HT-A7000 w/SARS5 compared with HTA9 and Q990B 

Thank you for this! Now waiting for the Nakamichi Dragon review... :)

Thank you, I have been waiting for a good comparison video between the HT- A7000 and HT-A9. You have helped me make my decision 👍

I was waiting for this comparison thank you so much sir

Really nice review and follow /round up of all that you’ve learned

Great job and love your humor! 😂👍

Thank you for another entertaining and informative review. Why does it have to be so complicated? And expensive. I am of a certain age and 0:02 all I want is clear naturally sounding dialogue. Been through at least half a dozen sound bars with no luck. Did hear the Sony A95K tv on its own and was shocked at well it performed on its own. Headphones and subtitles till the next great revolution. Hope I’m still here.

i was very bigly in anticipation for this video

Great review. Nice to see you making new enemies as you go along. 👊

Thanks for making this detailed comparison video

The rare reviewer that doesnt stand on the fence, thank you for speaking your mind!

Really liking your videos. 👍

excellent video, appreciate your honest opinions ! bravo

I just love these reviews. Personally I think the A9’s are just something else. I demoed these at my local store and was just impressed immediately by them. I run a Ambeo and, whilst certainly louder and fuller, if I replace the Ambeo, I’ll purchase the A9’s. I totally get what your saying about the integrated sound and the difference it gives you.

My new Q990B will be delivered tomorrow. Looking forward to setting up, having a play, then sitting back to watch a movie... and hopefully being blown away with the sound experience

Great job man, keep on going! Quick one, which projector do you use have you ever had experience with UST? Do you have any UST to recommend? :)

Love your videos, really great work. I'm wondering if you can (or if you have already) tested the Q990B with the rear speakers in the front orientation? I would love to hear your opinion of this. This is a somewhat unique feature that I haven't seen offered by any other setups. While it might not be ideal, it gives people the option to widen their sound stage if they don't have a room orientation to accommodate good placement of the rear speakers - for example, people with their couch right against the back wall. I was personally planning to wall mount the speakers on my side walls behind the couch, but I am questioning if side wall mounting will eliminate the side firing speakers. So I'm weighing the pros and cons of the front-rear speaker orientation, from both a room aesthetic and a sound stage/surround sound perspective.

This is awesome and thank you for doing this comparison. A few weeks ago, I went and purchased the full A7000/SR5/SW5 setup and have been completely underwhelmed with the immersion in a very modest living room setup. Interestingly enough as I get closer to the return cutoff date, I took the system outdoors for a project movie night and was very pleased with the performance to the point where it seemed like I was getting more "atmos" and rear sounds watching the same content outdoors versus inside. Regardless, I am looking for that 360* sound field but have been fighting between the HT-A9 and the 990B so thank you for providing your opinion and persuading me. Sony thanks you.

I have no idea what peer reviewed certifications you have obtained prior to becoming an internet product expert, but you are the funniest person on the internet. If tech wasn’t your passion, you could easily write for SNL, at least the Weekend Update segments. Godspeed.

I have the HTA-7000 system you describe and I really think it was designed to only play nice with Sony TV's. It sounds great on the Sony A90J but hearing it hooked up to my Samsung QN90A or LG G1 just sounds awful, even after a complete reset with multiple HDMI cables used; it just sounds tinny, sibilant, and hollow. Conversely the Samsung Q950A bar sounds fine on the LG and of course the Samsung, but not great on the Sony TV. I really think it's the chipset used in the Sony bar and I'd be curious to see if a different one was used in the HT-A9. Edit: I do think the Ambeo MAX is still the best sounding bar out there, though, I am curious to experience the new Nakamichi Dragon surround sound system

I was lucky to sample these and the Bose 900 and Arc in a department store, with full intention of buying the Bose. That was until I heard the Samsung Q990B! The difference can only be described as going from a great enhancement to your TV sound, to experiencing something very close to going to the cinema. No contest for me personally and I’m now enjoying the Q990B at home with my Panasonic UB820 sending a dedicated True HD sound channel.

I just want to say thank you Daniel for your brilliant soundbar etc. reviews. I've loved all of them. I've been agonising over what to replace my JBL SB with and keep on coming back to the A9 with the SW5 sub or the Samsung Q990B or C. Even though it's twice as expensive I think I'm going to have to go for the A9s just because of the X factor which keeps on making you return to them. If you want the best, or most Wow factor, then you sometimes just have to pay for it...

