Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 vs Bravia Theatre Bar 9: which Dolby Atmos soundbar should you buy?

Even the best TVs will benefit from a dedicated audio upgrade in the form of one of the best soundbars. And, if you’re in the market for one, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 and Theatre Bar 9 are likely on your shortlist.

These two models are at different price points, with the more premium Bar 9 demanding more of your cash for its services. The question, then, is whether it's worth that extra outlay or whether the more affordable Bar 8 is the better-value option.

We have subjected both soundbars to our full testing process and have even compared them against one another. We also take price into account whenever we rate any product.

All of which means we're perfectly placed to answer that very question...

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9: price

The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 launched at £999 / $999 / AU$1499, while the flagship Bravia Theatre Bar 9 entered the market at a higher £1399 / $1400 / AU$1795 – a not-insignificant increase over the launch price of its predecessor, the HT-A7000, which was £1199 / $1300 / AU$1699 when it arrived in 2021.

Both models are premium options, but the Bar 8 is clearly a more accessible entry point into Sony's higher-end soundbar territory.

The good news is that both models are often discounted (you'll find the latest, lowest prices below) but, in our experience, the Bar 8 is always cheaper than the Bar 9 so it has to take the win in this round.

** Winner: Bravia Theatre Bar 8 **

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9: design and build

Design-wise, the Bar 8 and Bar 9 are essentially the same soundbar at two different lengths. Both share the same 6.4cm height (which makes them low enough to sit in front of most TVs without blocking the screen), and an identical 11cm depth, but the Bar 8 is 110cm wide compared with Bar 8’s 130cm length.

Both models feature a fabric mesh covering most of their chassis, combined with rounded corners that give them a pleasantly discreet appearance. Sony has kept the design super-clean on both soundbars too, to the extent that there's just one button and no display on either model.

We found the lack of a display frustrating at times, as you shouldn't need to rely on the app to check basic things such as the sound format currently playing.

Both soundbars also include spacers in the box to create a gap should your TV's stand prove to be an obstruction, and wall-mounting kits are bundled as standard too.

With the only difference between the two soundbars being the design, we're going to give this round to the usefully more compact Bar 8.

** Winner: Bravia Theatre Bar 8 **

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9: features

The Bar 8 houses 11 drivers – four woofers and three tweeters along the front, a side-firing midrange driver on each end, and two up-firing drivers on top. The Bar 9 ups the ante with 13 individual drivers plus four passive radiators – its array includes four woofers (1.7 times larger than those in the HT-A7000), three standard tweeters and two beam tweeters along the front, a side speaker on each end, and two up-firing speakers on the top.

Both soundbars support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, with IMAX Enhanced support promised via future software updates (though this will require additional surround speakers and a subwoofer). Each model also offers Sound Field Optimisation, which involves taking measurements to optimise audio for your specific room acoustics. The aim is to account for individual room characteristics, with the goal of matching Sony's reference listening rooms in Tokyo as closely as possible.

Connection options are identical between the two models, with both featuring an HDMI eARC port for TV connectivity, plus a single HDMI input that handles 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM – a boon for serious gamers. Music streaming options include Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth 5.2 on both soundbars.

Both models also work with Sony's excellent Bravia Connect companion app, which earns brownie points for its intuitive layout and graphics. Advanced sound features can be adjusted using the app too, from dynamic range compression to the height of the sound field.

A lot of similarities, then, but the Bar 9 wins here thanks to additional speaker drivers.

** Winner: Bravia Theatre Bar 9 **

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9: sound

This is where things get interesting. While the Theatre Bar 9 is a five-star performer that impresses across the board, the Bar 8 is surprisingly disappointing for a Sony soundbar at this price point.

Testing the Bar 8 with films such as Unbroken and Blade Runner 2049 reveals that its dynamics are a real weak point. The intro to Unbroken and the start of chapter two of Blade Runner 2049 both lack the steady, gradual build that's vital for ramping up tension. It seems that only the biggest jumps in volume trigger the Bar 8 into action, and even the flak explosions in Unbroken sound rather limp.

Low-level dynamics are lacking too, with dialogue during K's baseline test in Blade Runner 2049 sounding flat and disinterested. There's little inflexion, little nuance and little emotion, making these scenes unengaging. Dialogue isn't projected into the room very well either, which means characters always sound quite distant.

The Bar 8's soundstage, while better with Sound Field Optimisation switched on, still lacks the spaciousness and three-dimensionality of both the Bar 9 and key rivals. The audio extends beyond the confines of the TV somewhat, but it doesn't fill the room as the best Dolby Atmos soundbars manage.

On the plus side, the Bar 8 is very clean-sounding and precise from a timing perspective, with lots of detail to the delivery. When provoked by a big dynamic shift, such as a major explosion, there's some good impact too.

The Theatre Bar 9, by contrast, excels across the board. Its clarity and organisational ability shine through whether watching Deadpool & Wolverine, or listening to Tool's Invincible. Every strike of sword on claw zings crisply through the controlled audio chaos, and dynamics are excellent at both large and small scales.

For Atmos content such as Unbroken, the Bar 9 also delivers one of the most convincing 3D experiences available from a solo soundbar. It pushes sound far out to the left and right, a long way into the room and right up to the ceiling. More importantly, it places individual effects within this soundstage effectively and tracks them as they move.

The Bar 9's clarity and low-level dynamic subtlety mean the voices of the bomber's crew are both intelligible over the background noise and emotive, the flak hits with weight and punchy precision, and the impressive spatial organisation makes it easy to track the action even when all hell breaks loose.

Its only real weakness is a slightly clinical character – those increases to clarity and detail appear to have come with a slight reduction in warmth and richness compared to the HT-A7000 that preceded it.

** Winner: Bravia Theatre Bar 9 **

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9: verdict

We had high hopes for the Bravia Theatre Bar 8, expecting it to deliver much of what makes the flagship Bar 9 special in a more compact and affordable package. Unfortunately, that hasn't panned out.

While the Bar 9 is comfortably better than the excellent HT-A7000 that preceded it, excelling in clarity, detail, dynamics and spatial audio, the Bar 8 falls surprisingly short in its sonic capabilities. Its struggles with dynamics, dialogue projection and soundstage creation make it hard to recommend, especially when rivals such as the Sonos Arc Ultra offer significantly better performance at a similar price point.

Ultimately, if you're set on Sony and can stretch to the Bar 9, it's unquestionably worth the premium – especially at its current offer price, which brings it down to the original RRP of the Bar 8. For those who can't, we'd suggest looking at alternatives such as the aforementioned Sonos rather than settling for the compromised Bar 8.

** Overall winner: Bravia Theatre Bar 9 **

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Read our Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 8 review

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Read our Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 review