Best Place Subwoofer Home

Review by Alex "Researcher, Rarely Reviewer" : State of the art soundbar with surround effect

I bought this soundbar more as an experiment after trying out Bose

Review by SP : Love this Sony, for its Sound, HDMI inputs & price

After a lot of research on Speaker system in general and about this product, I decided to give it a try. So far I am very happy with the purchase. I live in an apartment with living room size of around 20x20. So adding a high end true surround sound system (as many experts would suggest) was not in my plan. So I decided to get a soundbar system (which many experts frown upon), for the compact, portable and decent sound which was sufficient enough for my Apt. I am already a Sony TV/BD player owner and so the first choice was this product. It is very easy to setup. And the biggest draw for me this product (other than being Sony product to match with my TV/BD) was it has 3 HDMI inputs. In its class, I believe this is one of the products that gives 3 HDMI input which is good enough to hook up my Cable, BD & Media player. All the Cable, BD or PS# etc. HD output goes into the receiver and there is one output to TV HDMI in. So you don't need to change TV input, only the receiver input changes. Also there is a optical cable provided to connect the TV audio output back to receiver in case you use another component connected directly to TV instead of the receiver. Also once the reciever is turned on, the TV audio is automatically muted and the vice-versa, which is a very convinient feature, say if you like to just have TV speakers and not the big sound from this system when it is real quite. The wireless subwoofer setup is very easy, didn't have to configure anything. It was plug & play. Only issue is the wireless subwoofer needs power, so even its wireless, you still need to put it close to a power source. Another advantage I saw using this is if you are Sony TV/BD owner, you could use Sony Bravia to configure it as unified remote. This is very convenient and have instructions in manual to configure it. But I am a Logitech Harmony One remote user and haven't tinkered with Bravia. Logitech configuration was very easy with this product being listed on their system. The subwoofer I thought didn't have that big an effect at first, but when I increased the treble & bass, it seemed to be alright. Again this is not a true surround system, but still the sound ofcourse will be much better than TV speakers for sure. It also depends on one's room configuration since I read (on AVS forum) that you need furniture or other objects for the sound to reflect upon to get some sense of surround sound. There are multiple sound modes available - Movie, Music, Std, News, Sports etc. which enhances the sound output accordingly which I truly like. Have seen an instance where the picture/sound had mismatch, but you have an option to do an Audio Sync in the system. Once you turn is on, haven't seen it after that. The best experience I had has been watching BD movies. Truly enhances the sound quality and able to see the full vibrancy in this mode compared to others. Overall I am very happy with the product and would recommend. Of course the decision to get a audio-system depends on so many factors from the budget, size of room, existing system etc and once you jump into audio expert forums like AVS, they can bring in more clarity with their advise.

Review by TX THL : Why the separate receiver?

I'll keep this short: the sound from this unit is adequate, but nothing phenomenal. I actually prefer the quality of my older Sony HT-CT150. It had better bass and clarity. This one has weaker bass and a slightly muddled sound. Here's my major gripe though: why the external receiver? The whole point of these things is to get a decent upgrade from the understandably terrible speakers for your 1" thick television without a bunch of wires. In my case I want to wall mount with my TV. The receiver has no convenient spot on the wall and if I have it elsewhere I have to find an inconspicuous way to run the speaker wires to it. Sony needs a unit like Samsung's with multiple HDMI connections in the speakers while keeping the wireless subwoofer (but giving the SW more punch). I like sticking with Sony components (TV, BR player) for the BraviaLink, but there is no good model for my configuration. I'd rather they ditch other unnecessary functions (FM radio, analog RCA inputs) in order to streamline the hardware.

Review by Jon : Great sound bar

This system is excellent. If you are expecting 5.1 sound, then forget about it - this is not for you. However, if you a looking to strike a balance between (1) convencinece, (2) sound qualitty and (3) price, then this is it. Shop no further. This system has sound quality on par with the much more expensive Yamaha sound bar systems. Set up takes about 10 minutes - it will take you longer to get it out fo the box than to actually set it up. And the cost - I got mine for less thant three hundred fifty dollars. Word of advice, though, go into the menu and raise the level of the subwoofer and the center channel. I put them both on 4. Using HDMI also greatly increases the sound quality since you cannot get most of the codecs without HDMI using this system.

