SONY BRAVIA THEATRE BAR 8 Review
Sony introduces two high-end soundbars alongside the latest Bravia TV generation. Is the Theatre Bar 8 just an accessory for the TV, or does it offer convincing sound quality?
While the design is rather discreet, the new Sony soundbar promises a lot, aiming to significantly enhance the home TV experience. Even though there is a larger model, the Bar 9, in the same family, the Bravia Theatre Bar 8, tested here, is positioned as a high-end soundbar — both in terms of price and size, with a width of 110 cm, almost matching a standard 55-inch TV.
Easy positioning under the TV
The height and depth are quite low, making the bar easy to position. To simplify installation further, it includes a simple wall mount and two small feet, allowing it to be placed over the stand of many TVs without blocking it — a nice little detail.
The new Sony soundbar is built as a 5.0.2 system and features a total of eleven speakers, including two that face upward. These reflect sound off the ceiling to create a sense of three-dimensionality. Two additional speakers are placed on the sides of the Bar 8, reflecting sound off the walls. The remaining drivers face forward, delivering powerful bass even without an extra subwoofer, which can be adjusted in three levels, from subtle to intense.
The main focus of the new Theatre Bar is its role as a sound upgrade for the TV. With HDMI including enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), all you need is one HDMI cable for the TV audio to play through the soundbar. eARC also supports the transmission of 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos. Additionally, the Sony soundbar supports DTS:X and various other Dolby and DTS sound formats.
Through the second HDMI input, you can connect devices like receivers or Blu-ray players, with the bar sending audio back to the TV via HDMI eARC. In this setup, the Sony soundbar can handle 5.1 and 7.1 signals in PCM and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format.
The Bravia Theatre Bar 8 is well-equipped for its role with the TV, but its capabilities with music are somewhat limited. It lacks optical or analog inputs, relying solely on HDMI. For casual music listening, it has built-in Bluetooth and can stream music over Wi-Fi.
Once set up via the Sony app, you can stream music through the soundbar from AirPlay and Spotify Connect. Alternatively, you can use a streaming app on your Smart TV to send music to the soundbar via HDMI. This isn’t as convenient as controlling it from a smartphone, but it works well and supports high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/192 kHz PCM.
The Sony app is generally the best way to adjust settings on the soundbar, as the most detailed options are only accessible through it. The package also includes a remote control for volume and sound modes. However, the soundbar itself has no control buttons apart from a power switch and a status LED, keeping its design minimal.
Like other TV manufacturers, Sony has equipped its soundbars with exclusive features. When connected to a compatible Bravia TV, you can adjust its settings directly from the TV screen.
Combining it with “Voice Zoom” enhances speech clarity, while “Acoustic Center Sync” can turn the TV into a center speaker. Sony also offers optional wireless subwoofers and rear speakers for further expansion.
Sound adjustment of the Sony soundbar
Even without a Sony TV, the soundbar’s audio can be fine-tuned using the “Sound Field” feature, which requires a brief room calibration via smartphone. This mode significantly deepens the soundstage without making it unnaturally wide.
While this mode enhances effects, it can affect voice realism. It’s useful in movies and sometimes in music, where it adds impact at the cost of sound clarity.
The remaining modes are TV-focused: “Night” mode softens the audio, and the “Voice” mode emphasizes speech while reducing other frequencies. The soundbar also features “DSEE Ultimate,” which uses AI to upscale compressed music, making uncompressed tracks sound fuller at the expense of some detail.
Even without optional adjustments, the soundbar performs well. While the sound is balanced and controlled, it lacks some warmth in the midrange, affecting the naturalness of voices in singer-songwriter tracks. The bass can be overpowering, even on the medium setting.
This makes the soundbar great for movies: voices are clear, effects are impactful, and background music is precise enough for a coherent sound. Although it lacks true surround capabilities, the Bar 8 provides a relatively deep soundstage, especially with the “Sound Field” mode.
Specs
Sound formats: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, 360 Reality Audio, PCM up to 24-bit/192 kHz
Music streaming: Spotify Connect, AirPlay
Tested with: Toe “All I Understand Is That I Don’t Understand”, The Comet Is Coming “CODE”
CONCLUSION
With its easy placement, wide format support, and powerful, controlled sound in movies, the Bravia Theatre Bar 8 is a subtle home cinema replacement. It also handles music well, though it might not suit every genre due to its midrange limitations.
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