Customer Reviews

Sony HT-CT150 3D Sound Bar System

5 star:		(124)
4 star:		(110)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I was skeptical I admit

I moved out of my house into a much smaller townhouse and I had to give up my Klipsche 2 series 5.1 system.....I HATED giving up surround sound. I have been bouncing back forth between this one and the CT350 model. I was scared that this wouldn't be as loud as I would like it........wow was I wrong. The room I have it in is only 11 X 15 (system on short side) and this thing is fantastic. It has a max volume of 50 and I find 24 to be more than enough. Is it true 5.1....no... but it has great surround effects and very full sound.....you will feel like the action is going around you which is what we all want anyway isn't it?

I tested it with Avatar Blu Ray..... Lord of the Rings ROTK Disc 2 DVD......Invictus ON Demand (for the accents.....hard on TV speakers).....was blown away each time

I turned up the center to +5 to bring out the dialog a little more and set the sub at +2

I also mounted the speaker ABOVE the TV which I feel really helps to bring out the surround effects because they don't get lost down near the ground around the furniture

It is a little slow switching inputs but that is to be expected......the remote will only control Sony products....so if you have non Sony stuff invest in a Harmony remote

If you are planning this for a really large room and you are going to be sitting 17 or more feet away maybe you should consider the 400W 350 model..... but for a normal room you will be thrilled by this unit.

I couldnt be more happy with this purchase

i was really skeptical about going with a sound bar at first, but all of those thoughts were out the window as soon as the system got broken in (about 1 or 2 day period to fully break in the system). coming from the traditional 5.1 systems (have had systems ranging from home theater in a box-type of setups to bose lifestyle 5.1's to martin logan set ups), i was really surprised at how well this 1 speaker set up simulated "surround sound". i found myself looking over my shoulder every now and then, while watching movies, because i was hearing things from alot of different places, other than just in front of me. the CT150 was supposed to be a temporary set up for me, but after about a month of use, i'm really considering sticking to soundbars. the simplicity and ergonomics just cannot be compared to by big, traditional 5.1 systems.

as for sound quality, the vocals are nice and crisp. i know the CT100 had a vocal problem, but i can hear everything crystal clear on my CT150 (center channel set at +5). i have my CT150 in a very open living room (about 20x35), so i have my subwoofer level set at +5 (settings go from -6 to +6). the bass levels would be comparable to my bose lifestyle 25 system, with the CT150 having a slight bass advantage. all in all, a great little package. i really couldn't think of a better, more ergonomic set up for a smaller living room or bedroom. i might just stick with soundbars from now on and just upgrade to bigger/better soundbar set ups.

Background: I am an audio enthusiast with 3 small children. My previous audio system, run by 3 Carver stereo amps, is in boxes in the basement, as I did not want little hands breaking things or blowing up pieces. The old system had more spent in Monster Cable wiring then this system cost. Life changes and the wife did not want speakers and wires everywhere so I made a compromise.

Current Setup:
Sony Bravia TV (2006)
Sony HTCT150
Sony Digital Media Port TDM-iP10
Sony PS3 - Original 60gig
Nintendo Wii
Leap Frog - Zippity

At the time of this review I have owned the HTCT150 for just over 2 weeks and have been quite impressed with the results. The main reason I got the system is for movies and TV watching and being able to hear and control the sound. The output range is good and it does a nice job with lows and high end. I liked that the system could be passive as the PS3 is our main DVD player and entertainment source, i.e. Netflix streaming. I have the PS3 hooked up via HDMI. HDMI up to the TV and from the TV I have both optical out and RCA. The TV will not do ARC (audio return channels) though HDMI and the TV will not convert analog audio (Wii and Zippity) to optical. I let the TV handle the analog audio, RCA switching and have the RCA's go into SA-CD/CD, seems on the HTCT150 the TV RCAs will only work without optical in hooked up.

I have both an older 80gig iPod video and the iPhone 3G that I have hooked to the system using the Digital Media Port TDM-iP10. I use the video iPod for audio only and have full control over it using the remote for the HTCT150. I did a brief test with the iPhone by putting it in iPod mode, it worked as an audio source and had control of it with the remote. I did try to display pictures and it would not pass images or work as a video source. It seems the TDM-iP10 is audio only but you do get control with the HTCT150 remote.

One of the big reasons for my purchase was for nighttime watching and dynamic compression. The system has 2 layers of compression you can use to keep the sound even and not wake the kid. Woke the oldest already before turning on the compression. The system has NIGHT MODE, this is compression in the digital amp of the HTCT150 and limits all sources. Audio DRC (Dynamic Range Control) only works in Dolby Digital, but that covers the TV and PS3 and has 3 levels, None, Standard, Max. With turning both NIGHT MODE and Audio DRC on I can watch TV or movies and hear no volume difference between show and commercial or dialogue and explosions, this is important for us Mom's and Dad's.

