Sony SA-RS5 - Very disappointed

[lovinthehd]

Curious, why not just ditch the soundbar and go to more traditional audio components?

 

[Danzilla31]

After finding this Amazon review (by “ginandbacon”), I made many “Manual” speaker settings changes:

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Wireless-Speakers-HT-A7000-HT-A5000/dp/B09TG3XX4L#customerReviews

Unfortunately, while they are performing a bit better now, even at max volume on the remote for the rears, they are still quite lame, especially given all the hype about the “up-firing” technology and such, and the crazy price. I don’t expect great performance when watching cable TV, but there should be a mode setting on the remote to have them produce some sound, but even when watching a 4K movie (Netflix), they aren’t doing much.

Probably the worst case of buyer’s remorse I’ve ever had.

No shame in that we've all made those same mistakes. Is it too late to return the system if you can't get it too produce audio to the level you need it to in that room layout

 

[Danzilla31]

After finding this Amazon review (by “ginandbacon”), I made many “Manual” speaker settings changes:

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Wireless-Speakers-HT-A7000-HT-A5000/dp/B09TG3XX4L#customerReviews

Unfortunately, while they are performing a bit better now, even at max volume on the remote for the rears, they are still quite lame, especially given all the hype about the “up-firing” technology and such, and the crazy price. I don’t expect great performance when watching cable TV, but there should be a mode setting on the remote to have them produce some sound, but even when watching a 4K movie (Netflix), they aren’t doing much.

Probably the worst case of buyer’s remorse I’ve ever had.

Is there a reason you ditched your old gear if you don't mind me asking? Just ease of use get rid of clutter? I'm sure with some research we can help you find a better sound bar if you need to return it and don't want to go back to traditional gear. I'll do some digging

 

[Earfull]

For those who have asked:

I used to have a killer 13' x 19' dedicated HT room with all the fixings which I built about 16 years ago, and just over a year ago updated the PJ to a 4K, and even got a larger 106" screen from the 94" one I had.

Then, last July, at the age of 59, I was diagnosed with ALS. A horrific death sentence, and truly a devastating bomb dropped into our lives. Because our house was not wheelchair friendly, it forced us to sell that beloved home, and I had to walk away from my HT room. The diagnosis also forced me to shut down my business of 28 years. Four months ago we moved into a condo/townhouse type unit. The last 10 months have been indescribable.

I kept the 12" Energy sub, big tower speakers, receiver etc, but after we moved in, it quickly became apparent that they wouldn't work in the new space, and it was also too boomy for the neighbors below and to the sides. I then discovered soundbars, which would work with the brand new Sony 65" OLED we got for the new place, so got the HT-A7000. It was underwhelming, so I added the SW3 a few weeks ago, and that helped, but it was clear that some rears were needed, and after reading all about these new RS5 units, decided on those.

I am perplexed at how so many online reviews describe these speakers as "amazing" and transformative to their various setups, because my experience has been just the opposite. It still makes me wonder if there was something done incorrectly with setting them up, but I can't imagine what that would be. There are also numerous reviews which mention how disappointingly quiet they are, so I'm not alone.

Sure, I've made manual adjustments to the speaker settings, and got a little sound coming out of them with some 4K movies, but when I switch to cable TV, they are pretty much silent, even when set to "max" volume. I did find a hi-def TV channel tonight which had them giving a tiny bit of sound, but it's all really quite pathetic.

 

[Danzilla31]

For those who have asked:

I used to have a killer 13' x 19' dedicated HT room with all the fixings which I built about 16 years ago, and just over a year ago updated the PJ to a 4K, and even got a larger 106" screen from the 94" one I had.

Then, last July, at the age of 59, I was diagnosed with ALS. A horrific death sentence, and truly a devastating bomb dropped into our lives. Because our house was not wheelchair friendly, it forced us to sell that beloved home, and I had to walk away from my HT room. The diagnosis also forced me to shut down my business of 28 years. Four months ago we moved into a condo/townhouse type unit. The last 10 months have been indescribable.

I kept the 12" Energy sub, big tower speakers, receiver etc, but after we moved in, it quickly became apparent that they wouldn't work in the new space, and it was also too boomy for the neighbors below and to the sides. I then discovered soundbars, which would work with the brand new Sony 65" OLED we got for the new place, so got the HT-A7000. It was underwhelming, so I added the SW3 a few weeks ago, and that helped, but it was clear that some rears were needed, and after reading all about these new RS5 units, decided on those.

I am perplexed at how so many online reviews describe these speakers as "amazing" and transformative to their various setups, because my experience has been just the opposite. It still makes me wonder if there was something done incorrectly with setting them up, but I can't imagine what that would be. There are also numerous reviews which mention how disappointingly quiet they are, so I'm not alone.

