Sony SA-SW5 Premium Subwoofer

Product Information

Changing to music, we listen to Ani DeFranco’s Little Plastic Castle on Tidal. The stereo imaging is good, and the vocal has plenty of nuance and character. While it adds to the lively spaciousness of transients such as the ringing snare or the reverb on the solo acoustic guitar, the top-end feels a little insistent, especially when the arrangement becomes busy and brassy. The tonal depth of the satellite speakers exceeds that of other compact systems but adding the sub helps to counterbalance the high frequencies, as does listening with Immersive AE. Though in this instance, the up-mixing sounds a touch cluttered. Swapping to Blade Runner 2049 in Dolby Atmos, we skip to where K meets the memory-maker Dr Ana Stelline. As the atmosphere in her hermetically sealed chamber transitions from rainforest to laboratory, the shift in the scale of the space that the A9 produces is effective. The sound fills our listening room nicely, and while we don’t get the sense that there are 12 sound sources in the room, there are no prominent gaps in the soundfield.

My use-case may not be the best since I wasn't looking for a soundbar exclusively for TV/films, my driver was music. I tried all the sound settings, cinema, music, standard and immersive AI, but IMHO they sounded worse than my current setup, and in I felt a little too processed. That’s probably to be expected, though, and Sony’s HT-A9 home cinema system fills a void in the market in very fine style. Final thoughts: I ended up returning the SW3 and keeping the SW5 because I liked it’s sound profile more. But is the SW5 really better than the SW3? Not really, I think both subs have their strengths in different areas. The SW3 would be great for apartment-dwellers, or anyone with sensitive neighbors. Even at low volumes, the SW3 provided me with an exciting movie/gaming experience with it’s punchy mid-bass. The SW5 really shines when you turn up the volume enough to make use of it’s passive radiator and send deep detailed bass notes throughout your room. Covering all those speakers is a mish-mash of textures and materials. On the front is a metal grille that covers all the front-firing drivers and a small LED screen, while on the top you’ve got a fabric mesh covering the upfiring drivers. There’s also a glossy finish on the top where you can find the touch-capacitive control buttons. Switching to the dynamically diverse Et In Carnatus Est and Santus of Mozart’s Grosse Messe there’s a pleasant warmth and consistency in the strings across the lower midrange, and the sub makes a decent attempt at the majestic timpani rolls and organ bursts. Here the vertical surround engine is an enjoyable addition and seems to add a touch of sweetness to the higher frequencies.

If you also want to conjure up a visit, combining the HT-A7000 with either the Sony SA-SW5 or Sony SA-SW3 wireless subwoofers and/or the Sony SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers is easy. Just plug in and position the speakers, power them on, and their indicator lights will flash green until the soundbar automatically recognizes them. Then you can re-run the room configuration process with the additional speakers connected. The soundbar’s remote has dedicated volume buttons for both the rear speakers and the subwoofer, so you can find the right mix for your taste. Two compatible subs let you augment the soundbar to summon-the-neighbors levels of rumble. So, who should buy the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar?

Another Sony proprietary technology, Separated Notch Edge, uses an innovative woofer surround to reduce cone distortion. Less distortion means a cleaner, punchier sound, without the excessive ‘boom’ and wallow that can afflict some subwoofers. Turning on some Spotify, we were impressed with the force of the soundbar and, again, that robust mid-range. Trebles could’ve been a little clearer and the bass - while easy to hear - just didn’t have the same depth that a separate sub can provide. The most significant benefit of its 300W is the clear and authentic sound. You can easily listen and understand every sound as it does not have distortion. What more could a music lover ask for? 3. Upgrade your Sony SoundbarSony's new HT-A7000 soundbar is great on its own, but there's no denying the benefits of a discrete, standalone subwoofer. Sony has introduced two options of wireless subwoofers to pair with the A7000: the more compact 200W SW3 subwoofer, and this 300W SW5 subwoofer, which is an absolute beast. If you have the room (and cash) to spare, the SW5 subwoofer is an essential add-on for the A7000 soundbar. Although Sony’s line of speakers already has an impressive sound, you might hear distortion. That’s due to their less focus on bass and more on increasing the volume. However, Sony SA-SW5 makes that right by producing low-frequency sounds with clear-cut quality. 4. Impressive Design During Finch, it was the Atmos spaciousness that heightened the tension in moments like the tornado scene, when objects and debris are swirling around and steel cables break under the stress. Of course, the latest James Bond romp No Time To Die has plenty of bullets, explosions, aircraft, tire-screeching car chases, overhead glass breaking, and water deluges to exploit the Atmos capabilities as well. Updating the bar to firmware version 1.779 adds support for ALLM and HDMI Forum. The Video Passthrough to TV score improves from 8.4 to 9.5 as a result.

By itself, the Sony HT-A7000 is capable of producing a 7.1.2-channel sound. While that sounds like a lot of sound output - and it certainly is - it’s mostly focused around the mid-range if you don’t go in and manually change the EQ.And that brings us to the end of this detailed guide on the Sony SA-SW5 300W wireless subwoofer. But, it leads to the question, should you buy it or not? Well, the choice is yours. If you have a little extra money to spend, the wireless subwoofer is the best option. It offers amazing sound quality with a minimal design and ease of use. A sony stereo system with subwoofer is one of the best ways you can take your sound quality to another level. The punchiness of this sub makes it very fatiguing for certain movies and games. I had to turn the SW3 way down while playing the Dead Space remake on PS5 because Issac’s footsteps and the doors opening were just too intense. We’ve known for years that getting a full surround sound effect from a soundbar has been, well, difficult. As more manufacturers have figured out how to do it thanks to room calibration features, we’re now at the point where we’re seeing the same thing happen with upfiring Atmos speakers. They’re good - but they’re just not the same as discrete speakers.