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  • Sony's New Sound Bar is Still Expensive But Innovative
Technology Articles > Entertainment > Home Theatres > Sony's New Sound Bar is Still Expensive But Innovative

When it comes to sound bars, the ones that Sony puts out tend to be on the expensive side of things. You’ll typically have to drop around $1000 for a Sony sound bar, and the company has just added the HT-ST9 to the list.

While I wish I could say that the new HT-ST9 is cheaper, it’s not. At $1299, this sound bar is still pricey. But, there are some great things about the HT-ST9 too - take a look.

The Added Value

If you look at the new HT-ST9, it looks pretty much the same as most other Sony sound bars. The difference is really “under the hood” or behind the grille with this sound bar. The HT-ST9 comes with seven different channels of amplification, and Sony’s site says that the sound is vastly improved with a set of coaxial mid/treble drivers for three of those channels. In addition to the three channels in front of the bar, the HT-ST9 comes with four additional front-mounted speakers. You’ll also get a wireless subwoofer with this unit.

If you’re going to pay a high price for a sound bar, it better come with a few perks, right? The HT-ST9 comes with support for Bluetooth headphones, and accessibility to Sony’s SoundPal app. This app lets you set up multi-room music, which is a nice add on if you want to listen to music in many rooms at the same time, and why wouldn’t you if you are paying this high price?

Options, Options, Options

The HT-ST9 includes three HDMI outputs in addition to an Audio Return Channel option. You’ll also get IP control with this unit, and the latest HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0 standards. As far as looks go, the new HT-ST9 is really hard to distinguish from other sound bars that are part of Sony’s lineup. This one will fit nicely into your living room, and you won’t really notice a difference between this one and the other options that Sony provides until you turn it on. That’s when this sound bar really starts to impress.

Sony has told press that the company will release the HT-ST9 in the US starting in July, and elsewhere on the planet in July or thereafter. As mentioned, this is a pricey sound bar, so it might not be for everyone. But, if you want a sound bar option that combines excellent sound with some new tech like wireless Bluetooth options, the HT-ST9 is a decent buy that comes with some admirable features.

Who Will Love It

It’s a toss up between buying a complete sound system for your living room and opting for a sound bar. Sound bars come with the ease of compatibility, and that’s an all-around nice thing to have. But, a sound bar can’t compete with a complete surround sound option if you what you want is a home theater experience.

Plus, you can’t add on to a lot of sound bars, and that might be limiting for some people (depends on what you want). As far as sound bars do go, though, the Sony HT-ST9 is a good buy if you have that much cash to spend on your sound options. It’s a solidly designed bar with decent sound and some interesting options, and it’s worth listening to when it does arrive stateside in July.