Not everyone needs a $1,000 soundbar. Itâs easy to argue the sonic superiority of those flagship models from Samsung, Sonos and Sony, but for some people a simple boost to their TV speakers can provide a world of difference. As part of its 2026 soundbar lineup, Sony debuted the Bravia Theater Bar 5: a $350 entry-level model that covers the basics and comes with a wireless subwoofer in the box. The real question here is how many features are you willing to live without.Â
The good: Sound quality, bass performance and setup
The Theater Bar 5 is the most compact soundbar among Sonyâs new models, measuring just 35.5 inches wide. For comparison, thatâs still about 10 inches wider than the second-gen Sonos Beam, but nearly 16 inches smaller than Sonyâs flagship Theater Bar 9. This stature makes the Bar 5 well-suited for smaller spaces with smaller TVs. In fact, Sony says the soundbar will fit between the legs of Bravia TVs with multi-position stands. Plus, the Bar 5 is just over 2.5 inches tall, slightly shorter than the Beam, so it wonât block the bottom edge of most TVs.Â
Despite its small size, the Bar 5 cranks out some excellent sound. Thereâs plenty of crisp, clear audio from the 3.1-channel configuration, and the included subwoofer provides an ample amount of booming bass. The Bar 5 supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, but it doesnât have up-firing drivers. Instead, the soundbar relies on Sonyâs Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force Pro Front Surround tech to virtualize much of the directional and overhead audio. More on that in a bit.Â
While watching Netflixâs Drive to Survive, I experienced the excitement of F1 cars zooming around various circuits as the Bar 5 does well with general movement. The soundbarâs wide soundstage, excellent detail and booming bass provide some degree of immersion that doesnât rely on audio projected overhead. That overall clarity and powerful bass are also great for listening to music, as the Bar 5 can handle a range of genres with ease.Â
The Bravia Theater Bar 5 has a basic, compact design
Billy Steele for Engadget
From Kieran Behden & William Tylerâs acoustic/electronic 41 Longfield Street Late â80s to Thursdayâs screamo masterpiece Full Collapse, the soundbar performs admirably. Although with heavier genres, I preferred to dial down the bass slightly. Tucker Ruleâs kick drum on Full Collapse, for example, was a bit much for the standard tuning here.Â
After struggling with the setup on LGâs Sound Suite, I was thankful that configuring the Bar 5 was super easy. Itâs very much a plug-and-play situation, and the Bravia Connect app guides you through the initial steps. It takes about five minutes to get up and running and Iâd wager even the least tech-savvy person in your life can probably figure this out. You can also opt for Night mode (less bass), Sound Field (enhanced audio) and Voice mode (louder dialogue) in the Bravia Connect app.Â
All of this certainly makes the Bar 5 a solid option for someone who doesnât need a lot of features, but stands to benefit from augmenting the sound from their TV alone.Â
The not so good: Constrained Dolby Atmos and limited featuresÂ
While the Bar 5 supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio, Sonyâs virtualization tech was a disappointment. Thereâs some side-to-side directional sound, but I noticed almost no simulated overhead noise. The Bar 5âs sonic clarity makes it a solid option for boosting living room audio, just donât expect the enveloping effects that more robust (and more expensive) soundbars would offer.Â
There are several features you wonât find on the Theater Bar 5, starting with the lack of onboard controls. Iâm well aware that those buttons on top of soundbars donât get used much, but if youâre like me, you still reach for them occasionally. There were several times during my testing when I tried to blindly tap the non-existent volume controls on the Bar 5. Other than a power button on the right side, your options for controlling this soundbar are a remote and the Bravia Connect app.Â
The power button on the right side
Billy Steele for Engadget
You also wonât find a Wi-Fi connection on the Bar 5. This means that AirPlay and Google Cast arenât available to easily beam audio from your devices to the soundbar. There is Bluetooth 5.3, so you do have an option for music and podcasts from your phone or laptop if you need it. However, pairing your devices to the soundbar via Bluetooth isnât as quick as selecting the soundbar in your streaming app when AirPlay or Cast are on the spec sheet.Â
Lastly, Sony doesnât offer any type of room calibration on Theater Bar 5. Sure, a smaller soundbar like this is better in smaller spaces, but it would still be nice to have the system dial in the audio for the aspects of the room. After all, not every living room is a perfect rectangle. I can understand why the company left this feature out of a $350 model, since the tool would require extra components like microphones. This is certainly one of the more noticeable trade-offs for saving some money. Â
Wrap-up
Sometimes the basics are all you need. Sonyâs Bravia Theater Bar 5 provides an entry-level boost to TV audio that will be fine for people looking for just that. While there is support for immersive audio, the soundbarâs 3.1-channel setup isnât the best for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X performance, and thatâs really the biggest knock against the Bar 5. However, this model's excellent audio quality, especially the powerful bass, will suffice for customers just looking to hear their TVs better.Â
The Bravia Theater Bar 5's included subwoofer
Billy Steele for Engadget
If you want a compact soundbar that provides respectable Atmos performance, the second-gen Sonos Beam is your best bet. Sure, itâs more expensive at $499 and it doesnât come with a subwoofer, but its additional drivers, tweeter and passive radiators offer more robust audio from the soundbar alone. You also get Trueplay room calibration and Wi-Fi connectivity there.Â
The Theater Bar 5 will certainly improve your living room audio compared to your TV speakers alone, but with a few more features and improved Atmos virtualization, Sony couldâve had a real winner.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/sony-bravia-theater-bar-5-review-a-basic-tv-sound-booster-140000192.html?src=rss
