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Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Model number: HTCT100 | SKU: 8800979

This compact soundbar and subwoofer speaker system allows you to enjoy rich, detailed audio in everything you listen to while maintaining a low profile.

Average Customer Rating:

3.9 out of 5

15 of 18 (83%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.

Customer Reviews for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Review 1 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Top 25 Contributor

Customer Rating

5.0 5

a perfect fit 11/11/2008
By frank12345 from miami, fl

Value for Price

5.0 5

Sound Quality

5.0 5

Appearance

5.0 5

Power

5.0 5

"I tried several 2.1 speaker systems to enhance the sound from our LCD HDTV. The 2.1 speaker systems used the RCA audio output from the TV but I was never satisfied with the quality of the sound, even from the Bose Companion system. I think part of the problem is with the low-level output of the TV's RCA audio connection and for this reason I decided to look for a speaker system that could take advantage of my HDTV's digital optical audio output connection. I also didn't want to have a five-speaker system all around the room and so I focused my search on soundbar-type systems. The Sony HT-CT100, just recently introduced, fit the bill perfectly and comes at a price much lower than the Yamaha and Philips soundbar systems with optical inputs.

The Sony HT-CT100 produces great sound. The speaker bar is very low profile and takes up very little space whether you sit it in front of the TV or hang it on the wall. The subwoofer is large (about the size of a desktop PC) and sits on the floor. The subwoofer has a nice display along the top edge of the box to tell you the various system settings. Best of all, the 200 watt amplifier (built-in to the subwoofer) has multiple HDMI and optical audio inputs and acts as the control center for a complete home theater/sound system. This was an unexpected bonus -no need for a separate home theater receiver. Just plug your satellite system, DVD player(s), game consoles, etc. right into the HT-CT100 and control everything from the remote. It's an elegant solution and I haven't seen anything else quite like it. Since the system takes in digital video/audio directly, you get to enjoy full Dolby Digital surround sound. The system can belt out remarkable volume levels and rich, deep bass. The speaker bar has left, right, and center channel speakers along with the remote control IR sensor. The Sony remote supplied with the system will control all your Sony components; however, if your HDTV, DVD player(s), etc. are not Sony brand (like mine), then be prepared to buy a universal learning remote in order to program the HT-CT100 commands. While I can decipher having several remote controls, I prefer to use a single remote control so that my family has an easier time turning on the TV or watching DVDs.

The price of the Sony soundbar system is very reasonable considering its power output and multiple digital video/audio inputs to control your home theater. The quality is impressive (though I did have to return my first system due to a soundbar speaker buzz -my second system is flawless) and it looks and sounds like high-end gear. When I shop for items like this, I look at features, quality, and price without regard to the brand. In this case, Sony simply has a product that works great and provides an elegant solution for those wanting home theater sound in a low-profile package. It's a winner."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Review 2 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

1.0 5

This soundbar is terrible 11/03/2008
By Anonymous Reviewer from Aventura, FL

Value for Price

1.0 5

Sound Quality

1.0 5

Appearance

4.0 5

Power

1.0 5

What's great about it: It's small and non intrusive on top of shelves
What's not so great: Sounds terrible.

"The sound is horrible. There is no power output and lacks any type of sound quality. It may be good if I was in a small room, probably the size of Harry Potter's closet, but seriously, if I just bought a 46" LCD HD TV and a Sony Blu-Ray Disc player, why would I want this terrible system. This guy could've totally sold me some good equipment, but didn't do so. Returning this for something else today. Did I mention that this is horrible?"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Is this product used primarily for business?: No

0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Review 3 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

1.0 5

Disappointing at best. 11/01/2008
By joh1219 from Lower Burrell, PA

Value for Price

1.0 5

Sound Quality

1.0 5

Appearance

4.0 5

Power

4.0 5

What's great about it: Speaker size
What's not so great: Sound quality, remote, sync.

