The Sony HT-X8500 is a good budget buy for people who want to improve their TV’s sound output, and while its immersion is good, it misses out on a strong bass range and has limited wireless connectivity.
The Sony HT-X8500 soundbar is a basic pick that was first announced in early 2020. Even though it is designed as a 2.1-channel soundbar, it upscales audio to a 7.1.2-channel setup when playing Atmos and DTS:X content thanks to its Vertical Surround Engine technology. The soundbar doesn’t ship with a subwoofer, but it reliably connects to other devices through Bluetooth and has various sound enhancement features. They include dialogue enhancement, auto-volume/night mode, and virtual surround sound – features that are pretty common with the best speakers on the market.
Owners of the Sony HT-X8500 will also get to enjoy a stereo soundstage that’s about as wide as the bar itself, but they should beware that it doesn’t have a discrete center channel or support wireless connectivity options such as WiFi, Apple AirPlay, or Spotify Connect. However, these are hard to miss among the best soundbars around.
Consensus
our Verdict
The Sony HT-X8500 soundbar doesn’t have as good vocal clarity as the Zvox AccuVoice AV157 (check it out in our Avox AccuVOice AV157 review), but vocals are still nice and clear, and its wide soundstage does well to create an enjoyable movie experience. Even though it supports both Dolby Atmos content and DTS:X, the soundbar doesn’t have a strong bass range, and its sound quality isn’t easily adjustable. Its tested Full HDMI In latency of -126ms tends to bring about audio-visual sync issues, and its wireless connectivity is only limited to Bluetooth.
However, for its price, it provides good value, making it suitable for budget-conscious buyers seeking an upgrade from their TV’s built-in speakers.
Reason to Buy
Wide soundstage for an immersive movie experience
Excellent surround-like effects, especially for Dolby Atmos encoded content
Decent dialog enhancement, making speech more intelligible
Supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision passthrough, enhancing picture quality
Easy setup and intuitive remote control
Reason to Avoid
Limited bass adjustment with only three settings
Mediocre music reproduction compared to other soundbars in its price range
Ideal performance when seated within 8 feet or closer to the soundbar
The Sony HT-X8500 soundbar is a basic pick that was first announced in early 2020. Even though it is designed as a 2.1-channel soundbar, it…
The Sony HT-X8500 soundbar is a basic pick that was first announced in early 2020. Even though it is designed as a 2.1-channel soundbar, it upscales audio to a 7.1.2-channel setup when playing Atmos and DTS:X content thanks to its Vertical Surround Engine technology. The soundbar doesn’t ship with a subwoofer, but it reliably connects to other devices through Bluetooth and has various sound enhancement features. They include dialogue enhancement, auto-volume/night mode, and virtual surround sound – features that are pretty common with the best speakers on the market.
Owners of the Sony HT-X8500 will also get to enjoy a stereo soundstage that’s about as wide as the bar itself, but they should beware that it doesn’t have a discrete center channel or support wireless connectivity options such as WiFi, Apple AirPlay, or Spotify Connect. However, these are hard to miss among the best soundbars around.
Both the Sony HT-X8500 and the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) soundbar miss out on a subwoofer, but the X8500 includes a Full HDMI In port…
Both the Sony HT-X8500 and the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) soundbar miss out on a subwoofer, but the X8500 includes a Full HDMI In port that the Sonos soundbar doesn’t, and it is also capable of rendering DTS:X and DTS-HD MA audio formats through the Full HDMI In port that the Sonos soundbar cannot. On the other hand, the Sonos Soundbar has better wireless connectivity, as it allows for music streaming through WiFi, Apple AirPlay, and Spotify Connect, while the X8500 is only limited to Bluetooth. However, if you need a more compact soundbar, then you might like our Yamaha SR C20A review.
The Sony HT-X8500 soundbar misses out on a graphical Eq for sound adjustment. This makes it a bit difficult to make intricate sound adjustments compared…
The Sony HT-X8500 soundbar misses out on a graphical Eq for sound adjustment. This makes it a bit difficult to make intricate sound adjustments compared to the Samsung HW-S60B, which has both a graphical Eq and presets. Another difference between the two is that the Samsung soundbar offers a wider range of features for sound adjustment than the Sony soundbar does, as it allows for room correction, surround level adjustment, and treble adjustment. If you’re interested in the Samsung soundbar, we’ve covered it in our Samsung HW S60B review.
The Sony HT-X8500 offers a slightly less immersive listening experience compared to the Sony HT-A5000. This is because the X8500 has a 2.1-channel setup, while…
The Sony HT-X8500 offers a slightly less immersive listening experience compared to the Sony HT-A5000. This is because the X8500 has a 2.1-channel setup, while the Sony HT-A5000 has a 5.1.2-channel setup. Check out our Platin Monaco 5.1 review for a 5.1 channel setup with separate satellites. The HT-A5000 also has much better vocal clarity since it has a dedicated center channel, while the Sony HT-X8500 uses its left and right speakers to simulate a sound in the center. Also worth noting is that the HT-A5000 has a slightly better port selection, as it features a HDMI 2.1 port and a USB port for files, both of which are missing on the HT-X8500. However, if you’ll be satisfied with soundbars that are just enough to amplify your TV sound, then check out our Sony HT SF150 review or our Samsung HW C400 review.
