NEWS: Sony launches HT-G700 Dolby Atmos soundbar

No need to change as Auto is default setting. You can check the manual for all settings.
 
So does anyone know what Auto bases its decision making on (it switches between the 3 modes, right?). Is the consensus to just leave it on Auto?

Between the 3 modes, we can hear and compare the differences, but it would've been much easier to pick if Sony told us what the actual (in layman terms) under-the-hood difference is.

Sound Quality wise, "music" sounds best to me, but I'm not sure if it's doing virtual 5.1 at that point.

And what is everybody thinking about IAE? It seems like a bad idea to me, to take a stereo signal, and upscale it to 7.1.2, based on no information.

Do we need to turn IAE on for 5.1 content or is IAE off still 5.1?
 
So does anyone know what Auto bases its decision making on (it switches between the 3 modes, right?). Is the consensus to just leave it on Auto?

Between the 3 modes, we can hear and compare the differences, but it would've been much easier to pick if Sony told us what the actual (in layman terms) under-the-hood difference is.

Sound Quality wise, "music" sounds best to me, but I'm not sure if it's doing virtual 5.1 at that point.

And what is everybody thinking about IAE? It seems like a bad idea to me, to take a stereo signal, and upscale it to 7.1.2, based on no information.

Do we need to turn IAE on for 5.1 content or is IAE off still 5.1?

Auto depends on the source where the sound comes from and what type of audio it provides.
For the best overall best experience leave AE 'on' and Auto Sound 'Selected'.
If you don't like the output of the soudbar in a specific situation change it to one of the presets that is more suited to your current content.

For example with the Sony HT-Z9F (higher-end soundbar) Google Music gives an amazing sound output, but when using YouTube Music app (with all audio settings set on 'High' in the app) gives a less crisp and softer sound quality.

FYI, I don't have this issue with my HT-G700, probably because it's a newer soundbar.
 
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Auto depends on the source where the sound comes from and what type of audio it provides.
For the best overall best experience leave AE 'on' and Auto Sound 'Selected'.
If you don't like the output of the soudbar in a specific situation change it to one of the presets that is more suited to your current content.

For example with the Sony HT-Z9F (higher-end soundbar) Google Music gives an amazing sound output, but when using YouTube Music app (with all audio settings set on 'High' in the app) gives a less crisp and softer sound quality.

FYI, I don't have this issue with my HT-G700, probably because it's a newer soundbar.

Hi mate, just noticed in your info you have the ZF9 and the G700 - what's your thoughts on how they compare? Both were in the running with me but the user reviews of the G700 were so up and down.....
 
Hi mate, just noticed in your info you have the ZF9 and the G700 - what's your thoughts on how they compare? Both were in the running with me but the user reviews of the G700 were so up and down.....
Check my reply on page 4 of this topic.

Secondly, what is your budget for a soundbar?
HT-G700 is a very solid choice, but keep you expectations in check.
This is not a replacement for a real 5.1, 7.1 or 7.1.2 home theater set. (with perhaps an AV receiver)

If you want one unit you can go for HT-G700, but if you want something in between you can better opt for HT-Z9F with rear speakers, which in total will cost you quit a bit more.
 
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Check my reply on page 4 of this topic.

Secondly, what is your budget for a soundbar?
HT-G700 is a very solid choice, but keep you expectations in check.
This is not a replacement for a real 5.1, 7.1 or 7.1.2 home theater set. (with perhaps an AV receiver)

If you want one unit you can go for HT-G700, but if you want something in between you can better opt for HT-Z9F with rear speakers, which in total will cost you quit a bit more.

Will do, thanks.

Budget is as long as my Mrs' stare 👀

I have looked at most on the market from the likes of the Song g700 right up to the Samsung q90r. I have a Q800T coming midweek too.

The key for me is a good deal/bang for your buck. I hate paying over the odds but will happily buy something that is well worth the money in comparison to others.
 
That is an absolute steal for such a good soundbar - I paid RRP to get JL 2 year warranty.
 
I'm finding it average at best.

I am severely disappointed by the Bluetooth quality. It is truly awful for a Sony soundbar.
 
I've been living with the G700 for a few months now and there is just nothing to complain about for less than £400, as it is a great sounding bar with movies on the immersive audio auto setting out of the box. Yes if you want Hi-Res audio, Wifi, option of rear speakers and/or the extra HDMI input then the ZF9 is a better choice. But just remember though that the ZF9 is 50% dearer than the G700, but it is not going to sound 50% better. In fact it won't sound any better to most people. You extra money is going on the extra features and build quality the ZF9 offers over the G700, and not anything better in the sound department. Sony have made a lot of advances with it's immersive audio since the ZF9 was released in 2018 and you can clearly hear these improvements when you play the same DTS/Dolby demo's through both bars. I've heard the ZF9 in a friends house (no rears) and it sounds very good and very similar to the G700, but to my ears I would say the ZF9 sound sounded a little more refined and better balanced, where as the G700 just goes louder, has more thump and smacks you in the face with less finesse. For me, the dedicated dialogue centre speaker on the G700 is what cemented I'd made the right choice in going for the G700 and not the ZF9.

I (like a lot of people) now have a wife and kids to contend with. My days of having speakers dotted all over the room, an AV amp and the fannying around with different settings and spending hours researching which speaker cable I should buy and match it with the best interconnect to make it sound a bit better are long gone. I just want to sit down with the family, press play and be immersed in sound. The wife and kids don't care that the sound is not being placed with pin point accuracy. They are just happy to be immersed in sound to make the movie experience more enjoyable.

