The Voice Mode feature is similarly effective, using Sony’s Voice Zoom 3 to enhance dialog. Like Sound Field, it’s not always useful and can create some balance issues between the center channel and side channel effects (see more below), so you may want to turn it off until needed.
Digging deeper into the settings lets you adjust things like compression to balance volume, add or remove a Sony TV as a center channel, and even adjust the overall soundstage height, useful if you need to raise or lower the soundstage. speakers due to setup limitations. I also appreciate the top window showing your current audio format (e.g. Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround sound).
There are some missing features, both in the app and in the hardware. On the app side, I was surprised to find no controls for EQ or individual channel levels. I think that’s by design, and with so much virtualization technology, I’m happy to let the Sony software take care of the channel equalization. However, I still like the ability to adjust the treble or enhance the midrange to warm up the sound.
Photo: Ryan Waniata
There are plenty of audio sources available, but again, some are missing. You can stream music over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi using Spotify Connect and AirPlay, but there’s no Chromecast support – which is odd for a company that makes Android phones. Sony also removed the optical port, opting for only HDMI ARC/eARC and no analog input. There is a reason behind every decision; Optical is an older digital connection that does not support 3D audio. On the analog front, Sony likely wanted to keep the entire system digital, opting not to add an analog-to-digital converter in the small plastic control box. The takeaway is that you can never add components like a CD player or turntable.
The single HDMI input also seems sketchy. Most top soundbars have at least two or three, while a traditional receiver might have five. On the plus side, the only input supports HDMI 2.1 for gaming features like VRR (variable refresh rate) in 4K at 120 Hz, HDR and Dolby vision passthrough and more to connect modern gaming systems. These features are becoming more common, but the Quad is one of the first all-in-one devices to support them.
Hello from the dome
The Quad is the best system of its kind I’ve heard when it comes to reproducing the spherical “sound surround” that 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos are prized for. It excels especially at high-pitched sounds, which are often the most difficult for smaller speakers to reproduce. The pouring rain in the “Amaze” scene from my Atmos demo disc was startlingly realistic, seemingly covering the entire room in pounding drops of water.
Equally impressive is the system’s scalability and accuracy with 3D effects. Spaceships and helicopters can be tracked almost perfectly in space. The effects gathered behind me felt like I could turn around and grab them. Sound editors had free use of 3D formats, meaning they could move “sound objects” virtually anywhere in space, and Quad took full advantage of exported experimental films. as sharp as Ant-man And Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s not on par with traditional systems with built-in speakers, but it scratches the itch.
