With the wireless HT-A9 speaker set, Sony promises a surround experience that is better than a soundbar, but less cumbersome than an AV receiver with cables and speakers. For a price. You can read how that works in this Sony HT-A9 review.
Sony HT-A9
Price
€ 2,000
Connections
HDMI eARC, HDMI-in, S-Center-out
wireless
Chromecast, AirPlay 2, DLNA, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth (streaming and headphone function, including AAC and LDAC)
Dimensions
16 x 31.3 x 14.7 centimeters (speaker)
Weight
2.7 kilograms
Dimensions
15 x 5.2 x 15 centimeters (hub)
Weight
0.7 kilograms
Website www.sony.nl 9 Score 90 
- Pros
- Stands discreetly in the room
- Delivers truly enveloping surround
- Good streaming options
- User friendly
- Handles Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
- Negatives
- No absolute freedom when placing
- Without a sub no big impact
- Height channels lack what the power
- Price
Put the HT-A9 in an existing product category? Not easy. It is certainly not a soundbar, but it is also not a complicated surround setup with many wired speakers.
Inside the box, you’ll find four medium-sized wireless speakers and a small hub that connects you to your TV. What is special is that you can place the speakers almost anywhere in the room, according to Sony. The system will then adjust to give you a surround experience.
Each speaker even contains several speakers. In combination with a smart algorithm, the Sony HT-A9 should therefore be able to offer you a cinema experience. Includes three-dimensional Dolby Atmos sound through twelve phantom speakers. If you want to go a step further, you can supplement the HT-A9 with one of two wireless subwoofers.
Groundbreaking technology does carry a price, because the HT-A9 officially costs 2,000 euros. That makes this system a lot more expensive than even the very best soundbars. The optional soundbars are also not really cheap. The SA-SW3 is 500 euros, the larger SA-SW5 costs 800 euros. It may be that Sony or retailers provide bundle promotions that make the whole thing cheaper.
Sony HT-A9 installation done quickly
Installing the HT-A9 is not complicated. The hub, which is the size of a stack of five CD boxes, can be connected to your TV via an HDMI cable. That’s your only option. There are no other inputs, except for an extra HDMI port to which you can connect an external video device. There is support for 4K/60, which can only be a limitation with a next-gen console.
If you want to stream music, you have several options, including Chromecast and AirPlay 2. This makes connecting the hub to your WiFi network very easy. You simply open the Google Home app or you control it via the WiFi settings of a iPad or iPhone. A breeze.
You can adjust the settings via the Music Center app, but the good remote is more convenient to fine-tune the playback. For example, you can adjust the volume of the rear speakers or change the surround mode.
At the back, you’ll also see a unique Sony port labeled ‘S-Center Out’. This is for pairing the HT-A9 with a limited number Sony TVs with this function. The speakers in the TV then work as a center channel, so that voices naturally come out of the screen.
Discreet speakers
The four speakers only require a power outlet. The devices look identical, but each can be heard in a certain corner of the room. Well, we use ‘angle’ here to keep the explanation simple. You are very free in placement. A speaker right next to the TV screen on the TV cabinet, another a bit further away on the floor, the third on the windowsill next to you and the last on a table on the other side of the sofa… anything is possible.
When everything is in place, you can perform an acoustic measurement via the clear TV interface. Very simple again, just press the button and listen to test tones for a minute. A short surround demo immediately gives you an impression of what to expect when you watch movies.
The speakers themselves are round columns, with a flat side so that you can easily place them against a wall. Hanging is also possible. Their beige-white finish without striking elements makes each speaker a discreet appearance.
Subwoofer makes a difference
We can tell you right away: the HT-A9 can deliver a very convincing surround experience. Equally surprising is how voices seem to come out of the TV, even when the speakers are a little further away from the screen.
There is a ‘but’: you are not as free to place the speakers as the marketing makes it seem. Too asymmetrical in relation to the TV or too low to the ground, and the sound reproduction in relation to the image is no longer quite right. It is therefore a bit of a search for a placement that really works (and do not forget to perform the measurement again and again). Yet you have more flexibility than with other solutions.
In our test room and in the living room, an optional subwoofer really made the difference between ‘good’ and ‘really impressive’. The HT-A9 becomes a lot more powerful and immersive with, in our case an SA-SW5. Without a sub, the basses are a bit too light, so that spectacular action films such as Ready Player One or Black Widow lack a lot of impact.
Overall, the stability of the wireless connection between the speakers was very good. When there was one outage, the solution turned out to be a restore function hidden deep in the settings.
Conclusion
The Sony HT-A9 is a unique TV sound solution that actually works. It sounds better than most soundbars and comes close to a complex system with AV receiver. Adding an optional subwoofer is recommended for best results. The biggest drawback is the price tag. This one is pretty hefty.
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