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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Sony debuts the Bravia Theater Trio as its latest flagship home theater speaker system.
• It features dedicated left, right, and center channels.
• At $2,199, it’s geared toward enthusiasts.

Shortly after adding several new additions to its Bravia home theater lineup, Sony reappeared with an all-new flagship product to lead the pack. The Bravia Theater Trio serves as an audio companion for ultra-large at-home screens, catering to those who want a faithful theater experience at home.

Also: Sony’s new theater system lets you upgrade your TV setup gradually – how it works

Just last month, I visited Sony in New York City and demoed the Trio, along with some of the brand’s other Bravia TV companions. Here’s the lowdown.

The three-speaker experience

The Bravia Theater Trio system is a three-speaker system with dedicated left, right, and center channels. This system forgoes the typical soundbar physique, instead opting for three separate bodies for allocated sound. 

During my demo, we watched the scene from Dune: Part Two in which Paul Atreides assumes his role as the Fremen’s messiah. The scene’s ominous, deep musical tones set the mood for the tense, puzzling scene ahead.

The Trio expertly layered this piece of the score, clearly reproducing the sinister sounds of the cello that score the film. There were moments when I could almost feel tingles as the rear speakers emulated the rustling of cloth, sand, and metals in the background.

Sony developed the Bravia Trio with the help of Andrew DeCristofaro, sound engineer at Sony Pictures Entertainment. In our conversation about home audio, he stressed the importance of the center channel and called it his favorite component of the Trio system.

Also: How Sony nearly ruled spatial audio – until Apple changed music forever

The Trio’s center channel spared no piece of dialogue, which is often a challenge to achieve when watching movies at home. Atredies’s distorted voice was bold and menacing, and no AI-powered dialogue upscaling was needed to make it clear.

My demo paired Sony’s flagship Bravia Sub 9 with the Trio, which added a necessary layer of depth, as most external subwoofers do. This combination made me feel like I was in the theater, to the point where I wasn’t just hearing the movie but feeling it, which enhanced immersion.

The software tricks

The Bravia Trio features Sony’s 360 Sound Mapping, which uses microphones to map your space and simulate more speakers throughout the room. This feature should eliminate the need for additional rear speakers, making the Trio the only purchase you’ll need to make to create an immersive soundscape.

For additional immersion, the Bravia Trio also supports several spatial audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced. Still, if you’d like to expand the Bravia Trio, it is compatible with several Sony Bravia home theater products.

Also: Sony vs. Samsung: My buying advice after testing both home theater systems

Though my demo was short, the Bravia Trio was an impressive home theater experience, and it should be, for its whopping $2,199 price tag. Given its high price and advanced performance, its target audience is film and home theater enthusiasts willing to pay a premium for a premium experience. 

ZDNET will have a review unit of the Sony Bravia Trio in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for deeper, more informed findings.