Sony HT-X8500 Soundbar Review - RTINGS.com

The Sony HT-X8500 soundbar is a 2.1 setup from 2019. This standalone soundbar has dual subwoofers integrated into the bar to help save space, ... 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Home Soundbar Reviews Sony HT-X8500 Review TableofContents Intro OurVerdict TestResults Differences ComparedToOthers Deals Discussions SonyHT-X8500 SoundbarReview Testedusing Methodologyv1.0 Updated Dec22,2021at09:37am ByJohnPanoryios,BeccaFischer,YannickKhong 6.8 MixedUsage 7.2 Dialogue/TVShows 6.5 Music 6.6 Movies +Createyourown SEEPRICEAmazon.com overview testresults deals discussions Channels 2.1 TheSonyHT-X8500soundbarisa2.1setupfrom2019.Thisstandalonesoundbarhasdualsubwoofersintegratedintothebartohelpsavespace,anditusesSony'sS-ForceProFrontSurroundtechnologytohelpcreateamoreimmersivesound.Unlikemanyother2.1setups,itsupportsAtmosandDTS:Xcontent,anditsVerticalSurroundEnginetechnologyhelpsreproduceafullerandmorecinematicsound.Itssoundprofileisabitboxyanddark,butvocalsarestillreproducedclearly,makingitasolidchoiceforsoapoperasandaudiobooks. OurVerdict 6.8 MixedUsage TheSony HTX8500isalrightformixedusage.This2.1setuphasaboxyandslightlydullsoundprofile,thoughitcanstillreproducevocalsandleadinstrumentsprettyaccurately.Despiteitsdualsubwoofersintegratedintothebar,youdon'tfeeltherumbleinthelow-basswithbass-heavymusicoraction-heavymovies.Unlikemanyother2.1setups,itsupportsAtmoscontent,butitsperformanceisn'tthemostimmersive. Pros CanplayAtmosandDTScontent. EQpresetsplusbassadjustmentfeatureavailable. Cons Noroomcorrectionfeature. Lackslow-bass. SEEPRICEAmazon.com SeeourMixedUsageRecommendations 7.2 Dialogue/TVShows TheSonyHTX8500isdecentfordialogue-centriccontentlikeTVshows.Itssoundprofileisalittleboxyanddull,butvoicesarestillreproducedprettyclearly.There'sevena'TV'presetthatdoublesasadialogueenhancementmode.However,duetoits2.1design,ithastouseitsleftandrightchannelstosimulateaphantomcenter,whichdoesn'tsoundasclearandrealasadiscretesetup.Voicesdon'tseemtobeanchoredtoapinpointlocationinthesoundstage. Pros Dialogueenhancementandnightmodefeatureavailable. Bluetoothcompatible. Cons Noroomcorrectionfeature. Nodiscretecenterchannel. SEEPRICEAmazon.com SeeourDialogue/TVShowsRecommendations 6.5 Music TheSonyHTX8500isokayformusic.Thoughtherearedualsubwoofersintegratedintothebar,itstillstrugglestoreproducethelowthumpandrumbleinthebassrange,soit'snotidealforbass-heavygenreslikeEDM.Itssoundprofileisboxyanddark,butvocalsandleadinstrumentsarestillreproducedprettyclearly.There'sabassadjustmentfeaturetohelpyoucustomizeitssound,butunfortunately,there'snotrebleadjustmentorgraphicEQavailable. Pros EQpresetsplusbassadjustmentfeatureavailable. Bluetoothcompatible. Cons Always-onsurroundsoundfeature. Lackslow-bass. SEEPRICEAmazon.com SeeourMusicRecommendations 6.6 Movies TheSonyHTX8500isadequateformovies.Itsboxy,slightlydullsoundprofilecanstillreproducedialoguequiteclearly.However,despiteitsdualsubwoofers,itlacksthelowthumpandrumbleinthebassthatyoufeelduringaction-heavyscenes.ItsupportsDolbyAtmoscontent,butithastodownmixitintosurroundtoplayit.Similarly,itssurroundperformanceisn'tthemostimpressive. Pros CanplayAtmosandDTScontent. EQpresetsplusbassadjustmentfeatureavailable. Cons Always-onsurroundsoundfeature. Lackslow-bass. SEEPRICEAmazon.com 6.8 MixedUsage 7.2 Dialogue/TVShows 6.5 Music 6.6 Movies +Createyourown UpdatedFeb12,2021: ConvertedtoTestBench1.0. UpdatedSep21,2020: TheDynamicstestshavebeenreconductedduetoavalueinputbug. UpdatedJul27,2020: