Sony HT-G700 Soundbar differs from our current favorite soundbar in this price range, the Sonos Beam. The Sony HT-G700, unlike the Beam, includes a wireless subwoofer, supports Dolby Atmos, and has a dedicated HDMI input; however, it lacks music streaming, multi-room, and voice control.
Sony HT-G700 Soundbar: Price
The HT-G700 sound system will be available for £450 / $599 / €449 / CAD$699 / AUD$535 in mid-2020.
Design
Sony’s soundbar is unobtrusively stylish: 98cm long, with a matte grey top surface and a front metal grille punctured with a slew of holes – our estimate: $52,684.
However, the bar’s 6.4cm height keeps it clear of all but the most low-slung TVs on the market today, and it has a commendable collection of IR passthrough transmitters on the back; even if it does block your TV’s infrared receiver, it will relay remote commands through.
The black finish has a slight two-tone appearance, with the top surface covered in a matte black texture and the speaker grille taking up the entire front of the main unit.
The bar includes three full-range drivers, each measuring 45mm x 100mm. There are no additional tweeters. There are no ports on the bar; this is a sealed box, which is less efficient in terms of power consumption than a ported enclosure.
Performance
Despite the lack of up-firing speakers, K’s spinner descending from the sky is audible and adds a sense of verticality to the game.
It’s not quite as explosive or punchy as a soundbar with up-firing speakers but considering it’s done through digital processing, it’s quite impressive.
Features
The bar has three full-range drivers, each measuring 45mm x 100mm. There are no individual tweeters. There are no ports on the bar; this is a sealed box, which is less efficient in terms of the power required than a ported enclosure.
It’s easy to get sound into the HT-G700. The HDMI output of the soundbar is fully eARC compatible, so as long as your TV supports that or standard ARC, it will send the audio of whatever you’re watching through to the bar rather than through its speakers.
