2015 Sony Sound Bar (HT-CT380) Priced at $349

The Sony HT-ST9 Sound Bar with Hi-Res audio is capable of delivering on many fronts, thanks to its built-in 7.1 surround sound with 800 watts of power. With its premium features comes a premium $1,499 price tag that, while perhaps justified, isn’t targeted at all consumers. The Sony HT-CT380 Sound Bar (pictured above), however, is priced at $349, making it affordable for almost all home theater fans. After the jump, we give you the details on this entry level sound bar and what you can expect to get from it.

The Sony HT-CT380 Sound Bar is an entry model in Sony’s home theater lineup and as such, doesn’t feature all the fancy specs that its flagship counterpart offers – but you know what? That’s okay! In fact, budget aside, there are instances that we just don’t need all the extra power and features, so why spend it when you might not need to?

Perfect for smaller environments, the Sony HT-CT380 provides 300 watts of power on a 2.1 setup with a wireless subwoofer, making your home theater setup a little more flexible. For you movie buffs, no need to fear as Sony isn’t skimping on audio codecs. That means full support for Dolby TrueHD for cinematic surround sound and DTS-HD. Connecting devices to the HT-CT380 is a breeze, thanks to its 3 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output. Keep in mind there is no 4K support here but that’s not a surprise, given that it’s an entry model.

Music fans will have plenty to look forward to thanks to easy music streaming via Bluetooth. Those with NFC on their smartphone or tablet will be able to enjoy easy one-touch pairing and music transfer. The HT-CT380 also includes something called ClearAudio+ which according to Sony, enriches your music.

Unique to Sony, ClearAudio+ automatically adjusts sound settings for an enriching listening experience. By bringing together expertise in digital signal processing technologies, ClearAudio+ is able to optimise audio formats to deliver a consistently clear, high-quality sound – whatever music you’re into.

With a slim profile (90cm (35.5”) width x 5.1cm (2”) height x 11.7mm (4.6”) depth) and an affordable price of $349, the Sony HT-CT380 Sound Bar might be the right fit for your next home theater project. You can purchase the HT-380 starting today.