20 Best Wireless Rear Speaker Kit (2023 Updated)

You’re reading this it’s because you’re considering the Sony HTA5000 or HTA700 soundbar for your widescreen tv and you’re wondering if you need rear speakers for that immersive effect. Maybe. To be clear, though this review focuses on the Sony SARS3S wireless rear speakers, it’s impossible to consider it out of context of the total Sony ecosystem (including soundbar and subwoofer) as they are designed to wirelessly work together.

And that is perhaps the strongest reason for these rear speakers, the ecosystem. So as a matter of reference I am comparing the Sony ecosystem ($999 HTA5000 soundbar, $349 SARS3S rears, and SASW3 subwoofer $399) to my current discontinued Sonos system, in particular the (sonos soundbar, originally $899, and two play 3’s for sides, $598 total, and Sonos Sub gen 2 $749).

UPSIDE: The SARS3S are competent speakers. Easy to place. Attractive. And they work seamlessly with the Sony soundbar amazingly well. They deliver on the flybys though perhaps not with quite the punch of a larger speaker.

Let’s discuss setup. Plug them in to a power outlet. Hit the power button. Done. Connects to the soundbar wirelessly. It then prompts you to update the software. And don’t forget to do a sound optimization in the set up menu.

I found that key for my room. DOWNSIDE?: This is a television sound system, meant to be used with a tv, not necessarily for casual music listening. The rears complement the soundbar but for me were the weakest link.

That’s where the Sonos beats it. I thought even the Sonos Play 1s (equiv price point) were better, had a wider range. It was just hard to get excited by these, though they represent good value. BUT, if you made the decision to buy into the Sony ecosystem, you won’t be disappointed.

If I had to rank the purchase order, you have to start with the playbar, I found the subwoofer to be a must add for any situation, the rears were good for movies but if you want to skimp, you could skimp here.

The HTA7000 Soundbar can produce surround sound all by itself but it can be dependant on your room layout and good ATMOS or DTS content. I had the Soundbar as standalone and then added the rear surrounds.

These don’t have upfiring drivers but they sound great and truelly create an immersive experience without the worry of the hit and miss of sounds bouncing just right. These surrounds also allow you to experiencing surround at low audio levels because the standalone bar usually works best at higher audio levels to bounce sound.

If you don’t have the money for the surrounds you can always add them later. For me, I purchased a Sony TV along with the Soundbar and opened up the best buy card that gave 10% back with the package.

When the reward points became available I used them to get the surrounds for pretty much no cost. Although the Soundbar did a great job all by itself, when I added the surrounds it was a night and day difference.

The build quality is very good and the speakers look premium. I just wished the power cords were longer. The speakers paired up with the Soundbar automatically when plugged in and the surround audio levels become unlocked so you can increase their volume.

The Sony HT-A5000 Soundbar is quite the machine. I will give a disclosure; I have only used this soundbar with the optional Sony rear speakers and subwoofer. I imagine this soundbar on its own would still sound great.

However, with the add on equipment it sounds mind bogglingly incredible. When you consider how simple this system is to setup, how minimalist it is and how well it blends into your room, this is hard to compete with.

I am coming from a $700 soundbar with rear speakers and subwoofer as well so it’s a reasonable question to ask: “what does the extra $1200 or so get me?”. Well, to my surprise its basically incomparable.

This system is on a whole other level. The sound stage it produces it just unbelievable, you won’t believe it comes from such a small form. The Dolby Atmos feature can be hit or miss depending on your room.

My living room is a rectangle with a nice flat ceiling, about 10ft tall. The Atmos feature for me has been a game changer. It seems to depend heavily on the title you are watching too. The good news is most new action/thriller/exciting movie supports it.

Also, most streaming services are supporting it as well. It’s kind of like the early days of HD or even 4K. The adopting has been slow, but if you are jumping in now, there’s plenty of titles for you to enjoy.

The other good news is that Dolby Atmos is not necessary to enjoy the quality of this system. Even if you are watching a good old fashion movie, its phenomenal. If you are thinking about getting this soundbar, strongly consider adding the rear speakers and the subwoofer.

If you already have the soundbar and are reading this review trying to decide whether you should add the rear speakers or sub, then just do it. The system as a whole will transform your experience.

got these speakers in yesterday and after setup they are pretty darn good. i paired them with the soundbar 700 and the matching bass module. The surround 700 speakers are crystal clear. Only what needs to be surround audio comes through.

Many surround speakers play to much audio that takes away from the actual experience. the biggest down fall of these speakers is setup. The manual isn’t geared to the actual 700 series bar. remote picture is different and steps in the manual to not work for the 700 bar.

you must go in the app and add them. A non tech person will find it difficult with same setup. Quality is top notch as usual but one of the speakers had silicone glue hardened outside the case so i had to cut that off before installing the wires.

