The Sony HT-S100F is an okay sounding soundbar that lacks quite a bit of bass. This 2.0 setup doesn’t have a dedicated and wireless sub and it struggles to produce low bass frequencies. On the upside, it has a very clear and accurate reproduction of voices. The bar can get pretty loud, too. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support height channels and Atmos, meaning it won’t offer the most immersive experience, although it does have an always-on surround sound. Also, the soundstage isn't very wide and even feels narrower than the bar itself. It also lacks support for DTS, which is disappointing, and it doesn’t have any Full HDMI In inputs.
Our Verdict
Okay for mixed usage. The Sony S100F has a fairly neutral, but slightly muddy sound profile that is better suited for dialogue-oriented content. It lacks bass and has trouble reproducing the deep rumble and punch of bass, which affects its performance with bass-heavy music genres and movies. On the upside, it can get pretty loud and most people should be satisfied with it. It also performs quite well at max volume and its overall build quality is decent. However, this bar won’t be great for an immersive movie listening experience, as it lacks height channel and support for Atmos content.
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Great for dialogue content.
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Gets loud enough for most uses.
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Performs well at max volume.
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Lacks bass.
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Doesn’t support DTS.
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Always-on surround sound feature.
Good for dialogue. You can use this soundbar to listen to voice-oriented content like podcasts, audiobooks, or TV shows. The sound profile is fairly neutral, although slightly muddy, and the overall reproduction of voices is accurate. It can also get pretty loud and you can also use the Dialogue Enhancement feature to get an even better listening experience and make dialogue in movies even clearer. Additionally, you’ll be able to stream content from your phone wirelessly thanks to its Bluetooth compatibility.
Mediocre for music. Although this soundbar has a fairly neutral sound profile, its bass is quite poor and doesn’t accurately reproduce the low punch and thump of bass-heavy music. Its soundstage is also noticeably small and is even narrower than the bar itself, which is short to begin with. On the upside, it can get loud enough for most use cases and performs well at max volume. It's easy to stream music via a Bluetooth connection, but unfortunately, the bar itself doesn’t have any sound customization features.
Sub-par for movies. The Sony HTS100F is a 2.0 soundbar system and doesn’t have height channels and Atmos support. This means it won’t deliver a very immersive experience with movies. However, it has an always-on surround sound feature that is specific to Sony soundbars which can help with the surround effects, but the sound quality isn't the best. Also, the HT-S100F can’t really produce deep bass thump and punch, which will negatively affect its performance with movies. It also doesn’t support DTS, which is disappointing. On the upside, you’ll be able to hear the dialogue in movies very clearly thanks to the Voice mode.
- Mixed Usage
- Dialogue/TV Shows
- Music
- Movies
- Updated Jun 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
- Updated Mar 13, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Mar 10, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
- Updated Mar 01, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 27, 2019: Review published.
- Updated Sep 16, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Sep 14, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Jun 28, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
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Compared To Other Soundbars
The Sony HT-S100F is a simple 2.0 system without a subwoofer. It won't be the best option if you care for bass or soundstage. It's also advertised to have an always-on surround mode.
See our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best budget soundbars, and the best soundbars with a subwoofer.
The Sony HT-S200F is slightly better than the Sony HT-S100F model, especially thanks to the built-in subwoofer channel, which helps a bit with the bass. These are practically the same bar and perform very similarly otherwise. The HT-S200F will be an overall better choice thanks to the extra bass, especially for the marginal price difference.
The Bose TV Speaker is a bit better than the Sony HT-S100F. The Bose is a simple setup with better soundstage and surround performances. It can reproduce a slightly more extended low-bass, and its default sound profile is more neutral and balanced. That said, it doesn't get quite as loud as the Sony.
The JBL Link Bar is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Sony HT-S100F. It has a noticeably better audio reproduction and has more bass. Its stereo soundstage is also noticeably wider, and it has more inputs for you to use it as a hub for your devices. It supports DTS content and can cast content wirelessly via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and it has Chromecast built-in. The JBL is also an Android TV Box and a Google Home speaker. On the other hand, the Sony compresses less at max volume and has a better phantom center performance for clearer voices and dialogue in movies.
The Sony HT-X8500 is more versatile than the Sony HT-S100F. The HT-X8500 is a 2.1 standalone bar with Dolby Atmos support. It has a better surrounds performance, too, and it comes with some extra sound enhancement tools such as a bass adjustment feature. That said, the HT-S100F is still a decent choice for dialogue-heavy content like TV shows and podcasts.
The Sony HT-S100F may be a better option for most people over the TCL Alto 5. The Sony has an HDMI ARC port, which makes it a bit more versatile to plug-in devices, while the TCL only supports surround content via optical. The Sony also gets noticeably louder than the TCL. However, the TCL soundbar feels a bit more premium thanks to the front grill covering the speakers and it even comes with wall-mounting brackets, which the Sony doesn't have.
