Sony Expands BRAVIA into a Full Home Cinema Platform

The expanded lineup brings soundbars, subwoofers and rear speakers under the BRAVIA Theatre umbrella for the first time as a fully modular system.

The audio range spans two soundbars, the Theatre Bar 7 and Theatre Bar 5, plus three wireless add-ons: the Sub 9 and Sub 8 subwoofers, and the Rear 9 surround speakers. They're designed to scale from a single-bar setup to a more complete multi-channel system, with the modular structure doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of flexibility.

The Bar 7's nine drivers, including up-firing and side-firing units, feed into Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, a proprietary room-calibration system that has been part of the company's higher-end audio lineup since the HT-A9. Rather than applying a fixed virtualisation filter to the signal, it measures the room acoustics, calculates the positions of each physical driver within that space, and then synthesises additional phantom speaker positions around the listener. It's a different approach to the Dolby and DTS virtualisation found in most competing soundbars.

IMAX Enhanced support is also included when used with compatible Sony TVs. The Bar 5 takes a simpler approach, offering a 3.1-channel configuration with a bundled wireless subwoofer, relying on S-Force PRO Front Surround and Sony's Vertical Surround Engine to approximate height and width from fewer channels.

New for this generation is dual subwoofer support across the BRAVIA Theatre range. The Sub 9 uses twin opposing 200mm drivers in a vibration-cancelling configuration, aimed at reducing distortion at high output. The Sub 8 runs a single 200mm driver. Both are wireless and pair with either soundbar. The Rear 9 adds an 80mm up-firing driver per unit, intended to reinforce the overhead and rear-channel elements of Atmos and DTS:X mixes.

The BRAVIA 3 II sits in the mid-tier of Sony's TV range, but still offers some notable specifications. All four HDMI ports run to the 2.1 specification with 4K/120Hz support, something Sony hasn't consistently offered even on more expensive models. The XR Processor and XR Triluminos Pro feature alongside Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and the panel scales to 100 inches. A redesigned Inclusive Remote Control with tactile button differentiation and a remote finder function rounds out the package.

These announcements arrive as Sony and TCL move toward finalising a joint venture that would transfer Sony's TV and home audio hardware operations into a new entity, with TCL holding a 51% majority stake and operations due to begin in April 2027. As we reported in January, products will continue under the Sony and BRAVIA name. For now, it appears to be business as usual on the product side.

The BRAVIA Theatre Bar 7, Bar 5, Sub 9, Sub 8 and Rear 9 will be available across selected markets from April 2026, with the BRAVIA 3 II following from June. US pricing has now been confirmed, with the BRAVIA Theatre Bar 7 set at US$869.99 and the Bar 5 at US$349.99. The Sub 9 is priced at US$899.99, Sub 8 at US$499.99, Sub 7 at US$329.99, and the Rear 9 speakers at US$749.99.

The BRAVIA 3 II television range starts at US$899.99 for the 65-inch model, rising to US $1,199.99 (75-inch), US$1,599.99 (85-inch) and US$3,099.99 for the 100-inch version. Pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed for other regions.

For more information visit Sony