Soundbars/Soundbases

Impossible to ignore is the HT-A7000's inherent power. There's an expansive dynamic range here, coupled to lightning-fast reactions, that drives aggressive movie moments into your room with a weight and potency you feel in your gut as well as your ears.

Even the most colossal of soundtrack elements, such as the build up to the huge mixture of score and crashing wave effects in Blade Runner 2049 when K rescues Deckard from the downed spinner, don't seem to faze it. Impact sounds are clear, lifted from the background maelstrom, although some marginal harshness can creep into its high frequencies if you're really driving it.

Occasionally I'd have liked to hear bass move down to that whole other gear that one of the optional subwoofers could presumably add. But that's more a 'perfect world' observation than a criticism of a one-box soundbar.

Be Quiet Back There!
A more real issue is the lack of included rears. For while the HT-A7000 delivers an extraordinary front hemisphere, it stops pretty abruptly at the side of you. Something which, ironically, the quality of the front soundstage makes you keenly aware of. It's impossible not to think here of Samsung's HW-Q950A (HCC #324), which features a subwoofer and wireless rears equipped with forward-, side- and up-firing drivers, and is now available for just £1,000.

But before you run off to grab that Samsung, don't forget I said the HT-A7000 was a master of music as well as movies. It delivers your two-channel library with gorgeous timing and staging, a brilliant progression through the audioband, and a general 'Hi-Fi' sensibility that Samsung's more movie-minded package doesn't share.

It's curious, though, that Sony's dedicated Music preset sounds marginally anaemic and trebly at times, leaving Cinema and Standard Surround as better options. Plus beware the Immersive Audio Enhancement mode, which is sometimes fantastic, adding blissful extra scale and immersion to big musical moments, but at other times (even within a single song) can suddenly sound slightly processed and forced.

Thankfully, these are just processing flaws. At its heart the HT-A7000 is a beast of a single-box soundbar that's ready for whatever you throw at it. It's also a less cluttersome proposition than most of its premium rivals, but with the option to expand its soundfield if you wish. All things considered, this Sony is pretty special n

HCC Verdict

Sony HT-A7000

Price: £1,200
www.sony.co.uk

We say: An imperious single-box soundbar with a brilliant balance of power, finesse and tonal clarity. Expanding to the full package ain't cheap, however.

Overall: 4.5/5

Specifications

DRIVE UNITS: 5 x X-Balanced front-facing drive units; 2 x beam tweeters; 2 x upfirers; 1 x woofer ONBOARD POWER (CLAIMED): 500W total CONNECTIONS: 2 x HDMI in, 1 x HDMI out (all v2.1); optical digital audio input; USB; analogue audio input; S-Center Out Dolby Atmos/DTS:X: Yes/Yes SEPARATE SUB: No. Two wireless models optional REMOTE CONTROL: Yes DIMENSIONS: 1,300(w) x 80(h) x 142(d)mm WEIGHT: 8.7kg

FEATURES: Immersive Audio Enhancement mode; wireless rear options; HDR10 and Dolby Vision passthrough; 4K/120Hz passthrough; 360 Reality Audio support; DSEE Extreme compression restoration; Sound Field Optimisation; Bluetooth; Chromecast; Apple AirPlay 2; Wi-Fi; voice control