Sony HT-S2000 Soundbar Review: Immersive, Loud And Clear

Sony does well when it comes to consumer audio – its HT-A7000 soundbar and WH-1000XM5 headphones are proof. The newly-launched HT-S2000 soundbar further solidifies that belief. The soundbar offers impressive sound with good virtual sound tech and allows you to amplify the whole experience with an added subwoofer and surround speakers.

In my three weeks with the Sony HT-S2000 soundbar, I used it with the OnePlus TV Q2 Pro , JMGO N1 Ultra projector, with and without the surround speakers and subwoofer, and as a Bluetooth speaker. Here’s what you need to know if you are considering spending on a soundbar.

Sony HT-S2000 soundbar review: Setup and connection

Alongside the HT-S2000 soundbar, Sony also debuted the Home Entertainment app (yet another freaking app) to setup the device. You need to connect the soundbar to your TV with the bundled HDMI cable and download the required app to start the setup process.

Once the soundbar is powered on and the app senses that, it prompts you with a few things to confirm and you’re good to go. The app allows you to control the bass level and volume. The only issue I had is that it took more than 90 seconds after plugging in before being ready to be controlled with the remote. Sony told me that it was happening because I had a test unit.

Sony HT-S2000 soundbar review: How does it sound

Sony says that the HT-S2000 provides an immersive, cinematic sound with its 3.1 channel set-up. The soundbar uses a three-driver arrangement with a dedicated center channel for clear monologues. Plus, you get a built-in subwoofer to take care of bass duties. It comes with support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS Virtual:X, AAC and SBC.

Ok, enough of throwing the specs at your face, here’s what it’s like using the HT-S2000 in different scenarios.

1. Sony HT-S2000 alone

I placed it in my living room, which is 11 x 18 feet – making for a 198-sq.ft. area. The first movie I watched after plugging in the soundbar to my TV was The Batman. I’m happy to report that the device does well in most use cases. Watching the Penguin chase scene again was a more immersive experience. Batman’s monologue in the starting was clear and was only enhanced by the “Voice” mode, by tapping a button on the remote.

The subway fight scene with Batman pulling punches one after other and tasing had good bass feel to it. The soundbar effortlessly transitions from one frequency (monologue) to another (action scenes). There were no uncomfortable high-pitched screeches but detailed frequency responses throughout the spectrum. You can set the bass response to your liking by choosing from three levels. I had it set at maximum most of the time.

When comparing the same scenes with my projector connected to the Marshall Stanmore 2, the Bluetooth speaker had more thumping bass when set to the maximum setting and similarly-loud volume. This is not to say that the lower frequencies struggle on the Sony soundbar but that they are adequate.

The Sony HT-S2000 soundbar can get really loud but without filling big rooms in action-packed scenes (of course, the Stanmore 2 doesn’t do it either. I tested the Sonos Ray (Rs 5,000 cheaper) with the Sub Mini earlier, and the Sony soundbar is definitely much better at a minimal price difference.

The HT-S2000 soundbar features Sony’s Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force Pro Front Surround virtual technologies to virtually place sound around your space. It does so without having any upward-firing drivers. You can trigger surround sound experience by turning on the “Sound Field” option, which uses three drivers to stretch the soundstage but it comes at a bit of expense of quality in instruments. It’s a nice-to-have feature at best.

Using the Sony HT-S2000 as a Bluetooth speaker was an enjoyable experience too. I fire up loud music when I need to energize, and this soundbar had plenty of loudness to it – not at the expense of clarity. The vocals in songs remain clear with drums and guitar playing in the background at high volumes.

2. Sony HT-S2000 with SA-RS3S subwoofer and SA-SW3 rear speakers

I’ll be straightforward – if you have the budget for it, buy the Sony HT-S2000 soundbar with the Sony subwoofer and surround speakers. The SA-RS3S subwoofer makes a lot of difference for lower frequencies. It adds the thumping feel and delivers sub-bass frequencies that are missing from the soundbar.

I tested the Sony HT-S2000 with the SA-RS3S subwoofer to answer queries related to “What if I only purchase the subwoofer and not the rear speakers?” The result was – maybe due to positioning on the right side of the soundbar – that it came in the way of mids, so the dialogues weren’t as clear, especially in action scenes but the car chase and subway fight scenes were more immersive.

If you add the rear speakers to the mix, they are positioned near you, at the opposite end of the soundbar, so you’ll get clearer mids. In my experience, the SA-SW3 rear speakers completed the whole experience. Everything was clear to a person sitting 16 feet away from the soundbar when I connected the rear speakers.

The sound bar by itself is enough for casual movie watchers but if you want to give it a home theater experience, I strongly suggest going with the subwoofer and rear speakers, which would set you back at Rs 85,000.

Sony HT-S2000 soundbar: Price and availability

The Sony HT-S2000 soundbar is priced at Rs 42,990 in India / $498 in the US. It is available through all he major retailers including Amazon.

Should you buy the Sony HT-S2000 soundbar?

In one word, yes. The Sony HT-S2000 soundbar delivers good sound with adequate bass and clear vocals. It is a great all-rounder soundbar for the casual movie watcher. It incorporates in-house virtual sound technologies to enhance the listening experience.

But if you want to make the most of it, I highly recommend pairing the HT-S2000 with Sony’s subwoofer and rear speakers.

Original Article