Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 review: Big sound, zero hassle

Some home theater soundbars go to town on features and performance, aiming to check as many audio boxes as possible. These systems tend to have correspondingly high prices and can get a little complex to operate. Sony’s Bravia Theater Bar 6 ($699.99) runs in the other direction. It's still a full-fledged Dolby Atmos and DTS:X system with an impressive 3.1.2 channels, but it maintains a laser focus on simplicity, ditching flexibility and connection options in favor of a set-it-and-forget-it solution.

It’s an approach that works, as long as you’re content to stick within the Bravia Theater Bar 6’s somewhat restrictive limitations.

Minimalism to the extreme

Design-wise, the Theater Bar 6 takes minimalism to the extreme. The main bar, at 37.5 x 2.6 x 4.3 inches, is made entirely from matte black plastic. It’s as unobtrusive as a full-size soundbar gets, and when you dim the lights, it all but disappears. There are no controls at all, save for a tiny power button hidden on the right side. Owners of Sony Bravia 5, 7, 8, 9, 8, A95L, or Bravia 8 II TVs get the added benefit of on-screen controls; for everyone else, you’ll need to use the Bravia Connect mobile app to access the speaker’s settings. A tiny LED on the front tells you if the Theater Bar 6 is turned on, and which input is in use.

Speaking of inputs, you get just three: HDMI ARC/eARC, optical, and Bluetooth. Realistically, it’s only two, since the ARC/eARC and optical inputs are both dedicated to your TV. You can use one or the other, but not both. Sony provides an HDMI cable in the box, which makes sense: only HDMI ARC/eARC connections support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. If your TV doesn’t do HDMI ARC, you’ll need to source your own optical cable.

This means that from a music listening point of view, it’s going to be Bluetooth streaming from your phone, or perhaps dedicated music apps on your TV or TV-connected streaming device. There’s no WiFi and no available digital or analog inputs.

Sony also includes little rubber feet that can lift the Theater Bar 6 high enough to clear the built-in feet on many of Sony’s TVs (when they’re in the middle position), and there’s a wall-mount template to help you find the right anchor points for a set of screws (no additional hardware needed).

The subwoofer is a blessing and a curse

The included wireless subwoofer is a big, boxy affair — standard issue for most home-theater-in-a-box systems — but just like the main bar, it should fade into the background if you can find a discreet spot to place it. Just keep in mind that this particular Bravia soundbar can’t be expanded with wireless surround speakers. If you need that flexibility, the Theater Bar 8 and 9 are better choices.

When you get the sound settings dialed in, the Bravia Theater Bar 6 does a very good job of bringing movies and TV shows to life. It provides a far larger soundstage than any built-in TV speakers, and thanks to both a dedicated center channel driver and an excellent available voice mode, you won’t miss a word of dialogue. 

Still, some managed expectations are in order. Even when you hit it with Dolby Atmos content, as I did with several clips from No Time To Die, Unbroken, and Dune, the system isn’t going to wow you with its 3D immersion. Its main benefit is its power (it can get impressively loud) and its energy (even at lower volumes, the sound signature conveys lots of detail and emotion). Overhead and surround effects, on the other hand, are hinted at rather than delivered directly.

One very important tip: If your TV only supports HDMI ARC (as opposed to eARC), always keep Sony’s Sound Field mode turned on when watching Atmos or DTS:X content, otherwise the Theater Bar 6 treats it as 7.1 Dolby Audio surround sound — a less rewarding experience.

The subwoofer is both a blessing — it’s the key to getting deep, cinematic punch for your movies — and a curse: if you’re not careful with the settings, it can overwhelm the mid-frequencies with a dull smear of low-end bass. This is especially true when listening to music. I had to reduce the bass substantially from my preferred movie-watching level to achieve a balanced EQ for music.

It’s easy to recommend the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6, particularly if you can find it on sale. But there are also plenty of great alternatives. One of my favorites is the Klipsch Flexus Core 200. It costs less than the Theater Bar 6, and while it doesn’t come with a subwoofer, it punches out impressive bass on its own. Plus, it’s expandable with Klipsch Flexus wireless subwoofers and surrounds, or you can use a wired sub if you happen to own one.