Short answer: the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar. It ranks #10 of 27 all-in-one soundbars by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $1,090.98. The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 ranks #15, rated 3.4/5, at $998, $92.98 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
What the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar does well: The Lifestyle Ultra spreads sound wide and smooth, and up-firing drivers add audible height to Atmos movies. The tradeoff: On its own it lacks the punch and scale of the Sonos Arc Ultra, so big action scenes feel restrained.
What the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 does well: Up-firing drivers give genuine overhead effects, and TechRadar found dialogue very clear in most scenes. The tradeoff: On its own the bass is thin, so explosions and scores sound small.
Buy the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $92.98 you would save on the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 does not close the gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete TV Soundbars rankings.
The Lifestyle Ultra spreads sound wide and smooth, and up-firing drivers add audible height to Atmos movies.
Up-firing drivers give genuine overhead effects, and TechRadar found dialogue very clear in most scenes.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar | Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,090.98 | $998.00 |
| Ranked | #10 of 27 in All-in-One Soundbars | #15 of 27 in All-in-One Soundbars |
| App | Yes (Bose) | Yes (Sony BRAVIA Connect) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Channels | 5.1.2 | 5.0.2 |
| DTS:X | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 2.6”H x 43.3”W x 4.9”D (67 x 1099 x 125 mm) | 2.5”H x 43.3”W x 4.4”D (64 x 1100 x 113 mm) |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes (up-firing drivers) | Yes (up-firing drivers) |
| Drivers | Bar: 9 drivers (2 up-firing 6 cm drivers, 4 racetrack drivers, 2 PhaseGuide transducers, 1 center tweeter) | Bar: 11 drivers (4 woofers, 3 tweeters, 2 side, 2 up-firing) |
| HDMI Input | No | 1 |
| HDMI eARC | Yes | Yes |
| Included Subwoofer | None (optional Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer) | None (optional SA-SW3 or SA-SW5 sub) |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Rear Speakers | Optional (Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speakers) | Optional (SA-RS3S or SA-RS5) |
| Room Correction | Yes (CustomTune) | Yes (Sound Field Optimization) |
| Voice Assistants | Alexa | No |
| Weight | 14.3 lbs (6.5 kg) | 10.4 lbs (4.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect) | Yes (AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect) |
| Amplifier Power | - | 495W total |
| Aux Input | - | No |
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