Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Model: HTCT550W
SKU: 1997321
UPC: 027242806368
Enjoy 400 watts of impressive audio with this powerful soundbar and wireless subwoofer. S-Force surround technology eliminates the need for rear speakers for convenient placement in your home.
Average Customer Rating:
4.406 out of 5
4.4
 out of 
5
(32 Reviews) 32
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot 32 reviews
5 stars
21
4 stars
8
3 stars
0
2 stars
1
1 star
2
91% of customers would recommend this product to a friend 
(
29 out of 32
)
Customer Questions & Answers:
36 Questions | 54 Answers
Customer Reviews for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer
Review 1 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Good sound bar

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: merlinextralight
from jacksonville fl
on 05/10/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Appearance
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Power
3.0 out of 5
3.0
What's great about it: easy set up , compact, attractive appearence, clear sound
What's not so great: under powered
This is a reasonably good sound bar. I picked it because it matched cosmetically with a 46" Sony Bravia, and fit my application in a TV lift.
The sound is adequate, not great, and even at full volume can't produce theater like sound for action movies. Better than built in speakers on LED TV's, but not really a home theater setup.
It doesn't begin to compare to a full 5.1 setup, or even a Bose sound bar, or 321 system. However it also only costs $400, and it does compare well to other sound bars at $400 or below.
The seperate receiver piece is a clunky design, giving you one more component to deal with in the setup. Unless you want an FM tuner, or need HDMI switching capabilities ( which for most applications is unecessary given the inputs available on the TVs that people are likely to pair this with.) the seperate receiver is just one more piece that has to be dealt with in a compact installation.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Already had to send it for service only 1 mo. old

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: jodonohue
from saline, mi
on 03/25/2012
Value for Price
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: sounds great - deep bass
What's not so great: broke down in just over 1 month under normal use.
Everything worked great and sounded great until the HDMI output to TV died. I took it back to Best Buy and the 30 day return/exchange warranty had expired just a few days prior, so I had to send it out for service. Sure, parts and labor are still completely covered by Sony, but what a hassle to have to take it in and be without it for, according to the service desk, 2 to 4 weeks. Buyer beware.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up
About me... Tech savvy
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Very nice for a Wireless system

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: LedZepFan
from Mequon
on 03/21/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Power
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Fills the space with sound
What's not so great: Not truly "wireless"
It took them two times to get it right. The first time the sound bar was connected and set up it worked for a little less than 24 hours then stopped working. The geek squad made me wait 3 days before they could come out and look at it, they had no explanation and and replaced it within an hour. Since then it has worked flawlessly. It really is a pretty powerful and diverse piece of equipment.
This product has... Right size for my space
About me... practical
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
2out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Sound quality is excellent

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: 0820
from Ft. Myers, FL
on 03/21/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: sound quality, ease of set up
Product was very easy to set up and the sound quality and range for a small-medium room is excellent.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Love It

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: ShoppingGuru
from Massachusetts
on 03/20/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I originally purchased the Samsung 3D soundbar and it was complete junk. That was quickly returned to the store. Researched some more and found this setup. Read over 100 reviews on it and the only people who complained where those who couldn't figure out how to adjust the setting (bass etc.) for their space. Picked this up and had it set up the same night. Fiddled with the settings and it is UNREAL. My house rattles with the bass. The voices are crisp and clear. Now with having no rear speakers you don't get the sounds of planes whizzing by your ears. So if you don't care about missing those sounds than this is the system you want. We have the soundbar mounted to the bottom of our TV. The wireless subwoofer is about 5 ft away from the receiver. We have all of our components connected to the received with HDMI cables and then 1 HDMI cable from the received to the tv. Bonus with this set up is that you still have the FM radio function like the older receivers and it has an additional outlet to connect an ipod docking station. If anyone asks me what kind of speaker/home entertainment center is the best to get this is the one I tell them.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Audiophile, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Nice sound

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: JTinker
from Racine, WI
on 02/18/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Wireless sub
Just the right amount of sound for my living room. HDMI input and output makes it an easy setup. The only thing that would have been nice would have been an optical out port for my headphones. Fairly easy to setup you just need to play with it a little.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Perfect for smaller room entertainment

