Nov 22, 2019
Read MoreSony HT-Z9F vs Sonos Beam review
Sonos Beam review
Having had an opportunity to compare Sonos Beam vs Sony Z9F I noticed Sonos Beam supports playback from Apple devices according to the new Airplay 2 standard. In addition, it can be controlled, like all Sonos models, directly from the Spotify application. If you want to squeeze even more out of your home theater, expand the hardware of the Sonos soundbar with additional devices. For example, using the Sonos Sub Subwoofer, you add bass to your living room. For surround sound you will have to purchase two Sonos Play: 1 or Play: 3 and use them as “rear” speakers. There are 3.0 built-in channels. 
Sony HT-Z9F review
Usually Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbars have integrated high-pitched speakers (pointing up), but the Sony Z9F deviates from this concept. Its design is 3.1-channel, based on sound processing by a digital processor (DSP), a soundbar with an extension of the sound field to a volume of 7.1.2 channels. However, this is what Sony claims. The purpose of the Vertical Surround Engine used in this soundbar is to create a realistic ambient sound, thereby immersing the viewer in what is happening on the screen like what we have in a movie theater. Only in our case, and vertically directed sound is also emitted by the front drivers. To compare Sony Z9F vs Sonos Beam it is also worth knowing that its power is 400W and it features 3.1 built-in channels. 
Sonos Beam pros & cons
Pros
- Sonos ecosystem for music and multi-room audio
- Alexa integration so this can replace an existing Amazon Echo or similar device
Cons
- Sound field is not very wide if you don't have a small room with sidewalls to reflect the sound
Sony Z9F pros & cons
Pros
- Setup is fairly straightforward but did require a few visits to the manual
- Listening to live recordings feels like you are at the show
- The level of immersion in these speakers is completely magical
Cons
- If you have a smart TV and use its smart features, you still need to maintain two remotes
Sony HT-Z9F vs Sonos Beam
Sony and Sonos
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Common
Product
Sony HT-Z9F
Sonos Beam
Model
HT-Z9F
Beam
Brand
Sony
Sonos
Reviews
349
3280
General
Placement type
table-top, wall-mountable
table-top, wall-mountable
Connection to source
wired, wireless
wired, wireless
Soundbar buttons
power, input, Bluetooth, music service, volume down, volume up
volume down, volume up, microphone, play/pause
Audio features
Built-in channels
3.1
3.0
Amplification type
active
active
Output power, W
400 (overall)
Separate speaker (in package)
0
0
Separate speaker connections
has not
wireless
Subwoofer
Built-in subwoofer
Separate subwoofer (in package)
Separate subwoofer connections
wireless
wireless
Streaming services
Apple Music (AirPlay)
AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming services
Chromecast
Pandora, Tuneln, Chromecast
Connectivity
WI-FI
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)
1
1
NFC
HDMI input/output
2/0
1/0
HDMI ARC
HDMI eARC
HDMI CEC
Optical digital input/output
1/0
1/0
USB
1 (USB 2.0)
Coaxial digital input/output
0/0
0/0
Analog audio input/output (RCA)
1/0
0/0
Headphone output
0
0
Subwoofer output
0
0
Features
Voice control
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
App control
Microphone
Remote control
Multi-room
Multichannel surround
Dolby Atmos
Dolby (other)
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
DTS:X
DTS (other)
has not
has not
Dimensions
Size (Wx H x D), cm/in
100 x 6.4 x 10/39.4 x 2.5 x 3.4
65 x 6.8x 10/25.6 x 2.7 x 3.9
Weight, kg/pounds
3.1/6.6
2.8/6.2
Other
Release year
2018
2018
Soundbars CHooseratoR comparison rating
- 7.2Sony HT-Z9F
- 6Sonos Beam
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