Among Sony's audio offerings lining up at CES this year the shining light is two soundbars capable of “virtualising†Dolby Atmos sound.
The HT-Z9F and HT-X9000F achieve this by incorporating Sony’s "virtual surround engine” they say is capable of replicating the wide soundstage Atmos is renowned for. For overhead, there is the 2.1(HT-X9000F) and 3.1 (HT-Z9F) soundbars from Sony.
Whatever type of content is being watched, the manufacturer says the HT-Z9F can take it and provide beautiful “virtual” 3D sound (at a slightly higher price) via a “Vertical S” button on the product.
If these offerings from the display powerhouse don’t take your fancy then Sony has introduced other Dolby Atmos offerings to go alongside either the SS-CS3 bookshelf speakers or the SS-CS5 standing floor speakers. With the help of a compatible receiver, the speakers can shoot audio upwards to reproduce the sound of the ceiling-mounted Atmos speakers in a cinema. These speakers don’t have a price just yet, but will come to market in spring like the HT-Z9F and HT-X9000F.
The aforementioned speakers do have a price, and will retail at US $900/£600 (HT-Z9F) and $600/£450 (the HT-X9000F) when they come to market later this year.