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: MarloMan
from Fairfax, VA
on 02/18/2012
Value for Price
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: The simple assembly and clean appearance
What's not so great: Lack of mid-range sound as the sound bar was close to same sound as my flat screen
Perfect if you want simple high range sound with sub-woofer bass added. If you want complete sound range as I do, including mid-range, then this product may not be sufficient. Perhaps an upgrade to home theater will suffice, keeping with the Sony brand of course. Additionally, knowing that the price is very similar to home theater systems, I believe this lesser sound quality class should have a lower price range considering the total absense of the mid-range sound given with home theater systems. On another note, the wireless capability and the absence of too many wires is great.
This product has... Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
4out of 6found this review helpful.
Review 8 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

great sound

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Octarian
from Ocala, FL
on 02/09/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: sound, size and quality
What's not so great: Little costly
purchased to give great sound to new TV with 3 D and the satisfaction is very high and happily enjoyed.
This product has... Easy to set up
About me... Technically challenged
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
4out of 5found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Great Sound Bar

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Johnny220
from Winter Garden, FL
on 02/06/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Power
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Sound quality and doesn't take up a lot of space
Have used this for a little while now and finally got it tuned in. It has been working really well and my friends were impressed as it sounded awesome during the Superbowl. Takes a little bit to get use to it, but having all those HDMI connections is great. I have been using it lately to watch HBO movies and soccer games and it all sounds fantastic.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
4out of 5found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Very good Sound Bar

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Drewb23
from Sherman Oaks
on 01/25/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Power
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Receiver with 4 HDMI inputs, sound, wireless sub, design
What's not so great: It's not going to replicate a full system, but no soundbar will
Any audiophile (or close) knows that sound bars aren't going to come close to replicating a full surround system - or even a decent 2.1 or 3.1 system. However, for those who have space contraints or want a speaker on the wall under their mounted flat screen TV, sound bars are a great option.
Unfortunately, many sound bars don't sound that great - especially those without subwoofers. This SB is one of the better ones. Honestly, when I first hooked this up I thought it sounded pretty weak and the SW didn't seem to kick in. After a few days, something clicked with this little Sony system and now it sounds really good. Glad I waited to write this review.
The actual Sond Bar is very thin and lines up with a 40" TV well. The sound is very crisp and bass is pretty deep. Conversations are clear and music sounds full and rich. Gotta toy w/ factory settings to get it right.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... practical, Technically challenged
I would recommend this to a friend!
+11points
12out of 13found this review helpful.
Review 11 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Good Bar

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Gibhunter
from Maine
on 01/25/2012
  • Top 25 Contributor
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
4.0 out of 5
4.0
After taking it home I set it up in the living room and did the amp settings noted here by another reviewer which made it sound decent. I played around some more and got the bar sounding decent. Compared with the speakers on my 46" sony, the sound bars tiny speakers sounded tinny and cheap, with some subtle subwoofer here and there. The internal speakers sounded better - a problem I knew was likely since sonys have good speakers built in.
About to return the bar, I decided to try it in another smaller bedroom instead of a wide open 18x40' living room/kitchen. Big difference, it sounds amazing in a smaller room. Im keeping it for the other room - kiddie cornered with the sub behind the kiddie cornered TV stand and it sounds great. There is no substitue for a real home theater system - and those HT in a box systems dont count.
Its sleek, looks great, if using a high speed HDMI cable the sony TV picked right up and switched over to the sound bar and all remotes automatically worked with it, even the time warner remote with nothing changed.
This product has... Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... practical, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
3out of 5found this review helpful.
Review 12 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Looks Great Sounds Good

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: lockdownbrown
on 01/25/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: HDMI Switcher
What's not so great: Controls for Settings
My main reason for getting this sound bar was to reduce the wires from a old 5.1 Samsung theater system. Having just two seakers makes my living room look a lot better. Also one of my favorite things about this sound bar are all the HDMI inputs and the sound decoders. I watch a lot of blu ray dvds on my PS3 so now I can get the tru HD sound quality and it sounds great. The quality from these sound system is unbelievable. Hooking it up took a few minutes and getting the setting right is very important. I live in a apartment so I can't crank it up like must people but this sound bar is definitely a must buy. The only downfall for this sound bar is using the remote to set everything up. Once you have it configured there is no reason to use it again especially if you have a universal remote.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Audiophile, Tech savvy, Gamer
I would recommend this to a friend!
 
