Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Most people will want to connect via the HDMI port, which connects to your TV’s HDMI eARC/ARC input for high quality audio streaming and the ability to control power and volume with your TV remote. The optical input is the preserve of (most) old TVs, or even a CD player, but there is no HDMI port to connect a Blu-ray player or game console directly, let alone an analog input for basic audio equipment like turntable.
You won’t want to move forward without downloading the Bravia Connect app, which walks you through all the setup and is the only way to get settings like Bluetooth pairing so you can stream music from your phone. A single power button on the left side of the bar is the only control key, while a two-dot LED system on the front provides the initial display.
Bar requirements
Photo: Ryan Waniata
Sony’s software picks up where the devices leave off, including a helpful function that identifies your current model and its features. The interface of the app makes it easy to switch between the few options, change the bass, or even expand the bar from sleep mode to listen to music. A remote like Twix is really rare, but it’s nice to have a backup in case your phone goes missing.
Bar offers a number of sound effects, including sound, which I have never felt the need to use; night mode to complete the bass so you can listen until the night; and surround sound mode, which uses Sony’s surround sound software to enhance surround sound and 3D visuals.
As for the audio quality, this is one area where the Theater Bar 5 does not skimp, supporting all the advanced options from Dolby and DTS, including Dolby Atmos audio and its rival, DTS: X. The change to the bar’s 3.1 channels means that you will not find surround speakers or the type of drivers found in Dolby Atmos sound quality which gives energy to energy. Even so, the bar’s audio trick impressed me with its ability to amplify sound from its sides.
