As a Bluetooth speaker for music, it’s horribly overpriced.
TheSonyHT-AX7 is in a category of its own.
The Sony HT-AX7 isn’t promising 5.1-channel sound or anything quite so simple.
The Sony HT-AX7 is more compact than you might guess. It’s no larger than a loaf of bread.
AU$960).
We’re not aware of any of thebest Bluetooth speakerswith a setup like the Sony HT-AX7’s.
The plastic on top has a high-quality matte feel.
The fabric covering makes the Sony HT-AX7’s speakers very easy to grab as well as being good for acoustics.
They’re also easy to nudge off.
However, they’re built very solidly, so dropping them was no problem for me.
The fabric is the thing most likely to get damaged if they hit something rough.
Obviously, this isn’t actually my Sony HT-AX7/projector setup, but imagine oneself positioned in the middle of this.
So next I connected it to what most excited me: my portable projector.
But the Sony HT-AX7 is ideal.
It connects to the Freestyle over Bluetooth, and the HT-AX7 doesn’t have to be permanently out.
The Sony HT-AX7’s controls – there are more options in the app, though.
I’m instantly in love.
And happily, the Sony’s sound is really effective when watching movies.
The soundscape feels wider than the small box across the front.
The circle under the Sony HT-AX7’s satellite speakers means they can charge no matter how they’re rotated on the main unit.
However, there had to be a however.
If this were half the price, its music performance would be okay.
But at this price, it’s an outright disappointment.
The Sony HT-AX7 is the Liam Neeson inTakenof speakers, equipped with a very specific set of skills.
It also has a bit more energy… and it’s half the price.
The sound is more diffused, great for actual parties.
And in a party, no one cares about total audio fidelity.
You’d get better results either way.
It’s also worth noting here that there’s no support for higher quality sound ofanykind.
The technical features it does have work perfectly, though.
It has multi-point pairing to two devices, which worked totally seamlessly for me.
I had no trouble switching between my tablet and projector without any connection freak outs.
But you won’t need to charge it often, thanks to that battery life.
As you can see, the Sony HT-AX7 is the perfect width for a larger iPad Pro.
I really like the Sony HT-AX7 despite its flaws.
As I said, get two Sonos Era 100 speakers if music is your focus.
This is designed to solve a particular problem.
To be a soundbar for Bluetooth devices, without the baggage of an actual soundbar.
If you’re a cinephile in a small space, the Sony HT-AX7 is a quiet revolution.
It was for me.
I just wish the price felt more justifiable, and the speakers stayed on more steadily.
As a Bluetooth-only speaker, something like theUE Epicboomis still much cheaper.
But maybe we should compare it some soundbars, too.
Sony HT-AX7 review: Specs
Should I buy the Sony HT-AX7?
And then it’s possible for you to just pack it up after and hide it.
You want a portable speaker with long battery lifeMost portable speakers deliver 15-25 hours of battery life.
This cruised past its 30-hour promise in our testing.
Movies needs to be your main concern, with music as a little bonus.
You need non-Bluetooth connectionsYou get regular Bluetooth here, and you’ll like it.
And it’s not waterproof, so keep it away from the pool.
Read our fullSonos Move 2 review.
It’s not portable, though, and won’t make a whole surround sound system on its own.
Read our fullSonos Era 100 review.
I watched movies from Netflix, Disney Plus andAppleTV.
For music, I streamed tracks from Apple Music.
