The workload is piling up with the number of soundbars being launched on the market during these months.
One of the most interesting ones in terms of features and price is the Sony HT-X8500. This bar stands out at first glance for how compact it is and for its compatibility with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
It is also a bar that does not have an external subwoofer, but rather opts to have it inside. After having tinkered with it for a while in a department store, these are my conclusions about it.
Sony HT-X8500: Specifications
- Format: Soundbar
- Channels: 2.1
- Drivers: two full-range speakers
- Type Subwoofer: Dual internal subwoofer
- Amplification: S-Master digital amplifier
- Power: Unknown
- Decoding: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
- Wired connections: Optical digital audio, HDMI and HDMI eARC.
- Wireless connections: Bluetooth
- Remote control: Yes
- Size: 89 x 6.4 x 9.6 cm
- Weight: 3.1 Kg
- Available colors: Black
Design, controls, and connections
This Sony HT-X8500 is a very compact bar, with a very low profile, ideal for TVs with a low stand. In width, it is not the shortest bar out there, but with 89 cm, and considering the trend of soundbars to increase in size, it is enough to consider it a compact soundbar.
Its design is also quite attractive, characteristic of Sony bars, with a plastic casing with a rubbery texture and a front metal grille that protects the transducers.
At both ends, we find the ventilation ports of the internal subwoofer, and at the base, we can see an elegant metallic finish. The bar is very stylish and elegant.
On the top are the buttons. Specifically, they are the power on and off, source selection, Bluetooth, and volume buttons. Also, a row of light indicators to signal Atmos sound, DTS:X, Vertical Surround mode, TV sound, HDMI, or Bluetooth.
The bar also comes with a remote control. This remote comes with the usual buttons, such as power on and off, volume, and sound source. Also for the sound modes Vertical S, Cinema, Auto Sound, Music, Voice, Game, News, Sports, Standard, and Night.
There is also a button for bass adjustment, to turn off the bar’s indicator lights, A/V sync, and a button called DTS Dialog, which seems to adjust the dialogue sound with DTS:X content.
One point I really liked about this Sony HT-X8500 is its connectivity. The bar is well-equipped, not so much in the number of ports but in their support and compatibility.
In addition to the relevant optical digital audio port, we also have an HDMI input port, fully compatible with 4K/60p, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG, as well as HDCP 2.2/HDCP 2.3.
We also have an HDMI eARC port, which means we can do passthrough of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio through HDMI ARC on those devices that also have this interface.
As for wireless connectivity, we regret the absence of WiFi, although as usual, we will have Bluetooth.
Transducers and audio format compatibility
As I said, the Sony HT-X8500 comes without an external subwoofer, and instead opts to introduce a dual bass reflex type subwoofer inside. The number of channels is 2.1, with the left and right channels right at the ends of the bar.
Regarding amplification, we have no data on the total power of the set, and Sony has only provided that the bar integrates the company’s famous S-Master digital amplifier.
On the other hand, the two front channels are composed of two full-range transducers, and it seems they are of the long excursion type to offer a good bass response, as I will explain later.
Undoubtedly, the other strong point of this bar is its compatibility with a multitude of audio formats. We are talking about one of the cheapest bars capable of decoding both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and since it plays these formats, it can also do so with Dolby True HD and DTS-HD.
In its specification sheet, it states that this HT-X8500 can even handle 7.1 channel LPCM, so really chapeau to Sony in this regard.
Sound quality
I must admit that I have been pleasantly surprised by this bar. I wasn’t very confident with it, as I had already tried previous Sony bars like the HT-XF9000, which relied on one of those virtual modes that try to emulate the elevated sound of Dolby Atmos.
That mode is called Vertical Surround Engine, and at the time, it didn’t convince me at all. However, this time it did. At one point, I thought Sony had made improvements to it, but after delving a bit into the manual, I knew what had changed.
It turns out that Sony has implemented the DTS Virtual:X mode in the HT-X8500. I was able to try this mode on the Yamaha YAS-107, and at the time, I already said that it seemed like a very convincing and surprisingly effective surround mode in providing a more immersive sound without the need for rear or top speakers.
The good thing is that you can also activate the Vertical Surround and DTS Virtual:X modes together to work simultaneously, and this is what I experienced when testing the bar. Unfortunately, I couldn’t test each mode separately, but it’s enough to know that with both modes activated, the sound is very good, with a genuine sense of surround sound, with effects that seem to come from above the screen and also from the sides.
Obviously, this cannot be compared to having a pair of dedicated rear speakers, and it doesn’t even come close to the elevated sound projectors of high-end bars with Dolby Atmos, but it’s a substitute that does the trick and will satisfy anyone who wants a highly immersive sound without filling the living room with clutter.
The good news continues when analyzing the bass performance of the bar. These are also surprisingly good and provide enough impact and punch not to miss an external subwoofer too much. Obviously, it can’t be compared to having an external subwoofer, but again I find that they offer just the right performance for those who want good bass without having to add another piece of equipment to the living room.
If we talk about the full-range transducers, they offer good performance. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you already know that I have repeatedly said that it’s better to have a dedicated tweeter and woofer in each channel rather than a full-range driver, but again I have been surprised by this Sony HT-X8500, as they offer more than good performance here, with a level of crystal-clear clarity and a very well-achieved stereo image.
I have been very satisfied, both in terms of music playback via Bluetooth and in the playback of Atmos and DTS:X content with virtual surround modes. Really, this bar has good sound quality for the supposed limitations it has. A ten for Sony, which, far from sitting idly by, seems to have been working to improve the sound in its mid-range soundbars.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to test the other DSP modes like sports, news, etc. However, I am not usually a fan of those modes, and they almost never offer improvements over the standard mode. I highly doubt that this time it will be any different.
Sony HT-X8500: Conclusion and alternatives
I went to test this bar without much faith and with a lot of skepticism after my previous experiences with Sony’s mid and low-range soundbars, but Sony has proven me wrong.
We are really looking at a very nice bar, well put together as some would say in colloquial language. It is a bar that sounds very good, reads Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, with excellent connections and a compact and discreet design. Moreover, it is not excessively expensive.
We are probably looking at the best bar with Dolby Atmos under 500€, and surely also the best value for money I have seen in a Sony bar in years. This is saying a lot for a bar that, to top it off, does not have an external subwoofer.
The clearest alternative in terms of features and price is precisely its bigger sister, the HT-XF9000. However, and strangely enough, the HT-X8500 sounds better even being more compact and not having an external subwoofer. In this sense, the addition of DTS Virtual:X technology is a key and decisive factor that makes the difference in favor of the latter.
If you are looking for something that also has Dolby Atmos but represents a significant leap in sound quality, you have to go for the Samsung HW-Q70R, a fantastic bar that is much more serious and complete in terms of sound, although obviously, you have to pay almost double.
If you are looking for the best soundbar with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, this position is held by the Samsung HW-Q90R, an impressive soundbar that has nothing to do with the Sony HT-X8500, it is simply another level, although obviously also much more expensive.
