Short answer: the Sonos Arc Ultra. It ranks #1 of 27 all-in-one soundbars by sound quality, rated 4.1/5, at $1,099. The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 ranks #15, rated 3.4/5, at $998, $101 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is the better-sounding pick. The Arc Ultra fills a living room with clear, well-placed sound from a single bar, and dialogue stays easy to follow with adjustable speech enhancement. Watch for: It cannot decode DTS:X, so Blu-ray discs with DTS tracks fall back to a simpler mix.
The case for the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8: Up-firing drivers give genuine overhead effects, and TechRadar found dialogue very clear in most scenes. The catch: On its own the bass is thin, so explosions and scores sound small.
Buy the Sonos Arc Ultra. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $101 with the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Still deciding? The full TV Soundbars rankings cover every ranked option.
The Arc Ultra fills a living room with clear, well-placed sound from a single bar, and dialogue stays easy to follow with adjustable speech enhancement.
Up-firing drivers give genuine overhead effects, and TechRadar found dialogue very clear in most scenes.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Sonos Arc Ultra | Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,099.00 | $998.00 |
| Ranked | #1 of 27 in All-in-One Soundbars | #15 of 27 in All-in-One Soundbars |
| App | Yes (Sonos) | Yes (Sony BRAVIA Connect) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Channels | 9.1.4 | 5.0.2 |
| DTS:X | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 3”H x 46.4”W x 4.4”D (75 x 1178 x 111 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: 16 drivers (9 tweeters incl. 2 up-firing, 6 midwoofers, 1 Sound Motion woofer) | Bar: 11 drivers (4 woofers, 3 tweeters, 2 side, 2 up-firing) |
| HDMI Input | No | 1 |
| HDMI eARC | Yes | Yes |
| Included Subwoofer | Built-in | None (optional SA-SW3 or SA-SW5 sub) |
| Optical Input | Yes | No |
| Rear Speakers | Optional (Sonos Era 100 / Era 300 or Era 100 SL) | Optional (SA-RS3S or SA-RS5) |
| Room Correction | Yes (Trueplay) | Yes (Sound Field Optimization) |
| Voice Assistants | Alexa, Sonos Voice Control | No |
| Weight | 13 lbs (5.9 kg) | 10.4 lbs (4.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Sonos app streaming) | Yes (AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect) |
| Amplifier Power | - | 495W total |
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