Professionals
Good general sound
Expandable system
Simple-to-use app
The HT-S2000’s sound signature is well-balanced, highlighted by clear dialogue and dynamic, detailed mid frequencies.
Concerning the Sony HT-S2000
Credit score:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
The HT-S2000 may be managed by Sony’s Dwelling Leisure Join app, which pairs the usual controls with further sound settings and choices.
- Worth: $499.99
- Top x Width x Depth: 2.63 x 31.5 x 5 inches
- Weight: 8.3 lbs
- Audio system/drivers: Two tweeters, two midrange woofers, two built-in subwoofers, two passive radiators
- Wi-fi connection: Bluetooth 5.2
- Wired connection: One HDMI eARC/ARC, one HDMI enter, one digital optical enter, one 3.5mm auxiliary enter, one 3.5mm stereo enter, one USB enter
- Sound codecs: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS Digital: X, AAC, SBC
- Video assist: 4K HDR/Dolby Imaginative and prescient passthrough
The HT-S2000 arrives with commonplace working equipment, together with an HDMI cable, a distant (with batteries!) and an working handbook. As soon as you determine energy and a connection to your show, you’re prepared to start out listening.
What we like
It sounds fairly good general
Credit score:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
The HT-S2000’s sound signature is well-balanced, highlighted by clear dialogue and dynamic, detailed mid frequencies.
Earlier than factoring in all of the bells and whistles that Sony engineered into the HT-S2000, it’s necessary to have a look at the soundbar’s sound profile as offered. The excellent news for Sony is that this soundbar checks (most) of the packing containers.
The HT-S2000’s sound signature is well-balanced, highlighted by clear dialogue and dynamic, detailed mid frequencies. A rendition of Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania proved as a lot, effortlessly transitioning from Scott Lang’s opening monologue to your complete Ant-Man household being sucked into the Quantum Realm mere moments later.
Even the bass falls below “sufficient” which is a feat contemplating Sony one way or the other match a pair of small woofers into the soundbar’s cupboard. It received’t fill giant areas throughout action-packed scenes, and it received’t dig fairly deep sufficient for lovers of bass-heavy music. However for an all-in-one soundbar, it’s higher than others at including some growth.
It’s a digital anomaly
Increasingly all-in-one soundbars are adopting digital expertise to attempt to make up for an absence of encompass audio system or peak channels. And other than standouts just like the Sonos Beam (or on a dearer notice, the Sennheiser Ambeo), most miss the mark in some type or one other.
Not so with the HT-S2000, which makes use of Sony’s Vertical Encompass Engine and S-Power Professional Entrance Encompass digital applied sciences. However you don’t actually need to know that jargon. All you should know is that the HT-S2000 has means to just about place sound round your lounge, and for essentially the most half, it does it fairly effectively. Encompass sound efficiency is much more convincing than Dolby Atmos or DTS:X.
Urgent the “Sound Area” button on the soundbar’s distant makes it sound like there truly are drivers producing sound at both aspect of your listening house. You do lose a little bit of the dynamics of the soundbar because the bar’s three drivers attempt to stretch the soundstage, nevertheless it’s not a deal breaker by any means.
I discovered Dolby Atmos to be barely much less spectacular, however nonetheless much more current than I anticipated with out the presence of actual peak channels. Some scenes actually felt like vertical sound was lacking, however different cases (like Krylar’s huge spaceship making a grand entrance in Quantumania) did effectively to make it sound like a spacecraft was touchdown from overhead.
It’s the muse for a completely expandable encompass sound system
If the digital applied sciences aren’t as much as par (sound is subjective, in fact, in order that they is probably not for some), then you definitely’re in luck. The HT-S2000 is appropriate with Sony’s SA-RS3S wi-fi rear audio system in addition to both the 300-watt SA-SW5 or 200-watt SA-SW3 subwoofers.
These additions aren’t low-cost, however relying on which subwoofer you go for and which sale you reap the benefits of, you would construct an entire encompass system for lower than a full setup from Sonos.
Sony’s app is straightforward to make use of
The HT-S2000 may be managed by Sony’s Dwelling Leisure Join app, which primarily pairs the usual controls from the soundbar’s distant with further sound settings and choices. It’s a quite simple interface, which makes actions like adjusting the amount or enabling the soundbar’s Voice Enhancer function extremely easy. For causes that we’ll contact on later, this isn’t completely a superb factor. However so far as usability is worried, it’s a really perfect setup.
What we don’t like
Audio changes are astoundingly scarce
Credit score:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
Urgent the “Sound Area” button on the HT-S2000 soundbar’s distant makes it sound like there truly are drivers producing sound at both aspect of your listening house, whereas watching a film.
As we’ve already touched on, the HT-S2000 sounds fairly good in its personal proper. However that doesn’t imply it could skate by with out the power to regulate the bar’s sound in any significant means. The distant has three bass ranges to select from (minimal, medium, most), an choice to boost dialogue, and a Sound Area button for participating digital sound. However that’s it.
Notable lacking options are issues like particular person channel changes, a multi-band equalizer, and even the choice to cut back or improve treble. Like I stated, it is a good sound out of the field. However having the ability to change the sound to your private style or room is an ordinary, important perform of most soundbars. The HT-S2000, for some purpose, doesn’t have it.
There’s no Wi-Fi
Among the many vital options that separates the HT-S2000 from one thing like Sonos is Wi-Fi. Sonos has constructed its model on having a set of audio system linked through Wi-Fi for straightforward, whole-home audio options. Whereas the HT-S2000 is, like Sonos, an expandable system, it gives solely Bluetooth as a way of streaming. Wi-Fi would have been a robust addition and one other software Sony might have used to compete with the massive child on the block.
Must you purchase the Sony HT-S2000?
Sure, as a result of it’s a terrific, tech-driven all-in-one resolution
Credit score:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
The Sony HT-S2000 delivers strong efficiency thanks to numerous digital sound applied sciences that improve the listening expertise.
The Sony HT-S2000 is an all-in-one resolution constructed to impress on a number of fronts. At the beginning, it stays true to Sony’s popularity and sounds fairly good in comparison with its counterparts on this value vary. Past that, the HT-S2000 employs varied applied sciences so as to add digital sound that enhances the listening expertise excess of it hampers it. And, if digital isn’t your cup of tea, you may add actual wi-fi audio system (plus a subwoofer) into the combination for a full encompass setup.
Obtainable audio changes are few and much between. So, tinkerers beware: what you hear from the HT-S2000 is actually what you get. If that doesn’t deter you, although, the HT-S2000 is a good, albeit expensive choice to contemplate alongside the likes of the Sonos Beam and others within the all-in-one soundbar house.
HT-S2000 soundbar
The HT-S2000 soundbar has good general sound, expandable system, and an easy-to-use app.
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Costs had been correct on the time this text was printed however could change over time.
Meet the tester
Nick Woodard is a tech journalist specializing in all issues associated to house theater and A/V. His background features a strong basis as a sports activities author for a number of every day newspapers, and he enjoys mountain climbing and mountain biking in his spare time.
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