The system is AMAZING! Spatially it is just mind-blowing. Sound just comes from places there are no speakers! I’m blown away often with my 77A95L based bedroom system. I just really wish SW5 was updated also, as it just isn’t in the same league as the QUAD acoustically. This system deserves a kick butt sub in a more modern form factor.
@@Sas-wk9ljSony’s claim to fame with both the earlier version, the new quad, and its current AVR series is the Spatial Audio processing; not unlike, come to think of it, the special sauce of their image processing that for many folks is a “tax” well worth paying. Now, if they really wanted to slay a dragon, any such upgrade would include a firmware revision that would allow multiple subs - something that absolutely works wonders in many situations.
I have had the Bravia Quad since mid-June but I am holding off on the sub... I want Sony to at least make some grey subs... but if they don't I'm going to get the SW3.
@@fonkenfulyou are right the STR-AZ7000ES with dual 12" SVS subs and a full 9.2.4 system that the Quads won't compete with. It is a great system for what it is but not allowing for a better sub or dual subs is a really poor decision on Sony's part. I will say I have been very impressed with the STR-AZ7000ES the moment I turned it on vs my previous Pioneer Elite SC-99 and Onkyo receivers I've had.
I just bought the Sony A9M2 Quad today after a home demo from the Sony India team. I got it for $2160, including the SW5 subwoofer, with approximately $200 off on my American Express card, initialy price they quoted was above $3000 including SW5. It was a fantastic deal from Sony India, especially since I already have the Sony A80G OLED. The Sony executive helped me secure the best deal. Best way to get it will take some negotiation skills. Your review immensely helped me, and this system takes the audio experience to another level. You get the same theater-like IMAX and immersive audio experience at home. The sound quality is very sharp and superior. Thanks a lot!
@@SaiKrishna-vl3rd Yes, it’s not shop. Call Sony Customer support or book demo on Sony India website. I have friend working in Sony arranged it for me.
How is the dialogue performance of the phantom center channel? Like I have A9 and as long as I am sitting in the center, I can perceive the sound to be coming from the center of the screen. But if I move off-center (a little left or right), I can feel voice coming from the front speaker nearest to my position. Do the quads have the same problem?
I definitely lust after this, but will happily live with my HT-A9 (1600 total with SWS5 sub, refurbished), its full featured remote, and the 1400 dollar savings.
yup.. bought mine brand new when it came out on amazon... i had the dropouts signals... sent it in to sony for repair... came back and i dont kn ow what they did but it was fixed... but i called amazon and complained before doing that...they said after sony repairs it and if i still have a problem they will exchange... well, guess what..it was sold out... they couldnt do the exchange...HOWEVER, they did refund me $500 for the inconvience ..... so i used that to get the sub...well worth it)
got my A9 for $1100 refurbished to. its awesome. I like the look of the A9 better than the Quad. I like that the A9 is made out of metal and not cloth like the Quad. The A9 is so easy to hang on one screw on the wall. Love the way the A9 looks and feels, it's a great system. I don't care for the way the Quad looks, it reminds me of a Hard Drive, it just doesnt look as appealing. The one big downsize was the drop outs I experience, and that affects the dialogue, which is NOT good.
I second the motion for a comparison between the Theater Quad and the Samsung Q990D or even the Q990C which I own and absolutely love. Great review Caleb, as always!
@@Caleb_Denison Please do... really looking forward to seeing how the Sony setup compares to a Samsung QN900D and HW-Q990D setup. Your reviews are fanstastic!
Some links in the video description for recommended speaker stands would have been nice. Also, the Theatre Quad control box has a “center channel out port.” Addressing some pros & cons commentary (in addition to your comments on subs) would also have been useful. Nonetheless, thank you for your review!
I have the A9, it took some work to get it setup right so I didn't have speakers dropping out. Mainly had to make sure the control box was unobstructed. I also did use the S-Center connection to help use the TV speakers for center channel. I think for me that worked really well. If a TV shows had a scene of dialogue where the camera was behind the person and then in front of the person, the voice would switch between the right speaker and left speaker. It was very noticeable and distracting. I don't know if there was another setting that would have addressed but the s-center worked for me. It's an awesome system and I wish I had a year for this new one. I knew something new was coming when the price of the A9 went down. And if you get either system get the bigger sub.
Caleb, you make a comment about this being the only review we need to watch. I feel like that about every review that you make. Thanks for giving us the confidence to spend our money on things
dig the thumbnail .. Happy HT-A9 owner here .. I blv Sony pushed some update earlier this year and you can hear so much rear speakers when you don't expect and get surprised
I prefered the sound signature HT A9 had at the beginning. Had i known it would change I wouldn’t have updated. But yeah now the surroud sounds are even more prominent. The quad is doing that better with more loudness
@@MintChoggy Of course its on expensive side but you can negotiate and a get better deal. Just experience it once if free home demo available at your location. Sony has really put their best into this. It takes lot of research and egineering to develop this kind of products and that's what Sony price on.
@@MintChoggy The whole point of the system is not to have an actual center channel, coz not everywhere you can put one. In my bedroom, I have a projector, for instance, and the screen has to be in the middle of the room. I can't just put a physical center channel in the middle of the room (when more thsn half the time, the screen is retracted. Also if you had actually heard a properly calibrated Theatre Quad, you wouldn't have said this. The phantom center is superb.
I upgraded from the previous model and it’s great so far. Perfect performance, no issues with the app (honestly not much use for it after setup), and I was fortunate to already own the subwoofer. It is pricey but doing it in payments makes it a lot more manageable.
Wow, I've been watching TH-cam tech review for more than 10 years and I just found your channel and your tech review is on my high end of the spectrum👏🏻
We love the quad. Wish we had a better sub the SW5 is horrible compared to the Sonos. We hear more sounds from the quads but kept our Sonos for music. If you can set the fronts 10-12ft apart you get a much bigger soundstage that a soundbar can’t do because of its size. No center channel isn’t a problem at all we think the quads have clearer dialogue than the Sonos. We love both systems
I've been a Bose user for about two decades, I know let the bashing begin 😂. However, I bought the lifestyle system because I didn't want a big system with multiple components. I just wanted a plug-and-play system that sounded good. The system allowed adjustment for each speaker based on placement using headphones and a CD with on screen instructions. Ahead of its time. People bash Bose all the time, but Sony is getting praised for an out of the box system. I would like to see a comparison to a similar Bose system.
Yeah I'm still rocking mine since 2006. Now my issue is, do I go PSB wall speakers x5 or focal 301's with a rel sub t9x and 4 ceiling speakers powered by an NAD receiver or the like at best part of 8k, or go for the quad with an SW5 and save a ton of money. Would the sound difference be over twice the entry cost of a quad?
I've tried both (although my quad is using the SW3 and my Sonos system only has 1 sub) and I will say that the Quad is by FAR better when it comes to surround sound. Sonos had a slight advantage for music and the app was better, but they kinda ruined that with the latest update. I would go for the Quad if your primary use case is TV/Gaming/Movies. The Sonos sub is better though.
@@jvdh_snap well said I have both and this is spot on. Sonos better for music and the quad better for TV/movies and it’s not even close like music is 100x better on Sonos and TV/movies are 100x better with the quad
This man’s reviews are honestly getting so exceptionally good that I genuinely look forward to a video drop for devices im interested in. This is another wonderfully done review. Keep them coming brother. 😊
Must admit, the SW3 has been more than enough for my particular space and home material needs. The 5 is an amazing unit, but even on lower settings was very noticeable on the main floor from my basement. The 3 less powerful and refined, but does have a nice balance where I can get some nice rumble in my home theater area without it disturbing anyone trying to relax and/or focus in the rooms above me.
