360 Spatial Sound is Sony’s proprietary standard for enveloping your ears with pin-point surround audio. To get all these units working in unison, the speakers use microphones to detect the distance between the units and the surrounding walls to map out the best possible way to dip you in the 360 surround bubble. This method barely takes a minute and if you ever move the speakers around, the 360 Spatial Sound Mapping can be recalibrated without changing the surround characteristics.
This is also the easiest implementation of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X we’ve seen from out-of-box products. Unwrap, set up and get going. The Sony HT-A5000 makes Dolby Atmos movies an achievable option for any living room even if the asking price comes at a premium.
Any 5.1 surround-supported movies on Netflix and other streaming services work well. Godzilla vs. Kong fight scenes are thoroughly immersive. You can hear the jet fighters and missiles swooping across as if you’re sitting smack in the middle of the fight between the two monsters. The thunderous footsteps of Kong and Godzilla are impactful and precise from the SA-SW 5.
However, the A5000 does lack a bit of clarity in the vocals. You have to really turn the volume up and over 60% to enjoy the symphony of the surround sound. Even the SA-RS5 rear speakers need to be turned all the way up to get some sense of directional audio. Thankfully the Sony soundbar remote allows you to individually tweak the output level of the subwoofer and the rear speakers. The soundbar itself is quite adequate but it’s only with the subwoofer and rear speakers that it truly starts to feel immersive.