Hey Daniel. Great update on the A7000! The immersion of the A9 is really hard to beat. As good as other soundbars might be to me, & this is my own personal issue is that it would always seem like the sound is coming from the bar instead of all around you. If that makes sense! lol. That's what I love with the A9. Having said that I'm really interested in the Nakamichi Dragon & would love to see you review it & compare to the A9!! Cheers!

Thanks for this. Have you been in touch with Sony or do you know if they will bring out a user EQ adjustment option anytime soon?

Hi Dan, I am a subscriber of your channel and find your reviews really helpful and witty :) I currently own a Sony HT-ST5000 and planning to upgrade primarily to get the rear speaker experience and an elevanted Dolby Atmos/360 spatial Audio. Little torn between Samsung Q990C and Sony HT-A9 with SW5. Though in terms of power and sound, I am convinced with Samsung but little confused with the Atmos/Spatial Audio experience which seems Sony is better at. What makes me more confused is the pricing. I am getting the Q990C for GBP 850 and HT-A9 with SW5 for GBP 1,500. Is the HT-A9's surround/spatial experience worth the difference? Hoping to hear your thoughts before closing as I am unable to get a proper demo of the Q990C as opposed to Sony which has dedicated experience centres. Thanks!

I purchased A700/SR5/SW5 + A95K almost a year ago and been using. I have no regrets at all. Sound mapping and surround sounding is been amazing. I would give this system 8 out of 10. Simply amazing ❤

Have the HT-A7000 system with the SA-RS3S and SA-SW5. As I also like to only listen to music, I was thinking on switching to the Sonos Arc with Sub Gen3 and Era 300. Do the SA-RS5 really sound that nuch better as everyone says, so that listening to music isn't as "painful" as it us right now? Unfortunately the Sony lacks in the option for setting up the sound like Sonos offers.

Could you review the mid tier bars too? I’m looking at the Samsung ha-q930b. I value your opinion. I feel like it may be just the 950t just without the cloth. Thank you for all you do.

One thing that isn't touched on here about the HT-A9 is its unique ability to be entirely optimized even when you can't place all four speakers into an idea position within the room. With the Sony, because of its simple optimization sequence that can be run at any time, you have the flexibility to reposition those speakers based on the need to do so as room arrangement/conditions change. One speaker can be placed higher or lower than another and one can be closer than the others and it won't even matter. You don't need to have optimal physical placement with the HT-A9 to get optimal speaker performance. Now, you may not think that's not important, but with the HT-A9, having that flexibility means that you can easily repurpose that entire setup into a different room within your home in a matter of minutes, if needed, at any time - even one where you don't have the ability to put the speakers into an idea position with respect to height and distance from the viewer/listener. I know no one ever likes to think of these types of audio systems as being "portable" but they really should, at least when thinking about the HT-A9. Having the ability to quickly and easily relocate the entire HT-A9 system into a different room within the home in just a matter of minutes (or to even take it over to a friend's house for the night) without any loss in audio performance or spacial imaging at all due to different placement of speakers adds a tremendous about of value-add that other systems just can't even come close to offering. The more you look into the capability and flexibility of the HT-A9, the more you realize that it's just simply in a category (and a class) all by itself. Is it expensive? Absolutely. Is it worth every single penny of what you pay for it? Unquestionably.

So I love your videos. Let me tell you very well done. Now I have a simple question... Can you recommend a couple of movies that I can pull up and show my wife and friends to display the full potential of my q990b?

Where is the super thanks button? I need to support you Wow ! Finally the video i was searching for ❤️ You saved tons of my money. I am going with HT-A9 with Sw5 One single question: Do i need to buy a Sony Flagship product to get that centre channel as tv or should that feature be "off" ie am i free to choose any Tv? I am considering 97 inch LG G2 / 83 inch Sony A80L / 77 inch Sony A95L By the way your videos are so hilarious and detailed to watch. Even the hand gestures you done twice while showing other videos on that "specific topic"

Hello, nice review! Are you able to review the citation 1100 sound bar?