Sure, I've made manual adjustments to the speaker settings, and got a little sound coming out of them with some 4K movies, but when I switch to cable TV, they are pretty much silent, even when set to "max" volume. I did find a hi-def TV channel tonight which had them giving a tiny bit of sound, but it's all really quite pathetic.

I think we need to get you a better sound bar or plug in play setup. Sounds like you've squeezed everything you can out of that Sony and that's why I'm hoping you can return it. We can help you get better I'm positive of that. If not Im confident we can help you get the most out of the Sony if we can.

My support my heart goes out to a fellow member just a fellow human being with what your going through. About 26 years ago I had a head injury and afterwards maybe the trauma caused it who knows I was afflicted with bipolar disorder. I had my first manic episode at 22. I was homeless by 24. To say it was devastating would be an understatement

I put my peices of my life back together. And audio was one of the greatest things I found to get me through. This hobby grew from there. I think we can all relate to audio being more than just a hobby but also something that uplifts maybe even transcends where we are at sometimes.

If you can look past some of our clumsy attempts at communication I'm positive we can help you figure this out. Unfortunately lots of sleep is something I must have with my situation. But after I wake up I'll be looking at alternate plug and play systems that would best that Sony if you need to return it. I'll get right back with some links in the morning ASAP

 

[OHMisback]

I'm new so bear with me, I read about your situation. I had to register to chat at you. I'm glad you're staying as focused as you are.

I know patience is probably not a word you want to hear, but you mentioned the pieces you kept were "Boomy" and because of that and a few more thing, CHANGED. I think the system you have will work just fine for your application. I suggest you let them break in a bit, but most of all get some help with room treatment. I've found 50% of most sound issues weather HT, 2 channel playback, or a transistor radio is the room.

"Boomy" is placement and 100% room. Even bloated bass will calm down with curtains/panels. I use Helmholtz tunable tube traps for 5-120hz control and passive wall traps to fine tune the upper frequencies. It doesn't matter where I'm having issues. The minor bumps and dips are easily dealt with by most DSP based systems I don't use it but your welcome to. I use a PEQ and a few tools only for 300hz and below. Everything else is mechanically tuned. I don't use surround sound BUT I have a great sound system for concerting and using a monitor.

Because your in an apartment/condo/townhome, I suggest decoupling ALL the speakers for your neighbors sake and to STOP the floor plane from being a huge out of time driver. The 1-300hz from the floor is completely out of time with every other driven speaker driver.

With room treatment the VOLUME will go way up. You may not need a lot of sub energy to do the trick and at the same time keep your neighbors happy.

Helmholtz does not dampen a frequency it cancels it. Your neighbors will thank you, and YOU will have a lot better result in YOUR domicile not the neighbors..

I think your getting some great advice if you can find a serious center channel.
High sensitivity good from 40hz >. That will help with 80-300hz which is VERY directional and in your face so to speak.. Sony use to use a lot of 6 ohm speakers?

Last and most important. I'm a prayin' man. I've been dealing with some serious stuff as of late also. I'll add you and more so, your family to the prayer list. You'll be just fine. Stay busy fixing that silly sound system and enjoy EVERY day you have with pets, family, friends and your NEW found friends here. You keep posting, I'll keep prayin'. I'm VERY glad you are here in the US and not Ukraine. Some things we can really count our blessing about.

2 time C survivor, now a different demon disease wants the top of my left lung. I won't give up, neither will you.

With great regard..

 

[afterlife2]

How about some budget bookshelves you can hang on wall? Maybe a Marantz reciever: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/marnr1710a/marantz-nr1710-slim-7.2-ch-x-50-watts-a/v-receiver-w/heos-new/1.html
Check eBay for used Marantz too. Thrift stores too.
Maybe this under the couch sub:

Monoprice SSW-12 12in 150-Watt Powered Slim Subwoofer - Monoprice.com

The Monoprice SSW‑12 is a 12" 150‑watt powered subwoofer that helps alleviate subwoofer placement in any room. This slim, low profile ported subwoofer can be placed under your favorit

www.monoprice.com

 

[Danzilla31]

For those who have asked:

I used to have a killer 13' x 19' dedicated HT room with all the fixings which I built about 16 years ago, and just over a year ago updated the PJ to a 4K, and even got a larger 106" screen from the 94" one I had.

Then, last July, at the age of 59, I was diagnosed with ALS. A horrific death sentence, and truly a devastating bomb dropped into our lives. Because our house was not wheelchair friendly, it forced us to sell that beloved home, and I had to walk away from my HT room. The diagnosis also forced me to shut down my business of 28 years. Four months ago we moved into a condo/townhouse type unit. The last 10 months have been indescribable.