Reviewpublished. UpdatedJul22,2020: Earlyaccesspublished. CheckPrice HT-X8500 SEEPRICEAmazon.com SEECURRENTDEALSANDPRICETREND   TestResults SortCategory ─────────── RATINGS MixedUsage Dialogue/TVShows Music Movies CategoryAll Design Sound Connectivity AdditionalFeatures Design Design Style-Bar TheSony HT-X8500soundbaris blackandfairlyplain-looking.Ithasametalgrilleonitsfrontface,anditstopfaceiscoveredinfaux-leather.Thebarisotherwisemadeofplastic.Asthesubwoofersareintegratedintothebar,therearetwoportsfoundoneachsideofthesoundbar. — Design Style-Subwoofer Thesubwooferisintegratedintothebar. — Design Style-Satellites — Design Dimensions-Bar Width 34.9"(88.7cm) Height 2.5"(6.3cm) Depth 3.9"(9.8cm) TheSonyHT-X8500isfairlylong,andyoumayhaveproblemsfittingitbetweenthelegsofmost55inchTVs.Still,it'snotverytall,soitmostlikelywon'tblockyourscreenunlessyourTVsitsflushtothetable. — Design Dimensions-Subwoofer Width N/A Height N/A Depth N/A — Design Dimensions-Satellites Width N/A Height N/A Depth N/A — Design Back-Bar BarMounting Universal(holesonback) Thebackofthissoundbarisveryplain.There'sanopeningontheleftsideforthepowercableandanotheroneontherightsidefortheinputports.Thisbaralsohasuniversalholesonitsbacksoyoucanwall-mountit. — Design Back-Subwoofer Enclosure Integrated — Design Back-Satellites Mounting No — 7.0 Design BuildQuality TheSonyHTX8500'sbuildqualityisdecent.It'smadefromrobustmatteplastic,andithasametalgrilletoprotectitsspeakers.Thesubwoofersareintegratedintothebar,andit'sprotectedbythemetalgrille.Itsportsarelocatedonthesidesofthesoundbar.Ifyou'relookingforasoundbarwithbetterbuildquality,checkouttheVizioM-SeriesM21d-H8R. — Design InTheBox HDMICableLength 1.5m(4.9ft) DigitalOpticalCableLength N/A Manuals Remote 2xAAAbatteriesfortheremote HDMIcable ACcord ACadapter — Sound 6.8 Sound StereoFrequencyResponse TestedPreset Standard Slope -0.52 Std.Err. 3.31dB Low-FrequencyExtension 59.9Hz High-FrequencyExtension 17.2kHz TheSonyHTX8500hasanadequatestereofrequencyresponse.Althoughitcomeswithintegratedsubwoofers,itstillstrugglestoreproducethethumpandrumbleinthelow-bass.Itssoundprofileisabitboxyanddark,butvocalsandleadinstrumentsarestillreproducedquiteclearlyandaccurately.There'salsoabassadjustmentfeaturetohelpyoucustomizeitssound. — LEARNABOUTSTEREOFREQUENCYRESPONSE   6.8 Sound StereoFrequencyResponseWithPreliminaryCalibration SuggestedPreset Standard SuggestedBassSetting -1 SuggestedTrebleSetting N/A Slope -0.48 Std.Err. 3.44dB Low-FrequencyExtension 59.9Hz High-FrequencyExtension 18.0kHz Withitsbasssetto'-1',thissoundbarhasaslopeclosertozero,meaningithasamoreneutralsound.However,itstillstrugglestoreproducethethumpandrumbleinthelow-bass.Itsmid-rangeisprettyneutral,meaningthatvocalsarereproducedclearly,buttheycanalsoseemabitdullduetotherecessedtreble. — 6.0 Sound StereoSoundstage CrosstalkError 1.99dB TheSonyHT-X8500hasamediocrestereosoundstage.It'saboutthesizeofthebar,andthebardoesn'tdoanytrickstowidenthesoundstage.Ithasadiffusedfocus,soobjectssoundlikethey'recomingfrommoregeneralareasratherthanprecise,accuratelocations.Fora2.1setupwithabettersoundstage,checkouttheTCLAlto8i. — LEARNABOUTSTEREOSOUNDSTAGE   7.4 Sound StereoDynamics SPL@MaxVolume 92.6dBSPL DRC@MaxVolume 2.19dB Thissoundbarhasdecentstereodynamics.Whileitshouldbeloudenoughforeverydayuse,itprobablywon'tbeloudenoughforalargeroomoracrowdedparty.Whenpushedtomaxvolume,therearesomethumpingandcompressionartifactspresent. — LEARNABOUTSTEREODYNAMICS   7.5 