Sony HT-AX7 hands on: Portable personal surround sound
Innovation in technology is, of course, the backbone of its very existence. However, when it comes to products, that innovation most commonly crops up as new features within tried-and-tested categories. Seeing a brand new product idea break ground is usually something reserved for the likes of Kickstarter, not big-name manufacturers.
That's why Sony's so-called "wireless portable theatre system" - the HT-AX7 - is so refreshing. Aimed at delivering solo surround sound, wirelessly, from portable devices, if there's anything else like it, I certainly haven't heard about it. But does it actually sound any good, and at $499/£499/€550 will people buy it? Here are my first impressions.
Sony HT-AX7 First impressions The HT-AX7 is an impressive speaker that delivers on its promise to bring portable cinematic sound to our phones and tablets. However, its price tag isn't easy to swallow, so its appeal will be likely be confined to a fairly niche audience.
Design and features
The HT-AX7 is made up of three components - a main speaker and two circular satellite speakers, which dock neatly on top of the main unit when not in use, for safe keeping and also for charging.
Both the main unit and satellites are covered in a light grey fabric, made from 100% recycled PET bottles - with just the one finish available at the moment. There is a rubberised control panel on the top, and a similar finish on the base - to help it to feel secure when placed on a flat surface.
While unique in its functionality, the HT-AX7 is quite a straightforward product, and so there isn't too much by way of bells or whistles. It works solely via Bluetooth, so there's no Wi-Fi here and no LDAC either, for higher-resolution music playback. You can also forget any additional inputs for charging devices - the solo USB-C input is just for charging the HT-AX7 itself.
It does support a multipoint Bluetooth connection, which is particularly helpful for controlling it - it means you can have the Sony Home Entertainment Connect app open on one device, while watching on another, giving you the ability to control volume and tweak the EQ without interrupting whatever you're watching on your other device.
Inside the main unit you'll find two of Sony's X-Balanced speaker units and two passive radiators, and each satellite has an upward-firing driver in it too. While it uses Sony's 360 Spatial Sound mapping to help produce its sound, it's worth noting that this is not a 360-degree product - in that the drivers do not go all the way around the main unit. For the best experience, you'll want to be sat right in front of it.
This is a completely wireless product, and battery life is quoted at 30 hours, though this will depend how loud you're listening to it. Thankfully there is fast charge functionality on board for if you are caught short, giving you 2.5 hours of playback from just 10 minutes on charge.
It's pretty hefty though, and I'm not sure how far you'd want to carry it around. Certainly it's on the large side for taking on holiday, but moving around the house would be perfectly manageable.
Setup and performance
The HT-AX7 is designed to be used, in the most part, by one person. It's ultimately looking to bring a more immersive sound to portable devices - whether that be teenagers watching Netflix in their bedrooms, travellers catching up on their shows from hotel rooms or anyone else who spends a good amount of time watching content on their phone or tablet.
It can be used in one of two ways, with the soundfield on or soundfield off. When you remove the satellites from the main unit, this automatically triggers the soundfield to turn on and for the immersive sound effect to be activated.
Sony says you should place the satellites to the left and right of you, a good arm stretch away from your ear - about 1 - 1.2 metres for the best performance - and slightly below ear level. It's not supposed to be too technical or involved, just plonk them down somewhere in and around that area and enjoy the experience.
Once paired with your device, the HT-AX7 will take the standard stereo soundtrack from whatever you are watching or listening to and transform it into three-dimensional surround sound in real time. It has the ability to separate individual sound objects and move them to the satellites, while Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Mapping also adds virtual speakers around the room to give the feeling of an even bigger performance.
I was shown a clip from No Time To Die - the iconic scene where James Bond and Madeleine are showered with gunfire behind the wheel of a thankfully bulletproof DB5 - and the experience is immediately impressive. There is a real sense of space and immersion - the spread of sound is convincing and while it is obviously not as precise as you would expect a true surround sound soundtrack to be, it improves the sound experience of watching on a phone or tablet tenfold. It's louder, more detailed and the soundstage is much, much bigger. There's next-to-no latency issues either - the sound of every bullet landing just when it should do.
Another clip, this time from Oblivion, shows how well the HT-AX7 keeps voices focused while environmental sounds and foreboding soundtracks can creep in all around you, while a clip from the Melbourne Cup puts you right in the middle of the crowd - their cheers enveloping you in the action.
This is when the HT-AX7 is at its strongest. A clip from a Coldplay concert wasn't quite as convincing, perhaps losing some of the focus from Chris Martin and Ed Sheeran's voices. However, it did add a sense of "being there", as you hear the crowd singing all around you, and that's the point of this product after all - it just shines all the more clearly with movie content.
While this immersive experience is the main focus on the HT-AX7, you can still use it as a standard wireless speaker too. Simply attach the satellites back to the unit for a flatter, more balanced performance, without the surround sound effect. We played a handful of audio tracks with it this way, and while we didn't have time with it for a truly critical listen, the sound we heard was perfectly entertaining - upbeat, punchy and clear. The lack of LDAC support is a shame though, but does perhaps point to the focus on movies here, which is undeniably when it is at its best.
However, the HT-AX7 does have a remaining trick up its sleeve when it comes to music, and that is to to turn off the soundfield but remove the satellites and spread them out around the room. In this configuration, the satellites act as an extension of the main speaker sound, turning the HT-AX7 into a great party speaker for getting a good spread of sound around a room.
First impressions
It's fair to say the HT-AX7 is something of a niche product, only made even more so by its price tag. Costing $499/£499/€550, it's not an insignificant amount to pay when the majority of people are now used to listening with headphones or even direct from the device.
However, if you watch a lot of longer form content on your mobile device and value great sound, you can't argue with the performance the Sony HT-AX7 delivers. It will be something of a luxury purchase but for people wanting to make the very most of their portable movie watching, there's not another product out there like it.
Source: Pocket-lint