Interestingly, the HT-A9 fits much better into my living room than the HT-A9M2 would. In fact, the HT-A9M2 would not fit at all. The round front right speaker of the HT-A9 fits perfectly between the right side of my TV and the wall to its right side and to face me, I simply rotate the speaker. The HT-A9M2 however would either facing to the left (where nobody is) or would partly block off parts of the TV.
See, I felt that way too at first. And I’m still not convinced the flat square speakers are best as a replacement, rather than an option. I want an A9 with the cylindrical speakers and the new box/wireless tech
@@an3k I don’t think it’s a lack of willingness on Sony’s part, I think it isn’t technically possible. The Quad has a different radio chip and frequency switching mechanism than the OG A9, so it’s a hardware difference, not a matter of software or firmware update. I would agree, though, that if it WERE addressable by update, Sony should do it. And I think they would, it’s in their best interest.
Caleb, your moderation skills are just on another level! Bought a Sonos Move 2 a while ago. The App f*ed everything up. I get random stutters, and connecting was always weird.
Love my system, had it almost from day 1 to replace my A9.. A9 gave me drop outs, but wasn't terrible, but Quad's for me a night and day, you also forgot to mention how loud they system is compared to A9, I run the volume around 1/2 of the A9, also I have the SW5, now I assume because the Quad sends out much more stronger wifi single but the sub really rocks now compared to the A9. So at the end.. yes price was high, but I sold my A9's and now for the first time I have no desire to part with this system, and one more thing.. I have LG G3 and the centre channel effect is awesome, you can hear every word and don't have to play with the volume, think my wife is more happy about that than anything else :)
How is the dialogue performance of the phantom center channel? Like I have A9 and as long as I am sitting in the center, I can perceive the sound to be coming from the center of the screen. But if I move off-center (a little left or right), I can feel voice coming from the front speaker nearest to my position. Do the quads have the same problem?
Great review! We and everyone who stops by our store are loving Sony's new flagship BRAVIA Theater Quad that is on display/demo in our main A/V showroom.
Saludos amigos. Tengo un equipo de sonido musical marca Sony, modelo MHC EC919iP. Este componente usa termo sensor para su ventilador de enfriamiento trasero, o enciende directamente encienda el equipo de música? Espero por su atenta respuesta como consumidor fiel de Sony Hi Fi.
I’ve only heard them in a store as a demo, but the audio quality was at least as good. Given that the spatial audio positioning was already better on the HT-A9 I’d say that puts this ahead of the Arc+300+Sub setup(which is what I currently also have). That alone wouldn’t be quite enough to convince me that an upgrade was worth it though. It’s the DTS support that pushes me over that edge. If Sonos would add(even sell as an add-on) DTS support I wouldn’t be eyeballing these Sony’s so hard, but unless the original Arc gets DTS it will be the last home theater Sonos I buy, even if the new Arc coming out finally supports it. I’ll still get Era 300’s for bedrooms and stuff, but that would be it for me.
I'm looking into purchasing an 85" Sony Bravia 7. I was heavily leaning towards the new Sonos Arc Ultra + the subwoofer for surround sound. I want to get the Sonos Era 300, but my couch is against the wall, and the speakers would be directly behind without the one-foot distance Sonos recommends, which brings me to the Sony Theatre Quad. Is this system better than the Sonos Arc Ultra paired with the subwoofer? Would the Quad be problematic if the rear speakers were placed directly behind my ears? Would either system be better than the in-wall Sonance VP62 LRC speakers with the surround in the ceiling above the couch? I'm asking this because I currently have three in-wall speakers (Speaker-Craft Aim LRC bought in 2011) and two overheard surrounds (not fancy speakers) connected to an Onkyo TX-NR7100 9.2 (Probably overkilled) that I'm not happy with. The movies or TV shows with lower dialogue or even slightly low have been a nightmare to hear clearly. I sometimes rewind and turn on the subtitles to make up the words. It is driving me bonkers. I know I could upgrade the in-wall speakers, but replacing the current 65" Sony (4 years old) with the 85" Sony Bravia 7 will be challenging because the bottom of the TV will be lower than the 65". Consequently, covering most of the LRC speakers. To make things worse, I have a fancy media console that I'm unwilling to change since it goes well with the room's decoration. So, here I am with this dilemma. Should I go with the Sony Arc Uttra, which will fit right on the wall between the media console and TV (with or without Sonos Era 300?), or the Theatre Quad, whose rear speakers could also be too close behind the head? The LR Quad speakers would have to be on a stand since they would block the TV viewing if placed on the media console. This set-up is in the living room, where I watch TV mainly in the winter. I'm out enjoying the weather as soon as the weather warms up in the spring. I don't play games and only watch streaming shows and movies.
@@spursdynasty7378 on raw power dragon would win that category. Caleb rates sonos full system higher than dragon for atmos. Sony beats both in atmos - in power? It does not beat both especially dragon. Sonos is the in-between. Sony and dragon are for two different people
Hi Caleb, thank you for all your content and the time you put in. I am purchasing an 85 inch Sony Bravia 9 for my family room with a 13 ft ceiling. I’m debating between the Sony Quad and the Sonos arc ultra using either 2 Sonos ERA 300’s for rears or a Sonos AMP with 2 B & W Signature 7NT’s that I currently have installed in the ceiling as rear surrounds. My 1st question is which system would you recommend for the home theater setup? My second question is, if I were to go with Sonos, using the ceiling speakers with the amp would cost $699, only $200 less than using the ERA 300’s. I understand that the ceiling speaker setup is a cleaner look but in your opinion, what do you feel I would be giving up? Thank you in advance, Jeff W
Not Caleb but I have this with an A95L as the center and it works great. Adds ‘weight’ to the center and improves dialogue (as expected) My concern was it would sound sonically different in say timbre but hasn’t been the case
@@chibbyyloljust like how adding satellites speaker change a speaker's tonality, their flagship TV models might be specifically EQ'd to fit the Quad's tonality when the feature is engaged. I don't think that kind of integration can be implemented all the way down their lower range tvs tho, thus the subpar performance. comments on some reviews with lower end tv
Caleb during your trips back in April behind the closed doors media presentations you mentioned experiencing a jaw dropping 360 spatial sound demo which Sony didn’t make a big deal about then and you said you can’t wait to see the current Bravia soundbars including Quad to be armed with this tech via firmware update so I’m not sure if this was about the mapping tech or the “object based 360 spatial tech” (not sure if it’s the same thing with the mapping tech) but I’d be eager to hear if there is a feature/tech that we haven’t experienced yet with Quads that’d be launching as a firmware update. You would be best person to answer this I guess.
Great Review! Couple questions I have are: Since the Quad only has 1 HDMI input and 1 HDMI output, would I be able to connect a PS5 to this system while using a Ultra Short Throw Projection set up? Also, would there be a possibility to add another wireless speaker ( I know it only allows one subwoofer)? Five speakers just sounds better than four. I would opt for the SW5 Sub. Lastly, any recommendations on a UST projector system? I've heard that Epson and AWOL are pretty good brands...Thanks!