Sound StereoTotalHarmonicDistortion WeightedTHD@80dB 0.57 WeightedTHD@MaxVolume 1.32 TheTHDperformanceofthissoundbarisgood.Atanormallisteningvolume,itproducesclearandpuresound.Whenpushedtoitsmaxvolume,there'saverysmalljumpinTHDacrosstherange,butitmaynotbeaudibletomost,especiallyifyou'relisteningtoreal-lifecontent. — LEARNABOUTSTEREOTOTALHARMONICDISTORTION   6.7 Sound Center Localization Phantom Slope -0.82 Std.Err. 3.14dB SPL@MaxVolume 91.4dBSPL WeightedTHD@80dB 0.44 WeightedTHD@MaxVolume 1.27 TheSonyHTX8500isa2.1setup,soitdoesn'thaveadedicatedcenterspeaker.Instead,itusesitsleftandrightspeakerstosimulateasoundinthecenter,whichsoundsmorediffusedandlessclearthanadedicatedcenterspeaker.Thatsaid,itsperformanceisstillokay,andalthoughithasanunevenbassrange,thereisn'talotofbassonthecenterchannelanyway,sovoicessoundfairlycleanandaccurate. — LEARNABOUTCENTER   3.3 Sound Surround5.1 Localization Stereo(Downmix) Slope -0.76 Std.Err. 5.33dB SPL@MaxVolume 89.5dBSPL WeightedTHD@80dB 0.52 WeightedTHD@MaxVolume 1.32 7.1Rears No TheSonyHTX8500soundbarhasapoorsurroundperformance.It'sa2.1setup,soitdownmixessurroundcontentintostereo,whichdoesn'tproducethemostaccurateorclearrepresentationofsurroundobjects.Thisdoesn'tsoundveryimmersiveeither,astheseobjectsareperceivedascomingfrominfrontratherthanfromthesidesorbehindyou. — LEARNABOUTSURROUND5.1   4.8 Sound Height(Atmos) Localization Surround(Downmix) Slope -0.19 Std.Err. 5.82dB SPL@MaxVolume 80.0dBSPL WeightedTHD@80dB 2.65 WeightedTHD@MaxVolume 0.60 TheSonyHTX8500usesthemanufacturer'sVerticalSurroundEnginetechnologytosimulateanAtmosexperience.However,ithastodownmixAtmoscontentintosurroundtoplayit,whichdoesn'tsoundasimmersive. — LEARNABOUTHEIGHT(ATMOS)   4.1 Sound SoundEnhancementFeatures RoomCorrection No DialogueEnhancement Yes Auto-Volume/NightMode Yes SubwooferLevelAdjustment No BassAdjustment Yes TrebleAdjustment No EQ Presets SurroundLevelAdjustment No RearLevelAdjustment No HeightLevelAdjustment No VirtualSurround Yes TheSonyHT-X8500hasapoorselectionofsoundenhancementfeatures.Whileitdoesn'thaveagraphicEQ,ithasseveralEQpresetstohelpyoufindthebestmatchforyouraudioneeds,including'Cinema','News','Music','Game',and'Sport'.Its'News'presetdoublesasadialogueenhancementfeature,sovoicesseemmorecrispanddetailed.TheVerticalSurroundEnginefeatureactivateswhenAtmosorDTS:Xcontentisplaying,too.Thatsaid,there'snoroomcorrectionfeature,meaningitcansounddifferentdependingontheroomyou'relisteningin. — LEARNABOUTSOUNDENHANCEMENTFEATURES   Connectivity Connectivity PhysicalInputs-Bar OpticalAudioIn 1 HDMIARC 1(shared) HDMIOut 1(shared) FullHDMIIn 1 AnalogAudioIn3.5mm(Aux) No RCAIn No USBforFiles No Ethernet No Thissoundbarhaslimitedconnectivityoptions.WhileyoucanconnectthebartoyourTVandanotherdeviceusingitsHDMIARCorFullHDMIInports,youwon'tbeabletoconnectolderdevicestoitusinganAUXcable. — 10 Connectivity AudioFormatSupport-ARC eARC Yes DolbyAtmos Yes DolbyDigital Yes DolbyDigitalPlus Yes DTS Yes DTS:X(eARConly) Yes DolbyTrueHD(eARConly) Yes DTS-HDMA(eARConly) Yes 5.1PCM(eARConly) Yes Surprisingly,theSonyHTX8500soundbarhasfullARCaudioformatsupportthankstoitsHDMIARCport.AsithaseARC,itcanalsoplayobject-basedsurroundsignalsaswellaslosslessformats. — 10 Connectivity AudioFormatSupport-FullHDMIIn DolbyAtmos Yes DTS:X Yes DolbyDigital Yes DolbyDigitalPlus Yes DTS Yes DolbyTrueHD Yes DTS-HDMA Yes 5.1PCM Yes TheSonyHTX8500hasafullHDMIInport,anditcansupportallcommonaudioformats,sameasitsHDMIARCport. — 10 Connectivity