Review: Sony HT-G700 TV Soundbar

Nowadays, several larger and innovative TVs that offer excellent displays are becoming more and more commonplace. Especially with the seemingly never-ending lockdown due to the COVID-19 situation here in the Philippines, staying at home has been more important now more than ever, hence why home entertainment systems now have a bigger spotlight. The only problem, however, with some of these aforementioned TVs is that not a lot of emphasis is put in the audio department by the manufacturers, resulting in relatively subpar audio quality. 

This then leads consumers to pairing their TVs with better, external audio sources, such as complete home entertainment systems or simply just a soundbar. The latter, which tends to be cheaper, easier to set up and occupies less space, seems to be what’s generally favored by consumers.

Queue Sony’s HT-G700, an advanced soundbar paired with a powerful subwoofer sure to fill the room with vivid sounds and, more importantly, give TVs the pairing of high quality audio that it deserves.

There are a number of aspects that allow the Sony HT-G700 to deliver crisp and sophisticated audio. Its Vertical Sound Engine, powered by advanced surround technology, utilizes three front speakers to produce “vertical” sound for virtual surround sound. Moreover, selecting the Immersive AE (Audio Enhancement) feature would upscale the regular stereo audio to 7.1.2 surround sound.

In essence, you can enjoy surround sound from just the soundbar and subwoofer, unlike having to strategically place multiple speakers throughout the room, as with a complete home entertainment sound system.

The quality of the surround sound definitely plays a role in the enhancement of the overall audio, which I was able to experience with the start of the new Premier League season. Not only was I able to merely see the return of fans into stadiums, but I was able to hear them vividly as the Liverpool faithful’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” chant echoed throughout my living room, as if I were at Anfield at that very moment.

Modes

As expected with practically any TV, various different types of entertainment and media are to be played. Hence, a big plus with the HT-G700 is that it has multiple modes to aptly enhance audio.

Its Theater Mode gives you that cinematic experience to feel and hear the action all around you– from each swing of the Lightsaber in Star Wars to every rev of the engine in Fast & Furious. A personal favorite as someone who is always passively listening to tunes, Music Mode brings the richness in finer details, allowing me to truly feel Chuck Mangione’s prowess when it comes to the trumpet. Activating Voice Mode would better emphasize and accentuate speech, best for when watching the news or listening to podcasts. Lastly, Night Mode lowers “disruptive” noises such as loud bangs or deep bass sounds while still maintaining audibility for when bingeing on your favorite Netflix shows while the whole neighborhood sleeps soundly.

Design

In classic Sony fashion, the HT-G700 Soundbar embodies a minimalist, monochrome design. Both the soundbar and subwoofer are sleek and dark, making them unobtrusive and less of a distraction. The soundbar’s speakers at the front are caged inside a metal grille that give it a sturdier appearance.

The soundbar, though quite lengthy and on the heavier side, is short and sleek enough to sit nicely on a tabletop without obstructing the TV’s display. Its subwoofer, on the other hand, is about the size of your average desktop CPU and connects to the soundbar wirelessly, allowing you to have more liberty in where you place it, as you would essentially only need to plug it into a power source.

Atop the soundbar are five buttons to control the power, input, Bluetooth and volume. At the back is where you’ll find the different ports as well: HDMI eARC, USB (for updates only) and optical audio in.

The soundbar connects to the TV via the HDMI eARC (Audio Return Channel) and facilitates optimal audio quality as it can support all common audio formats, which means you can enjoy the latest theatre audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

Connectivity

One aspect that I greatly appreciated (and that some may overlook) is just how easy and simple it is to set up; both the soundbar and subwoofer are each plugged into a power outlet, with the soundbar connecting to theTV via HDMI. In addition, there is an optical digital input as well for a full-bandwidth sound.

However, the soundbar isn’t Apple AirPlay or Chromecast compatible. Fortunately, connecting to other devices such as your phone, tablet, laptop, etc., are made convenient with the simple touch of the Bluetooth button to switch modes.

The fairly seamless switching between modes is something I utilize quite frequently (e.g. connecting my phone to play music during halftime). This makes quality time such as hanging out and lounging with family and/or friends all the more enjoyable and effortless. Hopefully, activities such as these will return to being the norm sooner rather than later.

Verdict:

Sony’s HT-G700 can easily enhance multiple types of audio from its mere quality to the different modes it possesses. This allows it to be a very versatile soundbar with various uses for the entire family– be it movie night, watching the NBA Finals, playing the PS5 or simply lounging to music. Its P31,199 price tag may be a hefty one for some, but the way the HT-G700 can easily enhance the overall entertainment experience is something sure to raise multiple eyebrows, especially considering the increasing (and seemingly endless) number of days we’ve been staying home.