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New Sony HTCT370 SoundBar

36K views 60 replies 37 participants last post by  onesaintsfan 
#1 ·

I just Purchased what I think is a fairly new product the

 

Sony HTCT370

 

-300W total system power (100W x 2; 100W subwoofer)

-With a bass-reflex design, plus a powerful S-Master amplifier, delivers thunderous, heart-pounding bass.

-S-Force PRO technology

-Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoders

-Bluetooth technology

-Inputs

Include 3HDMI, 1 optical and one 1/8" stereo analog auxiliary.

Outputs Include 1 HDMI ARC.

Supports 4K pass-through

So you can enjoy ultrarealistic images when connected to a compatible display.

 

Is this standard stuff now? Price was $350. In the store it sounded much better than others in the price range.

 

In my opinion she sounds good. I'm still trying to figure a few things out. When I turn the tv off and back on I get video but no sound. I need to cycle the inputs and I get sound. Do I have my connections flubbed or something?

 

I have my Blu-Ray and cable box connecting to my TV via HDMI and have the TV connecting to the soundbar via the HDMI ARC connection. My TV (panisonic-st60)is ARC compatible as well.

 

Audio from Blu-Ray is AWESOME the audio from cable is meahh

 

Also the design is a little odd it is more of a flat shape not round or square.
 
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#2 ·

Hello there mcginnin.

 

I am glad to hear that you purchased the new Sony 370 soundbar.  I've been keeping my eye on this soundbar for some time now in hopes that the reviews would be positive.  Unfortunately, there are not many reviews out there on this one yet.  I look forward to hearing from your experience (and anyone else!) with this new soundbar.

 

I can't comment on your sound loss issue, but I do hope you figure it out.

 

I love the flat shape and that is part of what is drawing me to this bad boy.  The only issue (which reviews would reveal) is if this flat shape affects the sound quality capable of being produced in a flatter geometry.

 

If you're reading this and have this sound bar, please post your thoughts!
 
#3 ·

Pat25, So far so good. I do like the bar sound is getting better with tweaks. Checkout the post called  TVs with 5.1 Passthrough from HDMI to SPDIF   Go to the last pages when my conversation starts. The problems i first had are now gone with help from others.

 

Im thinking of trying to angle it more forward so the speakers are facing you  ore. Maybe this is the design. Speakers being angled? I don't have a trained ear for good/bad sound. I will say the sub exceeded my expectations. And is much,much better than the tv speakers Im happy my wife is happy so it works for me. Also last night i turned AAV off or ava off. I forget what it was and the sound drastically changed in a good way. Hope this helps.
 
#4 ·
How are you liking this unit? I'm thinking of purchasing it for the adjustable tone, voice, subwoofer feature. Have you given it a try?


On my audio expedition, I've learned that a soundbar with center speaker is what I should be looking for. I think Vizio is one manufacturer, forget what else, but the reason for the center speaker is because that's where majority of voice audio comes from. While this one doesn't have a designated center speaker, maybe the adjustable "voice" feature works the same way?


How's voice on this unit?
 
#5 ·

I really do enjoy it, I haven't really had the chance lately to enjoy it I have a 12 day old baby so my wife wont let me crank it. Surprising the woofer gives a deep rumble and the sound bar itself is very clear. Some times i find my self turning it up for a brief moment and that I need to turn it down 20 seconds later. Im very happy with the purchase. 
 
#6 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by mcginnin  /t/1530717/new-sony-htct370-soundbar#post_24767055


I really do enjoy it, I haven't really had the chance lately to enjoy it I have a 12 day old baby so my wife wont let me crank it. Surprising the woofer gives a deep rumble and the sound bar itself is very clear. Some times i find my self turning it up for a brief moment and that I need to turn it down 20 seconds later. Im very happy with the purchase. 

Congrats on your newborn.


