Despite their slim design and easy mounting, the BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 and BRAVIA Theatre Bar 8 deliver a three-dimensional sound experience like never before, along with powerful, uncompromising bass. How were these seemingly conflicting demands achieved? We went ahead and spoke with the developers behind these exceptional soundbars to find out.

Ogi: Although many of today’s soundbars, from the high-end to entry-level models, allow users to enjoy three-dimensional sound such as Dolby Atmos, there is considerable variation in the quality of the actual experience. Sony soundbars are extremely well regarded for the spatial sound experience they offer through our distinctive 360 Spatial Sound Mapping (360 SSM) technology.

The BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 is the successor to the 360 SSM-compatible flagship HT-A7000, while the BRAVIA Theatre Bar 8 is positioned as the successor to the HT-A5000. Under the bonnet, the BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 and BRAVIA Theatre Bar 8 share a lot of the same technology.

Ogi: Having grasped the market’s latest demands with respect to soundbars, we developed these products based on the concept of creating “a slim soundbar that offers a wide and clear spatial sound experience no matter the mounting environment or the content.” By “wide” we meant not only the breadth of sound that can only come from a spatial sound system, but also that we want as many people as possible to enjoy it, while by “clear” we referred to our desire to deliver audio that people could hear with ease, including film dialogue.

Instead of using model numbers, we gave this lineup the new name of BRAVIA Theatre. We used the name BRAVIA in reference to our conviction that both picture and sound are important to enjoy films at home. Of course, these soundbars will perform just fine when combined with non-BRAVIA televisions, but we hope that customers will use them with BRAVIA televisions for the best picture and sound.

Kunikata: Incidentally, the BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 and BRAVIA Theatre Bar 8 can do more than play back content that was recorded as three-dimensional sound. Using Sony’s unique spatial sound processing technology, they can expand the audio content from the stereo audio on terrestrial digital broadcasts, YouTube, and other sources, giving it a spatial sound feel.

Kunikata: The incredible thing about spatial sound is that you feel as if you’re right there in the middle of the scene. Imagine a film scene where a helicopter comes down from above; you will hear the rotor blades coming from above you, and if you're watching the scene of a live concert, you will hear the crowd all around you. This sonic experience allows you to plunge even deeper into the world of film.

Kunikata: That’s exactly right. We have made precise adjustments to each speaker so that they will recreate the space and atmosphere of each film scene.

Ogi: Rear speakers are optional, so you can start with a standalone soundbar for a spatial sound experience and then purchase rear speakers later if you want to enhance the immersion further. The addition of rear speakers positions the sound sources of phantom speakers behind the viewer as well, creating an overwhelming sense of presence that completely envelops you in sound. You can also add an optional subwoofer, which adds a powerful low end to the experience.

Washikawa: It’s not very obvious, but the wireless features have also evolved significantly. One new feature, not available in previous models, is a monitoring antenna module that observes the status of the surrounding signals and switches to an open channel when the current channel becomes congested. Doing so prevents interruptions and interference in the sound when connecting optional speakers.

Higuchi: Maintaining a stable wireless connection was one of the main challenges, so we decided that even as we made the overall soundbar smaller, this was a point on which we would not compromise, so we added a new antenna module.

Washikawa: Under typical conditions, the connection is indeed stable. Even in conditions of fairly poor radio wave reception, the connection is maintained without any sound interruptions, so we encourage even those who have reservations about wireless connections to give it a try.

Ogi: There were several reasons. To begin with, people around the world are increasingly mounting their television on walls. Accordingly, soundbars are also increasingly being mounted on walls. If a soundbar is too deep, it will stick out from the wall too much, but if you can instead make it slimmer, then it will fit seamlessly in with the mounted TV.

In contrast, when people put their televisions on stands, then it’s the height and width that matter. You might carefully measure a soundbar to make sure that it’s not so high that it overlaps with the screen, only to find that when you sit down on your sofa and view the screen from a different angle, the soundbar does get in the way after all. Alternatively, it might end up being too wide to fit on the TV stand.

Washikawa: Regarding the width, based on feedback from HT-A5000 customers who suggested that a shorter width would be preferable, we designed the HT-A8000 with a width of 1100 mm to address this, allowing it to fit seamlessly between the legs of most televisions, especially those 55 inches or larger. This adjustment ensures a perfect fit for a wide range of TV stands, offering a more streamlined setup.

To ensure consistency and a sleek design, we aimed to match the 64 mm thickness of many existing Sony soundbars, providing a seamless integration with your home setup.

Masubuchi: Besides the electrical engineering, the resin used in the body has also been made considerably thinner than with the HT-A7000 and other existing models. This naturally results in a weaker structure, but we managed to achieve strength in a thin casing by using a new type of resin containing glass fibre.

Ogi: It was made from recycled materials, so you can see how we have done our utmost to minimise the environmental impact. Of course, depending on the component, we had to use new materials as well, but we were able to reduce the amount by approximately 65% compared to the HT-A7000. We have even used recycled materials for the fabric covering on the front of the soundbar.

Murakami: Even beyond the materials, it has a much simpler look, don’t you think? In designing these new products, we followed a design philosophy common to all home theatre products, known as “Harmonic Presence”. The soundbar does not exist as its own item. It only has value when connected to televisions such as the BRAVIA, so we paid special attention to achieving harmony with televisions and the spaces that hold televisions.

Murakami: We started by asking ourselves whether it would be possible to represent the thirteen speaker units, large and small, as a single material that resembles a mass of sound. Keeping this in mind, we went and spoke to the sound and mechanical engineers, who revealed to us that fabric materials are broadly suitable for upwards-firing speakers and woofers, which are a unique feature of this product.

If you were to try to fit metal speaker covers to the individual speaker units, they would look disjointed due to the different layouts and hole sizes that are appropriate for each. With fabric, on the other hand, it is possible to express a consistent texture while bringing out the best features of all the units.

Murakami: Another small detail is that the back of the soundbar uses the same grid pattern as the BRAVIA. The necessary ventilation holes are arranged in narrow grooves, and the concave shape of the insertion point for each plug fits naturally along the grid.

Ogi: We have already gone over some of the measures we’ve taken to reduce the environmental impact of the product, but the packaging also includes a number of innovations. For starters, in order to reduce the use of plastic in packaging, we have started using packaging materials made with cotton and cushioning materials made from pulp moulds. We are even using handles made of paper. As a result, we have succeeded in reduce the amount of plastic used in the packaging by around 95% compared to the HT-A7000.

We have shared many of the things that we focused on when developing these products, but at the end of the day, the important thing for us is that you give them a try. We encourage you to visit a Sony shop or some other place where you can try out and experience the sounds produced by our products. We are confident that if you do so, you will understand how excellent they really are. The spatial sound coming from 360 SSM is sure to amaze you.

Washikawa, Project leader

Like Washikawa said, I am certain that if you just experience the three-dimensional sound of an BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 or BRAVIA Theatre Bar 8 for yourself, you will be blown away. It might be somewhat confusing that a product that is so much more compact than previous models can deliver a sound that is so much wider. I have listened to the sounds produced by these soundbars multiple times throughout the development stages, and I always found myself shocked. When the sound comes in from above, I inadvertently look up only to see that there’s nothing there, or when I’m surprised by how expansive it sounds, I catch myself looking left, right and behind me. We hope that these soundbars will give you an immersive, realistic, and above all, enjoyable cinematic experience, right from the comfort of your own home.

Ogi, Product planner