Lastly even though well worth the money these speakers don’t come with a mount or mount holes to put on the wall. Your only option to install them is on a shelf or something similar not wall. Magically they also sell the wall mounts.

This product was the last addition to complete my Bose 700 surround system. Watching movies that have 5. 1 audio especially marvel and Michael Bay’s movie became more immersive. Sometimes I forget that I have surround sounds and think there is a bird in my house chirping, a car is passing by or glass breaking.

I tried to use it as whole house music speaker (like Sonos One) but I do not recommend it because it sounded too tinny. They complement the soundbar but are horrible as standalone speakers. As much as I enjoy them for watching movies I think they are OVERPRICED for what it’s for.

For $550 + $50 for metal wall brackets I could have purchase a PlayStation 5 bundled with a second controller and one video game. I will be keeping mine because it completes my surround system but I think for some people it’s not financially justifiable.

I purchased the Bose 700 Surround speakers after having the 700 sound bar for about a month. Setup was a problem, my recommendation is if you already set up the bar and are adding the surrounds is to delete the bar in the app from your account and start from scratch following the prompts in the app.

Then when balancing the speakers with the headband mic sit closer to the sound bar than you would normally. This pushes the surrounds to output more volume so you won’t have to turn them up to 100 in the app (a common complaint) then use the app to fine tune.

I use this set up in my bedroom with a Sony 930E TV hooked up via HDMI eArc with no subwoofer. I wanted better discernable voice dialog with surround without the loud bass in a small package. With the speakers set to dialog in the app and a little tweaking of the settings the sound is good and more than acceptable at low volume with the surround effects getting better as the volume is cranked up (it seems when set to dialog the surround is diminished a little).

By no means will this replace the sound of a true wired AVR multiple speaker setup but you can’t beat the size of this system. The surround speakers are amazingly small and produce decent sound. This is definitely not a plug & play and be done system but if you are willing to play around with the setup you can achieve a good outcome.

If you’re like me, you’re interested in these because you have a compatible Samsung soundbar, you want surround sound, and these are decently affordable. If that is you, and you aren’t super snobby about sound quality, these are an amazing value! Effective surround sound with minimal setup and wires! However, I’ve taken a star off because setting these up was a bigger hassle than it should have been.

If you follow the very minimalistic instructions to a T, you will probably run into issues. Some things Samsung doesn’t tell you that you won’t figure out if you aren’t familiar with setting up surround sound speakers: – The wires are standard speaker wires, so you install them by opening “clamps” on the back of the speakers, inserting the wire, and then releasing the clamp so it clamps down on the wire.

Be sure that the clamp is clamping down on the exposed metal wire, NOT the plastic jacket around the metal wire. It is also better to insert the wire in as far as it will go without clamping down on the plactic jacket, to avoid signal interference.

Basically, it is possible to insert the wire in both TOO FAR and NOT FAR ENOUGH. If you do either, you will have the “no sound” or “intermittent cutting out” issues that other reviews describe. – If you are using HDMI-ARC to connect your soundbar to your TV, MAKE SURE you enable “passthrough” audio in your TV settings.

I CANNOT overstate how important this is. I use a TCL Roku TV and I had mine setup on “auto” previously, and this worked fine with just my soundbar. However, with these rear speakers, initially I could hear a fairly loud “static” sound when the speakers were on and no sound was playing on the TV.

And when I DID play sound, it was kind of quiet and tinny. Once I changed my audio format to passthrough in my TV settings both of these issues went away. On my TCL Roku TV, the setting was on Home screen > Settings > Audio > Digital output format.

I do not know where this setting is on other tvs, or if this solution still applies when you connect your soundbar via some method other than HDMI ARC. – Once your speakers are linked with your soundbar, you will be able to raise their volume with your soundbar remote by clicking the Gear icon until you reach “rear level”.

Unless you set up your speakers right behind your couch (which you shouldn’t do if you can avoid it), you will probably want to raise this to near the max level. This setting is easier to change if you connect to your soundbar from the Samsung SmartThings app, because then there are sliders you can visually see.

Once you’re on the screen for your soundbar, tap the three dots in the corner > device settings > Channel Volume. – Surround sound only works if you set your soundbar to specific sound modes. On my HW-S60A soundbar, it only works if I set it to “Adaptive Sound”.

I think some other models have a “Surround Sound” mode, which would probably also enable surround. Given that these are marketed towards casual consumers that don’t know the ins and outs of home theater setups, Samsung should really call these things out in the manual.

