Sony’s US Soundbars: 9 of 13 List Atmos and DTS:X
From Sony’s US store, read 30 Oct: channels, Atmos, sub and rears in the box, HDMI inputs and price for 13 bars and systems.
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Sony’s US store sells 13 soundbars and home-theatre systems, and 9 of them list both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Three of the 13 ship with rear speakers, and five list an HDMI input for a console or streaming box.
Sony now sells most of the range as BRAVIA Theater models, beside four older HT- bars. Among the eight BRAVIA Theater models, the clearest split is what comes in the box: a sub with the three listed under $800, none with the five above. Check the box columns before assuming a bigger model number means more speakers in the box.
The lineup side by side
From Sony’s US spec rows, read 30 October 2026. “Sub” and “Rears” mean included in the box; “Add-on rears” means Sony names the model on its own rear-speaker listings.
| Model | Channels (Sony’s label) | Atmos and DTS:X | Sub | Rears | HDMI input | TV link | Add-on rears |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bravia Theater Quad (HT-A9M2) | 4.0.4 (16ch) | Yes | No | Yes (4 speakers) | Not stated | eARC | No |
| Bravia Theater Trio (HT-A8) | 3.0.2 (9ch amp) | Yes | No | No | 1 | eARC | Yes |
| Bravia Theater Bar 9 (HT-A9000) | 13ch | Yes | No | No | 1 (4K/120, 8K/60) | eARC | Yes |
| Bravia Theater Bar 8 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) (HT-A8000) | 11ch | Yes | No | No | 1 (4K/120, 8K/60) | eARC | Yes |
| HT-A5000 | 5.1.2 | Yes | Built in | No | 1 (4K/60p) | eARC | Yes |
| Bravia Theater Bar 7 (HT-A7100) | 5.0.2 | Yes | No | No | 1 (4K/60p) | eARC | Yes |
| Bravia Theater System 6 (HT-S60) | 5.1 | Yes | Yes (wired) | Yes | None | eARC | No |
| Bravia Theater Bar 6 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) (HT-B600) | 3.1.2 | Yes | Yes (wireless) | No | None | eARC | No |
| Bravia Theater Bar 5 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) (HT-B500) | 3.1 | Yes | Yes (wireless) | No | None | eARC | No |
| HT-S40R | 5.1 | No | Yes (wired) | Yes | None | ARC | No |
| HT-S400 | 2.1 | No | Yes (wireless) | No | None | ARC | No |
| HT-SD40 | 2.1 | No | Yes (wireless) | No | None | ARC | No |
| HT-S100F | 2.0 | Page disagrees | No | No | None | ARC | No |
“None” means the page’s input count reads “-” or 0. Sony’s add-on subwoofers list the same five models as its add-on rears, plus the Quad.
Prices on Sony’s store
Read 30 October 2026. Where Sony showed a sale, the list price is the original price.
| Model | List price | Sony price, 30 Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Quad | $2,699.99 | $2,699.99 |
| Trio | $2,199.99 | $2,199.99 |
| Bar 9 | $1,499.99 | $1,499.99 |
| Bar 8 | $999.99 | $999.99 |
| HT-A5000 | $999.99 | $999.99 |
| Bar 7 | $869.99 | $869.99 |
| System 6 | $799.99 | $799.99 |
| Bar 6 | $699.99 | $699.99 |
| Bar 5 | $349.99 | $349.99 |
| HT-S40R | $329.99 | $329.99 |
| HT-S400 | $299.99 | $299.99 |
| HT-SD40 | $229.99 | $199.99 |
| HT-S100F | $159.99 | $99.99 |
Sony also sells the Bar 7 with its Sub 7 as a bundle, listed at $1,099.99 on 30 October.
Bar 5, Bar 6 and System 6: everything in the box
The Bravia Theater Bar 5 is 3.1 channels with a wireless sub; the Bar 6 adds two height channels for 3.1.2, the label our guide to what 3.1.2 and 5.1.4 mean explains. The System 6 is 5.1, with a wired sub and rear speakers run from an amp box. All three list Atmos and DTS:X over eARC, and none has an HDMI input, so a console or streaming box plugs into the TV. None is named on Sony’s add-on sub or rear listings.
Bar 7, Bar 8, Bar 9 and HT-A5000: add-ons sold separately
These four have no separate sub and no rears in the box, but each is named on Sony’s add-on sub and rear-speaker listings. The Bar 7 is 5.0.2 from nine speakers; Sony labels the Bar 8 11ch and the Bar 9 13ch. The HT-A5000 is 5.1.2 with its subwoofer built into the bar. Each has one HDMI input beside its eARC port, and Sony lists 4K/120 and 8K/60 pass-through for the Bar 8 and Bar 9. Whether a built-in or included sub is enough is what our soundbar subwoofer explainer works through from makers’ figures.
