Design and build:

Comparing Sony HT-A5000 vs A7000, the A7000 is slightly longer in width. They are both large soundbars that are suitable for 75 to 80” TVs. Sony HT-A5000 has a plastic body and metal grille on the front (removable) and top. The Sony HT-A7000 also has a plastic body with a glass top panel. While the front panel drivers have a metal grille, there is cloth type grille for upward drivers on the top.

In case of compact space, users have the option to mount them on walls. While the HT-A5000 has a sturdy build, the HT-A7000 feels a high-quality product.

Audio Performance:

Comparing Sony HT-A5000 vs A7000, the HT-A7000 is a 7.1.2 bar whereas the HT-A5000 has a 5.1.2 channel configuration. Sony HT-A7000 delivers outstanding performance making users feel they are at a movie theater. It has 7 drivers, 2 Atmos drivers and 2 built-in subs. Low ends have a good ‘kick’ thanks to the X-balanced driver shape.  The loudness is more than enough if you are living in cozy apartments. The bar has good tonality and stereo separation.

This soundbar seems to be an expert with balance. Compared to the HT-A5000, it has a broader and amazing soundstage with good accuracy. It has good dynamics and while playing movies, the soundtrack is well produced. While playing music, try using the Music or Cinema mode to figure out which one suits your taste. Instrumental sounds are well represented.

The HT-A5000 has a total of 5 drivers for front and surround channels. Atmos and subwoofer drivers are similar to that of the A7000 bar. It is a major upgrade over the Sony HT-A3000. It has a decent soundfield when the Sound Field is enabled. While you can feel the bass, it might miss adequate oomph and show some chuffing noise. With movies, the sound effects and soundtracks are enjoyable. It can deliver room-filling sound.

With a higher SPL, the Sony HT-A5000 can get louder than the A7000. That said, since they are standalone soundbars, it is suitable to place them in medium sized rooms. It can produce decent ambient sound that is satisfying. We noticed crisp and clear sound from this bar and overall, it is a great sounding soundbar for everyday use. 

Both these soundbars use S-Force Pro Front Surround and Vertical Surround Engine to deliver immersive fronts and surround. With Acoustic Center Sync, connect Bravia TVs and use it as a center channel of the system. The soundbars are intelligible and clear dialogues where even whispers are understandable. With 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, the sound will be produced at every place in the room. 

It tries to create a multidimensional sound space around the user. Users can stream contents from internet radio and music streaming services to the bars.

Connectivity:

The back panel of the bar has basic connection ports like HDMI In and out, USB (Sony WALKMAN or USB thumb drive), and optical. The bars are compatible with both non-HDMI and HDMI TVs. Sony HT-A7000 has 2 HDMI In. Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are supported for wireless connectivity. The soundbars have HDMI 2.1 port that allows 8k@60 Hz and 4k@120 Hz passthrough.

With the support for ALLM and VRR, they are perfect for gaming. The gaming scenes will have perfect resolution with low latency.

Multiple speaker pairing:

Both these soundbars will connect to the Sony wireless surround speakers (SA-RS3S or SA-RS5) and subwoofers (SA-SW3 or SA-SW5).

Multiroom support:

Sony HT-A5000 and A7000 can be a part of multiroom audio system with Apple Airplay 2 and Chromecast. Apple Airplay 2 will work with Airplay compatible speakers and Chromecast will connect to Chromecast supported speakers. 

Settings:

In terms of tweaking the bars, they both offer similar settings. Sony HT-A5000 and A7000 have night mode, dialogue improvement, bass, treble and sound mode (auto, standard, Cinema, Music) options. You can change the subwoofer, rear, surround and set virtual surround option.Sound Field Optimization feature is available which is for room calibration. This will give optimized performance regardless of the room layout and acoustics. 

Built-in microphones help to perform this task. Soundbar position is also analyzed along with other speakers (surround speaker and subwoofer), if any.Comparing Sony HT-A7000 vs HT-A5000 bars, the HT-A7000 has Immersive Audio Enhancement option. This option focuses on producing sound from horizontal and vertical direction. The bars have HDR support that ensures accurate color reproduction and brightness while watching contents on screen. They are 3D ready that will support 3D contents through the HDMI port.

Additional features:

In terms of placement, the bars can easily be positioned on a table or wall. However, Sony suggests a gap of 4.75" to 7.875" between the bottom of the TV and top of the bar so that the upward-firing drivers can perform well.

Control options:

The top panel of the soundbars have touch buttons: volume up/down, play/pause, input change, Bluetooth and select Spotify. While none of them have voice assistants built-in into them, they will both work with 3^rd party voice enabled devices. A large remote control is available with the bars with several buttons. The Sony Music Center app is also available.

Price:

Comparing Sony HT-A5000 vs A7000, the HT-A5000 is less costly and is available under $500. Sony HT-A7000 is almost double the price of that of HT-A5000 bar. Users with a tight budget can easily incline towards the purchase of HT-A5000 soundbar to save some bucks.

FAQ:

Are standalone soundbars powerful enough?

Standalone soundbars are a simple and all-in-one solution in modern homes. With built-in woofers and dedicated upward-firing drivers, they become quite powerful. Soundbars like Sony HT-A5000 and A7000 use side-firing drivers to deliver impactful surrounds and sound field. They deliver optimum and high-end sound from a compact system. 

How do the Sony HT-A5000 and A7000 work with stereo contents?

The soundbars will add height effects even to non-Atmos contents making them more attractive and engaging. Vertical Surround Engine helps in this case.