Customer reviews from Sony.com.au
Sony - ST7 7.1-Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer - Black
Average customer rating
5
(1 Review)
Rating breakdown 1 review
5 Stars
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100%of customers recommend this product.
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Customer Reviews for Sony - ST7 7.1-Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer - Black
Customer Rating
5
A TRULY premium sound bar without compromise
on September 16, 2014
Posted by: shrap
from Melbourne
I purchased the HT-ST7 a few months ago to replace a $5k 5.2 surround sound setup. I was tired of the wires, the speakers everywhere, the power bill and the complications.
I was originally going to replace it with a high end stereo setup but this soundbar changed my mind completely. This is the first and only soundbar so far I've heard that successfully reproduces surround sound both in accuracy and soundstage.
The 7 main drivers in the soundbar are actually correctly calibrated and dedicated to their given channels. If you run a DTS-HD sound test through the bar it will separate the drivers into their correct channels which is what makes this true surround sound and not the usual virtual surround that most soundbars use which just spreads the sound through the drivers roughly creating a surround sound field.
This makes it a true 7.1 soundbar that correctly decodes and outputs 7.1 audio from any source and format.
Because the HT-ST7 has a lot of dedicated drivers and they use magnetic fluid technology it's really efficient for a soundbar and it turn really loud. It also digs low as the subwoofer is large for a soundbar sub and has a 7" driver with a huge 12"x10" downward firing radiator, this allows it to drop a lot lower with a lot more volume than most other subwoofers of it's size. It also goes high thanks to a nice pair of soft dome tweeters built into the soundbar - these are surprisingly uncommon for soundbars and a big advantage this has over most others. You turn this up with any movie and you'll feel it as much as you hear it.
The bar itself has exceptional build quality - it's extremely heavy and well braced and has a premium brushed aluminium finish. The subwoofer is also large, heavy and well braced for the size with a matching finish. I'd compare the build, finish and look to Sony's ES home theatre gear. Definitely on the high end premium side.
It's incredibly simple to use and once tweaked properly you won't have to do much more than turn it on and adjust your volume. The only thing you might want to do from time to time is change the sound mode depending on the material you are viewing/listening to - I use the movie mode (true 7.1 sound) for movies, video games and anything else with surround sound, and the music mode (2.1 stereo sound) when listening to music and watching free to air TV.
I mentioned tweaking above - you can tweak various EQs and sound modes to get the sound you want. I found to get the most accurate sound is to leave any extra processing such as sound optimiser off, leave the voice at 0 (any extra and the higher frequencies get emphasized too much making it sound "bright") and dropping the subwoofer back to 6 or 7 so it blends with the bar and doesn't exaggerate the lower frequencies. I'd also advise having the subwoofer up the front and as close to the sound bar as possible, while turning the front of it (where the driver is) to face the soundbar. This will create seamless blending between the two and eliminate bass localisation.
As far as connectivity goes it's excellent - 3 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output (with pass through for 3D/4K) along with optical and coaxial inputs. Also included is bluetooth which works perfectly and includes NFC for instant connection.
To sum up - this really is a premium quality soundbar and closes the gap between soundbars and discrete home theatre setups. Tie that in with true and accurate 7.1 sound, exceptional build quality, small footprint and simplicity of use and you have a near perfect soundbar.
I don't have any complaints. It's not cheap but I wouldn't say it's expensive for what you get in a soundbar. If you look around you can easily save at least a couple of hundred off retail and it's a great buy at that.
HIGHLY recommended.
Pros: Ease of Use, Quality, Design, Durability, Features
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Sony.com.au
