The HT-CT500 sound bar and subwoofer is a simple surround sound solution for your bedroom or small footprint apartment. Sony first made waves in the home theater in a box category with the HT-CT100, which proved to be very popular amongst its competition because of the features offered for the price. However, this $500 sound bar and subwoofer is far different than its sibling in aesthetics, features, and price. This 3.1-channel speaker system comes with a built-in A/V receiver, 5 HD inputs (3 HDMI and 2 component) and icon based GUI with video upscaling to 1080p from analog standard definition sources.
If you have a W-Series Bravia, you can mount the HT-CT500 sound bar to the television for a flush look that reduces footprint. And with 400W of power, it seems that this little system can sing after all. But is it worth $499.99? Sony hopes you think so with the inclusion of S-AIR technology, which allows people in other rooms to listen to music from the system through supported accessories. Other notable inputs include 2 Analog Audio, Coaxial Audio, Digital Media Port, and 3 Optical Audio Inputs.
It also has various Sound Fields to color your audio: STANDARD; MOVIE; DRAMA; NEWS; SPORTS; GAME; MUSIC; JAZZ; CLASSIC; ROCK; POP; LIVE; P.AUDIO. Sound will sound crisp and clear as it is digitally amplified by the S-Master system which includes S-Force PRO Front Surround. We also believe a FM tuner is included that supports 20 FM & 10 AM station presets.
What’s disappointing is the fact that the release of this product was overshadowed by the rest of the television-related product announcements in the last month. I think this is an attractive product, but the price is a bit high. However, it does offer more power and features than the HT-CT100 which cost $299. The HT-CT500 will start arriving in store shelves, Sony Style, and other online retailers around June/Summer for $499 in the USA and 60,000y in Japan.
Future HT-CT500 owners, please come back to this story with your comments on this product. Thanks!
p.s. The images used for this story are from Sony Japan, so the remote may differ elsewhere.
