Sony has announced another big update for one of our favourite Dolby Atmos home cinema systems and it’ll please PS5 and Xbox Series X owners alike.
As we reported last week, Sony's HT-A7000 and HT-A5000 soundbars are due to receive a software update that adds VRR and ALLM support so that such signals can be passed through the integrated HDMI sockets, and the company has now confirmed to What Hi-Fi? that the same update will be heading to the HT-A9 speaker system. What's more, Sony has also confirmed that this update will be released in September.
The Sony HT-A9 speaker system consists of four identical-looking wireless speakers alongside a hub that connects to your TV. Each of the speakers contains a 19mm front-facing tweeter, a full-range X-balanced driver along with an upward-firing X-balanced driver.
The HT-A9 system performed well and received a five-star review when we tested it out back in 2021, so this latest update will be a welcome bonus for users.
Together, Sony says that the speakers create a bubble of sound from 12 ‘phantom’ speakers. Sony also points out that the units, which are marked with their intended room position, don’t need to be placed at the same height or in any kind of measured position. It’s a fairly unique product and diverges from other complete speaker packages which often come packed with sub or satellite speakers.
In terms of connectivity, the four speakers connect to the hub wirelessly, however, they still require mains power. The control hub features an eARC output and an HDMI pass-through connection which supports 4K@60fps and HDR.
Now with VRR and ALLM coming soon, you might be considering hooking up your PS5 or Xbox Series X, however, with the limited HDMI ports available, you may be in for some cable switching.
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