Sony's new Bravia Theatre Bar 7 brings a compact, yet powerful design equipped with nine speaker units, including dedicated up-firing speakers and side speakers that create a noticeably wider sound field, with proprietary 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology providing immersive, cinema-style surround sound from a single soundbar.
The Bar 7 utilises nine total drivers to produce Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced sound, with an arrangement including three woofers, two tweeters, two up-firing units and two side-firing drivers, in addition to four passive radiators. Unlike some competing models, the Bar 7 features dedicated up-firing speakers, which are full-range Sony X-Balanced designs, joined by a full-range X-Balanced driver at each end of the bar, plus two forward-facing X-Balanced woofers for the left and right channels and a full-range X-Balanced centre speaker. The Bar 7 has a suggested retail price of $869.99 USD and will be available for presale in Spring 2026.
The Bar 7 is significantly narrower than more premium models at 95cm compared with the Bar 8's 110cm and the Bar 9's 130cm. The soundbar is designed to be connected to your TV via HDMI eARC and features a dedicated HDMI input, with support for passthrough of 4K/120Hz, variable refresh rate and automatic low-latency mode.
For those seeking a smaller footprint or lower price, the Bravia Theatre Bar 5 has a suggested retail price of $349.99 USD and is available for presale. The Bar 5 is a package containing a compact three-channel soundbar and a wireless subwoofer to make a 3.1 system. Despite the lack of up-firing drivers, the Theatre Bar 5 is able to reproduce Dolby Atmos and DTS:X signals using Sony's Vertical Surround Engine.
Sony's refresh extends beyond the soundbars themselves. The new lineup includes optional speakers such as the BRAVIA Theatre Sub 9, BRAVIA Theatre Sub 8, BRAVIA Theatre Sub 7, and BRAVIA Theatre Rear 9. The Sub 9 has a suggested retail price of $899.99 USD, the Sub 7 at $329.99 USD, the Sub 8 at $500, and the Rear 9 at $749.99 USD, with all available for presale in Spring 2026.
The Sub 9 is particularly distinctive with two opposing 7.9-inch drivers whose vibrations cancel each other out. The new subwoofers are compatible with the Bravia Theatre Bar 9, Bar 8 and Bar 7, as well as the Bravia Theatre Quad, with a post-launch software update allowing users to pair two of these subwoofers with one of the bars.
The new Rear 9 speakers replace the RS5s and sit above the existing Rear 8s, featuring two 80mm aluminium drivers, one facing forwards and the other upwards with a forward-tilting angle, plus a front-firing tweeter and a side-facing passive radiator.
The Bar 7's introduction fills an important gap in Sony's Bravia Theatre lineup. The Bar 7 replaces the long-available, four-star rated HT-A3000. The new soundbar is positioned as a Sonos-rival and replacement for the HT-A3000, with a 3.1.2 system of nine speakers that caters for HDMI 2.1 passthrough, unlike the Sonos Beam 2 which only has a single port for eARC.
Consumers interested in a complete system have multiple entry points: the budget-conscious can start with the Bar 5 at $350, while those seeking deeper immersion can layer on subwoofers and surround speakers. The products are designed and engineered to create a wider, more immersive surround sound field for deeper cinematic impact.