Sony HT-CT370 2.1 Channel 300W Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer, Bluetooth, and NFC

UPDATE: I have used this product daily for 15 months now and I have had no problems, it works perfectly, and I am very pleased with the sound. Everything I said in this review below still applies. Great 5 Star product.I had very specific wants, so the sound bar/subwoofer for me just hadn’t come to market, until the Sony HT-CT370 that is. My shopping list included:> low profile sound bar that doesn’t block the TV screen or TV remote’s operation> compact wireless subwoofer> sufficient power to play loud and clear> up-to-date HDMI connections and ARC (audio return channel) feature for future proofing> moderate priceThis system has all this and more. The sound bar is streamlined at 2” H x 4.5” D x 35.5” W (my measurements). Finding a “skinny” sound bar along with all the other features I wanted was the biggest challenge. Admittedly, I wondered how good could the sound be from a 2” high enclosure? Well, after several months of usage, I can say that it sounds and looks great. For example, dialogue is very clear, even for occasional cockney accents on PBS (a truly tough test for these American ears, LOL). And, in comparison with the TV’s built-in speakers, no contest, the Sony HT-CT370 wins easily.The wireless subwoofer is compact at 14.25” H x 15.4” D x 5.25” W (my measurements) and can be set on end or side and looks good either way. Set horizontally, it will fit in most AV furniture cabinets with their typical 17-19” wide shelf enclosures, although I don’t use it that way. Being compact, it doesn’t put out as much deep bass as some that I have heard including my old Yamaha subwoofer. But I’m not a bass junkie so it’s plenty adequate and clear and it blends in with the sound bar to produce a well balanced overall sound in my average size room.I wanted to get rid of some clutter, so this system replaces my old 5.1 sound system (large and heavy AV receiver, 5 surround speakers, and large subwoofer with built-in amp). With wires running to speakers, subwoofer, and AV receiver and two AC power cords to boot, it had lots of tangle and don’t even ask how hard was it to hide the wires for the back of the room speakers. Not only did I get rid of clutter, I prefer the sound of this new system. The old system had a bigger sound, but the Sony HT-CT370 has a clearer sound.I use the Sony HT-CT370 to switch signals between the TV and video devices. High speed HDMI cables run from the Tivo DVR/cable box to sound bar (HDMI 1), Blu-ray player to sound bar (HDMI 2), laptop to sound bar (HDMI 3), and between sound bar and TV HDMI ARC connections. That sounds complicated but it’s not - there are just four cables.The Sony HT-CT370 and my 2013 Sony HDTV, Tivo DVR/cable box, and 2014 Sony Blu-ray player operate well together. I was able to program the Tivo remote for on/off, volume, and mute functions. So, only this remote is needed most of the time. However, I use the Sony HT CT-370 remote to switch inputs as needed. I still keep the TV remote handy to access TV set up features and the TV menu for some internet content. And, I still use the Blu-ray player remote when operating the player (on/off, open/close, fast forward, etc).I watch the Tivo DVR/cable box (HDMI 1) most of time. When I turn on the Blu-ray player (HDMI 2) to watch a movie, the signal automatically switches and the movie appears on screen. To switch back to the Tivo DVR/cable box, I use the input button on the Sony HT-CT370 remote to cycle through the input choices menu (HDMI 1, HDMI 2, HDMI 3, Analog, Bluetooth Audio, and TV). These choices display on the sound bar as I cycle through. Switching is simple and easy.By the way, you can use your TV as a signal switcher instead of the sound bar, but CNET cautioned that many TVs downgrade the incoming audio signal to stereo rather than preserving a true surround sound signal. The CNET article of 12/13/2013 is: “20 TVs tested: Which sets can pass surround sound to a sound bar?” and here is the link:http://www.cnet.com/news/20-tvs-tested-which-sets-can-pass-surround-sound-to-a-sound-bar/One inconvenience occurred when I muted or paused the signal for twenty minutes - the Sony HT-CT370 turned itself off and I would have to turn it back on with its remote. But then I read the manual (as a wise guy once said, “if all else fails, read the manual”). I learned that there is an automatic audio power feature that turns off the Sony HT-CT370 if no incoming audio signal is detected for twenty minutes. Hmm, I turned this feature off in the settings menu and presto all was good.Another minor inconvenience happens when turning on the TV and Sony HT-CT370. A screen message appears “Switching audio to external speakers.” After a few seconds delay, the sound turns on and the message disappears. I’m guessing the sound bar and subwoofer have to do a start-up handshake. This is forgivable and not that big a deal.Connecting the system to my other equipment was a snap with the clear directions provided. The wireless connection between sound bar and subwoofer was easy to establish and has worked from day one. They have not dropped out or caused any problems in months of use. I can’t say how much set-up and easy operation is helped by using the latest high speed HDMI cables and staying in the Sony family with a Sony TV and Blu-ray player, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt.The question of bass adequacy in many sound systems is a source of endless debate and disappointment for some. This is bound to happen. Some people like bass and others love bass. Some not only want to hear bass, they want to actually feel the bass in the louder passages (Ah, fond memories of great live rock concerts come to mind).Truth is you just won’t know about the Sony HT CT-370’s bass for sure until you hear it in your system with your own ears. All I can do to help you is say that IMHO there is plentiful bass, but it’s more of a hear-the-bass sound rather than a feel-the-bass sound.I highly recommend this well designed and high performing sound system and it’s a great value for the price.

