Review on 🔊 Sony HTX8500 2.1ch Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Integrated Subwoofer in Black by Shane Miller

In the preface to this review, I've been working with surround sound home audio equipment since the early days of the first Dolby-to-VHS products on the market. .Like many people I am in a position where I really wanted to have a much better sound than what was available through my TV but in reality I didn't want or couldn't spend half or more of what I already have for paid for the TV. I decided to budget around $200-$300 for a soundbar and started my research. Living in an apartment at this point in my life, I've looked at panels with external subwoofers, but have mostly focused on those with built-in subwoofers. Quest (first two are Yamaha and Polk Audio) and at the moment they are the best for what I wanted to do, primarily movies. soundbar, but in the case of the 8500 you CAN have a sound experience that pulls you more into the movie without drawing attention to the soundbar itself. Pros: Sony did their homework pretty well on the 8500. As with most standalone parts, it works best when you're sitting almost directly in front of it and about eight feet away or closer. When watching Midway (2019), encoded in Dolby Atmos, the soundstage was surprisingly large and it sounded like Japanese planes were flying overhead during the Pearl Harbor scene. After switching to the DTS function, I tried Independence Day, a movie that had a great soundtrack even on DVD, and it got even better. Sony's signature vertical sound engine once again impressed. However, the Yamaha 1080 performed as well or even better than the 8500 with its DTS Virtual X, but due to Yamaha's lesser ability to bring dialogue to the fore, the 8500 is a better choice in my opinion. not so good: Like most soundbars, the 8500 tries to make dialogue more understandable through internal processing. It does the job well about 70-75% of the time, which is way better than the Polk Audio or Yamaha soundbars I've tried before. Cons: Sony only offers 3 bass settings at 8500, -1, 0, +1 and that's not enough. Most of the time, I found that a setting of 0 wasn't enough, but a setting of +1 was enough to overwhelm the built-in subwoofers. This was one area where the Yamaha, with its much better level control for the onboard subwoofers, was the better choice - with the Sony's ability to create a soundstage almost as large and better dialogue enhancement, it's still the top choice. .The ugly part: While I don't really plan on using the soundbar for music, I thought it would be fair to include it in my review. While the 8500 produces a pleasing soundstage, it absolutely sucks when compared to Yamaha and Polk audio bars. Yamaha in particular, although inherently bassless due to the small size of their subwoofers, actually produces a smooth soundstage that's fairly close to what my 25-year-old Onkyo receiver-powered Infinity speakers have. If you're looking for a soundbar that covers both bases, the 8500 is clearly not for you. Positives + Wide soundstage + Decent dialog enhancement + Amazing effects like surround sound + HDR10 and Dolby Vision transmission Negatives - Limited bass level control - Poor music reproduction - Must be 8 feet or less away for best "surround sound". My search is not over yet. I will be trying out the Denon model with built in subwoofers and DTS Virtual X in the near future and will update this review to reflect that. Thanks for reading and enjoy watching.