"Purchased this model because of previous posted reviews. Lots of distortion at higher volumes. Voice snyc with sound on one TV channel but not the next, most prevalent on non HD channels. Remote did not work at all. Sub woofer has to in the open (per op manual) for remote signal to activate it. Can't but it behind the chair!
I may have got the lemon, my input signal is from a comcast cable box, my TV is a Samsung 50" HD TV. I used the audio output signal from the TV with a fiber optic cable.
I gave it a Poor rating, I don't believe it should be any higher because it basicly did not work."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Is this product used primarily for business?: No

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Review 4 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

5.0 5

AWESOME CLARITY 10/25/2008
By rockie

Value for Price

5.0 5

Sound Quality

5.0 5

Appearance

5.0 5

Power

5.0 5

What's great about it: EASY SETUP BEST PRICE OUT THERE
What's not so great: SUBWOOFER IS CHUNKY

"THIS SOUND BAR FOR THE PRICE AND QUALITY OF SOUND IS GREAT, YOU CANNOT FIND ONE AT THIS PRICE TO COMPARE TO SONY. I have two high end sound bars which cost alot of $ and to be honest the Sony sounds better in clarity, actually hearing surround effects in this system than in the high end ones. Some complain about the volume max which is true it does have a volume max, but the high end models have too much bass and the volume if at a high setting does not achieve anything but complaining neighbors. On the Sony if you hook all of your components to the subwoofer with a hdmi cable and the digital cable supplied the sound is awesome, do not wast your money on a high end model when you can save yourself some cash and even have enough left over to buy a blue-ray. I sold one of the high ends and bought another sony for the bedroom thats how confident I feel about the product but everyone else has different taste."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Review 5 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Top 250 Contributor

Customer Rating

3.0 5

it is Ok... 10/24/2008
By ABC102 from Tacoma. WA

Value for Price

5.0 5

Sound Quality

3.0 5

Appearance

4.0 5

Power

4.0 5

What's great about it: Price, Size, 3 HDMI, Price
What's not so great: Sound Level,

"I used this home theater about 3 weeks now.
it is great for people who live in apartment or for small bedroom
sound is not loud enough but sound quality is ok...
after 3 weeks two hdmi connection not response and when i touch hdmi cable than it works...
this sound bar is easy to set up and price is reasonable.
but if you want very good sound quality go with the samsung 5.1 System."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 6 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Worth Every Penny 10/21/2008
By adrac from Pittsburgh, PA

Value for Price

4.0 5

Sound Quality

4.0 5

Appearance

4.0 5

Power

4.0 5

What's great about it: Takes up little space
What's not so great: Not quite surround

"This is a great product if you want surround sound, but aren't a complete audiophile or expecting "true surround."
It's worth it because you eliminate wires running all over your living room and still have great sound. It is comparable or better than many higher priced brands."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 7 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

4.0 5

Room-filling sound without the bulk 10/20/2008
By Snouter from Felton, CA

Value for Price

5.0 5

Sound Quality

4.0 5

Appearance

3.0 5

Power

4.0 5

What's great about it: Sounds great
What's not so great: Separation between channels is minimal at best

"We have a small room that will not easily accomodate wired surround systems, but we wanted decent sound for our flat-screen TV. This system does the job very nicely, with deep bass and clear, accurate mid- and high notes.
Soundbar systems do not, however, simulate real surround sound by any stretch of the imagination. If hearing distinct right/left/rear channels with good spatial separation is important to you, this (and the other soundbar systems) probably won't satisfy you.
The soundbar itself is fairly compact, but the sub that sits on the floor is rather large, so be sure you see one before you buy it if you have a small room. It's wired to the soundbar so you can't hide the sub in some other part of the room, unlike the TeeVee and other wireless subs."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 8 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Great sound!! 10/11/2008
By iumy from WA