The Sony HT-S100F is better than the Vizio SB2020n-J6. They're both budget-friendly, standalone bars, but the Vizio can only support PCM content. Meanwhile, the Sony offers support for multi-channel formats like Dolby Digital, even though it has to downmix it to stereo to play it. The Sony also gets louder, and it has HDMI inputs. That said, some users may prefer the Vizio's smaller, more compact design.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Sony HT-S100F. The Sonos is a 3.0 system with a center channel, which makes dialog clearer and easier to understand. It also has a more accurate overall audio reproduction and has many sound enhancement features, including room correction. It has a great soundstage for an immersive feel as well. On the other hand, if you like the simplicity of Bluetooth, only the Sony is Bluetooth compatible. It's also better built and noticeably smaller, making it easier to fit in your setup.
The Sony HT-S100F is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Vizio SB2020n-G6. While the Sony has a slightly less balanced sound profile, it can downmix surround content into stereo. It can also get louder than the Vizio, it has an HDMI In port, and you can wall-mount it. However, the Vizio has a more neutral mid-range and you can also adjust its bass and treble. If you're low on space, the Vizio is also very compact and can be a suitable choice if you're looking for a soundbar for your computer setup.
The Sonos Arc is better than the Sony HT-S100F. The Sonos supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has better center, surround, and soundstage performances. It comes with a room correction feature and built-in voice assistant support, unlike the Sony. Also, it's better-built.
The Vizio SB3220n-F6 is a better soundbar than the Sony HT-S100F. The Vizio has a more neutral, better-balanced sound with more bass and clearer treble. It also has a better stereo soundstage and surround performance. The Sony has HDMI ARC, though, so you can use your TV remote to control it, which some listeners may prefer.
The Samsung HW-T450 is better than the Sony HT-S100F. The Samsung comes with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. It has better soundstage and surround performances, and some users may prefer its more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box. That said, the Sony is better-built and comes with an ARC port. It also has a better center channel performance.
The Sony HT-S100F is an overall better-performing soundbar than the AmazonBasics 2.1 Channel Bluetooth. The Sony's sound profile is more neutral and balanced compared to the AmazonBasics and it performs better at max volume. The Sony is also well-suited for dialogue-centric audio content. If you're power-conscious, the AmazonBasics has an auto-off compared to the Sony's standby mode.
The Sony HT-S100F is a better overall soundbar than the LG SK1. Both soundbars have a fairly neutral sound profile that is lacking sub-bass; however, the Sony extends slightly deeper than the LG. This gives it a slightly better performance with bass-heavy music and movies. It gets much louder than the LG, and it has more sound enhancement features, such as dialogue enhancement. However, unlike the Sony, the LG comes with a few EQ presets.
The Sony HT-S100F is a slightly better overall soundbar than the Vmai 2.1 Channel Sound Bar, but depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. Both soundbars have integrated subwoofers, but the Sony's more compact design may be preferred by some users. Unlike the Vmai, the Sony has a phantom center, it can play surround content, and can support Dolby Digital via its Optical In port, which is good for watching movies. It also has a Night Mode feature, unlike the Vmai. However, the Vmai performs much better than the Sony with music, thanks to its better-balanced sound profile, more extended bass, and wider soundstage.
The Yamaha YAS-109 is slightly better than the Sony HT-S100F. The Yamaha is a standalone 2.0 setup with better soundstage and surround performances. It comes with more wireless playback options, and it reproduces a bit more low-bass than the Sony. That said, the Sony gets louder, and it's still a decent option for dialogue-heavy content like TV shows.
The Sony HT-S100F is a much better soundbar than the TaoTronics TT-SK023. While both soundbars lack bass and detail in the treble range, the Sony still sounds better-balanced overall. It's missing EQ presets, but has dialogue enhancement and virtual surround effects, and also supports Dolby Digital over HDMI. The TaoTronics has a more compact design, though, which some may prefer.
The Roku Smart Soundbar is a better overall soundbar than the Sony HT-S100F. Both bars don't have a subwoofer, so they both struggle to reproduce sub-bass. However, the Roku's bass extends a bit deeper, so it does a better job reproducing the low rumble and thump in bass-heavy music and movies. It also has more sound customization options, thanks to its four EQ presets. The Roku is also Wi-Fi compatible. On the other hand, the Sony comes with an always-on surround sound mode called S-Force Front Surround, which some listeners may like. Also, the Sony has a better-balanced sound on its center channel than the Roku.
The Sony HT-S100F is a slightly better soundbar than the TaoTronics TT-SK026. Although the Sony is a 2.0 channel soundbar, it has a better build, supports Dolby Digital, and has a shared HDMI ARC/out input. Unlike the TaoTronics, it can also support surround content but it has to downmix it. On the downside, the Sony doesn't offer any EQ options.
