Sony Bravia Theater Quad Review: Crazy Immersion, Crazy Expensive Leave a comment

The Voice Mode function is equally efficient, utilizing Sony’s Voice Zoom 3 to raise dialog. Just like the Sound Discipline, it’s not all the time helpful and may create some balancing points between the central channel and side-channel results (extra on that under), so it’s possible you’ll wish to maintain it off till needed.

Diving deeper into the settings permits you to regulate issues like compression for quantity balancing, add or take away your Sony TV as the middle channel, and even regulate the general soundstage top, helpful if it’s essential to increase or decrease the audio system resulting from setup limitations. I additionally respect the highest window that reveals your present sound format (e.g., Dolby Atmos, 5.1 encompass).

There are some lacking options, each within the app and the {hardware} itself. On the app facet, I used to be stunned to search out no controls for EQ or particular person channel ranges. I believe that’s by design, and with a lot virtualization, I used to be pleased to let Sony software program take the wheel for channel balancing. Nonetheless, I’d love the power to tweak the treble or increase the midrange to heat up the sound signature.

There are many out there sound sources, however as soon as once more, there are some lacking items. You possibly can stream music over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi with Spotify Join and AirPlay, however there’s no Chromecast help–odd for an organization that makes Android telephones. Sony additionally drops the optical port, choosing HDMI ARC/eARC solely, and there’s not a single analog enter. There’s reasoning behind every determination; optical is an older digital connection that doesn’t help 3D audio. On the analog facet, Sony seemingly wished to maintain the system all digital, opting to not add an analog-to-digital converter within the small plastic management field. The takeaway is you possibly can by no means add parts like a CD participant or turntable.

The one HDMI enter additionally appears skimpy. Most high soundbars have a minimum of two or three, whereas a standard receiver may need 5. On the plus facet, the lone enter helps HDMI 2.1 for gaming options like VRR (variable refresh fee) in 4K at 120 Hz, HDR and Dolby Imaginative and prescient pass-through, and extra for connecting trendy gaming techniques. These options have gotten extra widespread, however the Quad is among the many first all-in-one setups to help them.

Whats up From the Dome

The Quad is one of the best system of its form I’ve ever heard with regards to reproducing the spherical “dome of sound” for which 3D audio codecs like Dolby Atmos are prized. It’s significantly good at top sounds, which are sometimes essentially the most troublesome for smaller audio system to breed. The pouring rain within the “Amaze” scene from my Atmos demo disc was stunningly practical, seeming to cowl your entire room in pounding droplets.

Simply as spectacular is the system’s expansiveness and precision with 3D results. Strafing starships and helicopters could be nearly completely traced in area. Results centralized behind me felt like I may attain again and seize them. Sound editors are given free rein with 3D codecs, that means they will transfer “sound objects” nearly wherever in area, and the Quad takes full benefit of stellar check movies like Ant-Man and Mad Max: Fury Highway. It’s not on the identical degree as conventional techniques with mounted audio system, nevertheless it scratches that itch nicely.