Sony has announced the HT-A3000 soundbar, bringing a Dolby Atmos-powered audio experience to market for £599.
The HT-A3000 is also modular, as it can be combined with rear speakers to provide 360 Spatial Sound, according to Sony. The SA-RS5 and SA-RS3S are available separately for £699 and £449 respectively.
However, it’s the presence of the en vogue Dolby Atmos technology that’ll pique the interest of A/V enthusiasts looking to upgrade their entertainment setup.
Sony’s £599 offering goes into direct competition with the sector leading Sonos Arc speaker, and it’s a substantial £300 cheaper than the Arc’s recommended retail price. Whether it can live up to the overall experience provided by the Arc remains to be seen, but it’ll certainly be a tempter for those weighing-up soundbar options.
Indeed our Sonos Arc reviewer summed up the dilemma quite well. He wrote: “Although, you could save a significant sum of money and check out some cheaper Atmos soundbars that also support a subwoofer to boot, though they don’t sound quite as good.”
Sony is also touting Google Assistant and Chromecast support built-in, along with Alexa compatibility. There’s support for Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. In terms of physical connectivity, there’s HDMI eARC support.
As well as launching the HT-A3000 in October, along with the 180W SA-RS5 and 100W SA-RS35 wireless rear speakers, Sony will also enable users to add the SA-SW5 subwoofer or SA-SW3 subwoofer to the array too.
“You can add the SA-SW5 subwoofer with 300W of deep, rich bass from a 180mm driver with passive radiator or, opt for the SA-SW3 subwoofer with 200W of sound from a compact bass reflex subwoofer with a 160mm driver,” the company says in a press release.
Sony is also confirming European availability for the higher-end HT-A5000, which also offers 5.1.2 channel sound, Atmos, DTS:X and the same ability to create the exclusive-to-Sony “360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology”. That’ll cost £899 and it’ll also go on sale in October.