Unlike two of its biggest rivals , Sony waited until April to unveil its latest soundbars rather than debut them at CES in January. And even then, the two most premium options in the company’s 2025 lineup remain untouched. Instead, Sony gave us the Bravia Theater Bar 6 ($650) : a 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar that comes with a wireless subwoofer and a modest set of features. However, the caveats here are real headscratchers, especially on a soundbar launching this year.
Sony 75 100 Expert Score Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 Sony’s midrange soundbar offers impressive audio that pushes the limits of its 3.1.2-channel configuration. However, the lack of Wi-Fi leaves major features off the spec sheet. Pros Clean, low-profile design
Full sound with great clarity
Dedicated center speaker for enhanced dialogue Cons Doesn’t support AirPlay, Chromecast or Spotify Connect
Subwoofer is a bit hefty
Updates require inserting a thumb drive $548 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $648 at Macy's$648 at Best Buy
What’s good about the Bravia Theater Bar 6?
Overall sound quality has never been an issue on the Sony soundbars I’ve tested, and the Theater Bar 6 continues with that trend. You can expect crisp, warm sound with excellent clarity and solid directional audio. Even over Bluetooth, this speaker-sub combo is great for music, doing justice to the subtle details of Miles Davis’ Mies ‘54: The Prestige Recordings. Classic jazz is a great way to judge a speaker’s merits, and on the Bar 6, this recently remastered album is dynamic and inviting throughout all 20 tracks.
The soundbar also delivered great audio in movies and TV. I was sucked into battle scenes during the second season of Andor, even though the limitations of the Theater Bar 6’s 3.1.2-channel configuration quickly became apparent. Its five-driver arrangement does well, thanks to three front-firing units and two angled up-firing speakers. Those latter two components really help with filling the overhead space during the action in shows like Andor, compensating for the limited number of drivers (and their positioning) as much as possible. And all of that makes the Theater Bar 6 a solid option for smaller spaces, especially if you have lower ceilings and won’t be sitting far from the TV.
Advertisement Advertisement
... continue reading