Totally agree, I would love to recommend this to a few people who would love it, but are not "home cinema" nerds. My mom would love this too! Less units and wiring than the 5.1 I set up for her a few years ago. Pricey, but had it been out 18 months ago, I would have got it instead of the Marantz N1711 and Focal Sib Evo Atmos speaker setup I opted for. Great review, thanks
@@Thiccolo Maybe so but you're comparing completely different products. For one you have to run wires everywhere, two you need the space to actually house the AV receiver, three you also need the space to place the towers. You might get better clarity at that price but I guarantee you won't get better spatial effects or the minimalist look of the quads. Most people who buy these systems won't even look into separates.
They won't dare to do it, for the truth might get revealed that you can get something on par at just half the price. Ever wondered, suddenly, for these reviewers, rest of all other branded soundbars don't exist.
@@Sas-wk9ljkeep hallucinating, there's simply nothing you can do about the physics of having actual 2 frontal speakers with great channel separation and spatial mapping to a single box doing the job of 5 speakers. Most soundbars are under simply 2meters in length.
Yes that's true but they have speakers that bounce off the sidewalls depending on the configuration of your soundstage space. I have a Q 990 C and it's unbelievable and there's a lot of Separation in the room and the effects are really great but it's a long narrow room and my rear surrounds are about 7 ft behind me as well and the ceilings are only 8 ft high. @@MuhammadKharismawan
@@kvtesstotally agree, the Q990 series soundbars are next level, the Atmos effect is just next to none at that price point. I got my rear speakers at uneven heights, nevertheless the total effect is just incrediblly immersive. The bass is clean, tight and punchy and only thing it lacks is boominess.
Nice, thanks for this. I have a double height ceiling - 20+ft. Since it worked on your 10ft ceiling with acoustic dampening, do you think it might also work on the 20 feet ceiling? I am assuming it drove the top firing speakers all the way up, so that you could hear the reflect sounds inspite of the dampening, no?
Fantastic review again Caleb, thank you! This is definitely the Feng Shui solution I want, and don't mind the price even with their top subwoofer to compliment a Sony BRAVIA TV. Would you chose this over any SONOS solution today, considering a 4m x 4m room x 2.5m ceiling height?
Duuuuude! Maybe my review sample was "broke" but when I tested the Quad with non-ideal speaker placement, it did NOT do a good job of compensating for that. Also, with Dolby Atmos test signals of 7.1.4 and 9.1.6- channel audio content, there were no "phantom channels" created between the front and rear surround channels. All of the surround test tones were sent to the rear channels, not phantom channels between the front and rear channels. Don't get me wrong, I thought the Quad system sounded great with an SW5 sub, but not as good as my 5.1.4 Denon/Klipsch component system for less money. And the 360SSM compensation just didn't really work that well in my testing. Also, good luck getting Sony 360 Reality Audio content out of the Quad. To do that, you need to connect an Amazon Fire TV stick to the second HDMI input on the Quad's control hub, and load up Amazon Music Unlimited on that FireTV stick for that 360 RA content. That said, it actually sounded very good when I listened to live concert tracks of Pink Floyd and studio cuts of Olivia Rodrigo or Pink in 360RA. Overall, I think the Quad can do a better job of reproducing that immersive "dome of sound" from Dolby Atmos, DTS:X or 360RA content, compared to a soundbar system but only if I placed the speakers in fairly optimized locations. See you soon? Later, -Chris
@Digital Trends I have a few questions. Does it make sense to upgrade Bravia Theater Quad with some external, good amplituner like Yamaha A8A? Is is even possible? If not, then does it make sense to upgrade it with any of Sony amplituners? Is it recommended and possible to upgrade it with more speakers to have 7 real speakers around?
83 inch Sony 4K OLED A90J ($6K) Sony Bravia Theater Quads ($2.5K) Sony SW-5 Subwoofer ($500 on sale from $699) I am never going back to the movie theater. Even the wife was impressed with the setup. She sits right in front of the right rear speaker to watch Oppenheimer.
In your opinion, is this system as good or better than the nakamichi dragon? I like the minimalist look of these in comparison to the huge sound bar of the dragon.
For the rear position, can the speakers face “in”? Or do they have to face forward? I have an open kitchen behind my couch. Placing them behind the couch facing the couch would be my only option.
how would it compare coming from a a true home 5.1.4 system ? would I miss it much as I am thinking of changing my living room around and not sure I want the hassle of re-wiring lol
Wonder why Caleb’s brother has so many drop out issues? Like why is his room/house and different than someone else’s? I do experience some dropouts with my A9, but it’s rare. And it’s just so easy to use and set up. They need to re-state how they advertise these products because they’re obvious not WIRELESS. It would also be cool if Sony would produce a small center channel for those that want one. There are times with the A9 that the dialogue is very difficult to understand?
The app kills it for me, if Sony decides to drop this in 2 or 3 years and not updates are made in the app store, you will not be able to set this up. 'Appless' setup is a must for me.
@@chibbyylol Still, if that app goes these speakers are useless. I just sold a 25 year old Yamaha amp and still got a good amount of cash for it and the buyer was happy (try that with these speakers in 25 years)
When you review the Bravia 9 could you also let us know how good the TV is as a center speaker or would it be better to use the Quads phantom as I am looking to pick them both up for Black Friday. Awesome review I am even more excited! Black Friday cant come quick enough! Haha
As you will soon learn, the Bravia 9’s speaker system is insanely good. But I am firmly in the camp of using the QUAD’s phantom center anyway. If anyone gets both? Try yourself and decide!
Great review, Caleb! I have an older home theater system (pre-Atmos), so the Sony Theatre Quad seems like it might be a solution for me, then I could just use my existing AVR and speakers for music. Would the Quad really replace a newer AVR with Dolby Atmos? Also, I don’t believe my Sony A95K (already an older but still amazing TV) supports that Voice Zoom feature? Also, wondering if, in the future, Sony will make an updated sub-woofer to be sold as a set WITH the Quad that better matches it, both sonically and aesthetically.
If my wife sits off to the side on our main couch, will the phantom center sound bad to her? Only 2 of 3 of us can sit center to the tv at a time so someone is always sitting off to the side on the opposite perpendicular wall.
Great review! I see that you have KEF speakers in the background. How would compare the sounds of the Sony Bravia Theater Quad with e.g. the KEF LS50 Wireless II, both for movies and for music?
Dumb question….(maybe) Can you hook this system to an E Arc on a receiver? I’m running 7.2 currently and I’m looking to replace my bookshelf speakers. Thx
To place the SW5 sub, is it required to do the subwoofer crawl test first, then do the Sony app calibration? Or do calibration first then the sub crawl?
How does this stack up to something like the Q900 series from samsung? Would love some comparisons considering its over 1000 dollars more expensive before adding a sub.
The review is a 1 day late. I went ahead and ordered a Nakamichi Dragon, but I was on the fence on the Dragon and Quad. Time will tell if my purchase was good 🧐
I own the dragon. System is the best I ever heard. I don't know about this new system tho. Honestly I only listen to the dragon on level 10/100 it's all you need
@caleb I've been considering upgrading from the HT-Z9F for some time now but have been extremely worried other systems will have the same wireless signal drop put problem. I live in an apartment with a lot of different wifi signals. Did Sony move away from the audio stream just being blasted outwards to something more direct ?
