Sony Theatre Bar 6 review – when you experience surround sound, it's hard to digest its absence

The Sony Theatre Bar 6 is a cheaper version of the system Theater System 6 (Sony are not exactly masters of naming). The rear speakers are missing, but they are very important if you want to create real surround sound. But hey, if you want to fill the room with sound, you will just take the whole system, but for less demanding people this soundbar with an additional subwoofer works perfectly. I will not say the same for the price, because you have to pay a good 300 € (on official website €450). As ridiculous as it sounds, this is a “budget” price range. Of course, you can get soundbars for much less (even with a subwoofer), but in my experience, the quality is too often questionable.

Sony's oblong black soundbar doesn't scream for attention

The Sony Theater Bar 6 doesn't try to be a centerpiece in its physical form. Its low silhouette (just 6.4 cm high) is designed to hide almost imperceptibly under most modern TVs. Unlike its bigger brothers (the Bar 8 and Bar 9), the six is compact enough not to be intrusive even if you have a smaller living room. The surface is covered in a high-quality fabric, which, as I quickly discovered, acts as a magnet for dust and cat hair. A clothes roller is a must-have for me anyway, but I wasn't looking forward to adding a soundbar to the cleaning list.

But the real star of this system is the subwoofer. If the soundbar embodies discretion, the subwoofer is the muscle car that you can't miss. It's substantial, massive and heavy, which is usually the first sign that it has enough volume for serious low frequencies. The wireless connection between the components worked flawlessly the first time it was turned on. There was no need to manually search for a signal or press tiny buttons on the back. It has no buttons at all, except for the obligatory one for reset.

More than just three channels

Inside the Bar 6 is a 3.1.2-channel design. That means a dedicated center channel for dialogue, left and right speakers, and two upward-firing drivers to simulate the omnidirectional sound required by Dolby Atmos. Sony uses its famous X-Balanced speaker units, which use a rectangular shape to increase the surface area of the diaphragm, reducing distortion at higher volumes.

While listening, I noticed that separating dialogue from the rest of the sonic chaos in movies was one of the system's strengths. Even with explosions in Top Gun roaring around me, the actors' voices were crystal clear without me having to constantly reach for the remote and adjust the volume. This dynamic range is often a bone of contention with cheaper soundbars.

Surround sound mapping

Sony is banking on its 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology, which is supposed to create phantom speakers around the room. I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. Without physical rear speakers, it's hard to expect a true surround sound experience. And indeed, the Theater Bar 6 won't convince your ears that the sound is coming from behind. But it does something else, greatly expanding the soundstage in height and width.

When I watched the rain scenes, I felt like the drops were actually bouncing off somewhere above my head. The sound isn't confined to a narrow line below the TV, but fills the entire wall in front of you. For a system without rear satellites, this is an impressive achievement, although the fact remains that the soundstage is a bit narrower than on more expensive models. For those where extra cables and speakers behind the couch aren't an option, this is a perfectly acceptable compromise. Admittedly, I did start to miss that true surround sound over time, so be sure before buying whether or not this is something you can live with.

Brutal low-frequency power

If I had to single out one defining feature of this system, it's the bass. Sony's included subwoofer is tuned aggressively. Even at the default settings, there's so much bass that I had to turn it down a bit in the Bravia Connect app for an evening viewing, mainly because my partner and the feline residents weren't as enthusiastic as I was. With movies like Blade Runner 2049, the subwoofer doesn't just make sound, it creates vibrations that you can feel in your chest.

But this power comes at a price. When listening to music, it can sometimes feel like the subwoofer takes too much of the initiative. The transition between the soundbar's midrange and the subwoofer's deep bass isn't always smooth. If you're a jazz or acoustic music fan, you might miss a bit more subtlety. But if techno, rock, or epic movie soundtracks are on your playlist, you'll find a good partner in the Bar 6.

They skimped on connectivity

We've reached the point where Sony has gone the cost-cutting route. There's only one HDMI eARC input and an optical port on the back. Forget HDMI passthrough, the same drawback as the Theatre System 6. This means the soundbar will take up one input on your TV, and you can't directly connect a game console or anything like that to it. Given the price, I would have expected at least one additional HDMI input.

I was also surprised by the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity. The Bar 6 doesn't have built-in Chromecast or AirPlay 2. All wireless music is handled via Bluetooth (standard 5.3), which is handy for quick playback from your phone, but audiophiles will miss the higher quality of transmission offered by Wi-Fi. Sony subtly (or not so subtly) pushes you to use its Bravia Connect app here, which allows for all the settings but sometimes seems a bit sluggish in terms of responsiveness.

Sony Theater Bar 6 – not the best system on the market, but it's a lot of fun

I started using the Sony Theater Bar 6 right after testing the Theater System 6, and that's why I feel even more nostalgic for that true surround sound that the additional rear speakers conjured up for me.

However, I believe that the combination of a soundbar and subwoofer is a much more practical solution for many, especially for those who don't have the space or even the will for a 5.1 or maybe even 7.1 setup.

Its biggest selling point is its power. Combined with a subwoofer, it easily fills a medium-sized living room with the kind of energy you'd expect from much more expensive separate systems. Dialogue is clear, Dolby Atmos effects are noticeable, and setup takes five minutes. If you're willing to overlook the lack of Wi-Fi streaming and accept that the bass can sometimes be a little over-enthusiastic, this is a system that will breathe new life into your evenings in front of the TV.