Gadgets
Sony’s new HDMI 2.1 soundbar is perfect for your PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
If you want to up your sound experience, Sony is working on some great options.
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Sony just announced two home theatre systems that PS5 and Xbox Series X|S gamers are going to want to take a look at. Why? Because both have HDMI 2.1 passthrough, 8K video support, 4K gaming at 120Hz, Dolby Vision, eARC, and more.
The main show is the flagship HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos 7.1.2-channel soundbar, which will ding your wallet to the tune of $1,299. For that cash, you get two HDMI 2.1 inputs and one eARC return channel, so you can plug both of your next-gen consoles in at one time if you so wanted.
READ MORE: The best soundbars for Xbox Series X under $500
It’s got two up-firing speakers for that sweet Atmos sound, two beam tweeters, and five front speakers. It also has an inbuilt dual subwoofer, but if you really want extra bass, Sony has a 300W wireless subwoofer for $699.99 or a 200W unit for $399.99. You can also add a couple of wireless rear surround speakers for another $349.99.
It can also tune itself to your room’s acoustic properties, supports 360 Reality Audio, Hi-Res Audio, and has compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, and Apple AirPlay 2.
The other HDMI 2.1 system is the $1,799 HT-A9, which pipes your sound to four wireless speakers from a small, streaming-box size hub. According to Sony, you can put the four speakers anywhere in your room, and the electronics will tune them to perfection. You can also connect compatible Sony TVs to the control box via the Aux port to have them act as the center speaker, for additional voice quality. Nifty.
READ MORE: HDMI 2.1a is about to confuse the heck out of you – here’s what to know
The only real proviso here is that Sony won’t be shipping either of these HDMI 2.1-equipped systems until September or October. Normally, we’d say hold off on that pre-order, but chip shortages and shipping difficulties have us revising that – if you want it, get your name down now, or you might miss out.
In the meantime, Klipsch has two new HDMI 2.1 soundbars that are shipping now, the Cinema 1200 and Cinema 800. Those both promise an 8K passthrough so imply HDMI 2.1, but there’s no mention of a 4K 120FPS passthrough, which you’ll want for gaming use.
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Editors’ Recommendations:
- Rockstar continues to shove GTA V down our throats, will release on PS5 and Series X in November
- Microsoft Flight Simulator is finally coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass on July 27
- Check out everything Sony revealed during the latest State of Play
- The Steam Deck is Valve’s $399 take on handheld gaming
Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.
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