Sony HT-S40R Review: The perfect soundbar?

Sony has always been a prominent brand for its efforts in the field of sound and today this trend has not stopped. For example, its line of “Premium” sound bars is worth your recognition as long as you are willing to pay a considerable sum of money in return, and this time it is the turn to talk in detail about one of them: Sony HT -S40R .

Sony HT-S40R is a high-end sound bar that allows you to enjoy a true surround experience with a 5.1-channel system combined with a subwoofer and two wireless rear speakers. The end result is 600W of power output, in addition to accompanying Dolby Digital technology to get the most out of your favorite multimedia content.

A spectacular quality leap

Sony HT-S40 makes use of various components

Compared to other conventional creations on the current market, the great leap that this model means cannot be overstated . A power of 600W helps each scene come to life and that any room becomes a much more similar experience (at least in terms of audio quality) to that of a movie theater.

Thanks to its 5.1 channel layout comprised of a main soundbar offering three channels, a pair of rear speakers that can be strategically positioned in the room, and a larger subwoofer , the immersion goes beyond how loud you can drive. its sound volume.

Finally, in addition to the presence of Dolby Digital technology that offers more details in audiovisual content such as compatible movies, series and games, users also have a predefined selection of sound modes to choose from (automatic, standard, cinema and music) that are they adapt to the type of content, and even a night and voice mode for when it is necessary to optimize the volume control of the subwoofer when the other people in the home are sleeping.

Cable-free setup on the Sony S40R

Sony HT-S40R is ideal to accompany it with a Sony Bravia TV

Sony HT-S40 has a wireless amplifier that feeds power to the rear speakers , meaning you won’t see long cables across the room when you want to achieve a surround sound setup. Also, the subwoofer and soundbar share a single power outlet.

It is worth noting that when you take the equipment out of its box for the first time it is almost ready to be used immediately, since you only have to connect the main speaker following the color code and, finally, connect the rear speakers using the aforementioned wireless amplifier.

To conclude, thanks to the presence of fairly compact overall dimensions for the soundbar as well as the wireless rear speakers, it is not necessary to have a lot of free space in the room and can be installed directly on the wall. In addition, having a Bravia television can automatically recognize the audio system so that you do not even need HDMI connection cables between both devices.

Connectivity options

Sony HT-S40R syncs with phone smoothly

Regarding connections, thanks to the availability of an HDMI ARC (audio return channel) input / output, it is possible to use the most recent televisions on the market as well as being able to use a single remote control to control the volume and other actions. Basic playback of the bar in an automatic way.

For use with older equipment, it is also possible to take advantage of a high quality sound in movies and other media through the optical audio input , or by default if none of the above options is viable, you can always resort to the classic but reliable analog audio input .

Due to the presence of Bluetooth 5.0 there are no problems for a solid wireless synchronization with mobile phones and computers that are in a close range and thus use the bar even with the TV turned off as if it were a conventional sound system. Even a USB 2.0 input makes it easy to play WAV, MP3 and WMA audio files stored on an external drive.

Compared to other creations of the Japanese brand, Sony HT-ZF9 is a team that stands out for also adding dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n connectivity for a more autonomous use, although as a counterpart it lags behind. in its power (400W).

PROS:

• 5.1 channel surround sound system
• High output audio power
• Integrated Bluetooth connectivity
• Ease of installation and configuration

CONS:

• No Wi-Fi connectivity available
• Price can be quite high

Sony HT-S40R Features