@ $4,400 AUD incl the larger sub which is a reasonable $700 AUD, Its quite a purchase but you would spend far more even for a pretty great speaker + receiver system if you included the Sony receiver (360 Spatial Sound Mapping 8K 7.2 ch AV Receiver | STR-AN1000) its really quite impressive and a reasonable $1,600. AUD plus your chosen sub (SVS 3000 Micro) $1,700 AUD on special Polk R700 floor stander pair $3,700 AUD, R300 centre speaker $800 AUD, plus R100 pair of rear speakers $1000 AUD for a total of $8,800 AUD. The Sony Quad at half the price looks a really good deal.
Seems like a very niche product and not just because of the price. For people lacking space and placement options, these super wide speakers don’t appear to solve that as they wouldn’t have worked for me in my old apartment or my house. You also need 4 power outlets, ie. wires. Are we saying these speakers will sound better than a 5.1, cause at this price you could pay someone to run the wires through your walls and still come out ahead. Then you won’t be relying on a control box that will be outdated in a few years and have to throw the whole system out.
I wish Sony would add traditional tone controls! Separate Treble, Bass, and sub-woofer level. I recently added the HT-A5000, RS5 rears and the SW3 to my A80J OLED TV. (All discounted now) I use this in my bedroom and have the RS5s to my sides. Using the 360 Sound Mapping adds an echo to dialog. I really hope Sony updates the ancient "Music Center" app. Thanks for the review.
Mounting it on walls and wall mounts, when you don't have the option to mount the fronts and/or rears to the wall in front/behind you, is a bit if a nightmare and requires a lot of creativity coz it doesn't come with keyholes or any other standard mounting options. Also, sometimes you have to calibrate it several times to get the perfect sound bubble, as sometimes it can sound like the phantom channel sound is definitely coming from either the left or the right speaker, not from the center. Recalibration will eventually fix that. Once its calibrated just right, it does sound just fantastic.
We just got a Bravia 7 tv (x95k, love it btw) but I have a question about this surround system. On all of the pictures and videos I’ve seen the front speakers are lined up with the back speakers. Do they all have to align? Not every one’s living rooms are perfectly shaped.
Never had wireless connection issue with my HT-A9 even with my speakers only a few feet from my wireless router they advise keeping them away from. Sounds like they fixed the problems with updates. Also IMO the HT-A9 is way more ethically looking and ease of placement and no complaints about the immersive sound stage.
A9 dropouts only really fixed for me when connected to the actual receiver and through earc on the TV. If I connect something to the TV with earc I'm getting dropouts.
can you have your TV and soundbar as center channel if you have the quad? also how's the performance at different levels? (front eye level, rear near the roof) *nvm i watched further in the video lol
Great review as always. I was wondering if you are able to add a center speaker, can you connect this through EARC on a LG C4 and does it support IMAX enhanced?
@caleb where did you get the black posts that you put the speakers on when they were placed behind the couch? I would like to pick those posts up too when I purchase the speakers later this year.
Would this work if back speakers were right beside you not behind. I would have to put them right beside the chairs as there is an open dining room behind with no space for speakers. So putting them on end tables next to chairs would be what i would have to do. Would it work or would it defeat the sound dynamics
I bought this system but for some reason, the sound was only coming from the front right speaker and I couldn’t figure it out so I returned it and got the arc with GEN 3 sub and two eras and I love my system now.
Yeah when I 1st set mine up, it seem to be only coming from the left speaker. After an additional calibration and setting it to TV center instead of left. Everything was good.
@oliawak No. When I 1st calibrated the speaker it's defaulted to TV near left speaker for some reason. There's 3 options, TV left, TV center, TV right. Since it was at TV left most of the audio came from tthere. After changing to center, everything was good.
My sofa is placed against the wall. Will the surround sound work if the rear Quad speakers are mounted on the rear wall, on the left and right of my sofa? My concern is whether the rear speakers need to be rotated slightly towards the listener.
I have to ask this question and please forgive me if I'm sounding like a dumb dumb but do these speakers need an amplifier or is it built into each speaker? I really like this system.
Yeah, they've actually also improved the process as well. On the old model the TV and speakers played independently, hence you didn't get a great sonically sounding sound. On the quads the TV actually gets calibrated with the speakers and they play in unison so it sounds miles better.
The system is AMAZING! Spatially it is just mind-blowing. Sound just comes from places there are no speakers! I’m blown away often with my 77A95L based bedroom system. I just really wish SW5 was updated also, as it just isn’t in the same league as the QUAD acoustically. This system deserves a kick butt sub in a more modern form factor.
Spatially!!?
@@Sas-wk9ljSony’s claim to fame with both the earlier version, the new quad, and its current AVR series is the Spatial Audio processing; not unlike, come to think of it, the special sauce of their image processing that for many folks is a “tax” well worth paying.
Now, if they really wanted to slay a dragon, any such upgrade would include a firmware revision that would allow multiple subs - something that absolutely works wonders in many situations.
Joelle Conyer has a A9577L too, your in good company.....
I have had the Bravia Quad since mid-June but I am holding off on the sub... I want Sony to at least make some grey subs... but if they don't I'm going to get the SW3.
@@fonkenfulyou are right the STR-AZ7000ES with dual 12" SVS subs and a full 9.2.4 system that the Quads won't compete with. It is a great system for what it is but not allowing for a better sub or dual subs is a really poor decision on Sony's part. I will say I have been very impressed with the STR-AZ7000ES the moment I turned it on vs my previous Pioneer Elite SC-99 and Onkyo receivers I've had.
I just bought the Sony A9M2 Quad today after a home demo from the Sony India team. I got it for $2160, including the SW5 subwoofer, with approximately $200 off on my American Express card, initialy price they quoted was above $3000 including SW5. It was a fantastic deal from Sony India, especially since I already have the Sony A80G OLED. The Sony executive helped me secure the best deal. Best way to get it will take some negotiation skills.
Your review immensely helped me, and this system takes the audio experience to another level. You get the same theater-like IMAX and immersive audio experience at home. The sound quality is very sharp and superior. Thanks a lot!
Hi, how did you get a home demo in India ? By Sony Centre guys ?
@@SaiKrishna-vl3rd Yes, it’s not shop. Call Sony Customer support or book demo on Sony India website. I have friend working in Sony arranged it for me.
How is the dialogue performance of the phantom center channel? Like I have A9 and as long as I am sitting in the center, I can perceive the sound to be coming from the center of the screen. But if I move off-center (a little left or right), I can feel voice coming from the front speaker nearest to my position. Do the quads have the same problem?
Yes same on these two. It is better than HTA9 in terms of more clarity and openness but not by a big margin. I have the HT A9 and i will not upgrade.
@@Asmrtechsam Yes not worth upgrading if you have A9 already
I definitely lust after this, but will happily live with my HT-A9 (1600 total with SWS5 sub, refurbished), its full featured remote, and the 1400 dollar savings.
yup.. bought mine brand new when it came out on amazon... i had the dropouts signals... sent it in to sony for repair... came back and i dont kn ow what they did but it was fixed... but i called amazon and complained before doing that...they said after sony repairs it and if i still have a problem they will exchange... well, guess what..it was sold out... they couldnt do the exchange...HOWEVER, they did refund me $500 for the inconvience ..... so i used that to get the sub...well worth it)
got my A9 for $1100 refurbished to. its awesome. I like the look of the A9 better than the Quad. I like that the A9 is made out of metal and not cloth like the Quad. The A9 is so easy to hang on one screw on the wall. Love the way the A9 looks and feels, it's a great system. I don't care for the way the Quad looks, it reminds me of a Hard Drive, it just doesnt look as appealing. The one big downsize was the drop outs I experience, and that affects the dialogue, which is NOT good.