Review by Rowdy : Okay

I just purchased and received this sound bar from Amazon. I've only had it for 1 1/2 days, but I've watched a movie with it, tested it on others, listed to music, etc. Below are the primary pros and cons: Pros: HDMI inputs Wirless sub Cons: Sub lacking in power (sound) I like Sony products, but my biggest problem with this sound bar is that the subwoofer seems to be weak. I'd like more sound from it. It almost seems like it's not on, and I've entered the settings to adjust it to a max volume of +6. I tried out a few sound bars at best buy, and the Samsung ones appeared to be the loudest. I went with this one because I have a Sony tv, and it HDMI inputs and a wireless sub which many sound bars do not. I tried out this sound bar at a Sony Outlet prior to ordering from Amazon, and it seemed pretty good. However, now that I have it in my home it just doesn't seem to produce like it did in the store. Amazon offered the best price I could find when you factor is free shipping. I received the item in under a week even with free super saver shipping. Overall, at this point I do not think I would recommend this product. I'll probably stick with it instead of dealing with the hassle of repacking and returing to Amazon, and possible paying for shipping and restocking. I suggest you try out some other sound bars and decide what is best for you. I know this isn't an actual surround sound system, but I found the sub to especially be lacking. I hope this helps.

Review by topdog347 : great sound bar

first time reviewing an item, and after a lot of reading i went and bought the ct550w. let me say with a few tweaks bass @ 3 treb @ 6 AND sub 3 and the sound bar bangs, ok not like a real 5.1 but for the 230 bucks i spent cant get any better then this.. good job sony.....

Review by TylerM : Solid sound for a good price

I built a built-in cabinet in my living room so we could have a television in our main room. The room is 25'x25' with 20' ceilings so it is on the larger size and with our tiled flooring, it can be a very tricky room when it comes to sound. Also, since it is impossible to run any wires around the room without some serious scaffolding and dry wall work, a sound bar makes the most sense. The wired Sony received several solid reviews, including a best buy from Consumer Reports, but I was intrigued by the wireless subwoofer as it changes the way all of the wiring is handled and presented the most simplistic solution. However, I typically spend the extra money for higher quality audio visual equipment, as I believe you tend to get what you pay for - cheap sounds cheap - so I was skeptical to begin this process. I debated about the $1,600 Bose system and some other higher end sound bar systems as I knew they would produce quality sound and despite the price difference, I would buy them, install them and be done. However, I decided to give these speakers a try first and if they didn't work out, I would take them back and drop the incremental cash.The time from opening the box to having the speakers set up and running took 5 minutes, including hauling the box out of the room. Very simple. I run Sonos throughout my home so I also purchased a Sonos interface for these speakers. I hooked them up via the RCA jacks and immediately gave it a test sound. Underwhelmed would be the right word for my initial test. The system was 'tinty" with marginal bass. With Sonos, I can also control the equalization to the device so I played with it at the source and it still was poor at best. Also, I recalled another reviewer suggesting that the sound is configurable through the menu system, so I played around there too. It improved, but was still unacceptable. So, I started to pull it apart and began to box it back up when I also remembered a reviewer suggesting that there was a marked difference between the sound from a digital input versus an analog input. So, I switched my RCA jacks for a digital optical cable and gave it a final chance. The results are NIGHT AND DAY. The sound jumped to life and all of the earlier tinkering with the sound output needed to be dialed way down and rebalanced. With renewed excitement, I hooked up our Blue Ray player and dropped in the last Harry Potter movie and switched it over and it was great! It is not the high end $2,000+ quality, I'm sure of it, but it is extremely lively and good and fit our needs perfectly. Our room will never carry sound well enough to justify the difference. If this sound bar is in your price range, you will not be disappointed.So my final analysis: + excellent sound for the price point + adjustable sound + easy to set up and use- Works subpar for analog inputs - if that is your primary input, pass on this system.