I love for you to do a setup and best settings in the app for this. Samsung Q990B is this possible? I'm just not sure what I'm adjusting when going into the app for the difference speakers in the sound bar

I had the A9s with SW5 sub and sold them, got the Q990b instead and have absolutely no regrets, to my unturned hearing, the sound (both music and cinema) is much better with the Q990b

Great work and love your reviews. Please, can you help me to take a decíssion? I want to use just with projector, which one would you buy (I’m not from us, so nakamichi it’s impossible) and will use it just for movies. Thks again!!!!

I’ve been using a traditional 5.1 system with a receiver ( Pioneer receiver with a Sony AZ series speakers and woofer from the early 2000’s. I’m looking to upgrade to a sound bar and I’m confused with all the mixed reviews. Which sound bar or speaker system would you suggest as a first time user switching from a traditional speaker setup to sound bar ?

As always, great review! I am planning to buy the Q990B and pair it with Samsung (55inc) 2019 model, which does not specifically have Dolby atmos output, the max it can support is Dolby digital+, does that mean it won't channel atmos signal even if the content on netflix or other leading OTT platforms offers that? thanks in advance

Great, now make an A9 system with a center channel speaker and you'll have a really nice 5.1.4 set up. Maybe offer a better subwoofer option and the ability to pair 2 subs and it would be great.

Great review as always. Was considering trading in my full Sonos system for the full Sony A7 system as like my Sony TV and PS5. The PS5 has the option to push 3D audio to the speakers, but it sounded terrible on my Sonos system, so had to turn it off. FOMO also says to turn off the 3D audio option in his review of the A7. I’m starting to think that it is not the speakers, but the 3D codex is just not that good, which is sad because it is a main selling point for Sony products.

Set up The Q990c last night, this was technically my first sound bar, I did have a couple of Bose life style systems and this sound bar blows them away. It is not as good as my Kef Q750’s and 5.1.2, as the bar, as all bars I’d imagine, lack the mids of a full range speaker. The Q990c is an amazingly fun and engaging sound bar, it shines with an Atmos sound track.

I’m now watching the “fight” review with your top 3 for 2023! 👍

I wanted this Sony setup but it's too expensive for only being decent to great. I passed up on the Samsung setup as well even though it could've been had for $950. I'm wanting to upgrade my JBL Bar 9.1 to the Bar 1000x or 1300x instead now. What are your thoughts on those? I just wish the soundstage was wider on those but I guess that's what the 1300x side firing speakers are for.

Don't always agree with you but appreciate your opinion and not standing on the fence. You do very good reviews and thank you for putting in the time ⏲️!! I have the bose 700 soundbar and surrounds and very happy with them. When I up grade, looking at the A7000.

Thank you...I always enjoy your take. I'm so tempted to get the Sony A9....and not spend $5k for a 5.1 separate component system with a center speaker.

I am debating whether buying the hw-990b vs ht-a9 for my place. Either a Samsung TV or Sony TV depending on the sound

can you please do a Smart Speaker faceoff (Echo studio, homepod, Sonos One/Five and their stereo pairs)? Love your content

Great and rare Video. I agree with you. I have Sony A95k and Sony A7000 + SW5 + RS5. The Tv is awesome but the sound bar system is just above average. I thought together they would rock due to Sony's ecosystem but No. And the centre channel on TV is a gimmick. It works but not great, no synergy. I tried both A9 and A7000 , I noticed the A7000 is 25% more louder.

hey Dan. Im interested to buy HT a9. So, I watched your two lengthy comparison videos :). Really appreciate you taking time to explain everything in detail. Im from India and I found a good deal on Q990C ($960) and A9($1960). My first preference is watching movies with good surround effects. Which one do you suggest-Q990C or HT A9? Have you heard any news about A10 :)

I purchased the A9 to go with my Sony 65" A90J tv and it is awesome at "high volume" only, However, day-to-day viewing at low to medium volume was poor, hence i returned the product. I came from a dedicated seperates setup, which was a wonderful experience at any volume. If you can whack up the sound without having to worry about neighbours and alike each day then go for it. In my view, the immersion and sound quality was lost at low to normal levels and i definitely missed the dedicated centre channel even when using the A90J.

