Sony has unveiled the HT-S400, its newest soundbar product. For $260, $300, or $499 in Australia, a new 2.1-channel “bar and subwoofer” setup promises to provide virtual surround sound. The 330W total power output of the HT-S400, which combines a 200W soundbar and a 130W wireless sub, is quite potent for such a reasonably portable speakers and cost-effective setup. Unsurprisingly, Dolby Atmos, a premium surround sound format, is not supported, but Dolby Digital is. To maximise the enjoyment of movie soundtracks, Sony’s own S-Force PRO Front Surround technology is said to simulate surround sound from a movie theatre.
Not everything in this setup is wireless, including the subwoofer. The HT-S400 can receive wireless audio from TVs that support Bluetooth A2DP. The soundbar comes with a small remote, but here’s a cool feature: the soundbar settings ought to automatically show up on your Bravia TV’s settings menu, allowing you to adjust the sound using your current remote. The flat design should ensure trouble-free wall mounting, and the hidden OLED display is a nice touch. Additionally, a “Night” mode is available for lowering the bass to avoid disturbing the neighbours. The usual HDMI ARC and optical inputs are available as connections.
The newer HT-S400 soundbar looks and feels better thanks to a nicer grille at the front and an intriguing texture on the body, even though it is significantly more affordable than the Sony HT-S40R soundbar. Nevertheless, it is still understated and fairly simple to overlook, which is exactly how a soundbar should appear. Although I tested the bar speaker with a 55-inch television for this review, the size of the speaker suggests that it is best used with a 43-inch television.
Sony HT-S400 Soundbar review: Design
The HT-appearance S400’s is unassuming and uninspiring, similar to other sound bars. Even though every sound bar in Sony’s lineup, regardless of price, has a similar form and aesthetic. It’s also quite large. The sound bar is approximately 35 inches long, while the wireless subwoofer is comparable in size to a laptop or office computer. In addition, a tiny OLED display is concealed beneath the centre speaker grill.
It shows the sound mode, EQ setting, and volume. The Sony HT-S400 has a light, plasticky body and is made of plastic. In contrast, considering its price, the wireless subwoofer has a respectable build quality. Its wireless subwoofer can’t really be said to be identical. It is one of the biggest at this price we’ve seen, measuring more than 15 inches tall and 15 inches deep. You should be able to conceal it, however, somewhere in a nook so that it is less obvious.
It is one of the few front-firing subs in this category and has a completely shielded driver, which is interesting because you might be able to lay it on its side for even more positioning flexibility. The HT-S400 can connect to a TV via Bluetooth rather than the usual HDMI or optical cable, which is important to keep in mind when talking about wireless setups and connections. It’s not as good for sound quality as using a real wire, and your TV needs to support the A2DP Bluetooth device profile, but it’s still a very practical option.
Sony HT-S400 Soundbar review: Connections and setup
You’ll adore the HT-S400 if you prefer straightforward technology. There are only two ways to connect the soundbar to your TV, in addition to the Bluetooth option I mentioned above: HDMI-ARC and optical. You’ll need to provide your own HDMI cable if you prefer to use HDMI instead of the optical cable that Sony includes in the box.
It really comes down to two factors: your personal preference and the outputs on your TV since no matter which of these options you select, the audio quality will be the same. It’s even simpler if your TV doesn’t have an HDMI-ARC port because you’ll just need to use the optical connection. Similarly, if your device lacks an optical port but has an HDMI-ARC port, your choice has already been made.
But here’s how to choose if you have both, as I do on my 2017 LG OLED C7. Use the optical connection if you don’t want to give up your TV’s HDMI input because the HT-S400 does not have an HDMI input for passing through video to your TV. But if you don’t mind losing that HDMI input and want to seamlessly control the soundbar using your TV’s remote, choose HDMI ARC because it makes HDMI CEC—a control communication channel shared by nearly all HDMI-equipped devices—available. Optical connections cannot accomplish this.
