the corresponding audio.

This unit connects via Bluetooth but lacks other wireless streaming methods. You can learn more about the Sony HT-S350 in our review below, see our top-rated soundbars to explore your options.

With a graphic EQ and treble/bass sliders, the Samsung HW-A650 is easier to customize than the Sony HT-S350, which lacks such function. It also has…

With a graphic EQ and treble/bass sliders, the Samsung HW-A650 is easier to customize than the Sony HT-S350, which lacks such function. It also has a more neutral sound profile than the Sony soundbar.

Producing deeper extended low bass, the Sony HT-S400 is marginally better for movies and music than the Sony HT-S350. It also has a more neutral…

Producing deeper extended low bass, the Sony HT-S400 is marginally better for movies and music than the Sony HT-S350. It also has a more neutral sound profile out of the box than the Sony HT-S350. Check out the more advanced speaker in our Sony HT-S400 review today.

Featuring a 3.1 setup, the Sony HT-G700 produces clearer TV dialogue and has a better surround soundstage than the Sony HT-S350. It also reproduces deeper,…

Featuring a 3.1 setup, the Sony HT-G700 produces clearer TV dialogue and has a better surround soundstage than the Sony HT-S350. It also reproduces deeper, extended low bass, and has full HDMI ports Dolby Atmos, unlike the Sony speaker. Check out our Sony HT-G700 review for details about the HDMI-equipped model.

Bluetooth Enabled

Yes

Yes

Depth

3.5"

Dialogue Enhancement Feature

na

Yes

Equalizer Settings

Basic

HDMI ARC

na

Height

2.5"

2.3"

Number of Audio Channels

2.1

3.1

Subwoofer

Yes

Yes

Dig Deeper

Samsung HW-A650 Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

80

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

88

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

79

Any product with a True Score above 70 is a Mixed Reviews

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    101.4

    Category Trust Rating

    64
    The Sony HTS350 is acceptable for mixed usage. Out-of-the-box, it has a dark and muddy… Read More

    By:

    Dimitris Katsaounis
  • Sound Guys
    75.83

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    While it doesn’t have the top of the line specs that make home audio geeks… Read More

    By:

    Adam Molina
  • Techgear Lab
    84.03

    Category Trust Rating

    69
    The Sony HT-S350 sounds quite impressive, especially considering its entry-level price. While it doesn’t have… Read More

    By:

    Michelle Powell
  • PC Mag
    51.6

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    The Sony HT-S350 soundbar delivers a wide range of audio modes and some serious thunder… Read More

    By:

    Tim Gideon
  • Which?
    59.2

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    The Sony HT-S350 is designed to focus more on delivering great audio than special features…. Read More

    By:

    Unknown
  • Techradar
    39

    Category Trust Rating

    60
    Sony’s soundbar does deliver better sound than most TV speakers, but it still doesn’t live… Read More

    By:

    Ted Kritsonis

Customer Scores