I kept the 12" Energy sub, big tower speakers, receiver etc, but after we moved in, it quickly became apparent that they wouldn't work in the new space, and it was also too boomy for the neighbors below and to the sides. I then discovered soundbars, which would work with the brand new Sony 65" OLED we got for the new place, so got the HT-A7000. It was underwhelming, so I added the SW3 a few weeks ago, and that helped, but it was clear that some rears were needed, and after reading all about these new RS5 units, decided on those.

I am perplexed at how so many online reviews describe these speakers as "amazing" and transformative to their various setups, because my experience has been just the opposite. It still makes me wonder if there was something done incorrectly with setting them up, but I can't imagine what that would be. There are also numerous reviews which mention how disappointingly quiet they are, so I'm not alone.

Sure, I've made manual adjustments to the speaker settings, and got a little sound coming out of them with some 4K movies, but when I switch to cable TV, they are pretty much silent, even when set to "max" volume. I did find a hi-def TV channel tonight which had them giving a tiny bit of sound, but it's all really quite pathetic.

Here's one company I've always heard really good reviews for

Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 eARC with Dolby Atmos Soundbar | Dual Subs | Quad Surrounds

Soundbar Supercharged: Experience unmatched 360° surround & bass performance with upgraded Dual 10" Wireless Subwoofers and Quad Modular Rear Speakers.

www.nakamichi-usa.com

The have a 9.2 2022 system
A 9.2 system that's the previous model may be less expensive
And a 7.2 version.

They come with 2 10 inch wireless subs and I've always heard good things about them

 

[Danzilla31]

https://www.amazon.com/Jamo-Studio-803-HCS-WH-Cinema/dp/B07JJP96NT/ref=asc_df_B07JJP96NT/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312112196361&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18269487623111457188&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028098&hvtargid=pla-583680227027&psc=1

The 5 speaker Jamo 803 set up is 249.00 on Amazon I believe you already have a sub and you will need a reciever but a good budget 5.1 or 7.1 will do the trick for you for around 500 to 700 dollars you'd have a compact easy to manage system that would out perform really any soundbar setup

And these speakers look great too

Plus if you want rears you can buy more Jamon speakers for cheap

 

[Danzilla31]

RSL speakers have a great 5.1 or 7.1 systems too with a budget reciever these would be around the same price as the Sony

CG3M 5.1 Home Theater System - RSL Speakers

rslspeakers.com

There is a wait on there subwoofers right now tho they are super popular

 

[Danzilla31]

https://www.amazon.com/Platin-SoundSend-Transmitter-Uncompressed-Certified/dp/B08KVT7147/ref=asc_df_B08KVT7147/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475750796803&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10191849653825441899&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028098&hvtargid=pla-1064880106008&psc=1

The Platin Monaco 5.1 or 7.1 wireless system looks very great for your setup the 5.1 is less then that Sony

 

[Danzilla31]

You can expand the platin system to 7.1 for just 249 more. If you can't make the Sony work that's my favorite one to recommend

You don't need a reciever it's compact wireless and the same budget as your Sony.

 

[afterlife2]

Go zilla go zilla.

 

[Danzilla31]

Go zilla go zilla.

You guys need to help me out soon I'm running out of gas

 

[afterlife2]

You guys need to help me out soon I'm running out of gas

I think that Marantz reciever, Jamo speaker set and Monoprice sub would be a great setup. Just need rugs to put wires underneath. Got my rugs from 5 and Below store. Love them.

 

[Earfull]

While I appreciate all the suggestions for an entirely different system, that isn’t going to happen. I bought each component (soundbar/sub/rears) at different outlets (due to availability), and I suspect that the only part that I would be permitted to return would be these RS5 speakers due to the short passage of time since purchase (Amazon). But I wouldn’t feel right about it, as I still feel that there is a good possibility that there is some setting/setup issue that might be at the root of it all. I also am not able to run wires to any rear speakers in our new place, so they do need to be wireless. If it turns out that their present performance is all they will do, then I will just live with it, having them do “just ok” with the latest content and the latest audio tech.

This also reminds me of a related thing which dovetails into all of this, and that is my experience with the purchase about two months ago of the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones. I have never even tried or used any of the recent headphone offerings, but decided on getting a pair for those action/shoot-‘em-up movies that I like, which my wife doesn’t. Again, we just moved into a condo/townhouse development a few months ago, and now have neighbors who we need to be considerate of for noise, so the headphones would obviously allow me to enjoy those movies at a higher volume.