All of those caveats aside, these are great little speakers for the price! It took me less than a day of messing with settings to figure all of this out, and now that I have, shows sound so much better! These speakers create an effective “bubble” of sound that helps immerse us in movies and cinematic shows! Great, low-cost way to get some apartment-friendly surround sound in our living room!.

I’ve been enjoying my Samsung sound bar for a few years now, wanted an upgrade but didn’t quite feel I needed a whole new one. So I came across these, and despite seeing bad reviews for these I thought I’d try them anyways since there was a good deal on a open box at my local store (which still looked brand new despite being labeled in good condition).

The setup took a bit to figure out but once I watched a YT video on how, it was simple. Also wasn’t sure they would work for my sound bar since it was not on the compatibility list, it worked out just fine (N550 model from about 4 years ago).

Just from hearing the first song with the rear speaker kit, I could instantly hear the difference. My room just felt it was more filled with sound! Instead of the normal feeling of the sound coming from one direction like it was before with the sound bar alone.

It was pretty cool to hear just certain beats and words of the song on the rear speakers. These really transformed my sound experience, felt like a complete upgrade for just under 90 bucks! I really notice it while playing video games as well, it’s easy to hear what’s around you with more of a 360 sound.

As well as movies, ambient sounds come from the rear speakers, making you feel more “in” the movie. Super happy these made the system in my room into a 5. 1 channel system. I really love these and wish I would’ve gotten them sooner.

If you’re looking for a upgrade to your sound system, this is perfect without having to pay for all new system.

When I had my Samsung TV and HW-Q600A sound bar installed this past summer, the installers advised that there were rear speakers available for the sound bar. I purchased this system and set it up. The instructions were relatively easy but, as other reviewers have noted, they are not really truly wireless.

The wireless receiver is placed opposite the TV/sound bar in the room (requires AC outlet) and the two really small speakers are then wired to it, using the supplied cable. Hook up was easy and pairing was almost instantaneous.

The issue comes in the sound quality and volume of the speakers. They are very small so the sound quality really only is enough to enhance speech and music but it is really inconsistent. There is no way to control the volume from the speakers or receiver nor the sound bar itself.

It would have been nice to have an option for larger, truly wireless speakers, however, I did not see that in any of my research with Samsung or on this site.

I honestly love these. I have them paired with the S80QY. I didn’t like the S80QY though. These actually make the sound bar more immersive. Pros: They are louder and more enhanced compared to the SPK8-S.

The sound is more bright and crisp. I have each one placed about 6 feet away from my couch (off to the side) and set at +4 and they are perfect. During the day I like to set these at +6 just to have more volume lol Movies sound more 3 dimensional.

The 3. 1. 3 soundbar doesn’t have that wide sound stage unless you pair these. Connectivity is a huge improvement from the previous version. 60% more coverage definitely adds more flexibility placing them in my living room.

There hasn’t been any cut outs or drops. Cons: The build isn’t so great. I don’t know why LG went backwards on these with the cloth material covering the speakers. The top and bottom covers are plastic and feels cheap.

The SPK8-S had a metal feel to them with the grill as well. Speaker Wire – I don’t know why LG still uses speaker wire to connect to a wireless modem. The new enhancement coverage doesn’t effect the sound but I feel like LG needs to update to the individual wireless speakers like Sony, Samsung and Sonos.

This would definitely make it more convenient to place anywhere behind your seating position without running speaker wire everywhere. I really wish LG paired these with the previous soundbar models. That would’ve been amazing.

These rear speakers paired with my SL10YG. that would be insane! I also would suggest LG to make a Rear Speaker Kit that has the up firing channels (2. 0. 2). That would be amazing too. For now these sound really great!.

Definitely feel this is a required supplement/add-on if you are going to bother getting the LG S90QY at all. Why they are just not completely wireless nowadays is beyond me, cause it is just extra clutter to have to then wire these to the wireless main rear power box.

In my opinion these look and feel rather small and cheap (no up-firing speaker either). I’d rather LG offered a completely wireless and higher quality set of rears (for higher quality surround sound) and sold them for a higher price.

I’d recommend them only because there isn’t any other choice (if you want some better surround sound), unless you go top of the line LG soundbar that includes the rears.

Excellent design with rear speakers volumn control. It will need power for the rear-speaker receiver and speaker cables to connect from the rear-speaker receiver to the left and the right rear speakers.

Very easy to install. Good quality product.

This wireless rear speaker system plugs or wires into your receiver and then sends a signal to the wireless router, which you then wire your rear speakers into. Reduces the amount of wires that you need for a surround sound stereo system.

