Short answer: the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9. It ranks #7 of 27 all-in-one soundbars by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $1,498. The Marshall Heston 120 ranks #8, rated 3.7/5, at $1,299.99, $198.01 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
What the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 does well: This bar spreads sound wide and high enough to feel like a much bigger system, so movies wrap around the room without rear speakers. The tradeoff: Bass is controlled but limited, so action films lack weight until you add one of Sony’s optional subs.
What the Marshall Heston 120 does well: This is a soundbar that treats music as seriously as movies, and Tom’s Guide named it their favorite launch of the year for exactly that reason. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 lacks. Watch for: Height effects are modest, and Tom’s Guide found Sonos Arc Ultra more convincing for Atmos movies.
Buy the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $198.01 you would save on the Marshall Heston 120 does not close the gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete TV Soundbars rankings.
This bar spreads sound wide and high enough to feel like a much bigger system, so movies wrap around the room without rear speakers.
This is a soundbar that treats music as seriously as movies, and Tom’s Guide named it their favorite launch of the year for exactly that reason.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 | Marshall Heston 120 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,498.00 | $1,299.99 |
| Ranked | #7 of 27 in All-in-One Soundbars | #8 of 27 in All-in-One Soundbars |
| Amplifier Power | 585W total | 150W peak (11 Class D amplifiers) |
| App | Yes (Sony BRAVIA Connect) | Yes (Marshall) |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | 5.3 |
| Channels | 7.0.2 | 5.1.2 |
| DTS:X | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 2.5”H x 51.2”W x 4.4”D (64 x 1300 x 113 mm) | 3”H x 43.3”W x 5.7”D (76 x 1100 x 145 mm) |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes (up-firing drivers) | Yes (up-firing drivers) |
| Drivers | Bar: 13 drivers (4 woofers, 3 tweeters, 2 beam tweeters, 2 side, 2 up-firing) plus passive radiators | Bar: 11 drivers (2 subwoofers, 2 mid-woofers, 2 tweeters, 5 full-range including up-firing) plus 4 passive radiators |
| HDMI Input | 1 | 1 |
| HDMI eARC | Yes | Yes |
| Included Subwoofer | None (optional SA-SW3 or SA-SW5 sub) | Built-in (optional Marshall Heston Sub 200) |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Rear Speakers | Optional (SA-RS3S or SA-RS5) | No |
| Room Correction | Yes (Sound Field Optimization) | Yes (Marshall app calibration) |
| Voice Assistants | No | No |
| Weight | 12.1 lbs (5.5 kg) | 15.5 lbs (7.04 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect) | Yes (AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect) |
Watch Them Compared
Videos and reviews that test both speakers side by side.
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