This is an outstanding product. I have a 50" Sony TV that is wall mounted, and I wanted to "hang" the Sound Bar from the bottom of the TV, but I did not necessarily want to install it on the wall under the TV. I bought the Sewell Direct Universal Sound Bar Bracket with the purchase of this Sony Sound Bar, and was able to easily "hang" the Sound Bar from the wall mounted TV in a matter of minutes (20-30 minutes). The Sound Bar comes with a wall mounting bracket that has two "keyholes" that would have to align perfectly if installed on a wall, like hanging a picture or clock that has a keyhole slot for the screw to slip into. I did not like that option, and found that the Sound Bar keyhole brackets can be unbolted from the Sound Bar leaving two threaded bolt holes for your use. I inserted the Sewell Universal Sound Bar Bracket in between the TV's two rear bottom holes and the wall mount bracket, then tightened them up a bit. I now had the Sewell hanging below the wall mounted TV. With the help of a partner holding the Sony Sound Bar up, I aligned the two threaded bolt holes at the rear of the Sound Bar to the Universal bracket. Using the bolts from the now removed Sound Bar keyhole brackets, I then attached the sound Bar onto the Universal bracket, and "hung" it below the TV. I have AC outlets behind the TV and so my installation is clean with all cables running inside the wall. But, keep in mind you will need an AC outlet to plug your Sound Bar into. If installing on a table, then the installation is super easy, but wall mounting takes some thought. Now, for the sound quality, volume, and features. Excellent! The sub-woofer being blue tooth is outstanding because you can place the woofer anywhere in the room (it needs an AC outlet). The Sound Bar produces great sound that can be applied to different situations such as music, games, sports, or movies. One of the things I love about this product is the Blue Tooth AUX setting where I paired my phone with it and now can play anything from my phone on the sound Bar. I highly recommend this product.

This sound bar was perfect to complement a newly bought 55-inch Sony XBR55X850B. With low 2'' profile it fits perfectly under TV w/o obstructing a remote, and looks good there, too. A significant improvement over TV own speakers and the combination is much cheaper price-wise compare to another TV version with better built-in speakers -900A/B (the latter is more beautiful though, with its longer body and gorilla glass over invisible frame).But, as I said, it does the trick and makes the experience of watching TV much more pleasant. I don't want to focus on various tech features here, there plenty of them, I see a lot of people have already contributed to that in much more detail that I would care about, but want to say that if you are a real audiophile and dream to play really high quality music you will be disappointed (You know, people spend thousands on equipment to get the sounds that only they can hear and appreciate). This piece is great for what it's worth and deserves its 5 stars, and I would not spend 5x more on Sony or Yamaha sound projectors for that purpose (unless it was for much bigger TV and room). And it's still good for streaming music from your smart phone or tablet through BT on occasion (that's what I do at the moment, feels good).Just one thing was a bit spooky, when I originally connected the bar to TV through supplied fiber optic connector and it started skipping sound. I never used optical connectors before and found that slightly touching or wiggling cable near the connector's head would cause the skipping or full cut-off. So I went by HDMI ARC and that took care of a problem, besides that when you use it the bar takes over TV speakers automatically. Faulty fiber cable, loose connectors? Don't ask, not going to use it anymore, outdated anyway.