Sony has delivered something rather spatial with its Theatre Bar 6

If you’re looking to upgrade your TV’s typically anemic audio but don’t want to go the full home theatre route, your best bet is a soundbar with a separate subwoofer for that deep, low rumble that you not just hear but feel as well. Sony’s Bravia Theatre Bar 6 does just that, at a price that’s rather nice.

A closer look at Sony Theatre Bar 6

Set up under my 65-inch TV, the Theatre Bar 6 is a sizeable piece of kit at 95cm wide and 11cm deep, but it’s low profile enough at 6.4cm to not block the lower part of the TV and light enough at 3.1kg to wall mount without any undue effort. Paired to the ‘bar is a wireless subwoofer that’s quite a bit more substantial (39cm wide and high, 7.7kg) but can be hidden away from view up to 10 feet away. Both are finished off in a matte black with a classy grille. 

Peel back the covers and the Bar 6 reveals the three forward firing channels (left/right/center) and two upward-firing, the latter theoretically allowing the Bar 6 to recreate Dolby Atmos and DTS:X effects, particularly sounds that go swooshing over your head. To set this up, all you need to do is to connect the TV (preferably via HDMI) and fire up the Bravia Connect app to walk through your room dimensions for sound tuning. The app is the best way to control the soundbar, adjust Dolby Atmos processing or to boost dialogue clarity, but a small, basic remote is included as well. No buttons or display on the soundbar, though.

Put into action, the Bar 6 delivers big on the scale and spaciousness of the soundstage, particularly for a system at its price.  Used in a moderately sized room, it does well to recreate the overall all-encompassing atmosphere of the scene, while still keeping dialogue delivery crisp and clear. Bear in mind, the setup may need a bit of taming, as the subwoofer completely overpowers the discussion if left at its default levels – rein it in and it adds a heft that is rare to find at this level. 

Engineered for audiophiles this is not, but if it’s pure scale, weight and room-filling sound you want, Sony’s done a bang-up job in making window-rumbling explosions a tad bit more accessible for home audiences who want nothing more than a boost to their TV audio without having to navigate the maze of AV equipment.

Rating: 8/10

Price: INR 39,990

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