Well, I was absolutely gob-smacked by the quality of the audio with the headphones. Not only was the bass surprisingly good, but the utter clarity and separation of the audio was astounding, especially with what had become one of my pet peeves over the years with most all modern films – the speech/vocal component! It seems that we were often rewinding certain clips of a movie because we couldn’t hear what the hell they were saying. They are often either whispering or mumbling, or the background music is far far too loud and dominating. The headphones somehow provide a level of audio clarity that I find mind-blowing, and if I am going to be watching a movie by myself, then the headphones are always used now. The difference is simply night & day.

It’s still a requirement to have a good “non-headphone” sound system though, for all those times when there are two or more viewers.

 

[Danzilla31]

While I appreciate all the suggestions for an entirely different system, that isn’t going to happen. I bought each component (soundbar/sub/rears) at different outlets (due to availability), and I suspect that the only part that I would be permitted to return would be these RS5 speakers due to the short passage of time since purchase (Amazon). But I wouldn’t feel right about it, as I still feel that there is a good possibility that there is some setting/setup issue that might be at the root of it all. I also am not able to run wires to any rear speakers in our new place, so they do need to be wireless. If it turns out that their present performance is all they will do, then I will just live with it, having them do “just ok” with the latest content and the latest audio tech.

This also reminds me of a related thing which dovetails into all of this, and that is my experience with the purchase about two months ago of the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones. I have never even tried or used any of the recent headphone offerings, but decided on getting a pair for those action/shoot-‘em-up movies that I like, which my wife doesn’t. Again, we just moved into a condo/townhouse development a few months ago, and now have neighbors who we need to be considerate of for noise, so the headphones would obviously allow me to enjoy those movies at a higher volume.

Well, I was absolutely gob-smacked by the quality of the audio with the headphones. Not only was the bass surprisingly good, but the utter clarity and separation of the audio was astounding, especially with what had become one of my pet peeves over the years with most all modern films – the speech/vocal component! It seems that we were often rewinding certain clips of a movie because we couldn’t hear what the hell they were saying. They are often either whispering or mumbling, or the background music is far far too loud and dominating. The headphones somehow provide a level of audio clarity that I find mind-blowing, and if I am going to be watching a movie by myself, then the headphones are always used now. The difference is simply night & day.

It’s still a requirement to have a good “non-headphone” sound system though, for all those times when there are two or more viewers.

I have a pair of Sony headphones I really like. Understandable with your being unable to return the system. We'll have to dig into the manual see if there's something we can help you with the setup

 

[akashkw]

I’m a bit late to the party but I had a nearly identical experience. I played around with these speakers and they made no sound at all, (or sometimes the tiniest bit of sound). I eventually found out it was an issue with settings, and once that was fixed the speakers sounded great. They’re not going to blow you away, but they can get plenty loud. Definitely much louder than you described. Also the “360” effect was imperceptible until I fixed the settings, but now I think it’s quite convincing.

I’m certain you also have a settings issue. All the comments hating on soundbars have some merit but are misguided here (or just plain elitist). Soundbars aren’t audiophile quality but they have a time and a place, and they can certainly produce volume.

Weirdly, I’m in a similar situation to you. I was also diagnosed with a life-ruining disease and had to move to a different place. I also had to downgrade my audio setup and find something that wouldn’t bother the neighbors. Funny how we both ended up with the same product.

If you haven’t already returned the speakers, I bet that surround sound is not enabled somewhere in the chain. One way to debug this is to try out multiple apps on multiple devices, and see if you can get the speakers to work for one of them. For example, I found that I could get the rears to work with certain games on my Xbox, and that helped me isolate the issue. For debugging, I like the opening scene to Alien 3. If you can’t clearly hear the SA-RS5’s during that, something is definitely wrong. My gut feeling is that audio passthrough needs to be enabled somewhere.

Hope you find this helpful

 

[kevintomb]

TLS Guy, aka Dr. Mark, is a retired Doctor and recording engineer who forgot about audio more than you ever knew. He doesn't tolerate bullshit and speaks his mind out. If you're here to learn, at least try to look past his warm and fuzzy personality.

Also, You did buy crappy speakers without asking any of us, then we could've just told you they are crap before you bought them. Now you come here to complain about issues with your crappy speaker like it's somehow our fault.

Wow, your reply is just as rude.

So you condone rude behavour based on someones supposed KNOWLEDGE of audio?

He did not complain, he asked why he is getting (almost) NO sound from his surrounds., even when there should be sound.

Learn to read.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Wow, your reply is just as rude.

It works as intended.

Learn to read.

I think I am doing pretty well for someone with English as a third language.