Sony has announced a new soundbar that aims to serve as a gateway to 360 spatial sound. Considerably cheaper (not cheap) than its range-topping A7000, the Sony HT-A3000 promises to deliver some of its features at moderate cost.
sound bars are a recommended product for those who want more than just the “noise” that comes out of most TVs. Simply, the manufacturers are committed to improving the video section in each generation, while the audio section is far behind. On the other hand, the trend towards extremely slim designs leaves no room for a quality set of speakers.
That’s where the sound bars come in, which manage, even from the economic series, to improve those deficiencies. Sony has a spectacular catalog and now announces another. The HT-A3000 is a sound bar of 3.1 channels with three front speakers and a single dual subwoofer. It has the proprietary Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO Front Surround technologies and supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to deliver a truly immersive surround sound experience.
The key to this bar is technology 360 Spatial Sound Mapping used by its older sisters and allows the listener to feel that the sound “comes from all directions and distances”. In the same way that Apple’s AirPods Max headphones have built-in sensors to track head movement and adjust directional audio, Sony’s system has microphones to analyze the 3D presence of a soundbar and along with the rear speakers. connected create what Sony calls a network of phantom speakers that launch waves of audio from all directions.
Another feature audio purists will appreciate is support for DSEE Extreme. Another technology from Sony that enhances compressed music files by using AI, by improving the sample rate and increasing the bit rate of the compressed.
The Sony HT-A3000 can handle digital assistants like Google Assistant or Alexa and share the user’s audio library via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The soundbar is priced at $699.
A “moderate” price compared to other models in the series, but it must be said that to get the “phantom” speaker network that Sony promotes with its 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology, you will have to spend additionally on rear speakers from the brand. And if you want even more, you can connect it to Sony subwoofers. Sound quality doesn’t come cheap.