@@michael-4k4000 same .. 1200 open box A9 in mint condition and 400 for open box SW5
Same here, although i lust for this I already have a year old HT A9 so upgrading now is not an option. Happy they worked on the mids and lows.
What stands were being used for the rear speakers? Sure people will be interested to know. Thanks.
Us: We want a Bravia 9 review!
Caleb: A Bravia theater review?
Me and other 3 people (maybe): Bravia 7 review when?
Me: * already caved and bought one on the 4th of July *
theatre bar 9 8 reviewz
The Bravia nine is reviewed and it’s amazing yippee 🙌
Oh give it a rest Claton, ya seriously complaining evry day now, come on now yall
Would love to get this, but simply can't justify the cost. Thanks for reviewing it!
I second the motion for a comparison between the Theater Quad and the Samsung Q990D or even the Q990C which I own and absolutely love. Great review Caleb, as always!
Thank you, and I will make it happen
@@Caleb_Denison Please do... really looking forward to seeing how the Sony setup compares to a Samsung QN900D and HW-Q990D setup. Your reviews are fanstastic!
Some links in the video description for recommended speaker stands would have been nice.
Also, the Theatre Quad control box has a “center channel out port.” Addressing some pros & cons commentary (in addition to your comments on subs) would also have been useful. Nonetheless, thank you for your review!
I have the A9, it took some work to get it setup right so I didn't have speakers dropping out. Mainly had to make sure the control box was unobstructed. I also did use the S-Center connection to help use the TV speakers for center channel. I think for me that worked really well. If a TV shows had a scene of dialogue where the camera was behind the person and then in front of the person, the voice would switch between the right speaker and left speaker. It was very noticeable and distracting. I don't know if there was another setting that would have addressed but the s-center worked for me. It's an awesome system and I wish I had a year for this new one. I knew something new was coming when the price of the A9 went down. And if you get either system get the bigger sub.
Caleb, you make a comment about this being the only review we need to watch. I feel like that about every review that you make. Thanks for giving us the confidence to spend our money on things
I have this Quad with SW5 and I love it. If you have money this is must have.
How does music sound?
@@HakeemTheDream616 10:46
dig the thumbnail .. Happy HT-A9 owner here .. I blv Sony pushed some update earlier this year and you can hear so much rear speakers when you don't expect and get surprised
I prefered the sound signature HT A9 had at the beginning. Had i known it would change I wouldn’t have updated. But yeah now the surroud sounds are even more prominent. The quad is doing that better with more loudness
$2,500.00 + ? Holy moly.
and without subwoofer + actual centre channel. stupid and overpriced.
@@MintChoggy Of course its on expensive side but you can negotiate and a get better deal. Just experience it once if free home demo available at your location. Sony has really put their best into this. It takes lot of research and egineering to develop this kind of products and that's what Sony price on.
@@MintChoggyActually, it's like sitting in a movie theater if you have the right equipment.
@@MintChoggy The whole point of the system is not to have an actual center channel, coz not everywhere you can put one. In my bedroom, I have a projector, for instance, and the screen has to be in the middle of the room. I can't just put a physical center channel in the middle of the room (when more thsn half the time, the screen is retracted. Also if you had actually heard a properly calibrated Theatre Quad, you wouldn't have said this. The phantom center is superb.
Sony bro price not issue
I upgraded from the previous model and it’s great so far. Perfect performance, no issues with the app (honestly not much use for it after setup), and I was fortunate to already own the subwoofer.
It is pricey but doing it in payments makes it a lot more manageable.
Wow, I've been watching TH-cam tech review for more than 10 years and I just found your channel and your tech review is on my high end of the spectrum👏🏻
We love the quad. Wish we had a better sub the SW5 is horrible compared to the Sonos. We hear more sounds from the quads but kept our Sonos for music. If you can set the fronts 10-12ft apart you get a much bigger soundstage that a soundbar can’t do because of its size. No center channel isn’t a problem at all we think the quads have clearer dialogue than the Sonos. We love both systems
I've been a Bose user for about two decades, I know let the bashing begin 😂. However, I bought the lifestyle system because I didn't want a big system with multiple components. I just wanted a plug-and-play system that sounded good. The system allowed adjustment for each speaker based on placement using headphones and a CD with on screen instructions. Ahead of its time. People bash Bose all the time, but Sony is getting praised for an out of the box system. I would like to see a comparison to a similar Bose system.
Yeah I'm still rocking mine since 2006. Now my issue is, do I go PSB wall speakers x5 or focal 301's with a rel sub t9x and 4 ceiling speakers powered by an NAD receiver or the like at best part of 8k, or go for the quad with an SW5 and save a ton of money. Would the sound difference be over twice the entry cost of a quad?
How would you compare the quad with the SW5 to Sonos arc
2 era 300’s and 2 sub gen 3’s???
asking the question we need to know
I've tried both (although my quad is using the SW3 and my Sonos system only has 1 sub) and I will say that the Quad is by FAR better when it comes to surround sound. Sonos had a slight advantage for music and the app was better, but they kinda ruined that with the latest update. I would go for the Quad if your primary use case is TV/Gaming/Movies.
The Sonos sub is better though.
@@jvdh_snap well said I have both and this is spot on. Sonos better for music and the quad better for TV/movies and it’s not even close like music is 100x better on Sonos and TV/movies are 100x better with the quad
This man’s reviews are honestly getting so exceptionally good that I genuinely look forward to a video drop for devices im interested in. This is another wonderfully done review. Keep them coming brother. 😊
Must admit, the SW3 has been more than enough for my particular space and home material needs. The 5 is an amazing unit, but even on lower settings was very noticeable on the main floor from my basement. The 3 less powerful and refined, but does have a nice balance where I can get some nice rumble in my home theater area without it disturbing anyone trying to relax and/or focus in the rooms above me.
I don't dare to get either, living in a house from the 30s ill get complaints right away i do talk M1 now.
Any chance of comparing it to the Sonos Arc and Era 300 combo considering the price?
I have the exact same thoughts!
Interestingly, the HT-A9 fits much better into my living room than the HT-A9M2 would. In fact, the HT-A9M2 would not fit at all. The round front right speaker of the HT-A9 fits perfectly between the right side of my TV and the wall to its right side and to face me, I simply rotate the speaker. The HT-A9M2 however would either facing to the left (where nobody is) or would partly block off parts of the TV.
Exactly. New speakers form factor is bad
See, I felt that way too at first. And I’m still not convinced the flat square speakers are best as a replacement, rather than an option. I want an A9 with the cylindrical speakers and the new box/wireless tech
@@Caleb_Denison I want Sony to release an functional update that fixes the HT-A9 audio issues. Sadly, it will never happen.
@@an3k I don’t think it’s a lack of willingness on Sony’s part, I think it isn’t technically possible. The Quad has a different radio chip and frequency switching mechanism than the OG A9, so it’s a hardware difference, not a matter of software or firmware update. I would agree, though, that if it WERE addressable by update, Sony should do it. And I think they would, it’s in their best interest.
When did you last update your system? We have not had a drop out at all after there last major update.
Caleb, your moderation skills are just on another level!
Bought a Sonos Move 2 a while ago. The App f*ed everything up. I get random stutters, and connecting was always weird.
