I changed my Sonos dwelling theater with this Sony system – here is why innovation is king

execs and cons

Execs

• Unimposing design
• Distinctive sound
• Expansive software program options

Cons

• Costly
• Restricted terminals

extra shopping for selections

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Sony’s been on a roll this 12 months with dwelling theater product releases, increasing its Bravia line with particular person units that allow you to construct a modular system at your individual tempo. Sony’s modular Bravia lineup is extra complete than that of Bose, Sonos, Denon, and Samsung, and on the high of the hierarchy lies the Bravia Bar 9, Theater Quad, and the brand new Trio.

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I previewed the Bravia Theater Trio in April earlier than its official launch, and now I’ve had the chance to set one up in my home and see the way it stacks up towards the trade’s finest — together with Sony’s different merchandise. In the event you can overlook the Trio’s staggering $2,200 price ticket, here is what else it is best to learn about it.

Design issues

Just like the Theater Quad, the Bravia Trio is a uniquely packaged dwelling theater system that gives higher efficiency, comfort, and suppleness than normal soundbars for individuals who nonetheless need a high-end expertise. As a substitute of audio system you place across the room, the Bravia Trio consists of three front-facing audio system to be positioned instantly in entrance of and on each side of your TV, which could be mounted or positioned flat on an leisure stand.

Every left and proper speaker consists of one upfiring speaker for upward sound reflection, and a two-way woofer and tweeter for high and low frequencies. The middle channel options rectangular speaker models, which Sony says maximize diaphragm space, preserve sound strain, restrict distortion, and make clear dialogue. With all three audio system, you get a 3.0.2-channel configuration.

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The middle channel additionally options two-way drivers with two woofers and one tweeter. The result’s an extremely highly effective sound profile, with distinctive readability, immersion, and cinema-level dynamism. Although all three audio system within the Trio are front-facing, Sony’s proprietary applied sciences make buying encompass audio system pointless for these with the suitable room dimensions. 

With its massive sound presence (and price ticket to match), the Trio makes an excellent high-end dwelling theater for bigger rooms and TVs. The middle channel must be centered with respect to your TV, however you do have some wiggle room with the left and proper audio system. In case your area would not enable for even placement on both aspect of your TV, you’ll be able to place them asymmetrically and let Sony’s calibration applied sciences compensate for the uneven distances. You will nonetheless must preserve them forward-facing.

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Some individuals could discover dwelling theater merchandise unpleasant of their houses, particularly when positioned in a high traffic space like a front room. Although Sonos presents a dapper, trendy design, you’ll be able to’t keep away from the massive soundbar, two massive rear audio system, and a floor-standing subwoofer that fill a room, creating an enough sound system for a bigger space.

Sony’s Trio does an excellent job at mitigating this aesthetic conundrum, providing customers a nondescript, unimposing kind issue with distinctive sonic efficiency. 

Let’s speak about sound

Sony’s Bravia Sound Subject room calibration know-how balances the audio system’ output based mostly in your room form and furnishings. On the identical time, Sony’s 360 Sound Mapping makes use of that calibration to create a extra immersive soundscape by simulating “phantom audio system” across the room. After finishing these two calibration classes, I watched as a lot Dolby Atmos content material as attainable to get a way of the Trio’s immersive capabilities.

From the depth of a burning Pandora in “Avatar: Hearth and Ash” on Disney+, to the heartbreak of watching the USMNT lose to Belgium on Peacock, I had loads to work with. Once more, do not let the Trio’s solely front-facing audio system idiot you. The Trio reproduces distinctive left/proper separation, and the left/proper audio system’ upfiring models are probably the most audible I’ve heard in a house theater system, beating the outstanding efficiency of my beloved Period 300 audio system.

The Trio’s left and proper audio system are bigger than typical encompass audio system, and so they get loads loud with the precision you’d count on from a middle channel. Sony developed the Trio alongside audio professionals from its Sony Footage Leisure unit, and you’ll hear the dedication to a cinematic sound expertise.

With the Trio’s precision and smoothness of conveying the audiority actions of objects in movement throughout your display screen, you’ll be able to really feel the content material you are watching as a lot as you’ll be able to hear it, which is the place the Trio outpaces flagship rivals from Sonos, Samsung, and even itself. 

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When watching immersive content material, I observed that the left and proper audio system dealt with a lot of the content material’s transferring components, leaving the middle channel to ship clear audio and musical notes. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to solely hear this separation should you put your ear as much as the audio system. Out of your calibrated listening place, the Trio does an excellent job of mixing every thing whereas providing you with a way of spatial consciousness inside what you are watching.

