Sony SA-SW5 Premium Subwoofer

Product Information

The punchiness of this sub makes it very fatiguing for certain movies and games. I had to turn the SW3 way down while playing the Dead Space remake on PS5 because Issac’s footsteps and the doors opening were just too intense. For the best immersive audio results, a soundbar’s top-firing speakers and side-firing beam tweeters need to reflect off of a ceiling and walls that are neither too close nor too far. However, Sony tells HT-A7000 users not to worry about that too much, because upon setting up, it takes you through a series of tones, from which the built-in microphone and DSP measure the reflections off of your room’s surfaces to optimize the unit’s surround sound mix for your space.

I have this, got it on an RS offer that put it at 900 if bought with an XR Bravia. Then they gave me a ton gift voucher as well. The LED screen certainly works well when you’re simply changing the volume, but it’s not the most helpful in showing you which format you’re working with: other soundbars will turn a certain color when they detect an Atmos signal or display it on the front LED. The A7000 does neither. A wireless subwoofer means that it requires no wires or cables to connect with the soundbar or other devices. However, that does not prevent its power source. You will still need a power cable to connect and start the device. Is it necessary to buy a subwoofer?

First, you have to connect the soundbar to your TV. There are several methods, including HDMI, optical audio cable, and analog audio cable. For a bottom end boost to your compatible* Sony soundbar or home cinema system, you need the Sony SA-SW3 wireless subwoofer. With 300 watts of force available, it’s hard not to feel the effect of the Sony SA-SW5. Sony’s proprietary Sigma Magnetic Circuitry technology maximises the magnetic force, giving you bass that’s not just deep but powerful and sustained. The A7000 produces powerful, cinematic audio and an immersive, detailed soundfield from a single soundbar that impresses more than most multi-box systems.

Not all subwoofers can be connected to the soundbar. Sony SA-SW5 300W and SW3 200W are the most common subwoofers that can connect to a home theater system. However, many other devices are standalone. It means that they do not require a soundbar or a speaker to connect with. They can replace your ordinary speakers and are used well individually. Does a wireless subwoofer need to be plugged in?Normally with something this expensive I tend to get a bit of buyers remorse, but with both the tv and soundbar I have absolutely no regrets.

The Samsung Q990 on the other hand is another story. Obviously the Samsung has a sub-woofer and rear speakers, so it has the advantage of separating sound. I never tested just the soundbar alone. The sound really seems to surround you, very immersive, crisp, great bass (I had to turn down the sub to -2), the Adaptive sound did an amazing job of separating all around the living room and kitchen area to the point where it made me want to re-listen to some of my favourite music for the joy of it. That said, it is pretty nicely balanced. I would hope for firmware updates to add more detail and control here later though.But the most impressive aspects of Sony’s design lie within, where the virtual 7.1.2 soundbar’s 11 powered speaker channels deliver 500W of total output across five front-facing speakers, two up-firing speakers, two “beam” tweeters on the sides, and an internal dual-channel subwoofer. The rectangular shape of X-Balanced Speaker Units makes that subbass punchier, vocals clearer, and distortion lower, according to Sony’s claims. For the best experience, pair with a compatible Sony BRAVIA TV and enjoy Acoustic Centre Sync. This uses the TV’s built-in speakers as the dialogue, or centre speaker, helping to firmly locate the sound to the picture. Subwoofers and speakers are usually quite expensive. If you have already bought a soundbar, you might think that purchasing an optional addition is useless. But, that’s not the case with Sony SA-SW5 300W.

How does it achieve this wizardry? The HT-A9 supports Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, combining two technologies: Sound Field Optimisation and Monopole Synthesis. The former is an automated calibration that uses two mics built into each speaker to measure the room’s height, speaker distance and location. The latter is a technique that follows similar principles to Ambisonics and Wave Field Optimization to synthesise a soundfield with both real and ‘phantom’ sources. The subwoofer box has excellent build quality with sof touch materials all around. There is a front firing and also a downfiring driver. It only uses 43w of electricity and automatically connected with the Soundbar when plugged in. It is about 12 feet away from the Soundbar and there have not been any wireless connection issues.I have owned both the Sony A7000 and the Samsung Q990. I was looking for something as an improvement over an old Sony STR-DN1030 and a pair of small bookshelf speakers (Q-Acoustics 2020), I didn't have the space for bigger speakers up front, or cabled speakers anywhere else. Great sound I bought the Sony HT A9 system with the SW5 sub from richer sounds in Oxford. It is to replace my old dead Panasonic surround system that I bought fifteen years ago. I wanted to get rid of the speaker cables trailing around my lounge as well. I thought about getting sonos, but three of the four people I know who own sonos did not recommend it.