2017 marks the beginning of a major partnership between Sony and Dolby. In the audio department Sony will launch the HT-ST5000 soundbar with Dolby Atmos sound in 7.1.2 channels.
Sony and Dolby partnership
It would be an understatement to say that Dolby stood out at CES. Last year, the company entered into a partnership with LG to bring Dolby Vision to all of LG’s high-end TVs and this year Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are coming to Sony’s products.
Sony will implement Dolby Vision in all of its high-end 2017 TVs and at the same time launch its first Dolby Atmos-capable soundbar. The HT-ST5000 delivers sound in 7.1.2 channels - two of which are up-firing chanels that gives you over-the-head audio. The total output of the soundbar is 800 Watts, says Sony.
- “This sound bar supports not only Hi-Res, but also the Dolby Atmos® next-generation 3D surround sound format that takes immersion to the next level. It also features the unique wave-front control technology of Sony’s S-Force PRO Front Surround, which channels sound waves in just the right direction to realize powerful room-filling audio,” Sony said when unveiling the product.
Sony adds that it has been working together with Sony Pictures Entertainment to optimize movie sound from the powerful soundbar.
- “Additionally, sound professionals at Sony Pictures Entertainment lent their expertise to the HT-ST5000, helping to calibrate audio quality and optimize it for the playback of movies,”
The soundbar is additionally equipped with Spotify Connect and Chromecast for wireless music playback.
Besides HT-ST5000, Sony unveiled a STR-DN1080 receiver with Dolby Atmos support. The company also launched its first consumer UHD Blu-ray player, X800 at CES. X800 supports Atmos sound.
Sony HT-ST5000 will be available in the US and Europe this spring. Pricing was not announced.
Sony HT-ST5000 Dolby Atmos soundbar:
| Dimensions: 1180 x 80 x 140 mm |
| Power Output RMS: 800W |
| Dolby Atmos |
| High-Resolution Audio (Over 24-bit/96KHz) |
| 7.1.2 channels |
| 4K HDR pass-through via HDMI |
| Music Service Button, Spotify, Chromecast built-in |
