Not everybody wants a $1,000 soundbar. It’s simple to argue the sonic superiority of these flagship fashions from Samsung, Sonos and Sony, however for some individuals a easy increase to their TV audio system can present a world of distinction. As a part of its 2026 soundbar lineup, Sony debuted the Bravia Theater Bar 5: a $350 entry-level mannequin that covers the fundamentals and comes with a wi-fi subwoofer within the field. The true query right here is what number of options are you prepared to reside with out.
The nice: Sound high quality, bass efficiency and setup
The Theater Bar 5 is probably the most compact soundbar amongst Sony’s new fashions, measuring simply 35.5 inches large. For comparability, that’s nonetheless about 10 inches wider than the second-gen Sonos Beam, however practically 16 inches smaller than Sony’s flagship Theater Bar 9. This stature makes the Bar 5 well-suited for smaller areas with smaller TVs. Actually, Sony says the soundbar will match between the legs of Bravia TVs with multi-position stands. Plus, the Bar 5 is simply over 2.5 inches tall, barely shorter than the Beam, so it gained’t block the underside fringe of most TVs.
Regardless of its small measurement, the Bar 5 cranks out some wonderful sound. There’s loads of crisp, clear audio from the three.1-channel configuration, and the included subwoofer supplies an ample quantity of booming bass. The Bar 5 helps Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, however it doesn’t have up-firing drivers. As a substitute, the soundbar depends on Sony’s Vertical Encompass Engine and S-Drive Professional Entrance Encompass tech to virtualize a lot of the directional and overhead audio. Extra on that in a bit.
Whereas watching Netflix’s Drive to Survive, I skilled the joy of F1 vehicles zooming round varied circuits because the Bar 5 does nicely with common motion. The soundbar’s large soundstage, wonderful element and booming bass present some extent of immersion that doesn’t depend on audio projected overhead. That total readability and highly effective bass are additionally nice for listening to music, because the Bar 5 can deal with a variety of genres with ease.
From Kieran Behden & William Tyler’s acoustic/digital 41 Longfield Avenue Late ‘80s to Thursday’s screamo masterpiece Full Collapse, the soundbar performs admirably. Though with heavier genres, I most popular to dial down the bass barely. Tucker Rule’s kick drum on Full Collapse, for instance,was a bit a lot for the usual tuning right here.
After battling the setup on LG’s Sound Suite, I used to be grateful that configuring the Bar 5 was tremendous simple. It’s very a lot a plug-and-play scenario, and the Bravia Join app guides you thru the preliminary steps. It takes about 5 minutes to rise up and operating and I’d wager even the least tech-savvy individual in your life can most likely determine this out. You too can go for Night time mode (much less bass), Sound Area (enhanced audio) and Voice mode (louder dialogue) within the Bravia Join app.
All of this actually makes the Bar 5 a stable possibility for somebody who doesn’t want quite a lot of options, however stands to profit from augmenting the sound from their TV alone.
The not so good: Constrained Dolby Atmos and restricted options
Whereas the Bar 5 helps Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio, Sony’s virtualization tech was a disappointment. There’s some side-to-side directional sound, however I observed virtually no simulated overhead noise. The Bar 5’s sonic readability makes it a stable possibility for reinforcing lounge audio, simply don’t count on the enveloping results that extra sturdy (and dearer) soundbars would supply.
There are a number of options you gained’t discover on the Theater Bar 5, beginning with the shortage of onboard controls. I’m nicely conscious that these buttons on high of soundbars don’t get used a lot, however for those who’re like me, you continue to attain for them sometimes. There have been a number of instances throughout my testing once I tried to blindly faucet the non-existent quantity controls on the Bar 5. Apart from an influence button on the proper aspect, your choices for controlling this soundbar are a distant and the Bravia Join app.
You additionally gained’t discover a Wi-Fi connection on the Bar 5. Because of this AirPlay and Google Solid aren’t accessible to simply beam audio out of your gadgets to the soundbar. There’s Bluetooth 5.3, so that you do have an possibility for music and podcasts out of your cellphone or laptop computer for those who want it. Nevertheless, pairing your gadgets to the soundbar through Bluetooth isn’t as fast as choosing the soundbar in your streaming app when AirPlay or Solid are on the spec sheet.
Lastly, Sony doesn’t supply any sort of room calibration on Theater Bar 5. Certain, a smaller soundbar like that is higher in smaller areas, however it could nonetheless be good to have the system dial within the audio for the points of the room. In any case, not each lounge is an ideal rectangle. I can perceive why the corporate left this characteristic out of a $350 mannequin, because the software would require further parts like microphones. That is actually one of many extra noticeable trade-offs for saving some cash.
Wrap-up
Typically the fundamentals are all you want. Sony’s Bravia Theater Bar 5 supplies an entry-level increase to TV audio that shall be nice for individuals on the lookout for simply that. Whereas there’s help for immersive audio, the soundbar’s 3.1-channel setup isn’t the very best for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X efficiency, and that’s actually the largest knock towards the Bar 5. Nevertheless, this mannequin's wonderful audio high quality, particularly the highly effective bass, will suffice for purchasers simply trying to hear their TVs higher.
If you’d like a compact soundbar that gives respectable Atmos efficiency, the second-gen Sonos Beam is your greatest guess. Certain, it’s dearer at $499 and it doesn’t include a subwoofer, however its further drivers, tweeter and passive radiators supply extra sturdy audio from the soundbar alone. You additionally get Trueplay room calibration and Wi-Fi connectivity there.
The Theater Bar 5 will definitely enhance your lounge audio in comparison with your TV audio system alone, however with a number of extra options and improved Atmos virtualization, Sony may’ve had an actual winner.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/audio system/sony-bravia-theater-bar-5-review-a-basic-tv-sound-booster-140000192.html?src=rss