When SONY finally bring out a higher end sound bar to replace the ZF9 and/or the ST5000, then I may look to change. But having confined the ST5000 to the scrap heap and bought the G700 as a temporary sound bar replacement, I'm hard pushed to justify why the ST5000 didn't sound that good for the money I paid for it. Yes it was better than the G700, but it didn't sound £600 better! This is why the G700 is a great choice. You get what you pay for - simple great sounding out of the box solution for under £400. Its a no brainer for me and I'll have to blown away with something much better to part with more money. Lets see what the future brings us?
 
Hi all, I just purchased the Sony G700 soundbar yesterday - for anyone else who has this soundbar do you have a low but noticeable humming type noise coming from the subwoofer even while in standby mode? I also have the Sony HT-XF9000 and don't have this issue. Its not overbearing but its enough to be noticeable while sitting in the room with no other sounds, the only way to eliminate it that I've seen so far is to turn the unit off at the wall.

Any ideas? Thanks! This is also running the newest firmware update (did that after setup yesterday).
 
Hi all, I just purchased the Sony G700 soundbar yesterday - for anyone else who has this soundbar do you have a low but noticeable humming type noise coming from the subwoofer even while in standby mode? I also have the Sony HT-XF9000 and don't have this issue. Its not overbearing but its enough to be noticeable while sitting in the room with no other sounds, the only way to eliminate it that I've seen so far is to turn the unit off at the wall.

It's an "earth loop". An electrician can eliminate it.

 
It's an "earth loop". An electrician can eliminate it.

Thanks for the reply on this, I had seen that it may be an earth loop, but I don’t think it’s

Can anyone else who owns this soundbar tell me if their subwoofer unit is doing the same while on with no audio playing or while in standby mode? I don’t have this issue with my HT-XF9000 and I’m wondering if it’s due to the power cable on the G700 being a “plug in” 8 style connector, whereas the HT-XF9000’s power cable is intergrated into the subwoofer unit itself.

The noise is present when the subwoofer is powered on and also present when in standby, just wondering if this is the same with other users or if it’s only mine, and if so I will return it for another unit. Thanks!
 
Mine is in standby now and with my ear very close to it, I cannot hear any humming. As the subwoofer is wireless and it only has 2-pin plug (no earth), I am not sure how it could be a ground loop (but I am not an electrician). It is more likely the internal PSU - I would contact the seller for an exchange.
 
Mine is in standby now and with my ear very close to it, I cannot hear any humming. As the subwoofer is wireless and it only has 2-pin plug (no earth), I am not sure how it could be a ground loop (but I am not an electrician). It is more likely the internal PSU - I would contact the seller for an exchange.
Hi Russ_64, thanks for that. With my subwoofer the noise is more present at the rear of the unit, but overall can be heard. My partner has also heard it for the first time today, as soon as I turned the subwoofer on at the wall plug she described it as a “power hum”, but said it’s very noticeable.
 
Hello. First of all, thank you all for sharing your opinions about the g700. I'm thinking about getting one. I can get one for 350£. I have an old 5.1 system in my apartment but I wanted to have an Atmos like experience. Should I buy it or is any soundbar better with a similar price? Do we expect another soundbar better than this to be released anytime soon?
Thanks for your help and sorry for my bad English.
 
For the money, meaning £400 or less - the G700 is IMO the best soundbar at this time. As for Dolby Atmos, it can decode DA but it is clever software that gives an Atmos type of sound using Sony's Immersive Sound effect. It is okay for watching TV but as it only has 3 forward facing speakers it will never be same as a soundbar that has 5 or more (with upfiring speakers). If Atmos is your main requirement then you will need to spend a lot more, something like HT-ST5000, Sonos ARC or Sennheiser Ambeo.
 
Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I don't want to spend more than 400£ on the soundbar. Initially I even thought about buying an echo studio for Atmos but after seeing the G700 I decided that maybe it was a good idea to spend a little bit more and get it.
The soundstage of the G700 is good enough for you?
 
Hi all, further to my posts above - I've seen online that attaching a Ferrite Core to the power cable may help with this issue, and it may eliminate the "power humming" sound coming from my subwoofer. Has anybody had any experience with using a ferrite core to eliminate a similar issue and had it be successful?
 
Yes, but you may need more than a ferrite choke. A mains conditioner worked for me in a similar situation, but they’re not cheap. You can get ferrite chokes that you can clip on the subwoofer mains cable — Amazon is your friend — but I think that you have a problem with a noisy power supply somewhere, something that will need attention, either a repair or replacement.
 
Hi,

I’m seriously considering the htg700, am I going to notice a considerable difference in comparison to my 5 year old Sony ht-ct780 if I do take the plunge?

thanks
 
I did the firmware update today, new version is v1.035.
Had a weird issue, I followed the website instructions and used a USB2 stick which I formatted as FAT32. Downloaded and copied the file onto stick. I plugged the stick into the SB USB slot and went into menu and started update.

It said 0% and then Error. Then it went back to Start and same sequence again. Unplugging USB left it on Start and could not go back to menu, even unplugged power cable but on restart it stayed on Start and remote did nothing. I then unplugged both HDMI cables and plugged the USB back in and it started updating! Finished update and restarted. All seems fine now after plugging HDMI cables back in again.
 

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