I purchased this product to connect the surround sound speakers of my home theatre system without having to run the speaker wires through the walls or ceiling or leaving them exposed, where someone could trip over them.

Setup up was very simple. I connected the transmitter and receiver as per the instructions. I plugged in the modules and depressed the “ON” button of each one. The modules “found” each other immediately and worked perfectly — no problems whatsoever.

And, thus far, I’ve had no problems with them picking up any extraneous wireless frequencies or other communications. When they’re not broadcasting the intended signals, they’re absolutely quiet — no hiss or hum.

Setup was simple and worked well for me with no interference issues using a 2. 4GHz router nearby. Sound quality is great and no noticeable difference from the wired speakers. I make all adjustments from my AVR on levels, delays, etc.

Would suggest using high efficiency speakers if loudness is required for multi channel audio. With 96 db efficiency speakers 110 db (rock concert loudness) is possible with this unit at 25 watt RMS in following the 3 db increase for doubling watts.

The only negative for me was the connectors are just too cheap and I would’ve paid another 5 cents to have them more robust.

This is a great product but be aware that it reverses the speaker polarity. I bought this product to replace an older Rocketfish which worked fine (polarity was correct too) until I dropped it. My Denon Audyssey speaker calibration system detected the error in the new product immediately.

Best Buy replaced it but the replacement was no different. The manufacturer said they would consider the suggested improvement (correcting a flaw is an improvement I suppose).

If u just want sound In the back then ya it does the job. With little clarity and slight delay it is ok but could sound better. I tried to match with the surround sound delay feature on the avr but was still not perfect.

There are other products out there with more powers per channel but I think its will never sound as good as direct wire.

These speakers do make a difference if you’re only listening to a soundbar. Expands the sound field quite well. Worth the price, especially if you do as i did and picked them up open box (i believe they have been discontinued, so open box may be your only option).

There are a few caveats: 1. On open box, mine didn’t come with speaker wire, had to buy it myself. GET WIRE SMALLER THAN 16 GAUGE. The speaker connector openings are small and oval shaped, not conducive to larger wire.

2. Be prepared to be frustrated with the instructions on how to wall mount. Believe me, it’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. 3. Do not have any Bluetooth interference. The receiver works on Bluetooth, which is a sketchy technology to begin with.

I have the LG Sk10y soundbar and the subwoofer is notorious for disconnecting and random times where Bluetooth interference is present. It works on 2. 4 ghz, which is where wi-fi signals can interfere.

An easy fix if you have problems is to switch your wi-fi router over to 5 ghz only.

Adding this set brought out a lot more fun to my SP8YA soundbar! I’m still tweaking and getting used to my new (toy)! LG has always impressed me with their awesome TV tech! Setup was a breeze. It was stubborn once to reconnect, but turning everything off, then on, cleared the issue.

The speakers are very awesome looking and I’m being very picky in choosing speaker stands for this impressively small set. The speakers tend to cut out – here and there – but I can deal with it. I hope a software update/patch corrects this issue and balance the system a little better.

I’ll hear something “off” for a few seconds or every once in a while. It’s not bad enough for to annoy me. Everything glitches, so I hope LG has a software patch/update in the near future. The set performs as well as expected – and then some!.

Ok, I had to do a little experimenting but here’s how to set up the wireless speakers. Turn on the sound bar and TV so you can hear when the rears turn on. If you have the “surround” setting on, turn it off.

It’s not necessary because you now have the rears. Plug in the rear wireless unit and connect the speakers. If no sound, look on the rear of the wireless unit and where it says “pairing” there’s a little hole.

Use a pen or something similar and push the little pairing button that’s in that hole. You should be good to go now. That’s the process I had to follow for success and it sounds great! With my sound bar on “cinema” or “AI” I get the best sound.

I recommend downloading the app for the sound bar for easy adjustment of the sound settings.

I have added these rear speakers to my LG sound bar and it truly completes the surround sound experience. The overall quality of sound without an external equalizer and separate amplifier/tuner is truly amazing.

I love the quality and clarity of sound. You are able to distinguish the different instruments, voices and enjoy clean sound even at high/loud levels. No distortion. I rate this system better than my Klipsch speaker system that I got rid of.

I have been searching for this quality sound and power without having to spend the usual 2-3 grand to do so. At first, I did not believe I could get this kind of sound out of a sound bar, but I was wrong, then I added the rear speakers, wow.

You need to use the mobile app. though and of course, you simply cannot beat this price. It is worth it and you will pay much more $$$$ to get the same sound with other products. I love a heavy smooth bass, so I added a 12 inch powered (integrated amp) woofer for more punch.

