Four speakers from the Sony HT-A9 wireless kit are capable of emulating 12 virtual sound sources with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. The location of the phantom speakers does not depend on the real ones – there is no need to worry about their exact placement. The software Easy Setup takes care of the system setup. It uses microphones located in speakers – two in each – to create a sound field and correct the room.
In addition to microphones, each of the speakers is equipped with a square (this provides a large radiation area) front woofer and a 19 mm dome tweeter. A separate full-range speaker in the waveguide at the top of the speaker is responsible for the “top” sound. Column case – bass reflex.
Four speakers connect wirelessly to the control box, and an optional wireless subwoofer can also be connected. A 300W SA-SW5 or a SA-SW3 200W subwoofer is suitable for this purpose.
The streaming functions of the novelty are implemented in the technologies of Chromecast and Apple Airplay 2 – there is also, of course, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. To restore compressed audio, the new product uses the DSEE Extreme function, which uses Edge-AI – a combination of edge computing and artificial intelligence.
The HT-A9 kit can also interact with other Chromecast devices powered by Google Assistant. Alternatively, you can also use the Amazon Alexa voice assistant.
In addition, the system, as expected, supports the 360 Reality Audio format. Its music can be found on Amazon Music HD, Deezer, nugs.net and Tidal. Another Sony proprietary technology will show up when you connect the HT-A9 to a BRAVIA branded TV with Acoustic Center Sync (cable included). In this case, the manufacturer promises “an unrivaled immersive audiovisual experience” and accurate match of sound sources to images.
The Sony HT-A9 Pearl Gray Speaker Kit, like the optional subwoofers, will arrive in September. The Sony HT-A9 system will cost approximately € 1,800, the SA-SW5 subwoofer € 780 and the SW-SW3 € 500.