Along with Dolby Atmos, the Trio helps DTS:X spatial audio, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple AirPlay, and Spotify Join. The Trio has one HDMI Out port for eARC connectivity, one HDMI In port, and an Optical port. The Trio’s HDMI ports can accommodate 8K HDR content material, 4K/120Hz pass-through, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, PlayStation 5 audio/visible optimization, and IMAX Enhanced.

Extra audio system, extra issues

Regardless of the Trio’s top-end cinematic abilities, it isn’t proof against being elevated by some further audio system. Throughout my demo of the Trio in April, Sony set the system up with further Rear 9 audio system and a Sub 9 subwoofer. Although the audio outcomes have been phenomenal, this configuration can be overkill in case your area is not sufficiently big.

After lugging a number of 15-pound containers from my home to my dad and mom’ home, which has way more area, I arrange the Trio, a pair of Rear 8 audio system, and one Sub 7 subwoofer. Including rear audio system and a subwoofer elevates any soundbar, enhancing spatial immersion and taking low-frequency stress off the principle speaker. 

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Within the Trio’s case, the Rear 8 audio system picked up some slack from the 360 Sound Mapping know-how, as putting actual audio system behind me decreased counting on Sony’s phantom audio system to achieve the farthest factors of the room. The Rear 8 audio system additionally helped steadiness the room’s general calibration. Digital calibration can solely achieve this a lot, and your listening expertise will fluctuate relying on the place throughout the room you are sitting.

The Sub 7 is Sony’s most reasonably priced subwoofer in its new Bravia lineup, that includes a single 130mm driver. By itself, the Trio handles low frequencies very properly, however the Sub 7 provides a visceral aspect to the watching expertise, permitting you to really feel the bass. When the Sub 7 takes over a lot of the bass response, the Trio’s mid-to-upper-midrange efficiency turns into much more fascinating. 

Nonetheless, I imagine in “go huge or go dwelling” with the Trio. If you are going to purchase one among Sony’s most superior dwelling theater methods, think about pairing it with one among Sony’s beefier subwoofers: Bravia Sub 9, Sub 8, or two Sub 7s. One Sub 7 is nice, however its smaller driver would not ship the weighty growth on the very low finish {that a} bigger subwoofer or a number of small subwoofers can. 

With all of that mentioned, the Trio deserves enough area to do its system justice. In case your viewing room is simply too small, the Trio’s energy plus its phantom speaker applied sciences can turn out to be overwhelming in a short time. In the event you dwell in shut quarters with others, retaining the Trio at low ranges does it, and the cash you’ll spend on it, a serious disservice.

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In case your viewing area is on the bigger aspect or open-concept, you may profit from the Trio’s sound projection and phantom audio system, which use the area to envelop viewers. Nonetheless, you probably have vaulted ceilings, including extra Bravia Rear audio system with upfiring drivers could not reduce it. On this case, you might want one thing extra superior, reminiscent of in-ceiling audio system.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Sony’s Bravia Theater Trio is a singular dwelling theater system that gives aesthetically acutely aware customers with discerning style in audio the very best of each worlds. Dwelling theater fanatics could also be skeptical of the Trio’s minimal, front-facing design, however it delivers a surprisingly distinctive efficiency with cutting-edge software program that may briefly droop your perception in physics.

When you have a high-end Sony TV in your massive front room or viewing room, the Trio blends in seamlessly, delivering elevated audio efficiency to match the visuals. Nonetheless, you probably have a posh setup with AVRs and a number of other wired audio system, you may be restricted by the Trio’s lack of terminals.

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Nonetheless, including rear audio system and an exterior subwoofer solely raises the Trio’s bar, however it may be dear, and I solely suggest it you probably have the area. In case your area is smaller, think about Sony’s extra compact Bravia choices, such because the Bravia Bar 7 and Sub 7.

Why the Sony Bravia Theater Trio will get an Editors’ Alternative award

We awarded Sony’s Bravia Theater Trio an Editors’ Alternative award for its considerate and revolutionary design, distinctive audio efficiency, and compatibility with Sony’s different Bravia Theater-line merchandise. Few options are walled behind Sony’s Bravia model, which means the Trio can excel with any TV with an eARC port.

Except for its anticipated superior audio efficiency and theater-like sound, the Bravia Theater Trio’s design is probably the most attention-grabbing factor about it. Sony implementing its mature 360 Sound Mapping calibration know-how permits the Trio to keep up its unimposing, smooth, three-speaker, front-facing configuration with out sacrificing immersion. Sony’s design selections and technological prowess mix to bridge the hole between dwelling theater fanatics and aesthetically-conscious customers.