Result: Full amazing clean sound, even at the lowest levels. Star wars is a whole new experience. Thanks LG.

I have had this for nearly six months. It Does help to create a more filled in sound in the living room at higher sound settings while watching in ‘movie’s mode with the sound bar. You have to deal with unsightly cords.

I drilled a hole in each of the rear side tables and run the speaker cord so it is not visible up the leg. The subwoofer and this amp for the speakers sit together under one of the tables. To hide the speaker connecting terminals, I used a piece of black Gorilla tape and on the back of the amp, but not to block the fan.

I do believe some engineering could be done to hide the cords. I do find the soundbar to sometimes loose it bluetooth connection which has been noted in other comments. I ‘cold boot’ the system when this happens ocvasionally, and that seems to resolve the issue.

In a ‘smart home’, I do believe this just may be something you deal with until technology improves bluetooth connections for internal sound systems.

Not enough information for online purchase, found the description misleading. I am no expert, so, when I read wireless speakers I am NOT expecting any cables in the box, and nothing I read beforehand tells me there is! However, the fact I am pleased with my LG TV and more recent soundbar I am excited enough to keep the purchase and not send it back at the sight of speaker cables.

So, I set it up, instructions are poor and could do with a great deal more effort, but, we get there in the end. Speaker cable length is very mean, and no wall mounts either, despite the facility, wouldn’t have hurt LG to put a couple of brackets in very similar to the ones included with their soundbar, I did ask if they could send me a couple, not willing!! So, I bought my own from Curry’s.

Speakers are ok as rears for when you’re watching a movie, or a concert, they’re OK, nothing better, not as excited about owning them as I was about buying them. They are quite smart looking and not too obtrusive, ok as a TV enhancement, NOT for the audiophile.

I spoke directly with Home Theatre Staff at Brentwood, MO store. I felt talk to the experts. I told staff I own a Sony Surround Sound Theatre System, it works fine after all of this years. I do not want rear speaker wires all across the floor.

I also stated my speakers are connected not with speaker wires with black and red wires combined but my speaker wires are connected in a plastic case. I was advised to cut the wires so I’d have 2 wires to connect to left and right inputs on units.

I eagerly purchased the RocketFish Wireless Rear Speaker Kit and couldn’t wait to set everything up. I made it to the point where I needed to connect wireless sender to Theatre system and discovered speaker cord was black and red with 2 separate wires.

I CANNOT use this system at all. I am glad I didn’t cut the connectors on my rear speakers. I called RocketFish and a Rep told me the system isn’t compatible to my system. I am peeved because I wasted my time and thought Home Theatre Staff would’ve been more helpful.

Why would they advise cutting my rear speaker connectors and not make me aware I might need to buy speaker cords with 4. 2 connectors. I cannot wait to return this purchase back to Bestbuy and speak with the Manager.

No real issues. I’d tried a similar solution, in the past, but it didn’t work out due to random popping. Don’t have anything like that with this setup. I have the volume on the unit set at 50%, then let my receiver do its room correction.

There is a slight hiss at that volume level, but I can’t hear it more than an inch from the driver. I have my satellites directly behind my couch, and can’t hear it from my normal seating positions a foot in front of them.

I was worried about wireless interference, as I have a mesh network, and a couple of wireless camera hubs, but I haven’t seen anything pop up. Another concern is power, but I haven’t had any problems with my satellites.

Granted, they are Jamo S 801, so they don’t draw a lot of power. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this product.

When I purchased my Denon receiver 10 years ago, I was unable to add rear speakers to take advantage of 5. 1 surround sound. It was not possible to run speaker cables to the rear speakers. This year, Best Buy recommended the Rocketfish Wireless Rear Speaker Kit and use radio frequency.

This allowed me to mount the rear speakers and connect them to the receiver component. Both the sender and receiver units are small and inconspicuous. The sound is terrific with no interference from outside sources.

A perfect solution for me.

Goed

TranslateShow in original languageNa jarenlang middels een 5. 1 Dolby Surround Systeem, het geluid van films en series geluisterd te hebben zijn wij, na het kapot gaan van de versterker, verder gaan kijken en hebben wij gekozen voor de HW-Q900A i.

v. m. de prestatie en mogelijkheden voor een gebruiker. Het draadloze aspect had voorrang boven een nieuwe versterker. Ook hebben wij gekeken welke soundbar voldoet aan de grote van onze huiskamer en deze soundbar is hiervoor uitstekend geschikt.

Daar de HW-Q900A zowel met wifi als HDMI werkt, is deze snel en gemakkelijk aan te sluiten. De instellingen zijn makkelijk aan te passen en de Samsung Soundbar werkt perfect samen met mijn Samsung TV.