Review by Dan O. : Perfect for the average room

Purchased earlier this week, I am blown away by the latest gen Sony soundbar. I admit, I was apprehensive when I purchased it because there are so many soundbars to choose from. I did my homework and read reviews of all of them and listened to a few (including the Bose and Samsung). I decided on the Sony because of the technology, sound and value. Technology: It has it all - wireless subwoofer, enough HDMI ports to connect all your devices, 3D compatibility and even an FM tuner. The FM tuner works amazingly and comes in very clear. Moreover, you can perset up to 20 stations and even name them. The soundbar works flawlessly with the TV apps (I have a smart TV with apps) and connecting my iphone is a breeze. Note - iphone control is manual (no iphone dock available) but it works fine with the soundbar. None of my other wifi enabled devices (including internet) were impacted by the soundbar - which I read could happen with other soundbars like the harmon kardon SB16.Sound: Out of the box the soundbar sounded very good but I wasn't blown away. It sounded like I expected. But once I changed the presets it sounds fantastic. Read the manual and change the presets! It took me 10-15 minutes to figure it out. Turn the presets all the way up +6 for bass, subwoofer and center channel (only these three options can be changed) and be ready to love what you hear. I don't dare to turn the volume up to the max because it's too loud! The bass shakes the room (12 x 18 feet) and if I do turn up the volume when listening to music or a movie I actually turn the bass and subwoofer presets down. There are also multiple sound channels including movie, drama, sports, news and music which work very well.Value: For $329 on Amazon including free shipping you can't beat it. Some soundbars sound better (Harmon Kardon SB16) but lack the technology and some may be cheaper but you get for what you pay for. I plan to enjoy this system for years to come. Other info: Be sure to use the high speed HDMI cables (version 1.4) which cost about $10 bucks each on amazon. The FM tuner won't work as well if you don't unravel the antenna wire. You may not want to because it looks neater all wrapped up out of the box but it makes a huge difference (may be why some complain the FM tuner is useless). Read the manual to learn how to name the FM stations. You must plug the two wireless adapters into the subwoofer and receiver for it to work (sounds obvious but I've read posts complaining the wireless system doesn't work). And please change the presets - don't judge the system until after you do so.

Review by Sirenyard : good for general TV

It has the familiar Sony-style menu structure. It does have fairly weak bass for the size of the subwoofer, however I did read this elsewhere and that wasn't going to be a problem for me since I have a separate 7.1 surround system I use for movies. I got this for a Bravia HX729. The HX729 has very poor built-in speakers, so I bought this sound bar for normal TV watching, then use my old sound system when I want to watch Blu-Ray. This setup works well because the sound bar turns itself on and off automatically with the TV; furthermore, I can control the sound bar with the TV remote, so I don't need worry about the control box or the included remote.I bought this for 3 reasons: the extra HDMI ports, seamless integration with a Bravia TV, and the wireless subwoofer. I did not buy this to replace my current surround system... if you are going to use this as your only sound system you might be a little disappointed. Overall, I would definitly purchase again for myself, and would recommend this to someone who has a Sony TV with poor built-in audio quality. Otherwise I would shop around for a more robust sound bar; there are tons of them out there.