Quad and Trio: no bar in the middle
The Trio is three units, labelled 3.0.2 with nine amplifier channels, and takes Sony’s add-on subs and rears. The Quad is four speakers and a control box, labelled 4.0.4 and 16 channels, so its rears are part of the set; Sony’s subs list it, its rear listings do not. The Quad page gives HDMI input formats but no input count, so we do not say whether it passes video.
The older HT- bars: no Atmos, ARC only
The HT-S40R (5.1, with wired sub and rears), HT-S400 and HT-SD40 (both 2.1 with a wireless sub) read “Dolby Atmos / DTS:X: No” and connect over ARC, not eARC. On the nine Atmos models, the eARC port is what carries lossless Atmos from the TV, as our ARC and eARC explainer sets out.
The HT-S100F is the odd one. Its comparison row says Dolby Atmos / DTS:X: Yes, while its HDMI and optical format rows list only Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono and two-channel LPCM. Ask Sony which is right before you rely on Atmos from this one.
Where Sony’s pages are thin
- Channel labels. The Bar 8 and Bar 9 give a channel total, not an x.y.z label, so their height count is not stated in the spec rows.
- Quad inputs. No HDMI input count or pass-through row.
- Shortlist. Our averaged-score soundbar shortlist covers which bars outlets rated; this page covers only what Sony states.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Sony Bravia Theater soundbars?
Mainly channels, what ships in the box and HDMI inputs. The Bar 5 and Bar 6 come with a wireless sub and have no HDMI input; the Bar 7, 8 and 9 come without a sub, take Sony’s add-on subs and rears, and have one HDMI input. The Quad and Trio are multi-speaker systems.
Do Sony Bravia Theater soundbars support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X?
All eight BRAVIA Theater models on Sony’s US store list both, as does the HT-A5000. The older HT-S40R, HT-S400 and HT-SD40 list neither, and the HT-S100F’s page contradicts itself.
Which Sony soundbars come with a subwoofer?
On Sony’s US pages, 30 October: the Bar 5, Bar 6, System 6, HT-S40R, HT-S400 and HT-SD40 ship with one. The HT-A5000 has a sub built into the bar. The Bar 7, 8 and 9, Trio and Quad do not include one.
Can I add rear speakers to the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6?
Sony’s add-on rear speakers are listed for the Trio, Bar 9, Bar 8, Bar 7 and HT-A5000, and the Bar 6 is not named on them. Ask Sony before buying rears for a Bar 5 or Bar 6.
Which Sony soundbars have HDMI passthrough?
The Trio, Bar 9, Bar 8, Bar 7 and HT-A5000 list one HDMI input beside the eARC output. Sony lists 4K/120 and 8K/60 pass-through for the Bar 8 and Bar 9. The Bar 5, Bar 6 and System 6 have only the eARC port.
What is the Sony Bravia Theater Quad?
Four speakers and a control box rather than a bar. Sony labels it 4.0.4 channels, 16 channels in all, with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It has no subwoofer in the box; Sony’s add-on subs list it as compatible.
How we researched this
No one at bitcritiq has handled this product. Everything here comes from published sources, listed below.
- What this cannot tell you
- Sony’s spec rows are uneven: the Quad page has an HDMI input format row but no input count or pass-through row, so we do not say whether it passes video. The HT-S100F’s comparison row says Dolby Atmos / DTS:X: Yes while its format rows list neither, and we could not settle which is right. Sony’s Bar 8 and Bar 9 pages state channels as 11ch and 13ch rather than in x.y.z form. Sony’s HT-S2000 does not appear on the listing; we did not read whether it is still sold. Prices move weekly before Black Friday. We have not used any of these soundbars; nothing here is a review, a ranking or a score.
How we chose this, and what we did
- Why this subject
- Search Console (29 September to 26 October) shows soundbar-series searches, including “compare samsung soundbars vs competing brands for dolby atmos” and “q series soundbar”, landing on our Samsung soundbar explainer, and “best sonos soundbar” on our Sonos one. We had no page on Sony’s range, which Sony’s US store now sells mostly under BRAVIA Theater names alongside older HT- model numbers.