When you mean you are self turning it up for a brief moment, you are talking about the soundbar, or the woofer? I want a set it and forget it type of soundbar. So if you have to turn it up to hear dialogue, and turn it back down due to a commercial because it's too loud, then this unit isn't what I am looking for.
TY
 
#9 ·

I just got it and am really impressed in the short time I have had to play with it. My expectations were kind of low as I was going from a 7.1 system and my soon to be wife didn't want that in the living room. Luckily she let me keep the 70" TV!!! It is not my old system but I wasn't expecting that but it is so much better than I could have expected. I had read up all of the reviews everywhere and had settled on the Vizio sound bar as it was rated higher than Sony's HT-CT260 (came in second) but my Sharp TV was weird and would only let me let me pass through audio via the optical cable through one HDMI ( http://www.avsforum.com/t/1441546/sharp-lc70le600u-surround-setup) . This made having the HDMI inputs one of the main things for me as I could run it as a switcher as well. When shopping I ran across the HT-CT370 and reading the review on the HT-CT260 and how good they were is what convinced me to go with this model. Figured if the last model was considered one of the best then this one would be hopefully better.

 

Another thing I found during this research is that my Uverse remote wouldn't work for the Vizio sound bar nor the HT-CT260. It does work for the CT370 which is a big plus for me.


I will say that I was skeptical of the shape and how that would affect sound but so far it seems to fill the room better. The little bit I played with the vizio the sound seemed very directionalized and was only good if you were directly in front of it. I have sat off to the side with the HT-CT370 and the sound is still good. I know there is some new technology or something for this that they are calling SForce. Well, it works. I haven't really started playing with the sound other than just how it came out of the box as sometimes that is just the best way. I am going to rent a good action movie tonight and will update on how it sounds tomorrow.
 
#10 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by OZ10tx  /t/1530717/new-sony-htct370-soundbar#post_24772747


I just got it and am really impressed in the short time I have had to play with it. My expectations were kind of low as I was going from a 7.1 system and my soon to be wife didn't want that in the living room. Luckily she let me keep the 70" TV!!! It is not my old system but I wasn't expecting that but it is so much better than I could have expected. I had read up all of the reviews everywhere and had settled on the Vizio sound bar as it was rated higher than Sony's HT-CT260 (came in second) but my Sharp TV was weird and would only let me let me pass through audio via the optical cable through one HDMI ( http://www.avsforum.com/t/1441546/sharp-lc70le600u-surround-setup) . This made having the HDMI inputs one of the main things for me as I could run it as a switcher as well. When shopping I ran across the HT-CT370 and reading the review on the HT-CT260 and how good they were is what convinced me to go with this model. Figured if the last model was considered one of the best then this one would be hopefully better.


Another thing I found during this research is that my Uverse remote wouldn't work for the Vizio sound bar nor the HT-CT260. It does work for the CT370 which is a big plus for me.



I will say that I was skeptical of the shape and how that would affect sound but so far it seems to fill the room better. The little bit I played with the vizio the sound seemed very directionalized and was only good if you were directly in front of it. I have sat off to the side with the HT-CT370 and the sound is still good. I know there is some new technology or something for this that they are calling SForce. Well, it works. I haven't really started playing with the sound other than just how it came out of the box as sometimes that is just the best way. I am going to rent a good action movie tonight and will update on how it sounds tomorrow.

thanks for the review! did you set it and forget it?


keep us posted
 
#11 ·
So I am watching the newest Thor and am very impressed with the sound. Highest I can get the bass is level 10 before there is some distortion at 11 & 12. Wish it was a little stronger but then again I am coming from an Onkyo system which the sub on those are pretty awesome. I have listened to it quietly and loudly and find the sound to be clear both ways. Very good detail in the sound and did hear the surround. The room I am in is also about 25' x 15' and it fills it nicely. I think in this price point this is the one to buy.
 
#16 ·
Same Issue

Mcginnin, did you ever figure out why the unit will not power on when the TV is powered on? Having the same issue. Also, defaulting to "TV" input instead of HDMI input. Appreciate it!
 
"D"
I just purchased the CT370 unit and am experiencing the same issue 'defaulting to TV instead of HDMI'. The manual explains that the system defaults to the last known audio configuration when the unit turns off -- but that doesn't seem to be working correctly.

Will post if I figure out a fix...
 
#13 ·
Just set this up tonight. Got my PS3 to work in the input and the Star Trek reboot Bluray sounds great! However I have antenna TV and I can't get the sound out of that. I connected to the TV to the output so I assumed I'd get the sound out of that. Do I have to use the optical?
 
#15 ·
My Samsung e7000 plasma will on pass through 2 channel audio :(. I am trying to decide between this and a receiver, speakerbar, sub setup. Are there other soundbars with multiple HDMI inputs I should consider?
 
