Modern TVs can offer excellent 4K, OLED or Mini LED picture quality, but sound is usually where they struggle. TVs are getting thinner, leaving very little space for powerful speakers. In many models, the speakers also fire downwards or sideways instead of directly towards you.

This is where the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7, along with the Bravia Theatre Sub 8 and Bravia Theatre Rear 8 speakers, can make a big difference. Together, they create a proper home theatre experience without filling the room with cables.

What Comes In The Box

The Bravia Theatre Bar 7 is the main soundbar. Inside the box, you get the soundbar, remote control, batteries, power cable, HDMI cable, wall mounting template and mounting accessories.

The Bravia Theatre Sub 8 is the largest and heaviest part of this setup. It has a fabric finish on the sides and comes with a power cable and manual.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 Review box
Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 Review box

The Bravia Theatre Rear 8 package includes two compact rear speakers. Each speaker gets its own power cable, along with a QR code based setup guide that helps with pairing.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7: The Main Soundbar

The Bar 7 has a slim design, so it should easily fit below most televisions without covering the screen. Despite its compact size, Sony has fitted nine speaker units inside.

There are upward firing speakers that direct sound towards the ceiling, side firing speakers that help create a wider soundstage, and four passive radiators to improve the lower frequencies.

One of its key features is 360 Spatial Sound Mapping.

In simple words, Sony uses software and the soundbar speakers to create virtual speaker locations around your room. This makes the audio feel wider and more immersive.

You may hear sounds coming from the left, right and other areas around you, even though the soundbar itself is placed directly in front of the television.

The Bar 7 supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced.

Its HDMI input supports 4K/60p passthrough, HDR and Dolby Vision. Gamers also get VRR and ALLM, which can help reduce screen tearing and lower input delay when using compatible gaming consoles.

There is also Voice Zoom 3, which works with compatible Bravia TVs. It uses AI to make voices easier to hear, especially when dialogue is getting lost behind music or background effects.

Another useful feature is DSEE Ultimate. It improves compressed audio from sources such as Spotify and YouTube in real time, helping it sound richer and more detailed.

For wireless connectivity, you get Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 6.0, along with support for the Bravia Connect app and Apple AirPlay.

Installation is also quite simple. You mainly need an HDMI cable between your television’s HDMI eARC port and the soundbar. The Bravia Connect app can then guide you through the remaining setup.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 Review features
Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 Review features

How The 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Actually Sounds

The difference between normal TV speakers and the Bar 7 is easy to notice.

Audio immediately feels fuller and more powerful. Dialogue remains clear because of the dedicated centre channel, while the spatial sound technology makes the audio feel like it is spreading around the room instead of coming only from the television.

Bravia Theatre Bar 7 Specifications At A Glance

Spec Details
Speaker configuration5.0.2ch, 9 speaker units
Audio formatsDolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced
HDMI passthrough4K/60p YUV4:4:4, HDR10, Dolby Vision compatible
Gaming featuresVRR, ALLM, HDCP2.2
WirelessWi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 6.0
Sound tech360 Spatial Sound Mapping, DSEE Ultimate
Bravia TV featuresVoice Zoom 3, Quick Settings
Weight and size4.6 kg, 950 x 64 x 125 mm
Power consumptionApprox 52 W

Sony Bravia Theatre Sub 8: The Subwoofer

The Bravia Theatre Sub 8 takes care of the bass. It uses a 300W digital amplifier and is designed to produce deep bass while keeping distortion under control.

You can also use two subwoofers together, but the second unit needs to be another Sub 8. You cannot mix it with a different subwoofer model.

A dedicated subwoofer changes the experience because bass is not only about hearing low frequencies. With enough power, you can actually feel them.

Things like explosions, engines, heavy footsteps and bass drops in music gain much more impact.

Once the Sub 8 is added to the Bar 7, the difference is immediately noticeable. Bass becomes deeper and more physical, giving movies and music much more weight.

Bravia Theatre Sub 8 Specifications At A Glance

Spec Details
Power output300 W total
AmplifierDigital, S-Master, 1ch
Dual subwoofer supportYes, needs a second Sub 8
Direct connect to Bravia TVYes
Weight and size12.2 kg, 390 x 400 x 170 mm
Power consumptionApprox 55 W

Sony Bravia Theatre Rear 8: The Rear Speakers

Rear speakers are often ignored when people build a home theatre system, but they can make a major difference.

Without dedicated rear speakers, the Bar 7 has to create a surround effect by reflecting sound around the room.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 Review
Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 Review

Add the Bravia Theatre Rear 8 speakers and you get actual sound coming from behind you.

This becomes very noticeable in movie scenes where a helicopter flies overhead, a vehicle moves past the camera, or something happens behind the main character.

The Rear 8 speakers connect wirelessly to the system. They still need power cables, but there is no need to run audio cables from the soundbar to the back of the room.

With all three components connected, you get a much more complete home theatre setup. The Bar 7 takes care of the front and height audio, the Sub 8 handles deep bass, and the Rear 8 speakers provide proper rear surround effects.

Bravia Theatre Rear 8 Specifications At A Glance

Spec Details
Power output100 W total (50 W + 50 W)
AmplifierDigital, S-Master, 4ch
Direct connect to Bravia TVYes
Weight and size (each)1.1 kg, 116 x 202 x 116 mm
Power consumptionApprox 20 W

Setting Up The System

Setting up the three components is fairly easy because the speakers communicate wirelessly. You mainly need to provide power to each unit.

One important step is room calibration.

When the system is connected to a compatible Bravia TV for the first time, it can run a calibration process to understand your room and speaker positions.

It only takes a few minutes, and it is better to let the process complete without interruption so the system can deliver the best possible sound.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7, Sub 8, And Rear 8 Price In India

Component MRP (incl. of all taxes)
Bravia Theatre Bar 7 (soundbar only)Rs 99,990
Bravia Theatre Sub 8Rs 42,990
Bravia Theatre Sub 9Rs 94,990
Bravia Theatre Sub 7Rs 29,990
Bravia Theatre Rear 9Rs 74,990
Bravia Theatre Rear 8Available soon
Bravia Theatre Quad (flagship system)Rs 2,39,999

These are the official MRPs listed by Sony India and include taxes.

The Bravia Theatre Bar 7 and Sub 8 together cost around Rs 1,42,980 at MRP.

At the time of writing, the India price of the Rear 8 speakers had not been announced. This means the final cost of the complete three piece setup will depend on the Rear 8 pricing.

Where To Check Current Pricing

You can check the latest price and availability of the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 soundbar here.

For the subwoofer, you can check the Bravia Theatre Sub 8 here.

The rear speakers can be checked through the Bravia Theatre Rear 8 page.

If you want to check pricing for the complete setup, use this Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + Sub 8 + Rear 8 search.

Final Word

The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 by itself is already a major upgrade over normal TV speakers. Adding the Sub 8 gives movies and music much deeper bass, while the Rear 8 speakers bring real surround sound from behind you.

Together, the three components create a much more convincing home theatre experience without requiring complicated wiring around the room.

If you regularly watch movies, stream shows or play games on a large television, the improvement in sound is something you can notice almost immediately.

By Rajeev Rana

Founder and Chief Editor - gogi.in