Geweldig geluid en de sub-woofer heeft een mooie diepe bas. Nu nog de bijbehorende rearspeakers aanschaffen en deze er bij plaatsen. Wij zijn zeer tevreden met deze aankoop.

These speakers are a wonderful addition to any Roku TV setup (any brand). They don’t tell you in the description, but you can also use these speakers WITHOUT the Roku Soundbar. These speakers are actually so good they can serve as your primary speakers.

Just add them to your TV using the easy on-screen Roku Menu. If you want extra oomph and amazing bass you can buy the Roku Onn Subwoofer (150W, sold by Walmart) or the Roku Wireless Subwoofer (250W, sold by BB and other online retailers).

Just these two speakers subwoofer will give you unbelievable sound with a 2. 1 channel setup. If you absolutely must have 5. 1 surround sound, then only you need to buy the Roku Soundbar. Personally, the Soundbar is decent, but because the speakers are all so close to each other, you don’t get to enjoy the true delight of stereo separation.

I would strongly recommend skipping the Soundbar for that reason, if you already have a Roku TV. Just place two of these speakers as far away on the left and right of your TV as possible (and add the subwoofer) and enjoy audio bliss.

Software update needed yesterday What’s the point in having a sound system without front and rear speakers I got soundbar and these speakers were sold as linking to my sound bar. So that is wrong My TV is set to Audio Auto.

I will not be changing it to pick a system. Because these WIRELESS speakers should work like a wired sound system. So FIX THE SOFTWARE to WORK, now today!.

Great speakers. Incredible bass from such small size. Setup was simple. I didn’t need the sound bar with my Onn TV. The size makes them easy to install discretely. Very satisfied with this purchase.

One of the hardest things to do in life, is describe sound, so much so that words such as “wide, stage, depth, resolution” all get used, but quite often are used to describe something completely different.

What’s even harder, is to describe subwoofers. So without any use whatsoever of wide, stage, depth or resolution (well maybe depth) let’s try and let you know how good this sub really is. (And it’s really good!) So, with most subwoofers I have always used the old “if it’s heavy, it’s probably good” and it seems to have done me well so far (with one exception in the 90s when I bought a sub from a market and it sounded horrific) and this sub is no exception, it tops the scales just over 13kg, of which I’d hazard a guess at a 11kg speaker and the other into construction materials, it’s a really solid build, and the finish quality is really good.

Connection to the HT-A7000 is as simple as plugging it into the mains and powering on, that’s it. The A7000 will detect it and connect to it fully automatically, it’s really, really simple. Ok, that’s all well and good, easy connection, good build quality.

But how does it sound. Now, subwoofers tend to come in 3 distinct categories. 1 ones that sound punchy 2 ones that hit great sounding low frequencies 3 ones that sound like a giant blowing raspberries Number 3 is not good, probably best left to people’s bad car installs whereas numbers 1 & 2 are good, sometimes you get subs that are both 1&2, these can have the potential to be excellent, the SA-SW5 is one of these.

For setting up and checking subwoofers I generally use two listening methods. Firstly I play the Jurassic park T-Rex escape scene. In this scene you can check bass levels on many particular events, the foot steps of the approaching T-Rex, the thunder, and the roar.

On the footsteps, bad subs will show a distinct warble effect after each pound as the sound tapers off, this subwoofer did not, it provided a great initial thud, followed by a perfect fall off as the sound tapers, great sounding.

The thunder in bad subs will sound good, but you will get “empty” spots where the frequency is just beyond the response frequency of the sub, again this does not happen with this subwoofer, the sharp bang of the thunder coming from the A7000 is perfectly followed by a deep boom from the sub while the distant rolling bass and echoes are perfectly rendered from the subwoofer.

Lastly, the T-Rex roar. Just because on a fully kitted out 5. 1 or 7. 1 system it sounds awesome, and yes, it really does on the SA-SW5. The second way I test subwoofers, is by playing a hi-res version of the popular dance song “Smack my (female dog) up” by the Prodigy.

This song has so many elements that rely on good subwoofer set ups it’s really unreal, the initial kick at 42 seconds is followed by so many elements that are deep and bassy that it’s a really great way to check the capabilities of a good subwoofer.

Each element, each kick, pad and synth sounds perfect to my ears. Each kick has punch, each synth has great depth, it’s an overall exceptional experience. Which is how I’d sum up the SA-SW5 as a whole, it provides an exceptional experience, which in itself adds to the brilliant audio from the host A7000.

For some the A7000 holds quite enough punch as it is, but for that extra bit of excellence, I would thoroughly recommend this unit.

