Sony HT-ZF9

Compelling virtual Dolby Atmos performance ; Excellent upmixing of 5.1 and stereo content ; Surprisingly musical

Can be confusing to use ; A tad ugly sans grille

The Sony HT-ZF9 confounds expectations, delivering an expansive soundfield from an easy-to-accommodate design. It can be confusing to use, but rewards with a compelling Atmos-lite performance. The Vertical S upmixer does an entertaining job with 5.1...

Supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X Vertical S up-mixer Up-mixes regular surround sound

Decent low end performance Operationally confusing Disappointing overhead sound

The compact Sony HT-ZF9 is the Penn and Teller of Dolby Atmos soundbars. It’s ability to create an expanded soundstage from just three drivers and a subwoofer is sonic magic.

Easy-to-use controls ; Impressive upmixing ; Well-balanced and spacious sound ; Surprisingly insightful

Can get muddled during complex scenes ; Dynamics could be more subtle

Sony’s latest Atmos soundbar is heading in the right direction

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support ; Effective virtual sound processing ; Sounds great with music

Limited sense of immersion ; Potentially confusing interface

Balanced soundbar & sub ; Plug & Play ; Atmos & DTS:X support ; Value-for-money ; Optional rear speakers

No up-firing speakers (Atmos) ; Cheap remote ; Locations of HDMI inputs ; Subwoofer is weakest link for music

Dolby Atmos & DTS:X ; Virtual surround processing ; Very good with music ; Solid build quality and discreet

Not much genuine immersion ; User interface confusing

The is a great little soundbar, and the use of digital signal processing to create a virtual immersive experience can often be quite successful. The Sony's support of both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X is unusual at this price point, and this compact but...

eARC support with HDMI passthrough ; Supports, Alexa, Chromecast and Spotify built-in ; Easy to set up ; Support for Dolby Atmos and DTS-X

Virtual surround is gimmicky ; Would have preferred slightly longer power cables for the rear surround speakers

The Sony HT-Z9F brings with it good performance especially when you add the surround speakers to the package. It has eARC making it futureproof, two 4K HDR passthrough HDMI ports and a simple design. The bundled remote control is functional as well....

Soundbars designed to deliver Dolby Atmos sound in an all-in-one package offer a convenient alternative to complicated—and pricey—setups that require in-ceiling speakers or “elevation” modules. We’ve checked out a few such specimens in Sound & Vision,...