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📣 Sony introduces a new pair of mid-range Dolby Atmos surround sound solutions
🔊 Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 is a 3.1.2 soundbar paired with a subwoofer
📻 Sony Bravia Theater System 6 delivers 5.1 channel sound with a soundbar, subwoofer, and two rear surround speakers
🎶 System 6 has a special party trick that duplicates left & right channels for fuller stereo sound
📆 Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 and System 6 arrive this spring with prices coming later
Sony has announced a new pair of mid-range Dolby Atmos surround sound products with the Bravia Theater Bar 6 and Bravia Theater System 6.
The Bar 6 is a 3.1.2 soundbar paired with a subwoofer. Meanwhile, System 6 is a 5.1 multi-channel system that includes a soundbar, two rear surrounds, and a subwoofer. Both systems deliver Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio surround sound but with slightly different features.
The Sony Bravia Bar 6 notably has two up-firing speakers built into the soundbar to project height audio. While the Sony Bravia Theater System 6 doesn’t have any physical up-firing speakers, it virtualizes height channels with Sony's Vertical Surround Engine.
System 6 also has an extra party trick called Multi Stereo Mode, which duplicates the stereo sound between the soundbar and corresponding left/right rear speakers. During my demo in Japan, it effectively filled the entire room with louder and more powerful audio.
Sony tells me that neither system is superior to the other, but they’re designed to fit into different entertainment setups. If you live in a small apartment, the Bravia Theater 6 might be a better fit, whereas those with more room with a couch in the center of the living room might prefer the Bravia Theater System 6.
Now one thing I don’t love about the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 or System 6 is it’s not upgradable with other Sony speakers. The Bar 6 and System 6 are incompatible with the rest of Sony’s home theater audio devices. You can’t buy additional modules like the Sony Bravia Theater Rear 9 (or new Rear 8) or upgrade the System 6’s soundbar with a Bravia Theater Bar 8 or 9.
While both systems offer decent surround sound audio, from what I’ve experienced for an hour total, you'll be stuck with what you get in the box with either product. if you want higher-end audio down the line, you'll have to buy a whole new system.
The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 and Bravia Theater System 6 will ship later this Spring with prices to be announced around the same time.
Author Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director and has been reviewing tech for more than a decade, including going in-depth on TVs and soundbars.
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