Value for Price

5.0 5

Sound Quality

5.0 5

Appearance

5.0 5

Power

5.0 5

What's great about it: sound, design
What's not so great: none

"For the money this is a great product. The sound is amazing. I am usually not so good at set-up but this is easy enough. I didn't want to hassel with codes and this is perfect for a small space and looks great!! I really like the design of this sound bar, so cool! You will love it."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 9 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

2.0 5

Not what I expected all round 09/22/2008
By usmyguy from Astoria, NY

Value for Price

2.0 5

Sound Quality

2.0 5

Appearance

4.0 5

Power

2.0 5

What's great about it: Nice looking and match my TV
What's not so great: Poor sound, sub woofer should be smaller

"I like the design of this sound bar but the sound is not what I expected. It sound like my TV. I need a little more kick so I returned the unit to Sears within 2 weeks of purchase but Sears charge me 15% re-stocking fee even I returned with the original box, and containing all original product packaging and accessories and looked like it had never been opened. . Buyer beware of Sears."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No

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Review 10 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Bang For Buck 09/22/2008
By arcon7 from Alaska

Value for Price

5.0 5

Sound Quality

4.0 5

Appearance

4.0 5

Power

4.0 5

What's great about it: Design, Connections, Set-up
What's not so great: Power, Seperate Ipod connecter

"I was in the market for a HTS, had originally purchased an all-in-one system, didnt work out too well, it was defective :(, so i did a little more research and came across sounds bars, i was pretty sceptic about purchasing somethin that 'simulates' surrond sound, but let me tell you, the Sony SoundBar quickly won me over. The design may be a little smaller then other soundbars, but dont let that throw you off, great sound for something this small. The bass and sound quality are amazing for 'simulating' surrond sound. Easy connections, and great for a bedroom. Keep in mind you do pay for what you get, so if you put this in the living room, you might be a little dissapointed, but like i said great for a bedroom or other small(er)[then living room] areas. Enjoy."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 11 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

4.0 5

Nice Alternative to 5.1 09/16/2008
By Costanza

Value for Price

5.0 5

Sound Quality

4.0 5

Appearance

4.0 5

Power

4.0 5

What's great about it: Simple 2 unit system, 3 HDMI inputs, price
What's not so great: Could use a bit more power and more configurable settings

"This is the perfect solution for a bedroom or 2nd tv where you don't need a full 5.1 system and don't want to run wires everywhere. For the price point, it's got very good sound and mimics surround sound pretty well. Wish it had a bit more power on max volume for playing music loud, but that's to be expected due to the number of speakers and wattage. The clincher for me was the 3 HDMI inputs/1 out, which is rare in this price range. If all your A/V equipment is HDMI capable, this allows you run only 1 HDMI cable between the subwoofer/receiver and your TV. The receiver decodes Dolby Digital and DTS but not the newer HD audio formats. Also wish it would allow for a bit more configurable settings (i.e. no equilizer and only basic DSP modes). Overall though, I am very happy with this purchase and it works great for the bedroom."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 12 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

4.0 5

great alternative 09/15/2008
By pickett24 from Falls Church,Va

Value for Price

4.0 5

Sound Quality

4.0 5

Appearance

4.0 5

Power

3.0 5

What's great about it: no cords, looks good/ blends in
What's not so great: volume level

"This is good alternative for a small space...no cords to hassel with it looks good and blends right in.Of course a real surround sound system works best but when you don't have the space this system works great. Only thing that I don't like is the volume level doesn't go very high depending on what component you are using this is not always a problem....works best with other sony products. Sounds great with ps3...."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 13 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

4.0 5

Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker 09/08/2008
By JahRules from Downers Grove, IL

Value for Price

5.0 5

Sound Quality

4.0 5

Appearance

5.0 5

Power

5.0 5

What's great about it: Compact Size, Minimal Wires, Easy Set-Up, Powerful Sound, 3 HDMI Inputs
What's not so great: IPod attachment is sold seperately

