Marshall Heston 120 vs Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 Soundbar Comparison

Marshall Heston 120 vs Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9

Marshall Heston 120

5.1.2-channel | $1,300

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Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9

5.0.2-channel | $1,498

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Marshall Heston 120 vs Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9: the short answer

Across 14 features we can compare from the published specs, the Marshall Heston 120 comes out ahead on 1 and the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 on 3.

Reasons to choose Marshall Heston 120 over Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9

Streaming: Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect vs Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect

Reasons to choose Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 over Marshall Heston 120

Video pass-through: 8K vs 4K
Rear speakers: Optional vs None
Height: 2.63 in vs 3.13 in

Side-by-Side Comparison

	Marshall Heston 120	Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9
Channel layout Counts speaker channels the bar actually has. More ear-level and height channels means a wider, taller sound field.	5.1.2	5.0.2
Height channels Drivers aimed at the ceiling, which is what makes Dolby Atmos sound overhead rather than just wide.	2	2
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes
DTS:X	Yes	Yes
HDMI to the TV eARC carries lossless Dolby TrueHD and Atmos from the TV; plain ARC compresses them.	eARC	eARC
HDMI inputs A spare HDMI port for a games console or disc player.	1	1
Video pass-through	4K	8K
Subwoofer Included beats optional beats none: a separate subwoofer is where deep bass comes from.	Optional	Optional
Rear speakers Real rear speakers put effects behind you; without them surround is simulated from the front.	None	Optional
Room correction	Yes	Yes
Streaming	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect
Voice assistant Built in, rather than through a separate smart speaker.	Google Assistant optional	No
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	Yes
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	3.13 in	2.63 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	43.25 in / 50-inch	51.25 in / 65-inch
Drivers in the bar	9	13
Power (total, as published) Makers rate soundbar power differently, so the totals are not a like-for-like comparison.	320 W	585 W
Weight	15.52 lbs	12.3 lbs
List price	$1,300	$1,498

Green marks the better figure where one is better. Dashes are specs the maker does not publish.

Size: Both Soundbars in Front of a TV

Drawn to scale. The solid bar is the Marshall Heston 120, the dashed outline the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9. Pick your TV size and how it stands to see whether either would cover the picture.

Full Specifications

Marshall Heston 120 Specifications

Sound
Channels	5.1.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	Yes
Drivers	Tweeters: 0.8" Dome (2); Midrange: 2" Cone (5); Woofers: 3" Cone (2), 2" x 5" Cone; Enclosure: Passive Radiator
Power (bar, total)	320 watts
Frequency response	40-20k Hz
Subwoofer	Optional
Rear speakers	None
Virtual surround	Movie Mode
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	1
Video pass-through	4K
HDMI version	2.1
Optical inputs	No
Analogue input	RCA
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Mono-RCA, Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ax
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn, YouTube Music
Voice control	Google Assistant optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	No
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	43.25 x 3.13 x 5.88 in / 1099 x 80 x 149 mm
Weight	15.52 lbs / 7.04 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket sold separately)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$1,300

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 Specifications

Sound
Channels	5.0.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	Yes
Drivers	Tweeters: Soft-Dome (5); Midrange: 1.8125"x2.25" Cone (4); Woofers: 1.8125"x3.625" Cone (4); Enclosure: Passive Radiator
Power (bar, total)	585 watts
Subwoofer	Optional
Rear speakers	Optional
Virtual surround	360 Spatial Sound Mapping
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	1
Video pass-through	8K
HDMI version	2.1
Optical inputs	No
Analogue input	No
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect
Voice control	No
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	No
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	51.25 x 2.63 x 4.44 in / 1302 x 67 x 113 mm
Weight	12.3 lbs / 5.58 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket included)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$1,498

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

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