Sony Bravia KD65A8 - Centre speaker mode

[AtomCom]

I am thinking of spending over 2k on this tv and it looks like it does not have the Sony centre speaker mode.

I am pretty old school with my AV setup, and I prefer the sound from a fully wired 6+ speaker surround sound system connect to a good quality AV receiver.  So when I found out that Sony had created a system that allowed the sound system (Acoustic Surface Audio) in the TV to be used as a centre speaker I was over the moon.  Finally a centre speaker positioned where it should, behind the screen (or in this case, a part of the screen).

Now I am finding out though that this ability is limited to a very few Sony TVs, and does not even seem to be available on the new 2020 range at all.

Has Sony decided that this ability is not needed, and everyone should instead buy under screen soundbars?  By the way my current centre speaker, a Mission M3C2 is about 23cm high.

[merseyswine]

According to Sony.co.uk, the AG9 and AF9 both have the centre-speaker connection facility. I didn’t check any other models.

i have an AG9 but I didn’t have any luck with using it in centre-speaker mode, as my 5.1 amp couldn’t cope, so I bought a decent Dolby Atmos system, which I have to say does justice to the quality of the 4K content.

[AtomCom]

Is it only the series 9 that has this feature, not 8 ?  2019 and 2020 models

[merseyswine]

According to the Sony website, A8 doesn't have this feature. I'm not a specialist in this - I just looked on the website.

As I mentioned before, my (albeit quite old) Cambridge Audio 5.1 amp went unstable when its centre speaker channel was connected to the Acoustic Surface TV, so, now that I have a better sound system (Samsung HW Q90R), I don't ever use the TV's speakers. Its a pity because the Acoustic Surface and center-speaker features greatly influenced my choice of TV.

That being said, the AG9 is by far the best TV that I have ever owned, so I'm very glad I bought it. And the sound system is superb. Dolby Atmos really is a wonder.

[Win_88]

Hi @AtomCom

I'd say many factors go into keeping or removing a feature from a product. It doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad feature by any means. Sony may have gone a different direction for a reason as simple as the popularity of that specific facility. What this means imo is that if you personally find this feature useful, you should go for it regardless of whether it continues down the line in newer models.

The only thing I'm inclined to add is to try and test the audio performance of the TV at a local store before deciding if you will buy it.

Win_88

[williamfsmith]

If you are old school and prefer to use a quality AV setup for sound why would you want to compromise the quality by using a TV to perform the function of a centre speaker?

[merseyswine]

Speaking for myself, I wanted to use the TV as the centre speaker for two reasons. (1) it was better than the centre speaker in my old sound system and (2) it suited the aesthetics of my room to not have a separate centre speaker. But now that I have a Dolby Atmos soundbar with rear speakers and a subwoofer, I hardly ever use the TV speakers.

[merseyswine]

Yes, it’s a good thing to see and hear the TV in a store. I was impressed with Sony’s Acoustic Surface audio when I saw the TV in John Lewis. They were playing a classical music demo disk and it sounded great. But it pales into insignificance compared to the Samsung HWQ90R which I bought when my old system died.