"I previously had a 5.1 Surround Sound System that I liked, but, after moving into a smaller apartment, had decided on a "soundbar" as my home theater system of choice. My living room floor plan did not enable me to position the "rear speakers" of a true surround sound system as I would have liked, and, prevented me from properly hiding the "speaker wire" that usually comes along with those same speakers. My HDTV also has very poor speakers that did not immerse us in the sound of the programs we were watching.
After looking at numerous "smaller home theater" and "soundbar" systems, I picked the Sony as it's one of the only systems of its kind to have 3 HDMI inputs(utilizing what most current home entertainment systems use for maximum audio and picture enhancement), and, an average size subwoofer (comparable to a desktop computer).
Set-up was easy, fast, and done within minutes.
While I definitely agree with most people that this is not true "surround sound" (i.e. having speakers in front of and behind you), I believe making some proper adjustments with this system (i.e. center speaker, subwoofer, and sound field volumes) will increase the "surround" effect and give you immense pleasure as you watch your favorite shows, movies, and sports.
My only gripe (and its a small one) would be that the Sony IPod adapter for the system is NOT included, but, when purchased, allows you to listen to your IPod, charge it, and view/select its menu options while showing on your TV!
Overall, I am VERY happy with this system, and feel that the price point is reasonable and fits nicely with my current home theater set-up."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 14 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Great for small spaces 08/30/2008
By wsilva002

Value for Price

5.0 5

Sound Quality

5.0 5

Appearance

5.0 5

Power

5.0 5

What's great about it: Great sound quality simulation.
What's not so great: No cons.

"You get a kicker out of the subwoofer.
This a 5.1 sound simulation. Don't expect the same as a real 5.1. Be real folks. It's small, versatile, stylish and great sound."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 15 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Impressive little system 08/18/2008
By 25doc from North Carolina

What's great about it: Price, sound quality, simple to hook up
What's not so great: None so far

"Recently our last child moved out of the house leaving me the chance to have an "entertainment room" that I had been wanting for years. My own little domain that has been named "The Cave" by my wife. After some paint, new furniture, and a LCD flat screen tv, I went in search of a simple home theater speaker system.

We have an Infinity system in the livingroom that is awesome, but I didn't need anything quite fancy for "The Cave". I wanted something simple, without a lot of wires to deal with, but something that has a decent sound quality. I also didn't want to spend big bucks on this system. After visiting several audio/video stores, I decided a soundbar was what I needed to fit the bill. I looked at several different brand names; Polk, Yamaha, Phillips. While all of them had good qualities, nothing really jumped out at me. I listened to the Bose Cinimate demo and was happy with the way it sounded. So, I bought one, took it home and hooked it up. It sounded terrible in my room. It sounds nothing like the demo system in the store. Needless to say, it went back the same day. During all of my shopping, I had saw the Sony system several times, but never had a demo of the system. In fact most stores didn't even have the system hooked up to a tv. To be honest, every time I saw the system, I thought it couldn't be much of a system for $299.

After doing some research on the HT-CT100 system, I find that it has some great reviews. CNET gives it one of their highest reviews for a 2.1 theater system. Long story short, I bought one, brought it home and hooked it up. Unlike the Bose system which has only 1 connection; a pair of RCA jacks from your tv, the Sony system has several options for hooking up the system to your audio/video equipment. It has 3 HDMI inputs for your DVD, TV, and Cable/Sat system box. It also has 3 optical audio inputs and 1 coaxial audio input.

The instructions are simple to follow, and it only takes a few minutes to get the system hooked up and running. The sound quality is great, and the sub has a decent thump to it.

Try this system, its well worth it."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 16 for Sony BRAVIA 3.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar Speaker System with Subwoofer

Customer Rating

4.0 5

good value 08/08/2008
By lsst81 from iowa city, IA

What's great about it: improved audio over TV stock, easy connections, no wiring to run for surround, good value
What's not so great: you get wha