Love my system, had it almost from day 1 to replace my A9.. A9 gave me drop outs, but wasn't terrible, but Quad's for me a night and day, you also forgot to mention how loud they system is compared to A9, I run the volume around 1/2 of the A9, also I have the SW5, now I assume because the Quad sends out much more stronger wifi single but the sub really rocks now compared to the A9. So at the end.. yes price was high, but I sold my A9's and now for the first time I have no desire to part with this system, and one more thing.. I have LG G3 and the centre channel effect is awesome, you can hear every word and don't have to play with the volume, think my wife is more happy about that than anything else :)
How is the dialogue performance of the phantom center channel? Like I have A9 and as long as I am sitting in the center, I can perceive the sound to be coming from the center of the screen. But if I move off-center (a little left or right), I can feel voice coming from the front speaker nearest to my position. Do the quads have the same problem?
Great review! We and everyone who stops by our store are loving Sony's new flagship BRAVIA Theater Quad that is on display/demo in our main A/V showroom.
Saludos amigos.
Tengo un equipo de sonido musical marca Sony, modelo MHC EC919iP. Este componente usa termo sensor para su ventilador de enfriamiento trasero, o enciende directamente encienda el equipo de música? Espero por su atenta respuesta como consumidor fiel de Sony Hi Fi.
Just watching to validate my Theatre Quad purchase....hehehe
Can understand your not being totally happy with your purchase, so coming here for some consolation that you're not the only one that got fooled.
@@Sas-wk9lj no regrets
@@Sas-wk9ljdon't you know? It's just stuff that people who just bought new stuff like to do.
@@MuhammadKharismawan It’s called buyers remorse
How do you think this compares to a Sonos Arc + Era 300 + Sub setup?
I’ve only heard them in a store as a demo, but the audio quality was at least as good. Given that the spatial audio positioning was already better on the HT-A9 I’d say that puts this ahead of the Arc+300+Sub setup(which is what I currently also have). That alone wouldn’t be quite enough to convince me that an upgrade was worth it though. It’s the DTS support that pushes me over that edge. If Sonos would add(even sell as an add-on) DTS support I wouldn’t be eyeballing these Sony’s so hard, but unless the original Arc gets DTS it will be the last home theater Sonos I buy, even if the new Arc coming out finally supports it. I’ll still get Era 300’s for bedrooms and stuff, but that would be it for me.
Okay...I have and love the HT-A9, but the dialog, from the "phantom" channel could be better...How does the "Quad" compare, wrt this feature?
Damn the bots are all over the comments already.........
I'm looking into purchasing an 85" Sony Bravia 7. I was heavily leaning towards the new Sonos Arc Ultra + the subwoofer for surround sound. I want to get the Sonos Era 300, but my couch is against the wall, and the speakers would be directly behind without the one-foot distance Sonos recommends, which brings me to the Sony Theatre Quad. Is this system better than the Sonos Arc Ultra paired with the subwoofer? Would the Quad be problematic if the rear speakers were placed directly behind my ears? Would either system be better than the in-wall Sonance VP62 LRC speakers with the surround in the ceiling above the couch? I'm asking this because I currently have three in-wall speakers (Speaker-Craft Aim LRC bought in 2011) and two overheard surrounds (not fancy speakers) connected to an Onkyo TX-NR7100 9.2 (Probably overkilled) that I'm not happy with. The movies or TV shows with lower dialogue or even slightly low have been a nightmare to hear clearly. I sometimes rewind and turn on the subtitles to make up the words. It is driving me bonkers. I know I could upgrade the in-wall speakers, but replacing the current 65" Sony (4 years old) with the 85" Sony Bravia 7 will be challenging because the bottom of the TV will be lower than the 65". Consequently, covering most of the LRC speakers. To make things worse, I have a fancy media console that I'm unwilling to change since it goes well with the room's decoration. So, here I am with this dilemma. Should I go with the Sony Arc Uttra, which will fit right on the wall between the media console and TV (with or without Sonos Era 300?), or the Theatre Quad, whose rear speakers could also be too close behind the head? The LR Quad speakers would have to be on a stand since they would block the TV viewing if placed on the media console. This set-up is in the living room, where I watch TV mainly in the winter. I'm out enjoying the weather as soon as the weather warms up in the spring. I don't play games and only watch streaming shows and movies.
Ok Caleb. How does it fair to the Nakamichi Dragon?
Keep it quiet, but the Dragon will rise from its lair once again. And soon.
Dragon will mop this with out even blinking 😂
Said enuff. Enuff said 😂
Dragon has the power. Sony has the atmos. If these two could be combined it would be the ultimate soudbar system.
@@spursdynasty7378 on raw power dragon would win that category. Caleb rates sonos full system higher than dragon for atmos.
Sony beats both in atmos - in power? It does not beat both especially dragon. Sonos is the in-between.
Sony and dragon are for two different people
Hi Caleb, thank you for all your content and the time you put in. I am purchasing an 85 inch Sony Bravia 9 for my family room with a 13 ft ceiling. I’m debating between the Sony Quad and the Sonos arc ultra using either 2 Sonos ERA 300’s for rears or a Sonos AMP with 2 B & W Signature 7NT’s that I currently have installed in the ceiling as rear surrounds. My 1st question is which system would you recommend for the home theater setup? My second question is, if I were to go with Sonos, using the ceiling speakers with the amp would cost $699, only $200 less than using the ERA 300’s. I understand that the ceiling speaker setup is a cleaner look but in your opinion, what do you feel I would be giving up?
Thank you in advance,
Jeff W
Will this work with 18ft high ceilings? (Would the up-firing atmos system still work?)
Did you use it with the Sony TV as a center channel? How did that go???
Not Caleb but I have this with an A95L as the center and it works great. Adds ‘weight’ to the center and improves dialogue (as expected)
My concern was it would sound sonically different in say timbre but hasn’t been the case
@@chibbyyloljust like how adding satellites speaker change a speaker's tonality, their flagship TV models might be specifically EQ'd to fit the Quad's tonality when the feature is engaged. I don't think that kind of integration can be implemented all the way down their lower range tvs tho, thus the subpar performance. comments on some reviews with lower end tv
Caleb during your trips back in April behind the closed doors media presentations you mentioned experiencing a jaw dropping 360 spatial sound demo which Sony didn’t make a big deal about then and you said you can’t wait to see the current Bravia soundbars including Quad to be armed with this tech via firmware update so I’m not sure if this was about the mapping tech or the “object based 360 spatial tech” (not sure if it’s the same thing with the mapping tech) but I’d be eager to hear if there is a feature/tech that we haven’t experienced yet with Quads that’d be launching as a firmware update. You would be best person to answer this I guess.
Great Review! Couple questions I have are: Since the Quad only has 1 HDMI input and 1 HDMI output, would I be able to connect a PS5 to this system while using a Ultra Short Throw Projection set up? Also, would there be a possibility to add another wireless speaker ( I know it only allows one subwoofer)? Five speakers just sounds better than four. I would opt for the SW5 Sub. Lastly, any recommendations on a UST projector system? I've heard that Epson and AWOL are pretty good brands...Thanks!
My wife and I are redoing our movie room with these speakers. Would they be impacted if we put acoustic panels on the ceiling?
Totally agree, I would love to recommend this to a few people who would love it, but are not "home cinema" nerds. My mom would love this too! Less units and wiring than the 5.1 I set up for her a few years ago. Pricey, but had it been out 18 months ago, I would have got it instead of the Marantz N1711 and Focal Sib Evo Atmos speaker setup I opted for. Great review, thanks
$2500 without a subwoofer and a buggy app, brilliant
It was between a9 with a sub for 2k , bose ultra whole set 2k or the quad.
