Sonic Surprise

OVER THE YEARS I've reviewed hundreds of audio and video products covering all the usual bases. But not up to now a soundbar.

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While there are thousands of audio and video fans willing to invest in a home theater, either modestly priced or obscenely expensive, to most folks a "home theater" means simply a big-screen TV and enough comfy seats to accommodate the family and perhaps a few friends. But even they understand, deep down, that those TV speakers aren't really up to the job when they settle in to watch Top Gun: Galactica. For them an add-on soundbar, typically with only one box to deal with plus a few cables, might be a revelation.

Soundbars come with a wide range of capabilities. In general, they include their own on-board electronics driving built-in speakers. At their most basic they might offer just the left and right channels and a way to connect to TV and replace the latter's typically mediocre audio quality. But the Sony HT-A5000 is far more capable than that.

DESCRIPTION

At roughly 4 feet in width, the HT-A5000 contains six small loudspeakers (see Specifications): forward-facing left, center, and right, upward-firing left and right (assisted by a pair of tweeters), a small on-board subwoofer, plus the internal amps needed to drive them all. Sony also offers a pair of optional wireless surround speakers plus a separate subwoofer (also wireless). But those options will nearly double the price. This review covers only the HT-A5000 on its own, which can often be found online at considerable discounts from its $1000 MSRP.

The HT-A5000 offers five physical connections located in a recessed rear panel: Toslink optical, HDMI In, HDMI Out, USB, and S-Center. The detachable power connection is located on the soundbar's rear at the far right.

The S-Center output offers the option to link the soundbar to a compatible port on your TV, allowing the latter's own speakers to join in the center of the party.