Audiophile Time: I have played with the system with the LPCM and BluRay audio out and have been able to hear a difference. As they say " you are only as good as your source" . Dolby Digital bit rate out is around 960Kbs and Dolby True is around 7Mbs. By going into the Video Setup of the PS3 (go figure) and changing the audio output from bitstream to LPCM you can get the better sound. Bitstream outputs the encoding on the DVD/BluRay, LPCM has the PS3 do your decoding.

Overall impressions: The audio performance for a system under $300 is very impressive I feel. The surround effect is very weak, however if you have a good 5.1 or 7.1 mix as source there is a more open feel to the audio. I just have not felt like it has replaced a true 5.1 system. It completely has met the "Wife Acceptance" Factor that we all know is very important. I am very happy with this system and I am not afraid that little hands will destroy it and if they do, oh well it wasn't that expensive.

I write this review with an open mind. When I first placed the order, and received it from the manufacturer, the sub-woofer was broken. I had to return it and request a replacement. That in itself is a major pain in the you know what. I received my replacement yesterday and plugged it in and was underwhelmed by the sound. Once I read through the owners manual and configured the settings..... HOLY COW! What sound! Coming from such a small sound bar and medium sized sub-woofer! I've got a 52" Phillips HD TV that sounded decent by itself. With this added sound, it's literally like a movie theater experience.
The 3 week wait for a working product seems to be worth it. I recommend this to anyone and hopefully you receive a working product on your first go-round.

I have read a couple of bad reviews for this and just thought I would add my two cents. Anyone who says this has bad sound or is not loud enough is not setting it up right. This sounds great and it is very loud, in fact I got in trouble when I set it up. I had it up to max volume when I plugged in the system and it blasted the house, my wife was in the shower back by the bedroom and the sound made her jump and drop her back scrubber. I used to have a surround system with a receiver and five speakers but that was before I got married. My wife did not want the wires going all over the house so I looked into the sound bar with the understanding that if I didn't like it I would get another five speaker system. Well I was blown away. It sounds great, it plays true hd sound on the blu rays. The three hdmi ports make it very convenient. I only turn it up to 25, which is half way, and that shakes the windows.
The look is very sleek, in fact with the bar pushed back against the t.v. it looks like part of the set. I highly recommend this product.

My setup:
- PC50C7000 Samsung 3D TV
- XBOX 360
- BD-C5900 Samsung BluRay Player
- Everything is connected via HDMI to CT150 unit and from there HDMI cable to TV.
- Optical cable from TV to CT150.

DESIGN:
Simple and black.
The sound bar is all black with no accents and the sub-woofer is glossy black on top. If you want chrome accents, flaming skulls or other forms of bling, look elsewhere.

SOUND QUALITY:
(Much has been said about this by others, so I'll keep it short.)
Basically the unit sounds very well - monumentally better than the TV speakers - with deep bass and very nice and crisp front speaker sound. You will want to play it loud and you will be able to, although I did find that my XBOX was considerably louder than the movie I tested (Avatar 3D).

SURROUND SOUND QUALITY:
Well, if you want 5.1 sound, get a 5.1 system. This isn't it.
I was not able to perceive any surround effect from the CT150, and to be honest I didn't expect to. So even though the box says otherwise, as far as my perception goes, it's not there. Since I didn't expect it, this is not a negative point for me.

CONNECTIVITY:
3 HDMI inputs. 2 Optical inputs. 1 Coax digital input. 2 L/R (red/white) audio inputs... In a sound bar??? This is one of the things where this system has others beat by a mile. Excellent connectivity for the price.

3D COMPATIBILITY:
3D passthrough works perfectly. This system is fully compatible with 3D.

EASE OF USE:
First of all, installing this thing (not MOUNTING mind you) is extremely easy. Plug in the cables and you're done. Simple as that. And this is not even the best part.

I'm not sure why or how (perhaps DLNA?) but this unit works seamlessly with my Samsung TV with just ONE REMOTE; the TV's. Let me explain...

Powering on the TV doesn't power on the CT150. That's the one negative point.
But powering off the TV does power off (standby) the CT150.
When the TV and the CT150 are both on, the TV automatically disables its own speakers and uses the CT150. When you press the volume keys on the TV remote, you'll see a dual (and a bit annoying) prompt on screen letting you know the volume of the unit* which is what you'll be adjusting.

So you can basically control everything with just the TV remote. This was quite an unexpected surprise for me as I expected otherwise considering the units are from different vendors.

