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Featuring a remarkably loud output, the Sony HT-S350 is a good option for upgrading the sound in living rooms. However, it lacks advanced features like Dolby Atmos and extended low bass that would appeal to movie enthusiasts.
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Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
The Sony HT-S350 is an entry-level 2.1 soundbar that made its debut in 2019, offering deep bass for movie and music lovers. Equipped with a dedicated wireless subwoofer, this system adds bass to any TV sound profile but lacks that deep rumble for home theater settings.
You can find devices with deeper bass among the best speakers on the market today. This soundbar has a handy auto volume mode for adjusting the sound output.
However, it has a muddy sound profile out of the box. Achieving a top output of 95.5 dB, this system gets really loud. It has an HDMI ARC and optical input.
It also downmixes surround to stereo, providing a mediocre surround soundstage, so it is not very immersive for movies. This soundbar doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, so it’s unsuitable for advanced Blu-rays and other formats.
The audio latency of the optical port is a bit high, so sensitive users may see things on the screen slightly before hearing the corresponding audio.
This unit connects via Bluetooth but lacks other wireless streaming methods. You can learn more about the Sony HT-S350 in our review below, see our top-rated soundbars to explore your options.
Best For
Large Rooms
Consensus
our Verdict
Experts love the loud output of the Sony HT-S350, recommending it for music, TV shows, and casual movie playback. Experts from TechRadar hailed this system’s loud volume, saying that it is good enough for large living rooms.
Critics from PCMag were delighted by its Bluetooth streaming tech. However, it doesn’t support other wireless streaming options like Wi-Fi. It also has a clouded sound profile out of the box and doesn’t have a bass or treble slider.
Users can customize the sound profile via some presets, though. The HT-S350 comes with a dedicated wireless subwoofer, which provides some bass but doesn’t accurately reproduce that deep rumbling low bass required by many movie and music enthusiasts.
It also has no app and doesn’t support voice control.
However, if you need a more compact model, check out our Sony HT-S200F review now.
ReasonS to Buy
Moderately balanced sound
This soundbar is good for TV shows and acceptable for music. It has a fairly even mid-range, which makes dialogue and vocals clear, but the underemphasized treble and low bass make instruments sound a bit unclear. The stereo soundstage is slightly wider than the soundbar, with relatively accurate sound placement.
Adequate voice clarity
It delivers clear dialogues and vocals because of its fairly even mid-range.
Satisfactory connectivity
This soundbar’s connectivity options are only satisfactory with 1 x HDMI eARC and 1 x Optical audio. The lack of a Full HDMI In means the bar can’t act as a hub between multiple devices.
Reason to Avoid
Mediocre surround sound and no Atmos
The HT-S350 isn’t suitable for action movies with rich sound effects because its 2.1 setup downmixes surround content to stereo and doesn’t sound as accurate and clear as a setup with satellites. There is also no Dolby Atmos.
Weak bass
The low bass is underemphasized and lacks rumble, and there is no bass adjustment feature. For a soundbar from the same brand with bass adjustment, read our Sony HT-S200F review.
No smart integration and high latency
There is no app to control the soundbar with your smartphone, and that means you won’t have a backup if you lose the remote. You’ll notice some lag in the audio because of the high tested latency over eARC (98 ms) and Optical (113 ms), which is among the highest we’ve measured. But different TVs and apps have systems to compensate for this lag, so you may not experience it consistently.
Sony HT S350 Specs
Bluetooth Enabled
Yes
Depth
3.5"
Dialogue Enhancement Feature
na
Equalizer Settings
Basic
HDMI ARC
na
Height
2.5"
Number of Audio Channels
2.1
Subwoofer
Yes
Surround Sound Supported
Dolby Digital
Wall Mountable
na
Weight
5.3 lbs
Width
35.6"
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth
Wireless Subwoofer Connectivity
na
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Soundbars based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
Low End Roll Off (Hz)
63.496
High End Roll Off (Hz)
15,342.664
Max Volume Test (db)
98.75
Latency (ms)
98
THD @ 80dB
0.38
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The Sony HT-S350 is an entry-level 2.1 soundbar that made its debut in 2019, offering deep bass for movie and music lovers. Equipped with a…
The Sony HT-S350 is an entry-level 2.1 soundbar that made its debut in 2019, offering deep bass for movie and music lovers. Equipped with a dedicated wireless subwoofer, this system adds bass to any TV sound profile but lacks that deep rumble for home theater settings.
You can find devices with deeper bass among the best speakers on the market today. This soundbar has a handy auto volume mode for adjusting the sound output.
However, it has a muddy sound profile out of the box. Achieving a top output of 95.5 dB, this system gets really loud. It has an HDMI ARC and optical input.
It also downmixes surround to stereo, providing a mediocre surround soundstage, so it is not very immersive for movies. This soundbar doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, so it’s unsuitable for advanced Blu-rays and other formats.
The audio latency of the optical port is a bit high, so sensitive users may see things on the screen slightly before hearing the corresponding audio.
This unit connects via Bluetooth but lacks other wireless streaming methods. You can learn more about the Sony HT-S350 in our review below, see our top-rated soundbars to explore your options.
With a graphic EQ and treble/bass sliders, the Samsung HW-A650 is easier to customize than the Sony HT-S350, which lacks such function. It also has…
With a graphic EQ and treble/bass sliders, the Samsung HW-A650 is easier to customize than the Sony HT-S350, which lacks such function. It also has a more neutral sound profile than the Sony soundbar.
Producing deeper extended low bass, the Sony HT-S400 is marginally better for movies and music than the Sony HT-S350. It also has a more neutral…
Producing deeper extended low bass, the Sony HT-S400 is marginally better for movies and music than the Sony HT-S350. It also has a more neutral sound profile out of the box than the Sony HT-S350. Check out the more advanced speaker in our Sony HT-S400 review today.
Featuring a 3.1 setup, the Sony HT-G700 produces clearer TV dialogue and has a better surround soundstage than the Sony HT-S350. It also reproduces deeper,…
Featuring a 3.1 setup, the Sony HT-G700 produces clearer TV dialogue and has a better surround soundstage than the Sony HT-S350. It also reproduces deeper, extended low bass, and has full HDMI ports Dolby Atmos, unlike the Sony speaker. Check out our Sony HT-G700 review for details about the HDMI-equipped model.