Got the quad with a sw5 sub for 2500) love those early promos.
App works fine on Android. Probably crappy Apple as usual :p
For 2500 you can get a nice set of tower speakers and some surround sound satellites with an amplifier and it smokes this.
@Thiccolo I agree . Maybe even for less. But one thing plays a big role, wires and space.... we overpaying for the comfort too ...
@@Thiccolo Maybe so but you're comparing completely different products. For one you have to run wires everywhere, two you need the space to actually house the AV receiver, three you also need the space to place the towers. You might get better clarity at that price but I guarantee you won't get better spatial effects or the minimalist look of the quads. Most people who buy these systems won't even look into separates.
We need a comparison with the Samsung Q990D!
They won't dare to do it, for the truth might get revealed that you can get something on par at just half the price.
Ever wondered, suddenly, for these reviewers, rest of all other branded soundbars don't exist.
@@Sas-wk9ljyou can go buy one and do your own review
@@Sas-wk9ljkeep hallucinating, there's simply nothing you can do about the physics of having actual 2 frontal speakers with great channel separation and spatial mapping to a single box doing the job of 5 speakers.
Most soundbars are under simply 2meters in length.
Yes that's true but they have speakers that bounce off the sidewalls depending on the configuration of your soundstage space. I have a Q 990 C and it's unbelievable and there's a lot of Separation in the room and the effects are really great but it's a long narrow room and my rear surrounds are about 7 ft behind me as well and the ceilings are only 8 ft high. @@MuhammadKharismawan
@@kvtesstotally agree, the Q990 series soundbars are next level, the Atmos effect is just next to none at that price point. I got my rear speakers at uneven heights, nevertheless the total effect is just incrediblly immersive. The bass is clean, tight and punchy and only thing it lacks is boominess.
I need this under 1300$ so I might have to wait 2 or 3 years. Would you recommend this for an apartment without sub for an apartment?
What's better? Nakamichi dragon or this system?
Power? Dragon. Spatial/atmos? Sony
Nice, thanks for this. I have a double height ceiling - 20+ft.
Since it worked on your 10ft ceiling with acoustic dampening, do you think it might also work on the 20 feet ceiling?
I am assuming it drove the top firing speakers all the way up, so that you could hear the reflect sounds inspite of the dampening, no?
This is a truly innovative product from SONY imho. Sony has been a lot of cool stuff in audio the last several years.
Will this pair well with the Sony tv used as a center channel?
Fantastic review again Caleb, thank you! This is definitely the Feng Shui solution I want, and don't mind the price even with their top subwoofer to compliment a Sony BRAVIA TV. Would you chose this over any SONOS solution today, considering a 4m x 4m room x 2.5m ceiling height?
THEATRE!!!!!
THEATRE!!!!!! 😂😂😂 ❤
Duuuuude!
Maybe my review sample was "broke" but when I tested the Quad with non-ideal speaker placement, it did NOT do a good job of compensating for that. Also, with Dolby Atmos test signals of 7.1.4 and 9.1.6- channel audio content, there were no "phantom channels" created between the front and rear surround channels. All of the surround test tones were sent to the rear channels, not phantom channels between the front and rear channels. Don't get me wrong, I thought the Quad system sounded great with an SW5 sub, but not as good as my 5.1.4 Denon/Klipsch component system for less money. And the 360SSM compensation just didn't really work that well in my testing.
Also, good luck getting Sony 360 Reality Audio content out of the Quad. To do that, you need to connect an Amazon Fire TV stick to the second HDMI input on the Quad's control hub, and load up Amazon Music Unlimited on that FireTV stick for that 360 RA content. That said, it actually sounded very good when I listened to live concert tracks of Pink Floyd and studio cuts of Olivia Rodrigo or Pink in 360RA.
Overall, I think the Quad can do a better job of reproducing that immersive "dome of sound" from Dolby Atmos, DTS:X or 360RA content, compared to a soundbar system but only if I placed the speakers in fairly optimized locations.
See you soon?
Later,
-Chris
@Digital Trends I have a few questions. Does it make sense to upgrade Bravia Theater Quad with some external, good amplituner like Yamaha A8A? Is is even possible? If not, then does it make sense to upgrade it with any of Sony amplituners? Is it recommended and possible to upgrade it with more speakers to have 7 real speakers around?
83 inch Sony 4K OLED A90J
($6K)
Sony Bravia Theater Quads
($2.5K)
Sony SW-5 Subwoofer
($500 on sale from $699)
I am never going back to the movie theater. Even the wife was impressed with the setup. She sits right in front of the right rear speaker to watch Oppenheimer.
In your opinion, is this system as good or better than the nakamichi dragon? I like the minimalist look of these in comparison to the huge sound bar of the dragon.
Does it support PlayStation 5 Tempest Audio?
I really want to buy this system but only when the price comes down... it's a super crazy price for Portugal wages.
What speaker stands can be used with this. I am finding it a challenge to find appropriate stands
For the rear position, can the speakers face “in”? Or do they have to face forward? I have an open kitchen behind my couch. Placing them behind the couch facing the couch would be my only option.
how would it compare coming from a a true home 5.1.4 system ? would I miss it much as I am thinking of changing my living room around and not sure I want the hassle of re-wiring lol
Wonder why Caleb’s brother has so many drop out issues? Like why is his room/house and different than someone else’s? I do experience some dropouts with my A9, but it’s rare. And it’s just so easy to use and set up. They need to re-state how they advertise these products because they’re obvious not WIRELESS. It would also be cool if Sony would produce a small center channel for those that want one. There are times with the A9 that the dialogue is very difficult to understand?
The app kills it for me, if Sony decides to drop this in 2 or 3 years and not updates are made in the app store, you will not be able to set this up.
'Appless' setup is a must for me.
they've said this will be the main app they'll use going forward
@@chibbyylol Still, if that app goes these speakers are useless. I just sold a 25 year old Yamaha amp and still got a good amount of cash for it and the buyer was happy (try that with these speakers in 25 years)
Should it not have a center speaker
Yes but the price is ridiculous for what it is. Can you please recommend an alternative cheaper but as good or close to it? Thank you!
Wich speaker stands are shown in your Video ?
When you review the Bravia 9 could you also let us know how good the TV is as a center speaker or would it be better to use the Quads phantom as I am looking to pick them both up for Black Friday. Awesome review I am even more excited! Black Friday cant come quick enough! Haha
Yes, this would be a great thing to touch on.
As you will soon learn, the Bravia 9’s speaker system is insanely good. But I am firmly in the camp of using the QUAD’s phantom center anyway. If anyone gets both? Try yourself and decide!
Great review, Caleb! I have an older home theater system (pre-Atmos), so the Sony Theatre Quad seems like it might be a solution for me, then I could just use my existing AVR and speakers for music. Would the Quad really replace a newer AVR with Dolby Atmos? Also, I don’t believe my Sony A95K (already an older but still amazing TV) supports that Voice Zoom feature? Also, wondering if, in the future, Sony will make an updated sub-woofer to be sold as a set WITH the Quad that better matches it, both sonically and aesthetically.
Hi Leezah!! 👋🏼
@@Mr.Martini549 Hi!
If my wife sits off to the side on our main couch, will the phantom center sound bad to her? Only 2 of 3 of us can sit center to the tv at a time so someone is always sitting off to the side on the opposite perpendicular wall.
it will be interesting to compare when the new Arc 2 comes out.
Have you seen any further info about this? I'm hoping for it!!