Where would you rank the JBL1300X? I know you’ve reviewed them as well. I bought the JBL1300x and I’m debating on keeping it or trading in for the Sony 7000 and RS speakers. I want and need truly 100% wireless speakers. I have a vaulted ceilings and the JBL system/Dolby atmos sounds amazing. Setup is so simple and calibration of the rears is easy as well. I was going to buy the Samsung setup but fell in love with truly wireless rear speakers.

Great review and video, as usual. As much as I’m a Bose fan, there’s no denying it’s expensive and underwhelming rears. As for Sony… cloth on any soundbar is just offensive to anyone that doesn’t dust on a daily basis (present company included). However, Sony has always been the Toyota of sound.. a solid and reliable performer. I’m very much considering switching out my Bose 700 setup for the Samsung, but the speaker connection and dropout problems reported on the q990 is making me pause. Nobody needs the frustration of a sound bar not doing all it should and do it well.

Will you give the baby Sennheiser Ambeo plus a review or will you skip it :)?

When do you think the A9 will be updated with a new model? Sony seems to update their headphones and earbuds every 2 years, recently. But I don't know how they treat their home sound products.

How’s the A7000 function with the Sony center stage feature when paired with one of their TVs.

Sir iam already having sony ht z9f 5.1 dolby atmos soundbar. 1. Pls suggest it is required to upgrade 2. If yes then which is best sony ht 7000 or ht A9 or samsung 990C. Regards

Man, not to sound weird, I am married and all that stuff. I don't know what it is, but I watch your videos and I feel so comfortable, like when I was a kid watching some tv shows, like if you were my best friend, I don't understand. I think is your sense of humor and your editing, those little music clips hehe

I love the Sony A9 with Tidal songs with Sony 360 reality. It’s magical!

So I have a HT 7000, and I'm thinking of upgrading to the hta9. I am a big music lover though so would you recommend me getting an upgrade?

Which soudbar gives atmos effect please tell me sir .Sony,samsung

What about the Harman Kardon Citation Multibeam 1100?

For me the HT-A9 SA SW5 combo is a huge step forward coming from a SONOS setup that had a soundbar two SONOS ones and a SONOS Sub. But how low the base goes is a bit dissapointing. Is there a better external Sub possible thats compatible with the HT-A9? The SA SW5 is lacking.

Hello , can you review 930B also?

Have you revised the RS5s since the firmware updates for both the A7000 and the RS5s

I have the A7000/SR5 and SW5 currently, can the HTA 9 be added to that so they can work in tandem with one another?

Please do a review on the nakamichi dragon if in one it comes out.

Hi, I have a question which soundbar has better sound, Sony ht a5000 or Bose 900? You are the best judge since you have already tested both. I am faced with a difficult decision. I would like to buy one of them. At the moment I am leaning towards the bose 900. Please reply, thank you very much

Thank you very much for your vids. Very informative. I'm about to jump in, but music is more important to me than movies (not that movies are unimportant!!), and I want to know my FLACs and lossless OGGs are still going to move me. I'm not interested in hiphop, drum'n'bass, etc, but otherwise varied from classic rock to classical to folk to 60s70s80s to rhythm&blues. Also, I'm wondering what's just around the corner. Many of these bars are gaining years.

I still would go with the samsung. The total cost of this system is $2800. Which is like more than 2XQ990B. Or i also would rather save a bit more as i wait for the release of the nakamichi dragon.

What stops me from buying the ra5s is the proprietary charging. Why couldn't they just use USB c... In between jbl 1300x and the Sony a5000 because I have no space for plug in rears and the battery option fits my needs.

Is there anyway to get Chromecast on the Q990B in the US?

Very cool video. Still, I still don’t know why reviewers keep comparing the A9 to regular soundbar systems.

Bought myself q990b n boy it’s amazing…!!!….. still curious to listen to a9s..😅

When I turn on the soundbar, will it automatically turn on the rs5 rear speakers ? Or do I have to turn each speakers on one by one ?

Can you give us your settings for the A9 please?

EXACTLY what i was looking for. I can’t make up my mind between those 2 ! Thank you. I heard a big demo of the Samsung and I hated it. So agressive. No mediums. No subtlety. So I’m much more interested by the Sony ones (ht-9 or 7000) I listened to a little in a store, with a sound and bass I largely preferred. But I’m super interested by your arguments.

