Sony announces HT-ST3 and HT-ST7 soundbars

Sony has added to its soundbar line up at IFA 2013, with the announcement of the new HT-ST3 and the HT-ST7 (pictured above) soundbars.

At just 4cm high, the HT-ST3 boasts the bragging rights of being the world’s slimmest Bluetooth-packing soundbar, with 4.1 channels and a wired subwoofer, while the flagship HT-ST7 features 7.1 channels, Sony’s Magnetic Fluid speaker technology for a clearer, more detailed sound, and a wireless subwoofer.

The ST7 has been developed in collaboration with Sony Pictures’ Soundworks, with advanced signal processing that aims to reproduce music, dialogue and effects more naturally than ever before.

The cheaper HT-ST3’s focus is on being a super slim, low-profile sound bar, with an eye-catching contemporary design made from aluminium alloy with an etched stainless steel grille.

Both feature Sony’s S-Master Digital Amplifer for a rich, realistic sound, and use S-Force Pro Front Surround processing, which Sony says should create a room-filling soundfield and a wider sweet spot than usual.

Both also offer one-touch listening via NFC and Bluetooth playback, with support for apt-X and AAC codecs for the best possible sound quality.

The new HT-ST7 and HT-ST3 soundbars will be available in the UK from October 2013, priced at £1099 and £599 respectively.

By Verity Burns

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Verity Burns

Verity is a freelance technology journalist and former Multimedia Editor at What Hi-Fi?. 

Having chalked up more than 15 years in the industry, she has covered the highs and lows across the breadth of consumer tech, sometimes travelling to the other side of the world to do so. With a specialism in audio and TV, however, it means she's managed to spend a lot of time watching films and listening to music in the name of "work".

You'll occasionally catch her on BBC Radio commenting on the latest tech news stories, and always find her in the living room, tweaking terrible TV settings at parties.