Sony HT-G700 Review: Affordable sound bar where you can experience Dolby Atmos sound at home
Even the Netflix startup sound sounds beautiful!
Sony's HT-G700 is a Dolby Atmos soundbar and subwoofer combo. Whether you're planning to spend more time at home or have never wanted a sound bar system, the immersive sound you can experience for 60,000 yen may be worth checking out. .! Check out our Gizmodo review now.
The ultra-authentic Dolby Atmos home theater experience costs money. Among them, there must be those who want to invest more than 100,000 yen and those who do not. More recently, however, there have been more entry-level soundbar systems that support similar formats. I've had the opportunity to try a few different ones, but Sony's HT-G700 seems to be by far the most recommended.
That said, there are a few caveats. This entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar comes with certain tradeoffs. Of course, buying satellite speakers, soundbars, subwoofers and ceiling speakers will give you the best Atmos experience.
What you get with the 60,000 yen (+ tax) HT-G700 is that it can decode Atmos / 3.1ch structure that simulates overhead using Sony's own algorithm. A wireless subwoofer is included, but there's no option to add rear or height speakers later. Sony says software can upscale sound to 7.1ch systems.
Sony HT-G700
What is this? : Entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar, subwoofer
Price: $600 (60,000 yen + tax at Sony store in Japan)
Like: Sound, great soundstage. Good bass. Great for listening to music. Easy to set up
What I don't like: I can't build on it. Sony's "7.1ch" may be a bit of an exaggeration
Let's start with the look
When you take the HT-G700 out of the box (like most soundbars), you'll find it's a long, black rectangle, and very stylish. You'll find touch controls on the top, a handy LED display on the back left to let you know when something is playing (or change a setting, etc.), ports on the back on the left, and a power cord on the back on the right.
A subwoofer is basically a black box. It may not be the prettiest subwoofer out there this year. The HT-G700 can also be wall mounted. However, my TV is not mounted on the wall, so I can't review how easy (or difficult) it is. Of course, there is also the option of not mounting to the wall.
When it comes to size, the HT-G700 is not a compact soundbar... it's rather long at roughly 98 x 6.3 x 10 centimeters. The Sonos Beam and Panasonic SoundSlayer are much smaller. However, the presence (unlike Sonos Arc) is a modest impression. The subwoofer feels beefy at around 19 x 38 x 40 centimeters and 7.6 kilograms.
Inside the soundbar are three oval full-range drivers with a maximum output of 400W. The subwoofer has one base cone and an output of 100W. It was easy to fill our 50sqm studio apartment with the sound of movies and music during the pandemic, but it's fine for medium to large rooms, but not for small rooms like bedrooms or offices. may be a little too powerful.
How does it work?
Ports include HDMI input, HDMI eARC (or ARC depending on TV), optical input and Bluetooth. You can also play music from your smartphone. (I also tried to connect to my iPhone XS Max via Bluetooth and it didn't work. My husband's iPhone 11 Pro Max was fine, but I think it has something to do with my iPhone's Bluetooth becoming a little unstable recently).
The HT-G700 also supports 4KHDR pass-through to enjoy Apple TV through a soundbar for Dolby Atmos streaming. It is also equipped with HDCP 2.2 and supports HDMICEC.
It's super easy to set up. After connecting the soundbar and making sure the HDMI cord is connected to the port, all you have to do is connect the subwoofer. There's a little indicator light on the top left of the subwoofer, so make sure it's green, which means it's connected to the soundbar.
I never had a problem with the subwoofer's wireless connection during my review. I had no problem plugging and unplugging to switch between the two TVs the HT-G700 was connected to. I don't have a Sony TV so I can't confirm how it's going to work, but it's possible to connect to the soundbar wirelessly with a Sony TV.
Honestly, I'm not very happy with the addition of remote controls, but the HT-G700's remote control itself is easy to operate and feels good. You can also control the subwoofer volume from the remote to change the auto preset.
Impressed by the immersive sound!
Basically, the soundbar is great. Even the Netflix startup sound sounds beautiful. However, I believe that no speaker is truly perfect. There will always be something you don't like, especially if you're an audio-obsessed person. Speaking of the HT-G700, the dialogue can sound a little flat. This improves with the audio setting turned on, and is more noticeable when watching Atmos content than 5.1 surround sound.
Even without Dolby Atmos, the HT-G700 has particularly good depth. Events occurring far away will sound far away, and up close will sound louder. Many soundbars can make your TV sound better, but I tested the Panasonic SoundSlayer and the Sonos Arc side by side. Without a doubt, the HT-G700 sounds the best. I'm impressed that even without the rear speakers, you get a fairly immersive soundscape compared to other standalone soundbars we've tested.
Sounds passing overhead...
The above is true if Dolby Atmos is enabled, even if you don't actually have Atmos. With Atmos, it's one step better, and so on. When it comes to three-dimensional sound, the HT-G700 feels like the Sonos Arc. I think the HT-G700 is much better at producing depth, but the Arc wins on the height side. The HT-G700 can't simulate overhead as Sony claims...
For example, while watching the Star Wars sequel trilogy, you can see spaceships zooming left to right and launching into hyperspace. It is also impressive that the explosion becomes a boom whether it is far or near. But I couldn't hear the spacecraft pass overhead. That doesn't mean the movie is boring, though. Even in the Black Panther car chase scene, there aren't many sounds passing overhead, but the HT-G700 was able to experience the sounds of cars swooping in all directions.
Honestly, if you don't pay attention to the sounds passing overhead, you'll be fine. The subwoofer is also great (I can hear the voice of the helmet over Cairo Ren).
Whether you want to use your soundbar as a Bluetooth speaker for your music, or if you like songs with particularly heavy bass, the HT-G700 is a great choice. Listening to Joji's Nectar album, I noticed subtle basslines that I didn't notice with over-ear headphones or other speakers. Mac Miller's "What's the Use" also resonates with Doshin, and the treble is also wonderful. The theme song of "Jurassic Park" also sounds majestic.
For the price of 60,000 yen, I think it's affordable to be able to get a combo of Dolby Atmos compatible soundbar and subwoofer. Personally, I think that not only is the overall sound quality better than the 108,800 yen (+ tax) Sonos Arc, but the cost performance is also outstanding. On the other hand, if you don't care about Dolby Atmos and simply want 3.1 or 5.1 surround sound, there are options like Roku's 5.1 surround sound system.
The HT-G700 doesn't give you a "super" full-fledged Atmos experience, but I think there are many people who find it enough. The HT-G700 is also great if you're willing to spend a little more for above-average sound, but don't want to clutter up your space with a larger theater system. Personally, I'm debating whether to use the Sony HT-G700 for my husband's TV or mine...
Notes
3.1 system with Dolby Atmos compatible soundbar, wireless subwoofer.
・According to Sony, the sound can be upscaled up to 7.1ch. It can decode Dolby Atmos, but it actually simulates height and rear sound. That might not be as bad as you'd expect, but the 7.1ch claim feels "slightly exaggerated."
・Perfect for movies and TV. Great for playing music too!