Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 review: Great sound, zero hasssle

Some home theater sound bars go to town on features and performance, aiming to test as many sound boxes as possible. These systems tend to have high associated costs and can get a little complicated to operate. Sony’s Bravia Theater Bar 6 ($699.99) works in the opposite direction. It’s still a full Dolby Atmos and DTS:X system with impressive 3.1.2 channels, but it keeps a laser focus on simplicity, flexibility and connectivity options for a set-it-and-forget-it solution.

It’s a viable option, as long as you’re content to stick to the Bravia Theater Bar 6’s specific limitations.

Minimalism to the extreme

By design, Theater Bar 6 takes minimalism to the extreme. The large bar, at 37.5 x 2.6 x 4.3 inches, is made entirely of matte black plastic. It’s invisible as it gets a full soundbar, and when you dim the lights, it all but disappears. There are no controls at all, save for a small power button hidden on the right side. Owners of a Sony Bravia 5, 7, 8, 9, 8, A95L, or Bravia 8 II TV get the added benefit of on-screen controls; for everyone else, you’ll need to use the Bravia Connect mobile app to access the speaker’s settings. A small LED on the front tells you that the Theater Bar 6 is on, and which input is active.

Speaking of inputs, you only get three: HDMI ARC/eARC, optical, and Bluetooth. In fact, there are only two, as ARC/eARC and optical input are both provided on your TV. You can use one or the other, but not both. Sony provides an HDMI cable in the box, which makes sense: only the HDMI ARC/eARC connection supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. If your TV doesn’t do HDMI ARC, you’ll need to get your own optical cable.

This means that in the music viewing area, it will be Bluetooth streaming from your phone, or perhaps dedicated music apps on your TV or a streaming device connected to the TV. There is no WiFi and no digital or analog inputs are available.

Sony also includes small rubber feet that can raise the Theater Bar 6 high enough to clear the built-in feet on most Sony TVs (if they’re centered), and there’s a wall-mount template to help you find the right mounting points for a set of screws (no additional hardware required).

The subwoofer is a blessing and a curse

The integrated wireless subwoofer is a big, boxy affair – a common issue with most home-theatre-in-a-box systems – but like the main bar, it should fade into the background if you can find a clever place to put it. Just keep in mind that this Bravia sound bar cannot be expanded with wireless surround speakers. If you need that flexibility, the Theater Bar 8 and 9 are better options.

If you get the sound settings on sale, the Bravia Theater Bar 6 does a great job of bringing movies and TV shows to life. It offers a much larger sound stage than any of the TV’s built-in speakers, and thanks to both the dedicated center channel driver and the excellent voice mode available, you won’t miss the voice of the conversation.

However, some management expectations are correct. Or hit it with Dolby Atmos content, as I did with a few clips from it No Time to Die, No Brokenagain A moundthe system won’t shock you with its 3D immersion. Its main advantage is its power (it can be impressively loud) and its power (even at low volumes, the sound signature conveys a lot of detail and emotion). Surface and surrounding effects, on the other hand, are described rather than directly delivered.

Credit: Simon Cohen

One very important tip: If your TV only supports HDMI ARC (as opposed to eARC), always keep Sony’s Sound Field mode on when watching Atmos or DTS:X content, otherwise the Theater Bar 6 treats it as 7.1 Dolby surround sound — a less rewarding experience.

The subwoofer is both a blessing – it’s the key to getting a deep, cinematic punch for your movies – and a curse: if you’re not careful with the settings, it can overshadow the mid-range frequencies with a dull smear of low bass. This is especially true when listening to music. I had to cut the bass down a lot from my favorite movie viewing level to achieve balanced EQ for the music.

It’s easy to recommend the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6, especially if you can find it on sale. But there are also plenty of other great ways. One of my favorites is the Klipsch Flexus Core 200. It costs less than the Theater Bar 6, and although it doesn’t come with a subwoofer, it packs impressive bass on its own. Also, expandable with Klipsch Flexus wireless subwoofers and surrounds, or you can use a wired sub if you happen to own one.