Sony HT-Z9F Owners and Discussion Thread

sigh.... come on guys, i'm asking about specifically the files i mentioned.
they play showing Atmos DD+ when playing via USB, but not when played in plex.
atmos test files on youtube show as LPCM (are you suggesting youtube is providing lossless audio?)

i don't have an amazon prime subscriptiong so you can't test that.
i have netflix, but unless you have link to a specific title to test then it's unknown.
I dont think youtube supports dd+.. In case of plex i am not familiar with it. I use kodi. So check the settings on plex.
 
i'm not debating that.
i'm asking why it only works when playing a file from a USB stick and not from any other installed app on the TV.

You might've said earlier, but what TV do you have? Not all TV apps support Atmos. Does your Netflix subscription have Atmos as not all tiers do.
 
yes i did say in post 985
TV is Sony KD-43XD8305 (Android TV built-in youtube app).

i have the top tier of netflix.
 
yes i did say in post 985
TV is Sony KD-43XD8305 (Android TV built-in youtube app).

i have the top tier of netflix.

This is a long thread so I didn't read everything back through.

Has anyone confirmed that that TV's Netflix app supports Atmos?
 
Measure you distances for each speaker and input into SB settings.
Set main volume at volume you will listen at.
Switch on white noise and make note of db volume in phone app whilst sitting where you would sit to watch tv.
Then set sub and rear volumes at 5 , to give you ability to boost when not so loud from source.
Then set db for rears to match front speaker and set bass slightly lower or not if you like overpowering bass.

i've got the rears installed now and connected up.
i've set the distances for each speaker.

you say set the main volume at listening level - however the level is different for each source i've found. watching TV is around 17-18, but movies we'd have it cranked up higher than that. and watching normal stuff on plex it might be somewhere in between (depending on the audio source).

is there a particular phone app to choose? i'm on android.
however, surely a phone recording like this won't give good results as the microphone is one directional, so it'll hear stuff it's pointing towards better than stuff that it isn't pointing at? skewing the results?

you say ability to boost sub and rear? i won't be one for manually adjusting levels on certain speakers. it'll be one master volume on the remote (logitech harmony).
 
Do your tv supports loseless formats? Also what is the format showing on sb when playing content from netflix or amazon prime app from tv?

tested today by using an nvidia shield TV.
netflix - Dolby Atmos DD+
plex - Dolby Atmos TrueHD
Cable TV - LPCM 5.1
 
I
i've got the rears installed now and connected up.
i've set the distances for each speaker.

you say set the main volume at listening level - however the level is different for each source i've found. watching TV is around 17-18, but movies we'd have it cranked up higher than that. and watching normal stuff on plex it might be somewhere in between (depending on the audio source).

I setup initially watching a 4k disk and this is probably lower volume than I would use with netflix. But I'd you set all levels up a volume you are comfortable with for front speaker it will be balanced. Eg db volume is relative for all speakers.

is there a particular phone app to choose? i'm on android.
however, surely a phone recording like this won't give good results as the microphone is one directional, so it'll hear stuff it's pointing towards better than stuff that it isn't pointing at? skewing the results?

you say ability to boost sub and rear? i won't be one for manually adjusting levels on certain speakers. it'll be one master volume on the remote (logitech harmony).
I just sound meter Sound Meter - Apps on Google Play

On the sony SB remote you can fine tune rears and sub to suit different sound levels you have on inputs. I find this useful as a tv app is generally quiter than a 4k disk and will need rear and sub boosted to make the atmos effect more effective.

But the deccsion is yours I'm just advising on what I have found was useful for me having had the SB since it came out. Using these settings I have no complaints with the atmos effect that is achieved when I watch on different sources.
 
