Sony HT-S40R 5.1ch 600W Soundbar for TV with Subwoofer and Wireless Rear Speakers with Bluetooth

Chose this set up as it was Sony and came with wireless rear speakers. The rear speakers are not completely wireless as they still connect using speaker wires to the small rear amp, however you don’t have any wires going from the rear amp to the front speakers which makes the install really clean.Initial set up was about 10 minutes out of the box as everything connects up automatically once plugged in, also has HDMI ARC so if plugged into a relevant HDMI ARC port on your tv you will be able to control the volume using your tv remote. It doesn’t have to be used with a Sony TV, I’m using it with a 55” Philips Ambilight tv and it works flawlessly.I ended up wall mounting the front speaker and running the cable from it to the sub in my wall for a neat install. Comes with a paper mounting template so you can make sure the screws are perfectly placed. Looks very neat and fits perfectly under my 55” tv.I find I don’t really use the different EQ modes on the device as they all sound very similar to my ears, so I just leave it on Cinema mode which gives me the sound I am after for both movies and music. I was pleasantly surprised how good music sounds through the system when I connected my phone using Bluetooth and played some songs using Apple Music.The best thing about this system is the BASS, its thunderous and really puts you in the centre of the action. However, if thunderous bass is not your thing this can be individually controlled on the remote from 0 and 12 so you can find the right setting for you. I did spend a little time after the initial set up balancing the system as the rear speakers were a bit quiet, however the instruction manual explains how to adjust the speaker distances and volumes using the menu system which is displayed on the sub woofer. The room I’m using the surround system in is only about 8sqm so balancing was important to make sure the sound was converging at the right place for the room size and the viewing position. It’s a little trial and error but overall I didn’t find it too difficult to get the sound how I wanted. Now balanced the vocals are clear and the rear speakers really give that immersive surround experience.I have read reviews that suggest this isn’t a proper Dolby 5.1 system, that is not true. I have ran Dolby 5.1 test files and movies through my system and I can confirm it is definitely Dolby 5.1 with separate channels.What I think others have been experiencing is an issue with the software or media player they have been using to play their 5.1 files. For instance I found issues when using VLC media player from the android play store on my tv and on some YouTube videos that said they were Dolby 5.1. I either got no sound from the rear speakers or it would simply play the front left and right channels also through the rear speakers. However, in this instance it’s clearly a software issue and is nothing to do with the surround sound system.I didn’t have this issue when using the onboard media player that came with my tv or with Netflix, Amazon Prime etc as all produced a perfect Dolby 5.1 experience.I haven’t had any regrets since buying this and I can’t believe I waited this long to own a surround sound system. It makes movies so much more immersive and I will never go back to just using my tv speakers as so much of the sound is missing without surround sound. At £299 I think this is an absolute bargain and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again.

Absolute amazing bit of kit. I have a 75binch 4k tv and now I have cinema sound ! Sony is excellent good quality and thank you amazon for reducing the price in the spring saving deals easy to assemble also

This surround system is very easy to set up, has a great effect and is reasonably priced.The system would’ve received 5 stars, but I feel it could have slightly more power, the volume has to be high on lesser quality streams, such as the NOW TV app, or IPlayer. Don’t get me wrong, it is loud enough, but sometimes you may crave an extra ten percent. However on blu rays it is plenty loud enough, in a 5x4m space. I imagine it would be awesome in a smaller room.The other reason it drops a star is functionality, there’s only one HDMI in/out - so if using a projector like me, you miss the second HDMI. The problem is fixed by sending audio through fibre optics, via a toslink / audio cable - but there is only one input so looking at splitters. A couple more connections & better options for individual speaker adjustments would’ve got it the five stars it probably deserves, given the bargain price.

Clear sound all around. I like the bass even when not very loud.

Unlike most Bass units this one is not wireless & has to be close to the soundbar, which has the sound cable running to it as all the controls are on the unit. This does not show the volume on screen on my Samsung 75" TV, only on the bass speaker, which doesnt work for us as its 5m away by the TV, so good luck trying to read what that says. The rear speakers are also not "wireless" but have a small cable that plugs into a box that needs to be plugged in within speaker cable distance, which, to be fair are quite long, now somewhere has to be found for this box of tricks & the sound is over powering from these two speakers with virtually no sound from the soundbar, with lots of adjustment we managed to get it reasonable, but it still sounded hollow. There is, after a lot of faffeing a + or - which isnt the quality I thought I was buying. I there are a lot of compromises with this system for £349, which is probably cheap for what you get but not if it doenst work for you. My personal opinion is it isnt worth the money & I could just have well bought a £250 system without the brand for as good, but, as it wasnt up to spec' on the returns form option, I will have to pay for & organise the return, poor show Amazon, Prime membership for the many years & thousands of ££ spent makes no diferance. It makes no odds that I have ordered a replacement Samsung soundbar which is more expensive & coming the 2 days later, they still wont collect the old one.To me that is poor customer service, even if I had to pay & they could collect it that would be ok, but there is no way to organise that with the info they have supplied, that I can see without ringing customer services, so that will be the next thing on the list.Disappointing purchase overall.

Bought this system as a joint treat between myself and hubby.. This has fantastic surround sound, not noticed any delay (given part wireless) set up was easily done by hubby.If you’re looking for a cinema experience while watching films then this does the job and then some. ( get ready to turn your head and if your dog is anything like ours, a barking dog!!) The sound clarity is brilliant. I love that the speakers are small (despite packing a punch!) subwoofers is sleek, with display of what sound option you are using built. Remote control is easy to use. just be ready, once you connect it, the surround comes on every time you turn on the TV..! (I got caught out the first time!!) it’s a simple one button turn off, so no big deal.I wasn’t the one wanting a surround system, but have to say I am enjoying the benefits a lot. Great sound system definitely recommend it..

Not as good as thought it would be. Very soft rear speakers could be better