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Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) and built-in streaming apps for TVs are great for people who want a great home theatre setup without a bunch of boxes and enough cables to power Glastonbury. You only need one HDMI cable to connect your TV and sound bar, and you’re good to go.
Netflix and Amazon Prime Video will send 4K HDR content to the TV, and a single cable will send Dolby Atmos audio to the soundbar. You don’t need any extra sources, and you don’t have to fill your living room with speakers. The Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar is the best-sounding product in this “home theatre without the home theatre” category. It combines simplicity with cinematic sound quality.
Sony HT-X8500 specifications
| Dimensions | 890 mm x 64 mm x 96 mm |
| Weight | 31.kg |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 |
| Inputs | HDMI x1, Optical |
Sony HT-X8500 review: Design
The Sony HT-X8500 soundbar is an audio system that works on its own. There isn’t a separate wireless subwoofer or wireless surround speakers that aren’t needed. It’s a smart, one-of-a-kind soundbar that can fit almost anywhere. Even though the subwoofer is built in, the bar is still a nice size. It’s only 89cm wide, so it’s good for TVs between 49 and 55 inches.
The way the finish looks is stylish. The front array is protected by a smart rolled grille, and a gun metal grey trim adds interest. Touch-sensitive buttons for power, input, volume, and pairing with Bluetooth are on the top.
There are only two HDMI ports, one of which is an input and the other is an output with eARC. There is also an optical digital audio input for when ARC isn’t available. Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG can all be used with the 4K HDMI board. You can get this soundbar from its official website.
Sony HT-X8500 review: Sound quality
Starting with the bombing run scene from Unbroken, which uses Dolby Atmos, the X8500 impresses right away with how roomy its sound is. These details make all the difference in this scene. The sound was made to emphasise the fragility of the flying tin can in which the young, nervous airmen approach their target, with the wind noise and engine rumble filling the room.
This is a speaker whose wide, tall soundfield makes it hard to tell where it is. The sound doesn’t go all the way around the listener; it stops a few feet into the room. However, for the price and size of the unit, the sound is impressively clear, open, and three-dimensional.
Sony HT-X8500 review: Performance
Any doubts we had about how well this mid-ranger would work were blown away when we turned it on. This soundbar sounds convincingly like a movie theatre. Sony’s Vertical Sound Engine is the key to the strong performance of the Sony HT-X8500 soundbar. It creates a convincing illusion of surround sound when used with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content.
This lets Dolby Atmos movies sound like they are bigger in height and width. Even better, Vertical S doesn’t just work with immersive codecs. It can also be used as an up-mixer for two-channel and standard 5.1 sound sources, with the same good results.
Sony HT-X8500 review: Gaming
The H8500 is not only for use in the film industry. It also provides services for gaming and general TV sports. You can modify the sound to correspond with the content that you are listening to simply by pressing a button and selecting one of these predefined profiles.
There is also a night function, so if you have young children and don’t want to wake them up, you can push it, and it will tone everything down a little bit so that it isn’t as distracting. This is useful for families with young children.
Sony HT-X8500 review: Price and availability
Not everything that sounds good has to be expensive. This is the most important thing to know about the Sony HT-X8500. It has the same vertical surround sound as the Sony HT-ST5000 because it supports Dolby Atmos and DTS X, but it costs a lot less than what most people would expect to pay. Voice enhancement technology improves the clarity of dialogue, and Bluetooth pairing technology lets you play music without wires.
Final Words
The Sony HTX8500 is fine for a variety of tasks. This 2.1 setup has a boxy, slightly dull sound, but it can still pretty accurately reproduce vocals and lead instruments. Even though the bar has two subwoofers built in, you don’t feel the low-bass rumble from bass-heavy music or action movies. Unlike many 2.1 setups, it can play Atmos content, but it doesn’t give the most immersive experience.
Sony HT-X8500 Ratings
Pros
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatible
- Easy to set-up and use
- Brilliant value
Cons
- No room correction feature.
- Lacks low-bass.
FAQs
Is Sony HT-X8500 worth buying?
The Sony HT-X8500 soundbar is in the middle of the price range, but it has a blockbuster sound. The soundstage is big, and Sony’s clever Vertical S makes the sound wrap around nicely. The internal subwoofer is a real beast.
How many watts is HT-X8500?
The Sony HT-X8500 2.1 soundbar is at the centre of your living room and gives you immersive entertainment with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Up to 7.1 channels of sound at 200 watts.
What year did Sony HT-X8500 come out?
The Sony HT-X8500 is a 2.1 system that came out in 2019. This stand-alone soundbar has two subwoofers built into it to save space. It also uses Sony’s S-Force Pro Front Surround technology to create a more immersive sound.