With less pressure and expectation placed upon them, middle children are often those most likely to succeed and outshine their siblings as the brightest of the bunch.
Occasionally we find the same to be true in AV, with cheaper models delivering a better value performance than pricier products, but typically it's the flagship that reigns supreme with the best features, build and tech that a brand has to offer. Which can sometimes make it difficult for cheaper, mid-range models, such as Sony’s HT-A5000 Dolby Atmos soundbar, to stand out.
Price
The Sony HT-A5000 launches at £899 / $998 / AU$1299 and is the middle model of the brand’s premium A range with 5.1.2 channels of Dolby Atmos/DTS:X sound in a single soundbar with HDMI 2.1 passthrough.
Above it sits the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning HT-A7000 priced at £1199 / $1300 / AU$1699 offering 7.1.2 channels and an additional HDMI input, while below it is the HT-A3000 costing £599 / $699 / AU$999 with 3.1 channels and no passthrough connectivity.
Despite all the A soundbars sporting dedicated dual low-frequency drivers, Sony has a choice of two subs that can be added to the range, the 300W SA-SW5 priced at £699 / $700 / AU$899, and the 200W SA-SW3 costing £449 / $400 / AU$599. There are also two surround speaker models to choose from for the A5000, the SA-RS3S speakers costing £449 / $350 / AU$649 with front-facing drivers, and the SA-RS5, £699 / $600 / AU$849, which also have upward-firing drivers.
It should come as no surprise that the price point of the A5000 is comparable to that of the Sonos Arc, which casts a long shadow in the Dolby Atmos soundbar market. Priced at £899 / $899 / AU$1499, the 5.0.2 Arc can also be expanded through the addition of a pair of One SL speakers (£358 / $358 / AU$538) and a Sub Gen 3 (£699 / $699 / AU$999) or a Sub Mini (£429 / $429 / AU$699).
Build
Physically the HT-A5000 resembles a slightly plainer, smaller HT-A7000 – best suited, according to Sony, to pair with 65-inch TVs and exhibiting the brand’s austere but cohesive ‘omnidirectional block’ design.
Across the front and covering the two upward drivers are black metal mesh grilles, while the rest of the body is a uniform black matte plastic, unlike the A7000, which has a glossy glass topper.
Inside, it houses two up-firing speakers to reflect overhead sounds off the ceiling, three full-range front speakers, two front-facing woofers and two side-firing beam tweeters to expand the width of the soundbar’s soundstage. All the drivers used in the A range, except the beam tweeters, have Sony’s X-balanced design, which uses a non-circular shape to maximise surface area for increased sound output. In total, the A5000 can deliver 450 watts of power from nine amp channels.