You do, however, have to change inputs with the CT150 remote or the button on top of the unit. So for example, if you have the BluRay and the XBOX on at the same time, you need to choose one of them by selecting it on the CT150. This is obvious because the TV remote can only control the input of the TV.

Sadly I can't guarantee that you will have the same experience as I since I don't know which TV you would pair the CT150 with. In fact if you have a non-Samsung Bluray it may be nicer for you since the device won't "take over" when you switch to that input**.

OVERALL:
I am extremely pleased with the CT150. For the price I don't think there's a better choice. I really like the sound, the convenience, the ridiculous ease of use and the design.

NOTES:
* = CT150 volume is displayed multiplied by 2 on the TV - if volume on CT150 is 20, TV will say 40. This is because the TV works on a scale of 1-100 while the CT150 goes from 1-50.

** = Because the TV and BluRay are current Samsung models, the TV powers on the BluRay as soon as you select the input where it's connected to. This is nice. Except what happens when you want to use something else??? In those cases, you have to manually select the other device on the CT150 and then power off the BluRay.

I was an early adopter of the HTCT150's ancestor the HTCT100, a soundbar I loved and still own in a guest bedroom. That set receive an editor's choice on CNET back then, and is still hailed as one of the best values for its great sound and multitude of inputs for the price. MY only problem with it was sometimes low sounding audio in terms of speech. It is with that to say that the HTCT150 addresses this problem brilliantly and upgrades the sound overall as a whole. Side by side, the two sound similar until you get some good source and can tell the real umph this little guy has. It really does sound great. The bass is tight and punchy, while the sound from the bar is crisp and vibrant, a great combo. And like I said before, no problems with speech being drowned out by ambient sound.

The bar and sub look great too, a sleek black, glossy black in the right places. There are also a ton of inputs that are 3d compliant, basically saying that they're accepting hdmi 1.4a if you decide to upgrade down the road, another bonus that some bars are offering. In fact, at this price, you're lucky to get one or two hdmi ports on a soundbar. This ones got 3, and a multitude of other ports.

The only competitors out there are the JVC soundbar and the upcoming Vizio soundbar, but I still chose this one because of its overall score. While the other two sound great, better in some cases, they lack in areas this bar picks up on. People can say that there wasn't enough of an upgrade from the HTCT100, but that bar was awesome, and why fix what ain't broken? I live in an 800 sq ft apartment and the soundbar is in my living room and just fills the place up with sound. You won't be disappointed.

Enjoy

I just had HTCT150 a week ago, after setting it up I was Not Impressed with sound and Bass quality, After talking to Sony Store about configuration, they advised me to to configure the same way they have it in the show room

SW Level raise up to +6
then go to
Bass and raise it up to +6

then Played Avatar movie, and i was blown a way, Oh My god, the sound is Great, I can feel bass through my body and through the sofa, sounds quality is great. 5.1 virtual is some what true but not that great.

I purchased Samsung Blue ray player for $150 a year ago and + HTCTC150 for $280 = $500 with tax.
if you are shopping for a nice system then i advise to purchase Panasonic 5.1 home theater that already come with a nice blue ray Player and a better speakers and Sounds. but if you are already have a blue ray player and cables then going for that system is great and save you almost $200.

Pros
1- you can connect multiple HDMI and Video inputs into the subwafr and only one cable from the system to the TV.
2- Sound quality is Great, very loud, excellent Bass.
3- very very easy to install. just plug and play. ( raise the bass to +6 and sub level to +6)

Cons.
1- well $300 is expensive

2- Once you Purchase HTCHT150 you are Stuck with it, what i mean you wont be able to add any other speakers or sub to it. the system is stand a lone and there is no way to upgrade. if you decide one day you want a bigger speakers or sub then you have to purchase new system.

Got this 3 days ago and at first I was disappointed with the sound loudness and bass from the SW. I went ahead and tweaked the settings from the amp menu and watched a movie and tv. The sound was ok the first day, had to turn it up to 40 - 45 to really hear the difference from the tv speakers. Yesterday, wow! I had to turn it down to 25 - 30 and the bass was louder! So far, happy with this. Easy to hook up and many connections on the SW.

I bought this system because like everyone else, my TV sound was pretty weak. I didn't want to deal with running speaker wires all over so I went with the sound bar. Its definitely easy to set up with my Sony TV and the sound is better than the TV. But it isn't as good as I was expecting from reading all the other reviews. I wish I could use the sound bar along with the TV speakers but using the pass-through the sound is off just slightly and creates a slight echo. Seems like I need to adjust the volume quite a bit more when switching channels or playing a DVD than I did with just the TV sound. Some channels are good at 14 and some I have to crank up to 40.