Panasonic TX-65JZ1500 review: the Oled Professional Edition panel still as bright and perfectly calibrated – Les Numériques

The Sony HT-ZF9 soundbar goes under 500 € at Amazon, Boulanger.com and Son-Video.com ie a drop of about 12% on the price usually observed. It is currently one of our best value for money.

During its presentation at CES 2018, the Sony HT-ZF9 soundbar had made an impression thanks to two characteristics: its compatibility with the two main 3D sound formats (Dolby Atmos and DTS: X) and its ambition to reproduce the of height of these formats without dedicated speakers, not even in reflection on the ceiling!

Sony HT-ZF9

Introductory price 800 €

Sub Notes

Ergonomics
Multimedia
Audio

Convincing Dolby Atmos / DTS: X with a compact soundbar: impossible, do you think? Let Sony convince you otherwise. Its HT-ZF9 sound bar offers a surround astonishing virtual reality which, yes, includes many height effects that are certainly discreet, but present and undoubtedly beneficial for sound immersion. Its rendering certainly lacks musicality, but on the other hand it benefits from a breathtaking dynamic, which makes it a product of choice for lovers of great aural spectacle.

Strong points

Dolby Atmos AND DTS: X compatible!
Big dynamics and power reserve.
Remarkably contained distortion.
Responsive subwoofer.
Excellent virtual surround quality.
Verticality of 3D audio formats discreet, but present and immersive.
Two HDMI inputs, Dolby Atmos compatible output on the ARC channel.
TV interface.
Small footprint.

Weak points

Sharp sound, not very musical.
“Sweetspot” for the narrow virtual surround (need to be seated facing the bar).
No UPnP / DLNA compatibility.

As an alternative

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Sub Notes

Manufacturing
Connectivity
User experience
Connected functions
Speech Recognition
Audio

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is certainly only a very minor evolution of the first Beam of the name, but it does not need more to remain one of the most recommendable compact soundbars on the market. Its remarkably musical and immersive sound (despite an anecdotal Dolby Atmos compatibility) combines with a connected audio ecosystem of unparalleled completeness and maturity to form a very attractive whole. However, be careful with its ultra-minimalist connection, which could be a source of frustration in some installations.

Strong points

Weak points

As an alternative

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