This system is a beast both in size and in the excellence of the quality of sound it reproduces. I have had soundbars as part of my TV setups for years, but this system from Sony is, in my opinion, the best I have ever had and heard.

I was at first worried by the physical size of the units, these are big compared to other systems but there is a reason for this, in that they are packed with technology and quality components for the sole purpose of immersing you in that cinematic and entertainment experience that we all love.

This system does this by the bucketful. My system comprises of the HT-A7000 soundbar, the SA-SW5 wireless Subwoofer and the SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers. The design of the components of this system are so sleek and modern, and by using a combination of quality materials ensures that this sound system looks the part in any environment it is being used.

I found that setting up the system straightforward, as I was replacing an older Sony system it was like plug and play, with the technology finding and connecting all the additional speakers within seconds, running the sound field optimiser and I was ready to go (listen).

The written instructions that come with the system comprehensive and will ensure that you are able to set the system up to ensure optimal use. This speaker system can be used with a range of devices connected in several ways e.

g. , Bluetooth, USB and WIFI. The HT-A7000 can be used as a standalone system and when used on its own it utilises its built-in technology to create a virtual surround sound system, individually for the space you are using it in, that is second to none.

It has a combination of front speakers, tweeter speakers and bass speakers. Some of the speakers point upwards which you can really hear when you stand up in your room. The system has several pre-defined settings that you can select dependent upon what you are watching / listening to.

E. G. Cinema, Music, Standard etc. These produce a great quality sound and are subtly different. The voice clarity of the spoken words through this sound system is the best I have heard. For me, the system produces the best sound when you use the Immersive AE function and let the software enhance the sound and its distribution to produce a wonderful, immersive, and entertaining viewing experience.

This really is a fantastic sound system but for me, what elevates it to an ultimate system is the addition of the wireless sub-woofer speaker and the wireless surround sound speakers. Attaching these was so simple all you need is a power socket but no other cables to run around the room.

These speakers were recognised and connected by the system within seconds of switching on. These powerful additional speakers have their own volume settings that can be adjusted to suit your taste, but I have to say the deep bass of the sub-woofer, the clarity of the surround speakers together with the combination of sounds from the HT-A7000 sound bar really do make the experience totally immersive and the best I have heard.

For me watching movies at home is now as close as it can be to watching them at the cinema. Whilst watching a movie, I thought at one point I had a water leak running down the inside of my wall only to realise the sound of running water was in the movie coming through the speaker system.

I love it. This sound system looks great and sounds even better, the only tiny disappointment is the quality of the remote-control unit, I would like to see the cover being a bit more substantive, that would complement the other materials used, possibly even a form of metal.

Would I recommend this product? Yes, absolutely without hesitation. The quality and clarity of the sound is fantastic, the set up so straightforward. For me, the ultimate immersive experience is when you use the HT-A7000 with the Sony wireless sub-woofer and surround sound speakers.

Great sound for computer speakers but the open Bluetooth made me disconnect them. I have neighbors connect at random times and force me to turn off it. Also, it goes to sleep mode automatically and you cannot disable that which is also a big letdown.

If you are away from your PC and you wait for a notification sound, you are out of luck. Its a shame that software issues make this product unusable. This is probably never going to be fixed and the problem is you do not know that until you buy it and its too late.

NEVER BUY if you don’t live in a rural area. anyone can connect to the Bluetooth and blast music at you and there is no way to restrict or turn off Bluetooth. it scares the hell out of my family at all sorts of hours (like the middle of the night) when someone connects after i forget to turn it off when not in use.

it can also play Bluetooth audio and wired at the same time which i thought was great until while using them people connect to the speaker and i hear their music/tv/static. worst part is with no control panel for the Bluetooth once they connect i have to turn them off and hope the stranger connects their media to the proper speakers.

if they don’t then when i turn them back on it will auto connect to the strangers media again. i called their tech support and they were clueless about the model and after holding for 30 min and talking for another 30 they said they don’t know and i would have to email their engineering dept.

Exceptional sound and great design! The range on them is not great, they hold the connection but the music starts getting choppy if you in another room, even when being near them just blocking them with your body.

Not okay by todays standard, but these where released 2012 so you can’t really blame them for that. (why Harman Kardon hasn’t updated the bluetooth in all these years I don’t know, since they still seem to be in production.

(?)) Now for the big issue that makes these great and beautiful speakers, that could’ve been perfect, unreliable and a chore to use! The Bluetooth is not protected via password or has a manually entered pairing mode, in other words, as soon as you turn them on they are in pairing mode (!) which means that anyone in range can connect to them.

It’s insane how they didn’t think of this. This has happened to me, I disconnected from the speakers and went to bed only to be woken up at 6 am by the neighbors kids blasting russian Spongebob Squarepants through my speakers.