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
 
Panasonic 50" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz / Smart HDTV
4.4 out of 5(208)
 
 
 
 
 
 
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Did I get Lucky?

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: WhoReallyKnows
from MD
on 01/24/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Easy to set up
Alot of mixed reviews here, but I must say mine sounded great right out of the box and the bass exploded to life.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... practical
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

sounds great

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: sizematters
from monroe nc
on 01/21/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: easy set up, works well with the old school tv niche that is in my home
after a good bit of tuning, the sound is full and rich. theater mode is action movie tuned but works well for all viewing and gaming. completed my system.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
2out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 15 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

poor sound quality Sony soundbar

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: rowdyray
from Fort Wayne, IN
on 01/20/2012
Value for Price
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Sound Quality
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Appearance
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Power
2.0 out of 5
2.0
What's great about it: Looks great
What's not so great: Poor sound quality
There is no significant improvement in sound quality as compared to the built in TV speakers. Quite a disappointment.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up
About me... Tech savvy
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-10points
3out of 16found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

another excellent sony product

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: kjm1
from NC
on 01/16/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: good sound for the price
works great with our Sony TV and BRD through Bravia sync. next best thing to a full 5.1 surround system. This is a very good product for those who don't want the clutter of 6 speakers / surround sound in a living room. Good sound for the price. Keep an eye on the price, you can find this on sale.....
This product has... Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... practical, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Great sound out of the box!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: gold2001
from Austin, TX
on 01/14/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Good sound in a small package
What's not so great: Little bit too pricey. Even $50 less would be more reasonable.
I researched this product for several weeks comparing it with different soundbar systems as well as stand alone HTIBs. This really stood out among them all and was a great fit for our home theater set-up.
The unit has 3 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output to the TV. It does a great job of 3D pass though and auto-sources well.
Sound for movies was great - far better than the flat screen tv speakers, with good simulated surround sound and powerful bass. The bass at first was a little overpowering in some explosive/action scenes, but this was quickly fixed with the units on-board adjustments.
As for music, the sound was clear and did a nice job of bringing out notes both high and low (as good as our Bose unit).
Regular TV watching was good as well. Newscasts, sports and dialogue was clear and distinct. Overall, we are pleased with the purchase.
Pros:
Far superior to others in class with regard to input/outputs for HDMI
Excellent versatility and highly capable of handling music, movies, sports, and regular television.
Stylish and unobtrusive.
Powered sub woofer delivers quality bass.
Cons:
A bit more pricey than I would have liked.
Not true 5.1, or 7.1 surround sound
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+7points
7out of 7found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Great sound

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Jimbot1
from Dublin
on 01/14/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: improves sound,and bass
What's not so great: don't know yet
Definitely improves listening experience during movies,and everything else.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... practical, Technically challenged
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
3out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Great product for price.

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: unfiltered99
from Arlington, TX
on 01/13/2012
What's great about it: Good price, good sound for smaller spaces
What's not so great: Will not replace a 7.1 system.
This was going in my game room to give the built-in TV speakers some much needed help. Works very good in the smaller room, haven't tried it in a larger room yet. Nice having bass and the simulated surround. I also like that it has a built in tuner for when you want to throw on the radio while playing a game or just hanging out. Very easy to setup and get started.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... practical, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Sony 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Pleased with my purchase

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: BKFSRS
from Chicago
on 01/08/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Very good sound quality
What's not so great: The woofer doesn't really do much, but helps somewhat.
I'm no sound expert and I have a very small living room in my condo, but the sound quality is very good with the sound bar. I located the woofer at the back of the room and it helps with base sounds to some extent, but not tremendously. It's not a surround sound system, but I knew that when I purchased it. I wish there was a way to add another wireless speaker in another location in the room. Overall though I'm pleased with the system and the price that I paid for it. I already had a 46" Sony, so setup was a breeze.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
2out of 3found this review helpful.
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