AudioFormatSupport-Optical DolbyDigital Yes DTS Yes TheSonyHTX8500supportsDolbyDigitalaswellasDTScontentwhenusingitsOpticalAudioIn.YoucanfindthiscontentonstreamingplatformsaswellasmanyBlu-raydiscs. — 7.5 Connectivity Latency ARC -23ms Optical 5ms FullHDMIIn -126ms TheSonyHTX8500hasagoodlatencyperformance.WithitsARCandOpticalports,ithasfairlylowlatency,meaningtheaudioyouhearisinsyncwiththevideoyousee.Itdoesn'tperformaswellwithitsFullHDMIInport,though.Overthisconnection,thesoundseemstocomebeforethevisuals,andthisisespeciallynoticeablewithlip-synchingcontent.KeepinmindthatsomeappsandTVscompensateforlatencydifferently,soyourreal-worldexperiencecanvary. — LEARNABOUTLATENCY   6.0 Connectivity WirelessPlayback Bluetooth Yes Wi-Fi No Chromecastbuilt-in No AppleAirPlay No TheSonyHTX8500soundbarhasmediocrewirelessplaybackoptions.LikemanyotherSonysoundbarsliketheSonyHT-X9000F,youcanonlyconnecttoitusingBluetooth,whichisalittledisappointing. — Connectivity OtherInputSpecifications 4k@60HzPassthrough Yes 4k@60Hz@10bitPassthrough No 4k@60Hz@4:4:4Passthrough No HDR10Passthrough Yes Thissoundbarcanpassa4ksignalbetweenyourdeviceandthesoundbar.However,itcan'tdosofor10-bitvideosignalsor4:4:4whenyou'reconnectedtoaPC.Instead,itcanonlydoa30Hzpassthrough.ItsupportsHDR10passthrough,whichisniceifyouhaveaBlu-rayplayeroryou'replayingonthelatestgenerationofgamingconsoles.Themanufactureralsosaysthatit'scompatiblewithDolbyVision. — Connectivity Connectivity-Subwoofer SubWireless No — Connectivity Connectivity-Satellites SatWireless No — AdditionalFeatures AdditionalFeatures Interface Display No TheSonyHT-X8500soundbarhasaverysimpleinterface.Sixlightslightuptotellyouwhichsettingyou'reon.Ifyou'rechangingthevolume,thelightsalsobecomeavolumelevel,whichisnice. — AdditionalFeatures BarControls Thisbarhasverystraightforwardcontrols.Fromthetopofthebar,youcancontrolthepower,inputsource,Bluetoothconnectivity,andvolumelevel. — AdditionalFeatures Remote UniversalRemote No TheremotefortheSonyHT-X8500issimilar-lookingtotheSonyHT-X9000F,butitlacksmusicmanagementcontrolsliketrackskippingandplay/pause.Thatsaid,youcancontroleverythingelseaboutthebarviatheremote. — AdditionalFeatures VoiceAssistantsSupport AmazonAlexa No GoogleAssistant No AppleSiri No — AdditionalFeatures App AppName NoApp iOS No Android No ActsAsARemote No ControlsSoundbar'sSettings No CastsDeviceFiles No — AdditionalFeatures OtherFeatures PowerSaving Standby HDMICEC(TVRemoteControl) Yes Thissoundbarentersastandbymodeafter20minutesofinactivity.ItsupportsCECtoo,soyoucanuseyourTVremotetocontrolthesoundbar,whichisnice. — DifferencesBetweenSizesAndVariants TheSonyHTX8500isavailablein'Black'.Letusknowinthediscussionsifyoucomeacrossanotherversion,andwe'llupdateourreview. ComparedToOtherSoundbars TheSonyHT-X8500soundbarisa2.1setup.JustliketheSonyHT-S200F,ithasasubwooferintegratedintoit,butit'ssimilarlyunabletoreproduceathumpylowbass.However,whatmakesthisbarstandoutisthatitsupportsAtmosandDTScontent,whichisfairlyuncommonin2.1channelsetups.It'sanotherwiseprettyordinary-performingsoundbaranddoesn'tstandoutamongstitscompetitors,especiallywhencomparedtoother2.1setupsliketheYamahaYAS-408ortheSamsungHW-T550. CheckoutourrecommendationsforthebestDolbyAtmossoundbars,thebestsoundbarswithsubwoofer,andthebestsoundbarsunder$200. SonosBeam SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonosBeamisabettersoundbarthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSonosisa3.0setupthat'sbetterbuilt, hasadiscretecenterchannelthatperformsbetterthantheSony'sphantomcenter,andhasabetterstereosoundstage.YoucanalsostreammusictoitusingWi-FiorAppleAirPlay.However,eventhoughtheSony's heightchannelperformanceissub-par,itsupportsAtmos,whichisrarefora2.1setup.TheSonyalsohasEQpresets,andithasanHDMIOutaswellasaFullHDMIInport,whichisnice. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SonosBeam(Gen2) SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonosBeam(Gen2)isabetterstandalonesoundbarthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSonosisabetter-built5.0setupthatoffersbettersoundstage,center,surround,andAtmosperformances.UnliketheSony,italsohasbuilt-invoiceassistantsupport.Thatsaid,onlytheSonycomeswithaFullHDMIInportforhigh-qualitypassthrough. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   JBLBar5.0MultiBeam SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheJBLBar5.0MultiBeamisabettersoundbarthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheJBLisbetterbuilt,witharoomcorrectionfeature.Italsohasabettercenter,surround,Atmos,andsoundstageperformances. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   BoseTVSpeaker SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500isa2.1setupthat'sbetterformoviesthanthe2.0setupBoseTVSpeaker.Eventhoughitdoesn'tgetmuchlouderthantheBose,theSonyhassignificantlybetterstereodynamics.Itssurroundperformanceisbetter anditsupportsAtmos,whichisgreatifyouwatchalotofmovies.TheSonyalsohasEQpresets,itsHDMIARCandHDMIINportssupport allcommonaudioformats,anditsupportsDTSvia Optical.ItevensupportseARC. However,theBosefeelsbetterbuilt,itssoundprofileisbetterbalancedandneutral,andit'smorecompactinsizeoverall,whichsomeusersmayprefer. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   BoseSolo5 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500isaslightlybettersoundbarthantheBoseSolo5.Whilebothsoundbarshavesimilarlybalancedstereofrequencyresponsesandsoundstages,the Sony supportsAtmos,whichisalittlesurprisingfora2.1setup.ItalsohasEQpresets,one HDMIARC,andoneFullHDMIInport.Also,itsOpticalAudioInsupportsbothDTSandDolbyDigitaltoo. However,theBoseismuchsmaller,whichisgreatifyoudon'thavealotofroom,andit'sslightlybetterbuilt. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SamsungHW-Q600A SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSamsungHW-Q600AisabettersoundbarthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSamsungisa3.1.2setupthatcomeswithadedicatedsubwooferandreproducesamoreextendedlow-bass.It'sbetter-built,withbettersoundstage,center,andAtmosperformances.ItalsocomeswithagraphicEQforsoundcustomization,unliketheSony. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SonyHT-G700 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-G700isabettersoundbarthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheHT-G700isa3.1setupthat'sbetterbuiltandoffersbettersoundstageandsurroundperformancesthanthe2.1HT-X8500. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SonosArc SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonosArcisabettersoundbarthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSonosisbetter-built,withbettersoundstage,center,surround,andAtmosperformances.Italsocomeswitharoomcorrectionfeature,anditcanbeupgradedastheSonosArcwithSub+OneSLSpeakers.However,the2.1SonycomeswithsomeEQpresetsaswellasaFullHDMIInport,unliketheSonos. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SamsungHW-Q700A SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSamsungHW-Q700AisbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSamsungisbetterbuilt,andithasbettersoundstage,center,surround,andAtmosperformances.Italsoreproducesamoreextendedlow-bassandsupportsmorewirelessplaybackoptions.YoucanevenuseitsgraphicEQtocustomizeitssound. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   YamahaYAS-209 SEEPRICEAmazon.com Dependingonyourlisteninghabits,youmayprefereithertheYamahaYAS-209ortheSonyHT-X8500.TheYamahacomeswithadedicatedsubwooferandreproducesamoreextendedlow-bass.Italsohasbuilt-invoiceassistantsupportandoffersmorewirelessplaybackoptions.Thatsaid,theSonysupportsDolbyAtmoscontent,whichsomelistenersmayprefer. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SamsungHW-Q800A SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSamsungHW-Q800AisbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSamsungisbetterbuilt,anditsupportsmorewirelessplaybackoptions.Ithasabettersoundstage,center,surrounds,andAtmosperformances.Also,itreproducesamoreextendedlow-bass.UnliketheSony,ithasbuilt-invoiceassistantsupportandagraphicEQ. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   JBLBar5.1Surround SEEPRICEBestBuy.com TheJBLBar5.1SurroundisbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheJBLisa5.1setupwithadedicatedsubwooferthatcanreproduceamoreextendedlow-bass.It'sbetterbuilt,andithasbettersoundstage,center,andsurroundperformances.Thatsaid,itdoesn'tsupportDolbyAtmoscontentliketheSony. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   BoseSmartSoundbar300 SEEPRICEAmazon.com Dependingonyourlisteninghabits,youmayprefereithertheBoseSmartSoundbar300ortheSonyHT-X8500.TheBoseisa3.0setupthat'sbetter-builtandcomeswithbuilt-invoiceassistantsupport.Itoffersbettersoundstageandcenterchannelperformances,anditsupportsmorewirelessplaybackoptions.However,theSonysupportsDolbyAtmoscontent,unliketheBose.Italsocomeswithafewmoresoundenhancementfeatures,includingauto-volumemodeandEQpresets,andithasaFullHDMIInport. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SamsungHW-A550 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSamsungHW-A550isbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSamsungcomeswithadedicatedsubwoofer,anditcanreproduceamoreextendedlow-bass.It'sbetterbuilt,andithasabettersoundstage.Itevenoffersmoresoundenhancementfeatures,suchasagraphicEQ.Thatsaid,onlytheSonysupportsDolbyAtmoscontent. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SonyHT-S200F SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500isaslightlybetterperformingsoundbaroverallthantheSonyHT-S200F.Whilebothsoundbarshavesimilarlydecentbuildqualities,theHT-X8500 supportsAtmos,eventhoughithastodownmixthiscontentintostereoinordertoplayit.ItalsohasaFullHDMIInport, anditcandoHDR10passthroughaswellas4k@60Hzpassthroughtoo. However,theHT-S200Fissmaller,soit'sabletofitinbetweenthelegsofa55inch TV.Itcanalsoreachitsmaxvolumewithfewerthumpingandcompressionartifacts. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   JBLBar9.1 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheJBLBar9.1ismuchbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheJBLisa5.1.4setupwithadedicatedsubandsatellites.It'sbetterbuilt,anditgetslouder.Italsohasbettersoundstage,center,surrounds,andAtmosperformances.Therearealsomoresoundenhancementfeaturesavailable,includingroomcorrection. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   LGSP8YA SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheLGSP8YAisbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheLGisa3.1.2setupwithadedicatedsubwooferthatcanreproduceamoreextendedlow-bass.It'sbetter-built,andithasbettersoundstage,center,surround,andAtmosperformances.Therearealsomoresoundenhancementfeaturesavailable,includingroomcorrection.Thatsaid,theSonyisasimple,standalonebarthat'sstilladecentchoicefordialogue-centriccontentlikeTVshows.Itjustisn'tasversatileastheLG. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   LGSN8YG SEEPRICEBestBuy.com TheLGSN8YGisbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheLGisa3.1.2setupthat'sbetterbuiltandoffersmoresoundenhancementfeatures.Ithasbettersoundstage,center,surround,andAtmosperformances,aswellasbuilt-invoiceassistantsupport.Itsdedicatedsubhelpsreproduceamoreextendedlow-bass,too.  CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SonyHT-Z9F SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-Z9FisbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheHT-Z9Fisbetterbuilt,anditcomeswithadedicatedsubthathelpsreproduceamoreextendedlow-bass.Italsohasbettersoundstage,center,andsurroundperformances.Itevensupportsmorewirelessplaybackoptions. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   YamahaYAS-109 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500isbetterthantheYamahaYAS-109.TheSonyisbetterbuilt,anditsupportsDolbyAtmoscontent.Thatsaid,theYamahahasbuilt-invoiceassistantsupportandmorewirelessplaybackoptions.Italsohasabettersoundstageperformance. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SamsungHW-S60A SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSamsungHW-S60AisbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSamsungisa5.0setupthat'sbetterbuilt,andithasbuilt-invoiceassistantsupport.Ithasbettersoundstage,center,andsurroundperformances,andmorewirelessplaybacksupportoptions.Also,ithasagraphicEQforsoundcustomization.Thatsaid,onlythe2.1SonysupportsAtmoscontent,whichsomeusersmayprefer. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SonyHT-S100F SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500ismoreversatilethantheSonyHT-S100F.TheHT-X8500isa2.1standalonebarwithDolbyAtmossupport.Ithasabettersurroundsperformance,too,anditcomeswithsomeextrasoundenhancementtoolssuchasabassadjustmentfeature.Thatsaid,theHT-S100Fisstilladecentchoicefordialogue-heavycontentlikeTVshowsandpodcasts. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SonyHT-S350 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500isbetterthantheSonyHT-S350.TheHT-X8500hasabettersurroundsperformance,anditalsosupportsDolbyAtmoscontent.Thatsaid,theHT-S350isbetterbuiltwithabettersoundstage.Someusersmayalsoappreciatethatitcomeswithadedicatedsub,thoughitdoesn'treproduceamoreextendedlow-bassthantheHT-X8500. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SamsungHW-Q950A SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSamsungHW-Q950AissignificantlybetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSamsungcomeswithadedicatedsubandsatellites,andit'sbetterbuilt.Ithasabettersoundstage,center,surround,andAtmosperformances.Also,therearemoresoundenhancementfeatures,morewirelessplaybackoptions,andbuilt-invoiceassistantsupport. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SamsungHW-A650 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSamsungHW-A650isbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSamsungisabetter-built3.1setupthatcomeswithadedicatedsub,soitcanreproduceamoreextendedlow-bass.Ithasabettercenterandsoundstageperformances,too.Also,itcomeswithsomemoresoundenhancementfeatures,likeagraphicEQ.Thatsaid,onlythe2.1SonysupportsDolbyAtmoscontent. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   BoseSmartSoundbar700 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheBoseSmartSoundbar700isbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheBoseisa3.0setupthat'sbetterbuiltandoffersmorewirelessplaybackoptions.Ithasbettersoundstage,center,andsurroundperformances,aswellasbuilt-invoiceassistantcapabilities.Italsogetslouderwithlesscompressionatmaxvolume,andyoucanevenupgradeitwithasubandsatellites.However,the2.1SonysupportsAtmoscontent,unliketheBose. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SamsungHW-Q70T SEEPRICEBestBuy.com TheSamsungHW-Q70TisbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSamsungisa3.1.2setupthat'sbetter-builtandoffersbettersoundstage,center,andsurroundperformances.Itreproducesamoreextendedlow-bass,anditevengetslouder.Also,itcomeswithagraphicEQandsupportsmorewirelessplaybackoptionsthanthe2.1Sony. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SonyHT-X9000F SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500andtheSonyHT-X9000Faresimilarlyperformingsoundbars.WhilebothsoundbarscanplayAtmoscontent,theHT-X8500hasabetterheightperformance.Ithasabitbetter-balancedcenterchannel,eventhoughitdoesn'thaveadedicatedcenterchanneleither.Althoughit can'tgetasloudastheHT-X9000F,italsocanreachitsmaxvolumewithlessthumpingandcompressionartifacts.Conversely,theSonyHT-X9000Ffeelsslightlybetterbuilt,andithasastandalonesubwoofer.ItalsohasbothanAnalogAudioInportaswellasaUSBinput. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   TCLAlto8i SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500andtheTCLAlto8iareboth2.1soundbarsthatsupportDolbyAtmos,buttheSonyhasabetterperformance.TheSonyhasamorebalancedsoundprofile,anditscenter,surrounds,andheightchannelsperformbetter.ItalsocomeswithadialogueenhancementfeatureandsupportsDTScontent,unliketheTCL.However,theTCLhasabettersoundstageperformance. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SamsungHW-Q60T SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSamsungHW-Q60TisbetterthantheSonyHT-X8500.TheSamsungisa5.1setupthatcomeswithadedicatedsubwoofer.It'sbetterbuilt,andithasbettersoundstageandcenterperformances.Itevenoffersmoresoundenhancementfeatures,likeagraphicEQ.Thatsaid,onlythe2.1SonysupportsDolbyAtmoscontent. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   Vmai2.1ChannelSoundBar SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500isabetteroverallsoundbarthantheVmai2.1ChannelSoundBar.UnliketheVmai,theSonyhasaphantomcenterchannel,anditsupportsAtmosandsurroundcontent.Thankstoitsautovolumefeature,ithasmoresoundcustomizationoptionsthantheVmai.Italsohasmorerobustconnectivityoptions.WhiletheVmaionlysupportsPCM2.0overitsHDMIARCandOpticalports,theSonyhasfullaudioformatsupportthroughbothports,makingitbetter-suitedforwatchingmovies.TheSonyalsohasanHDMIInport,whichtheVmailacks. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   VizioM-SeriesM21d-H8R SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSonyHT-X8500andtheVizioM-SeriesM21d-H8Rareverysimilarlyperforming2.1soundbars,sodependingonyourlisteninghabits,youmaypreferoneovertheother.TheVizioisbetterbuilt,andithasamoreneutralsoundprofileout-of-the-box.However,theSonyhasalotlesscompressionwhenyouplayitatmaxvolume,anditcanalsosupportDolbyAtmoscontent,thoughithastodownmixittoplayit. 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