#17 · (Edited)
Anyone coming to a CT-370 from a CT-100? The 100 was SONY's debut sound bar; I still have one, along with an HT-CT660, and I like to track how the technology evolves. I'd be interested to hear whether the old 100 holds a candle to the 370 performance-wise.

Like the 370, the 100 lacks tweeters. The subwoofer looks a bit similar, too; is the 370's side-firing? The 370 has a clear edge in variety of adjustments, wireless wooferness and greater system power, while the 100 has a dedicated center channel and more flexibility on the connections front. Firing these units up side-by-side would make for an interesting contest...
 
#18 ·
Anyone coming to a CT-370 from a CT-100? The 100 was SONY's debut sound bar; I still have one, along with an HT-CT660, and I like to track how the technology evolves. I'd be interested to hear whether the old 100 holds a candle to the 370 performance-wise.
I have the original CT100 and compared it with the new CT370 in my bedroom. (I connected it to a Panasonic plasma GT25 TV, TiVo HD and Panasonic blu-ray player, with all devices plugged directly into the soundbar's HDMI inputs.) I like the low-profile shape of the CT370 and, in my opinion, the sound is far superior than the CT100, particularly in the clarity of voices while watching TV after experimenting with the voice setting options.

I plan to purchase the Sony CT770 for my living room this weekend and will let you know how it compares to the CT370. I have read great reviews on the 770, but am not sure it is worth the additional $100+. I'm also curious how the 770 compares with the new 54" 5.1 Vizio S5451w-c2, but the Vizio isn't in stock yet at Best Buy.
 
#23 · (Edited)
If I get this and hook it up to a new Sony W8 series TV, will I be able to just use the TV remote to control the volume? Can I just hide the remote that comes with the soundbar?

And can I place the sub under the couch, or will that be completely terrible? I'm just looking for something for the living room (not the movie/game room) that will give me better sound than the crappy built-in TV-speakers.
 
#27 ·
Alright, I turned it off and now it work, but that's not ideal. I'm using coax antenna for TV and I've got 3 HDMI input in my soundbar, so I've got to switch TV input AND soundbar input. Also, no ARC means having to use 2 differents remotes and match sound and video signal independantly as my soundbar remote can't switch my TV input (it can pop the input menu, but can't select a different one! Stupid Smart TV!). My girlfriend's not gonna like it... and I don't either. Time to look for a universal remote solution...
 
#28 ·
I don't really get this soundbar. It is hit or miss whether it will stay on the hdmi input. Sometimes is does, mostly it doesn't. I kept it because I liked the size and sound but I still have to use the soundbar remote on most days. Setting it to not auto-power off helped it to stay on hdmi sometimes but there is no rhyme or reason to it. Why can't it stay on whatever input it was on when it turned off? Major firmware/software bug in my opinion.
 
#31 ·
Saw this in the best buy ad for black friday. @249. also on amazon for the same price.
 
#32 ·
Same price directly from Sony. If you've never had a Sony Card, you can apply and get an additional $100 statement credit.

I ordered one last night to go with my 40" Samsung in my bedroom.
 
#34 ·
I just purchased this to replace my YAS-101 bar for the main purpose of getting better dialog and a wireless sub, as well as HDMI inputs. It blows away the YAS-101 in every regard.

My dilemma now is do I have this thing set up properly? I've run into the issue above of it being set to TV input when I first turn it on. I'm trying to make this as simple as possible without fumbling through remotes. My current setup is as follows:

Soundbar -> TV ARC
Xbox One -> Soundbar HDMI 1
ATT Uverse box -> Soundbar HDMI 2

Should the external devices be hooked directly to the TV instead? Would this allow it to be set to only the "TV" input and forget it? The TV does 5.1 passthrough so I'm not sure if there's a need for the soundbar to be the device of record.
 
#42 ·
I just purchased this to replace my YAS-101 . . . . It blows away theYAS-101 in every regard. . . . .I've run into the issue . . . . .I'm trying to make this as simple as possible without fumbling through remotes.
Sounds like the Yamaha at least did a bit better in this department. Too bad Sony didn't design the unit to learn remote codes like the Yamaha does. (Yes, even Fios codes) Otherwise the Sony is a great unit.
 
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