- How we looked at it
- Read Sony’s US All Soundbars listing (23 items, both pages) and 13 Sony US product pages on 30 October 2026: BRAVIA Theater Quad (HT-A9M2), Trio (HT-A8), Bar 9 (HT-A9000), Bar 8 (HT-A8000), Bar 7 (HT-A7100), System 6 (HT-S60), Bar 6 (HT-B600), Bar 5 (HT-B500), HT-A5000, HT-S40R, HT-S400, HT-SD40 and HT-S100F. The 23 listing items are those 13, a Bar 7 + Sub 7 bundle, five subwoofers and four rear-speaker sets; we count only the 13. Specs come from the spec data each page embeds (Speaker Structure, Number of Channel, Amplifier Channels, Number of Input/Output, HDMI eARC formats, Subwoofer Type, Dolby Atmos / DTS:X, rear-speaker rows), read with a script in the browser. Atmos and DTS:X count as listed where the product title or the HDMI eARC format row names them. Optional subs and rears are the models named in the titles of Sony’s own subwoofer and rear-speaker listings. Prices are the price on each page’s purchase box; where the store showed a sale, the original price is the list price and the sale is noted. The counts (13, 9, 3, 1, 6, 5) are rows in our first table. Absence claims mean the page has no such row or its input count reads “-” or 0; the control is that each of those pages carries a Speaker Structure or Amplifier Channels row and a Number of Input/Output row.
What this rests on
6 claims, all official. Nothing here was measured by bitcritiq — see how we test for why. Open a claim to read the source it came from.
Of the 13 soundbars and systems on Sony’s US store, 9 list both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.Official
Titles “Dolby Atmos®/DTS:X®” on the Quad, Trio, Bar 9, Bar 8, Bar 7, System 6, Bar 6 and Bar 5; HT-A5000 “5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos®” with “DTS:X” in its HDMI eARC format row. Bar 6, Bar 5 and System 6 eARC rows: “Dolby Atmos … DTS:X”.
The HT-S40R, HT-S400 and HT-SD40 list no Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, and connect over ARC rather than eARC.Official
“Dolby Atmos / DTS:X: No” on all three; Number of Input/Output “0/1 (ARC)” (HT-S40R) and “- / 1(ARC)” (HT-S400, HT-SD40).
The HT-S100F’s own page disagrees with itself on Dolby Atmos.Official
“Dolby Atmos / DTS:X: Yes”, while its HDMI input format row reads “Dolby® Digital, Dolby® Dual mono, LPCM 2ch” and its optical row the same.
Three of the 13 include rear speakers: the Quad, System 6 and HT-S40R.Official
Quad: “Rear Speaker Left” and “Rear Speaker Right” size rows, “4.0.4 ch”. System 6: “Rear speaker: SS-SS60”, “5.1 ch (10 Speaker Units)”. HT-S40R: rear speaker size and amp box rows, “5.1ch”.
Five list an HDMI input for a source device: the Trio, Bar 9, Bar 8, Bar 7 and HT-A5000.Official
Number of Input/Output “1 / 1 (eARC/ARC)” on all five; Bar 8 and Bar 9 add “4K/120 YUV4-4-4 10bit (Non compression): Yes” and “8K/60”. Bar 6, Bar 5 and System 6 read “- / 1 (eARC / ARC)”.
Sony lists its add-on rear speakers for the Trio, Bar 9, Bar 8, Bar 7 and HT-A5000, and its add-on subwoofers for those and the Quad.Official
Listing titles: “BRAVIA Theater Rear 9 … for Trio/Bar 9/Bar 8/Bar 7/HT-A7000/HT-A5000/HT-A3000”; “BRAVIA Theater Sub 9 Wireless Subwoofer for Quad/Trio/Bar 9/Bar 8/Bar 7/HT-A7000/HT-A5000/HT-A3000”.
Sources 14
- All Soundbars — Sony Electronics US (listing)Officialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- BRAVIA Theater Quad (HT-A9M2) — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- BRAVIA Theater Trio (HT-A8) — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 (HT-A9000) — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
Show 10 more · 10 official or standards
- BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 (HT-A8000) — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- BRAVIA Theater Bar 7 (HT-A7100) — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- BRAVIA Theater System 6 (HT-S60) — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- BRAVIA Theater Bar 6 (HT-B600) — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 (HT-B500) — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- HT-A5000 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- HT-S40R 5.1ch Home Theater Soundbar System — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- HT-S400 2.1ch Soundbar — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- HT-SD40 2.1ch Soundbar — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
- HT-S100F 2ch Soundbar — Sony ElectronicsOfficialaccessed Oct 30, 2026
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