I turns out that their TV automatically connects to available bluetooth sources and since the Soundsticks always is in pairing mode their tv will always connect whenever a spot is open. Sure, I can spend several minutes spamming the on/off button, hoping to connect to it first.

Kinda kills the joy of using them. And the Bluetooth has higher priority than the audio jack, so no luck in that compartment. I’ve thought about opening them up and desolder the BT-module but haven’t got around to it.

So if you live in a house, go for it. Great sound and design.

This soundbar will not shake your windows, but honestly, the sound is pretty good. Certainly better than I was expecting at this price. The bass is rich and smooth, without becoming boomy. The sound can fill the room if you crank it high enough, however, the rear speakers are quieter than I wish they were.

They still get the job done, but I wish they were louder. This soundbar has multiple options for Dolby signals as well, including DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Neo 2:5, if you’re connecting via the optical cable.

There is a noticeable difference between formats, which is good. There is also a dot-matrix display window on the front, hidden behind the fabric, that tells you what source you are connected to at startup.

It also tells you what source you’re switching to, and it briefly displays the volume level when you turn it up or down with the remote. There are also physical buttons on top for power, volume, and source select.

The source select button doubles as the bluetooth pairing button if you hold it down long enough. Setup was remarkably simple: Connect both rear speaker cables to the jacks in the rear receiver, plug in the subwoofer, plug in the rear receiver, plug in the soundbar, and turn it on.

Everything connected in about 15 seconds, and I was done. Bluetooth pairing was also incredibly easy. Just hold the BLUETOOTH button down until pairing activates, then look for the soundbar on your phone or tablet.

Another cool feature with Bluetooth: The display window on the front of the soundbar (which is hidden most of the time) will briefly scroll the name of the device you’ve just connected via Bluetooth.

For example, “Galaxy Tab” or “Motorola Phone” The remote is pretty sleek and ergonomic, and works well.

I’m a full time RVer and the sound quality from the large flat screen TV that came with our 5th wheel was awful. The built-in speakers face rearward and we always had a hard time understanding dialogue.

The Samsung 4. 1 channel soundbar with subwoofer and rear speakers has made a noticeable improvement in the overall audio range, especially voice and bass. It’s probably not as good as a 5. 1 setup would be (and I didn’t realize the difference when I ordered) — but it is SO much better than what we had.

I found out after-the-fact there is no dedicated center speaker. Under 4. 1 the two front satellites ‘matrix’ the sound to form an invisible center speaker (this is using Dolby Pro Logic decoding). With 5.

1 the center channel is discrete (in Dolby Digital 5. 1/DTS decoding). The center channel is used mainly for dialogue in movies. Contrary to other reviewers, everything worked well after setup including the Bluetooth connectivity, and the rear satellite spkrs are very distinctly audible.

(I mounted them on the wall behind where we sit. ) We just had to make sure to select “Surround Sound” as the option both on the TV and on the soundbar settings. Time will tell how well it holds up while traveling.

I’m a home theatre buff – I’ve done a bunch of research into theatre systems and, for the money, this was the best one I could find that fit my needs. I put it in my living room, not my home theatre, so it needed to be simple with no rear speakers, but still pack a punch.

This soundbar has done that and then some. My main criticisms that led to the 4 star rating are mainly based on it’s obvious limitations. Firstly, it’s a 3. 1 soundbar – it isn’t going to create the same surround experience that 5.

1+ speakers can create. Secondly, for bigger open spaces, the Atmos capability is slightly diminished, as it cannot move off walls as easily. Third, if you’re interested in getting the highest performance from this soundbar, you need an eArc capable HDMI port on your TV as well as a HDMI 2.

1 cable. Many people don’t know that and wind up living with a leader experience. Again, it does what it’s designed to do, and it does that well. Just be sure you have the ideal room setup and equipment and you’ll have quality 3.

1 system.

A wire was not connected to one of the speakers. I will return the unit but I wanted to temporarily connect it in order to see how the unit would sound. Sounded OK. Went to turn unit off and the on/off button did not work.

The button seems to be stuck in the down position and does not activate the push button on the circuit board. The same thing has happened several times on a single speaker unit I bought. The solution there was to remove 3 screws and disassemble the plastic control assembly from the circuit board, then reassemble.

Will not do that in this case as this will be a gift (a late gift now since it does not work!). PLEASE Rockler, I urge you to address the issues brought up in the reviews even if it means additional cost for speakers.

I for one, would be willing to pay more $ as it is a great concept, especially for gifts. However, I do not want to give gifts that will stop working at some point.