Great review! I see that you have KEF speakers in the background. How would compare the sounds of the Sony Bravia Theater Quad with e.g. the KEF LS50 Wireless II, both for movies and for music?
Dumb question….(maybe)
Can you hook this system to an E Arc on a receiver?
I’m running 7.2 currently and I’m looking to replace my bookshelf speakers.
Thx
To place the SW5 sub, is it required to do the subwoofer crawl test first, then do the Sony app calibration? Or do calibration first then the sub crawl?
@digital trends What stands did you use for the quad speakers?
So not true wireless as u need to plug in power cables ?
how does this compare in terms of sound quality with samsung q990d?
How does this stack up to something like the Q900 series from samsung? Would love some comparisons considering its over 1000 dollars more expensive before adding a sub.
Will it work for LG TV’s? What is LG’s best equivalent of this?
Yes. It will work with most TVs that have an ARC or eARC HDMI port
Caleb .. no section comparing HT-A9 to HT-A9M2 ??
The review is a 1 day late. I went ahead and ordered a Nakamichi Dragon, but I was on the fence on the Dragon and Quad. Time will tell if my purchase was good 🧐
you and I both
I'm going with the Dragon also
I went Quad over the Dragon. I'm satisfied. I know you will be with the Dragon as well.
I own the dragon. System is the best I ever heard. I don't know about this new system tho. Honestly I only listen to the dragon on level 10/100 it's all you need
I’d choose the Dragon every time tbh
How do you think the quad compare to the Sonos ultimate immersive set?
@caleb I've been considering upgrading from the HT-Z9F for some time now but have been extremely worried other systems will have the same wireless signal drop put problem. I live in an apartment with a lot of different wifi signals. Did Sony move away from the audio stream just being blasted outwards to something more direct ?
@digitaltrends how does it work for living rooms with high ceilings ?
Caleb! Does this work with the BRAVIA CAM (CMU-BC1)? Does it direct the sound based on where people are sitting? We need to know!
@ $4,400 AUD incl the larger sub which is a reasonable $700 AUD, Its quite a purchase but you would spend far more even for a pretty great speaker + receiver system if you included the Sony receiver (360 Spatial Sound Mapping 8K 7.2 ch AV Receiver | STR-AN1000) its really quite impressive and a reasonable $1,600. AUD plus your chosen sub (SVS 3000 Micro) $1,700 AUD on special Polk R700 floor stander pair $3,700 AUD, R300 centre speaker $800 AUD, plus R100 pair of rear speakers $1000 AUD for a total of $8,800 AUD. The Sony Quad at half the price looks a really good deal.
Seems like a very niche product and not just because of the price. For people lacking space and placement options, these super wide speakers don’t appear to solve that as they wouldn’t have worked for me in my old apartment or my house. You also need 4 power outlets, ie. wires. Are we saying these speakers will sound better than a 5.1, cause at this price you could pay someone to run the wires through your walls and still come out ahead. Then you won’t be relying on a control box that will be outdated in a few years and have to throw the whole system out.
I wish Sony would add traditional tone controls! Separate Treble, Bass, and sub-woofer level. I recently added the HT-A5000, RS5 rears and the SW3 to my A80J OLED TV. (All discounted now) I use this in my bedroom and have the RS5s to my sides. Using the 360 Sound Mapping adds an echo to dialog.
I really hope Sony updates the ancient "Music Center" app.
Thanks for the review.
Mounting it on walls and wall mounts, when you don't have the option to mount the fronts and/or rears to the wall in front/behind you, is a bit if a nightmare and requires a lot of creativity coz it doesn't come with keyholes or any other standard mounting options. Also, sometimes you have to calibrate it several times to get the perfect sound bubble, as sometimes it can sound like the phantom channel sound is definitely coming from either the left or the right speaker, not from the center. Recalibration will eventually fix that. Once its calibrated just right, it does sound just fantastic.
We just got a Bravia 7 tv (x95k, love it btw) but I have a question about this surround system. On all of the pictures and videos I’ve seen the front speakers are lined up with the back speakers. Do they all have to align? Not every one’s living rooms are perfectly shaped.
Okay, just watched the rest of the video and saw that it will calibrate its self 😂✌️ sorry yall
Never had wireless connection issue with my HT-A9 even with my speakers only a few feet from my wireless router they advise keeping them away from. Sounds like they fixed the problems with updates. Also IMO the HT-A9 is way more ethically looking and ease of placement and no complaints about the immersive sound stage.
A9 dropouts only really fixed for me when connected to the actual receiver and through earc on the TV. If I connect something to the TV with earc I'm getting dropouts.
can you have your TV and soundbar as center channel if you have the quad?
also how's the performance at different levels? (front eye level, rear near the roof) *nvm i watched further in the video lol
Great review as always. I was wondering if you are able to add a center speaker, can you connect this through EARC on a LG C4 and does it support IMAX enhanced?
@caleb where did you get the black posts that you put the speakers on when they were placed behind the couch? I would like to pick those posts up too when I purchase the speakers later this year.
what retailer is the best to buy the new bravia 9 and the new Quad Speakers?
Would this work if back speakers were right beside you not behind. I would have to put them right beside the chairs as there is an open dining room behind with no space for speakers. So putting them on end tables next to chairs would be what i would have to do. Would it work or would it defeat the sound dynamics
I use this exact setup with my HT-A9 and it sounds great
Wow, what a review. I guess I know what I'm buying.
I bought this system but for some reason, the sound was only coming from the front right speaker and I couldn’t figure it out so I returned it and got the arc with GEN 3 sub and two eras and I love my system now.
You seriously dropped the ball on that one wow
@@NexGenTek ?
Yeah when I 1st set mine up, it seem to be only coming from the left speaker. After an additional calibration and setting it to TV center instead of left. Everything was good.
@@Dcaker tv center as in Sony tv center channel?
@oliawak No. When I 1st calibrated the speaker it's defaulted to TV near left speaker for some reason. There's 3 options, TV left, TV center, TV right. Since it was at TV left most of the audio came from tthere. After changing to center, everything was good.
Can I add my own wired subwoofer to the system? will this sytem work seamlessly?
No, only the two wireless Sony subs are compatible.
The prices are just nuts. I used to upgrade every couple of years but no more. Maybe every 5 to 7 years now? Love the reviews though as always!!
Speakers essentially last forever.
@@paulcox2447 Sure, but technology changes.
I made a conclusion: 👍🏻➕👍🏻➕👍🏻➕👍🏻= 4️⃣👍🏻 ➖ 2️⃣👍🏻(phase cancellation) = 👍🏻👍🏻
My sofa is placed against the wall. Will the surround sound work if the rear Quad speakers are mounted on the rear wall, on the left and right of my sofa? My concern is whether the rear speakers need to be rotated slightly towards the listener.
Will work fine. The mapping technology is really good.
How does this stack up against Samsungs flagship surround sound ? (Q-990d)
I have to ask this question and please forgive me if I'm sounding like a dumb dumb but do these speakers need an amplifier or is it built into each speaker? I really like this system.
Each 'unit' provides their own power
@@chibbyylolDon’t you have to plug each speaker into an electrical outlet?
@@chibbyylol thank you for the update 👍
Assuming that you can use your Sony TV as the Center Speaker, like the previous model?
Yeah, they've actually also improved the process as well. On the old model the TV and speakers played independently, hence you didn't get a great sonically sounding sound. On the quads the TV actually gets calibrated with the speakers and they play in unison so it sounds miles better.