Review by George : Big sound for a moderate price

I purchased this Sony HT-CT550W Sound Bar to go with my 55" Sony Bravia KDL-55NX810 3D TV, and I'm glad I did. For those of you with a newer Sony TV, I would recommend this Sound Bar not only for it's big and full sound, but for it's compatibility with Sony TV's as well. My Sony TV has the speakers in the back, so the sound reflects off the wall and is hardly an ideal location for optimal sound. Since I have a smaller family room, only 14' or so with an opening to the kitchen on one side, a wired setup was not going to work well. This Sound Bar allows me to mount the speaker on the wall or under the TV and to place the subwoofer anywhere in the room. This really cleaned the look of my family room up and really stepped up the sound. I wasn't expecting much since it's not a 5.1 system, but it almost feels like one with the way the speaker is engineered. Sound seems to envelop you when you are sitting on the couch, and the subwoofer is loud and punchy. I've listened to several stations on Slacker radio through my TV and the bass is great. I'm not sure why the other review said the subwoofer was muffled sounding, but it is quite loud and punchy for me. My biggest worry on this was if the subwoofer would be clear and punchy, and it really is. The speaker looks like it actually has 6 speakers inside, so the crossover can separate the mids from the highs. Everything is routed through the main box, which also has FM capability. The nicest thing is the Bravia Sync, which lets me use my TV remote to control sound, power, and other aspects of the speaker. So far I'm very pleased with this Sound Bar, and Amazon had by far the lowest price. Don't be intimated by other reviews, I've listed to the Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, an Samsung, and so far this is the best I've heard. Pros: Clear audio from center speaker Loud with little distortion Attractive speaker Wireless Sub Bravia Sync FM radio Cons: Subwoofer could be a little more tight, but very good already - not a real concern Manuals list impedance at 3 ohms...really? QC your website Sony Overall: Highly Recommend

Review by LDB : Great Sony 3D Soundbar

As usual another great Sony Sound Bar; Excellent value for the price; Loaded with technology to handle all the latest multichannel audio technologies Dolby, DD+, DDTrue HD, DTS etc. and 3D pass-through. After reading the mixed reviews I was a bit nervous about installing this sound bar. However, now that I have it connected and configured correctly with my new 3D TV, I couldn't be happier. I found I can crank-up the volume on the sound bar and experience deep sub-woofer bass to very respectable levels aka, really loud and punchy with the ability to hear all the intended sound-track goodies.Pros: Really big sound with deep sub-woofer punch not bad at "simulating" surround-sound affects) Quick & easy setup. As already mentioned below it truly takes longer to unpack it than to connect to your TV and blu-ray player Attractive slim sound-bar design with a wireless sub-woofer (note: SW needs to be placed near an AC outlet--other than that you can move the S/W around the room as you like) Handles all the latest multichannel audio technologies that come with your blu-ray disks to include all the different Dolby Digital and DTS audio signals Three HDMI ports and one HDMI out; so you can easliy pass all your equipment through the Receiver, includes and optical port as wellCons: Because it's so easy to setup--I think some may fail to read the manual resulting in a less then optimal configuration and sound effect I went to two local retail stores to hear this system before I ordered it from Amazon. It sounded horribly weak with no bass in both store demos UNTIL at the last store I asked if we could adjust the AMP menu settings. If you use something other than high-speed HDMI cables I don't think you can experience all this system has to offer (I agree with below reviewer comment) Separate Receiver may cause issues for wall mounted TVsHere's what I found worked for me:Use newer standard HDMI high-speed cables only--that means newer 1.3 or any 1.4 1.4 includes ARC support HDMI cables not expensive HDMI cables just the new high-speed cables). Turn off the Linear pulse-code modulation (LPCM) on the Audio Out on your Blu-ray player or game system. Instead select "Bitstream" for Audio Out on the devices you connect to your Sound Bar. Your satellite, cable, or over-the-air box/signal may not broadcast Dolby Digital or DTS sound tracks some of the time depending upon the program (don't blame this on the sound bar). During these broadcasts you may experience lower quality sound. Use a blu-ray player and blu-ray disk to test this systems sound capabilities) Take time to understand the AMP menu on the receiver. Read the manual ;-)--this is where the right settings make all the difference between a lousy sound-bar experience and what you expected when you bought this sound-bar. And finally, Turn Off your TV speakers when you want to use this system. If you leave your TV speakers on and use the sound bar at the same time then you might hear that horrible "thin" hollow sound I heard some complain aboutTry these Amp Menu Settings on the receiver decrease the SW or Bass if these settings sound too low/deep for you): Level: CNT +4, SW +6 Tone: Bass +5 or 6, Treble +3 Audio: Dual Mono: Main/SubOther Receiver settings: DRC: Off Sound Field: MovieNote: For really BIG sound--try increasing the master volume +15 on the Receiver (independently) before you sync the TV volume with the Receiver Volume..