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what does eARC support on a TV mean?
does it mean that where previously you'd need to connect a device direct to the soundbar to get full Atmos TrueHD (for example) you can now connect it to the TV and via eARC you'd get the same outcome?
 
what does eARC support on a TV mean?
does it mean that where previously you'd need to connect a device direct to the soundbar to get full Atmos TrueHD (for example) you can now connect it to the TV and via eARC you'd get the same outcome?
Normal ARC only have the bandwidth for lossy audio codecs that means it can pass through dolby atmos(dd+). It can't handle loseless codecs like dolby truehd or dts hd ma or loseless atmos. For that you need e-ARC.
 
to answer the question you haved edited out.
to get TrueHD from plex you simply play a file with a TrueHD soundtrack.

so the answer the question about eARC, does that mean where you would need to connect direct to the soundbar for ARC you could connect to the TV via eARC and not lose anything?

why is eARC a software update for some devices and not for another? ie the Z9F got eARC via a software update.
 
to answer the question you haved edited out.
to get TrueHD from plex you simply play a file with a TrueHD soundtrack.

so the answer the question about eARC, does that mean where you would need to connect direct to the soundbar for ARC you could connect to the TV via eARC and not lose anything?

why is eARC a software update for some devices and not for another? ie the Z9F got eARC via a software update.
I think e-arc can be enabled in devices already having hdmi 2.1 if the company chooses to do so. But I am not sure about this one.
 
I'm looking for some advice on purchasing a new atmos compatible soundbar.

Because I'm limited with space under 108cm, I have narrowed it down to the
Sony HT-ZF9 or the Sony HT-G700

I'm not worried about cost just how it will sound. Any reason I should opt for the HT-ZF9?
 
remember to factor in the cost of the additional rear speakers, as the Z9F doesn't come with them.
 
you won't get surround sound then.
you'll get front, centre and simulated vertical, but no rear.
 
Yes, I realise the compromise I'll have to make but it will be much better than the Sky soundbar I've got at the moment. So which one would you chose?
 
I have no experience with the other option, but I would be having second thoughts with Z9F without the rear speakers. Some love it and dont use the rears but for me they make a HUGE difference.
 
Ok. I’ll take that into consideration. I’ve seen the G700 can upscale stereo with its enhance feature. I’m starting to lean towards the G700 because it’s newer.
 
Ok. I’ll take that into consideration. I’ve seen the G700 can upscale stereo with its enhance feature. I’m starting to lean towards the G700 because it’s newer.

The rears really make a difference allowing system to do front to back directional sound.

Appocalyse now is a good demo for that.

You won't get true overhead, only speakers in roof will achieve that.

And the sound envelopes you in a bubble is best way to describe how it sounds with rears.

I have an older high end Sony 5.1 system in my other room and I rate the zf9 with rears over it.
 
The rears really make a difference allowing system to do front to back directional sound.

Appocalyse now is a good demo for that.

You won't get true overhead, only speakers in roof will achieve that.

And the sound envelopes you in a bubble is best way to describe how it sounds with rears.

I have an older high end Sony 5.1 system in my other room and I rate the zf9 with rears over it.
I would love to have the full surround experience but the wife is so concerned with the look of the room and doesn’t want to see speakers dotted everywhere. I’m going to place the subwoofer at the rear right side of the sofa. She will not find that right away.
 
I would love to have the full surround experience but the wife is so concerned with the look of the room and doesn’t want to see speakers dotted everywhere. I’m going to place the subwoofer at the rear right side of the sofa. She will not find that right away.


The rear speakers are quite small, I keep my ones behind couch when I'm not using them and put them on window ledge behind couch when watching a film.
 
Thats strange i have a Xf9005 too and i have no issues . Are you using a hdmi in to Arc ?. On mine it changes automatic to TV from Hdmi 1 on the sound bar display when i click an app like youtube.
Hi there I have an XF9005 and thinking about pairing it with this soundbar. How big is the upgrade from the tv speakers? Also @Drewster_UK
 
I would love to have the full surround experience but the wife is so concerned with the look of the room and doesn’t want to see speakers dotted everywhere. I’m going to place the subwoofer at the rear right side of the sofa. She will not find that right away.

Since they are wireless you could move them until they are needed to keep her happy ;)
 
I think e-arc can be enabled in devices already having hdmi 2.1 if the company chooses to do so. But I am not sure about this one.

a follow-up on eARC.
if a TV does support eARC, does that mean that if a 4k bluray player is connected to the TV, and the TV is then connected to the soundbar via eARC, the full TrueHD soundtrack will play? or does the TV also have to support Atmos/DTSX etc before it will do that?
 

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