Should I buy a used vizio elevate for $400 or buy a open box Samsung hw-q930b for $800?

not long bought a hwq990b and its been fantastic. so easy to set up and dolby atmos just blows me away. it only cost me £718 so it was a bit of a bargain! the soundbar is a bit of a heavyweight beast and the sub aint no lightweight either as i found out when dragging the box upstairs to my man-cave😂

You should hear Master and Commander (1080p blu Ray with DTS) on the A9. It will make you ask “Atmos who?”

have Sony A80K, between Samsung Q990c and Sony Ht. A7000(with sub and rears)which is best given that q990c does not support q symphony and Dolby Atmos for sony tv

So if you listening habits were 70% music, 30% movies... which of these three would you pick...?

You broke my heart with what you said about Bose but I forgive you because I handed down my Bose system that dissed them to my Son and now I have the Samsung Q990C paired up with a Neo QLED!

Really hope Bose make some battery operated rear speakers like the Sony ones…. Seems like a great idea for Bose

You need the Sony TV to get that sound height. Without it, this is not much of a test comparison.

I’d have to hear that to say my Sonos isn’t better because holy crap… but I’m in a small room. If I had a huge room probably might go A9s Or Klipsch depending on what I felt like spending lol

Forgets a very important fact about Sony soundbars. Its compatible with ALL known sound codecs, and not just the new ones, so if you have a lot of older DVDs, even theese will sound diecent, and not just a seudo stereo sound picture.

🍻

HTA9 is sometimes insane. Sounds coming from places where there are no speakers.

Sony HTA9 fantastic surround sound but with no centre channel the dialogue was very poor and the drop outs made me send it back .Samsung 990B ,this is the one to get folks great sound all round and you get a sub with it for half the price of the HTA9 and the surround sound is close to the HTA9 ,no drop outs at all . SonyHTA-7000 dont bother terible

Hello je vous regarde depuis la France excellent contenu j’aime beaucoup votre technique de présenter ses produit j’ai besoin d’aide j’hésite beaucoup depuis 1 mois avant d’acheter j’ai la tv sony a95k je ne sais pas comment sa sonne avec la tv en voix central je me dis que je pourrais encore plus écarter les haut parleur avant avec la télé au centre mais je ne sais pas comment le son sera avec la tv?? donc j’hésite avec le q990b et le ht a9? Si quelqu’un a des avis merci beaucoup

The Sony Ht-A9 have a Problem, in Linus Tech Tipps he Shows that this Set Spam so much WiFi that other products have Problems (syr No nativ english).

Nacamichi Dragon Soundbar System would eat all these other Soundbars for Breakfast and Spit the Drivers Out

I have a lg c3 55 inch and plan on getting either Sony hta9 or lg S90QY Samsung is not my favorite, I just came from a Samsung tv and Soundbar 5🤧 out of 🤧 for Samsung

This dude could sale you a car + the soundbars 3:30. 😊 subscribe

12:31 That’s not correct… my Sony HT-A7000 has a built in mic and voice control assistance. “ALEXA”

My heart is set on the Nakamichi Dragon sounds system 11.4.6 3000 Watts for $3500. Which is cheap compared to Bang and Olfusen $7000 soundbar

Vizio M series all in one 6 speakers

No...the Dragon is the best one right now.

I had the A7000 and wasn’t that impressed. Sent it back and moved to the A9 and initially had severe dropout problems. Come to find out it was defective and had the dealer send out a replacement which proved to be the case. For me the A9 was the right choice for me.

I don't mate. I'm watching this review and I've got impression you're doing everything to underestimate HT-A7000. I tested all 3 other them and ht a7000 beats a shit out of the other 2.

Battery powered surround is useless for many.Sony new surrond cost whopping 599... paying for the battery feature i will never use. They could have gone $399 without battery.

Bose has ALWAYS been effective in implementation, but when compared to the quality and range of other equivalent offerings... *ALWAYS* falls short in both quality and performance.. . Bose has always been over-priced, over-hyped, and over-rated... . I used to have to Demo them in the test room when I was A/T/V Media Manager for Fry's Electronics.... they were ALWAYS a train-wreck in comparison when the set-up didn't cheat