Sony
HT-Z9F
Sony HT-Z9F (2018): 3.1 soundbar with wireless subwoofer, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, two 4K HDR HDMI inputs, HDMI ARC, Wi-Fi and optional wireless rears.
Released 2018
MSRP $899.99
Check price on AmazonShop prices can differ.
- 3.1 speaker setup
- Dolby Atmos (virtual)
- DTS:X
- HDMI ARC
- 2 HDMI inputs
- Wi-Fi
- Chromecast
- Voice assistant
- Wireless sub
- Wireless surrounds
Overview
HT-Z9F is a 3.1-channel Sony soundbar from 2018. It is 1000 mm wide, 64 mm high and 99 mm deep, comes in black and weighs 3.1 kg. It can be wall-mounted with the supplied bracket.
A wireless subwoofer comes in the box. Sony lists it at 190 x 382 x 386 mm and 8.1 kg. Sony lists an S-Master HX amplifier with 400 W of total power for the system.
The box also contains an HDMI cable, a wall-mount bracket, a remote control, batteries and booklets. The TV connects over HDMI ARC, and two HDMI inputs take consoles and players. There is also an optical input, an analog stereo mini-jack input, a USB port, an Ethernet port, Bluetooth 4.2 (receiver and transmitter) and dual-band Wi-Fi.
Over the network, the bar supports Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect and DLNA, and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant; Sony's spec page notes that several network features arrived with a firmware update. You can control it with the buttons on the bar, the remote, or the iOS and Android app.
What the specs mean
- 3.1 speaker setup: three main channels (left, centre, right) and one subwoofer channel, with no height channels. The bar still decodes Dolby Atmos and DTS:X; Sony lists its Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO as the virtual surround processing.
- HDMI ARC, not eARC: the Audio Return Channel sends the TV's sound to the soundbar over the HDMI cable. ARC carries compressed formats such as Dolby Digital; the newer eARC also carries Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos in TrueHD and uncompressed multichannel audio. For those formats, connect the source to one of the bar's HDMI inputs instead of the TV.
- HDMI passthrough: two HDMI inputs pass 4K at 60 Hz with HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision to the TV and support HDCP 2.2.
- Audio formats: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS Digital Surround, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, LPCM 2ch, multichannel PCM and DSD.
- Expandability: the wireless subwoofer is included, and the optional Sony SA-Z9R wireless rear speakers add rear surround channels.
Which soundbar is right for you?
| SonyHT-Z9F (current soundbar)MSRP $899.99Check price on Amazon | LGS80QYMSRP $899.00Check price on Amazon | LGSC9SMSRP $999.00Check price on Amazon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall value A rough features-for-the-price score, compared with every soundbar listed. Bars gain points for things like Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi and room tuning, and lose points without them. Dolby Atmos with up-firing speakers earns more than virtual Atmos. Cheaper bars lose fewer points, or none, for missing premium extras (Dolby Atmos, HDMI eARC, up-firing speakers). 100 is the best deal listed. Based on specs only, not on how it sounds. | 39 | 82 | 77 |
| Price-band value Like Overall value, but each soundbar is compared only with soundbars in its own price band: up to $300, $300–500, $500–800, $800–1,200 or over $1,200. 100 is the best deal in that band. Based on specs only, not on how it sounds. | 42$800–1,200 | 89$800–1,200 | 84$800–1,200 |
| Speaker setup | 3.1 | 3.1.3 | 3.1.3 |
| Dolby Atmos | Virtual | Up-firing | Up-firing |
| Form factor | Bar + sub | Bar + sub | Bar + sub |
| Audio support |
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| Available inputs |
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| HDMI inputs | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Streaming support |
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| Virtual assistants |
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| Soundbar dimensions | 1000 × 64 × 99 mm | 1000 × 63 × 135 mm | 975 × 63 × 125 mm |
Specifications
Overview
- Overall value
- 39
- Price-band value
- 42$800–1,200
- Speaker setup
- 3.1
- Dolby Atmos
- Virtual
- Form factor
- Bar + sub
Expandability
- Is extendable
- Surrounds:SA-Z9R
- Has wireless surrounds
- Yes
- Has wireless subwoofer
- Yes
Connectivity
- Available inputs
- Aux
- Bluetooth
- HDMI×2
- HDMI Arc
- LAN (RJ-45)
- Optical
- USB
- WiFi
- Streaming support
- Chromecast
- DLNA
- Spotify
- Virtual assistants
- Alexa
- Controllers
- Android App
- iOS App
- On Device
- Remote Control
- TV Remote Control
- App required
- Not stated
- Same-brand TV features
- BRAVIA Sync
Audio & video
- Audio support
- Dolby Atmos
- Dolby Digital
- Dolby Digital Plus
- Dolby True HD
- DSD
- DTS 96/24
- DTS Digital Surround
- DTS-ES
- DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
- DTS-HD Master Audio
- DTS:X
- LPCM 2ch
- Multichannel PCM
- Room correction
- No
- Dialogue enhancement
- Voice Mode
- Night mode
- Night Mode
- Passthrough
- 4K60
- HDR10
- HLG
- DV
- HDCP 2.2
- HDMI inputs
- 2
Design
- Soundbar dimensions
- 1000 × 64 × 99 mm
- Wall mountable
- Yes
- Colors
- Black
- What's in the box
- Batteries
- Booklets
- HDMI Cable
- Remote control
- Subwoofer
- Wall mount