Sony HT-S400 Soundbar review: Sound Quality
You should consider the HT-S400 as an upgrade to your TV’s internal sound system rather than a complete home theatre system because it is a 2.1-channel system and does not support Dolby Atmos or DTS Virtual:X. To put it another way, while all media will sound bolder and bigger, as if they have been freed from their audio prison, they will fall short of being completely immersive.
The wireless subwoofer makes the biggest difference. It’s potent enough to produce the low-frequency effects that we’ve come to expect from big-budget Hollywood productions, such as thunder approaching, cars roaring, and T-Rex footprints. Although the HT-S400 will probably find a home in condos and smaller rooms, the sub won’t shake your sofa or rattle your teeth, but that’s hardly a deal breaker. Excellent clarity is also present, especially in the higher frequencies, giving sounds like gunshots and squealing tyres a lively, visceral feel. Sony provides us with a voice mode to make conversation even better, but I discovered I hardly ever used it.
The HT-S400 isn’t quite as strong in the midranges, which have a tendency to sound a little hollow. There are times when I expected a movie scene to feel richer than it sounded, though it’s much more obvious when listening to music than when watching TV. A scene in Dune by Denis Villeneuve serves as an illustration, in which Duke Leto’s flying ornithopter is moving toward a worker harvesting spices. It’s a complex scene acoustically, with voices and machinery competing with one another. A more robust midrange would have improved the scene’s realism without sacrificing the dialogue’s clarity.
Sony HT-S400 Soundbar review: Performance
The Sony HT-S400 soundbar system is not particularly complex or well-equipped. The 2.1-channel setup forces it to downmix higher-resolution audio formats to stereo for output, and the HT-S400 differs from a standard three-piece stereo speaker system only in terms of the length of the bar. The Sony HT-S400 delivers surprisingly straightforward performance despite its technical flaws, which is a significant improvement over most television speakers.
The Sony HT-speaker S400’s configuration also makes it particularly good for playing music, and it does a respectable job of making even movies and television shows sound louder and better. The sound was clear, the soundstage was sizable, and the sonic signature was fairly balanced, in my opinion. The bar speaker was not overpowered by the subwoofer, and the two parts blended well.
Of course, due to the somewhat rudimentary driver setup, the Sony HT-S400 is unconcerned with advanced audio formats and must even downmix the basic 5.1-channel encoding that is provided by the majority of contemporary content on streaming services. Regardless of the type of content I watched, it managed to do this reasonably well. The soundstage’s openness made for particularly pleasant listening, especially when watching films like The Gray Man and The Batman where the soundtrack and other sounds significantly influenced the viewing experience.
Sony HT-S400 Soundbar review: Price and release date
Beginning on April 15, major retailers and Sony’s web store will both offer the Sony HT-S400 for a price of $269 / AU$499 each. The HT-S400 is superior to similar audio products in the $200–$300 price range like the Yamaha SR–B20A Sound Bar, Razer Leviathan V2, and even Sony’s own Sony HT–X8500. We understand that Sony is trying to strike a balance between the respectable feature set mentioned and a no-frills package. Customers looking for more robust audio experiences with support for things like more speakers or Dolby Atmos may want to spend a little more on a true spatial audio system like the Sonos Arc. you can purchase this Sony HT-S400 Soundbar from offical store or from other ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Best Buy,Walmart.
Final Words
In terms of affordability without sacrificing sound quality, the Sony HT-S400 excels. It’s ideal for watching daily television drama and binge-watching Netflix. This 2.1ch soundbar does a great job with vocals and bass, and you might even be surprised by its tiny soundstage. Although the Dolby Atmos support is rather subpar, considering the price, we don’t expect Sony to immerse us in James Cameron’s vibrant worlds. For those who know what to expect from the HT-S400, namely capable audio chops for not a lot of money, the robust subwoofer and the seamless wireless connectivity are straightforward and more than adequate.
