Soundbar Reviews

Sony HT-ST5 Soundbar System Test Bench

This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers) frequency response of the HT-ST5 Sound Bar (purple trace) and subwoofer (blue trace). The left channel was measured in Music mode with grille at a distance of 1 meter.

The HT-ST5 Sound Bar’s listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures + 2.93 /–1.10 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3dB point is at 230 Hz, and the –6dB point is at 211 Hz.

The subwoofer’s close-miked response, normalized to the level at 80 Hz, indicates that the lower –3dB point is at 65 Hz and the –6dB point is at 57 Hz. The upper –3dB point is at 123 Hz.—Mark. J. Peterson

COMPANY INFO
Sony
(877) 865-7669
sony.com
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
easygoing's picture
Submitted by easygoing on December 3, 2014 - 11:53pm

How does this compare to Monitor Audio ASB-2? I am mainly listening to music with an occasional movie once a week or two... I really want to avoid wires so a regular speaker system is a no go for me :)

Mark Fleischmann's picture
Submitted by Mark Fleischmann on December 4, 2014 - 6:21am
I haven't reviewed or demoed the Monitor so I can't assess its sound quality. Perhaps a reader who has tried it would like to say something? At a glance, it does cost several hundred more, and has AirPlay, whereas the Sony has only Bluetooth. Amazon is currently selling the Sony for $798. I'd call that a good deal for a high-end (in relative terms) soundbar.
X