The Sonos Playbar is a slightly better soundbar than the Sony HT-S100F. It has an extra dedicated center channel, which makes dialog and voices a lot clearer and easier to understand. The overall stereo performance is also better and more accurate. The Sonos has a very wide soundstage and plenty of sound enhancement features, including a room correction feature, which is great. However, it doesn't support Bluetooth, only Wi-Fi, and doesn't have an ARC port, unlike the Sony.
The Sony HT-S100F is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Roku Streambar. The Sony has a better-balanced sound profile that's capable of reproducing more low-bass. It can get louder with fewer compression artifacts and has a virtual surround feature. It also has a shared HDMI ARC and HDMI Out port. However, the Roku is smaller and better built. Its surrounds performance is much better too.
The Samsung HW-Q60R is a better soundbar system than the Sony HT-S100F. It's advertised as a 5.1 setup with the Samsung Acoustic Beam up-firing speakers, which helps with the surround performance. The subwoofer of the Samsung offers more bass than the stand-alone Sony and the overall audio reproduction of the Samsung soundbar is better. The Samsung also has better overall connectivity options and has more sound enhancement features to make it sound how you prefer.
The Samsung HW-A450 is better than the Sony HT-S100F. The Samsung comes with a dedicated sub, so it can reproduce a more extended low-bass. It has better soundstage and surround performances, and it comes with more sound enhancement features like a graphic EQ. That said, the Sony is better built with a better center channel performance.
The Sony HT-S100F is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Insignia NS-HSB318 2.0. Although its default sound profile isn't much better-balanced, it supports Dolby Digital content over optical and HDMI ARC. Although it downmixes surround content, it has a virtual surround feature, which the Insignia lacks. The Insignia is more compact, which some may prefer.
Test Results
The Sony HT-S100F is a fairly wide soundbar. It's all black and has a metal grill that covers the front and the half of the sides, while the rest is made of solid plastic. The top has a faux-leather texture and hosts some touch-sensitive controls.
The bar is fairly wide, and it's unlikely that it'll fit between the legs of a 55" TV. On the upside, it's not that tall and probably won't interfere with the screen's viewing area, unless your TV sits flush on the table like the Sony A9G. If you're looking for a smaller soundbar that can better fit between your TV's legs, check out the compact Vizio SB2020n-J6 or Bose TV Speaker.
There are no satellites in this setup.
The Sony HT-S100F's overall build quality is decent. The metal grill at the front won't attract dirt or get damaged easily like other fabric-covered bars such as the Roku Streambar, and the solid plastic and faux-leather texture on the top give off a slightly premium feel. We didn't encounter any issues with the build quality of this soundbar.
- Manuals
- Optical cable (3.2 ft / 1m)
- Remote & batteries
- Power cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
The Sony S100F's stereo frequency response is mediocre. The HT-S100F has a neutral sound profile, but lacks a lot of sub-bass and a bit of detail in the treble, making it a bit muddy. Its low-frequency extension (LFE) is very high and won’t be great for experiencing the deep thump, punch, and rumble of bass-heavy music genres or movies and games. On the upside, there are also a few audio modes that can help the overall performance, but the standard one is disappointing. For a 2.0 system with better audio quality, check out the JBL Link Bar or the Roku Smart Soundbar.
When listening to the HT-S100F, the soundstage is mediocre. It's disappointingly narrow, even less wide than the soundbar itself. On the upside, sound isn't too diffused, resulting in a focused soundstage, which is good because objects seem to be coming from a more accurate pinpoint location rather than from a general area. For a more compact soundbar with an even wider soundstage, check out the Vizio SB3220n-F6.
The Sony S100F can get pretty loud and will be suitable for most uses. It also doesn’t compress a lot, which is good for a clear sound at max volume. The dip you see on the graph is below the soundbar LFE, meaning it won’t be audible because the soundbar already has trouble reproducing those frequencies.
The Sony HT-S100F's THD performance is great at a normal volume at around 80dB and you shouldn’t have any issues or hear audible THD. However, there’s a big jump in THD in the bass and mid ranges when pushing the bar to max volume. However, THD is quite hard to hear, so you might not notice it on real-life content.
The Sony S100F is a 2.0 soundbar setup, which means it doesn’t have a dedicated center speaker. It uses the left and right speakers to create a sound in the center, which will sound more diffused and less clear compared to a discrete center, but the performance is still good overall. However, when sending a 5.1 surround sound signal, it'll downmix it. It also doesn’t have a good bass performance, but this won’t matter as much since there isn't much bass on center channels to begin with. Voices still sound fairly clear and accurate, and the bar gets loud enough for most people.
The Sony HT-S100F has poor performance with surround channels. The soundbar's 2.0 configuration won't result in the most accurate and clear representation of surround objects in the soundstage. Everything is downmixed to stereo and doesn’t feel as real as a discrete surround experience offered by tower speakers. The overall sound profile is fairly bright as this soundbar lacks a lot of bass. This soundbar, like many other Sonys, has an always-on surround sound mode that causes a strange frequency response measurement, visible in our plot.
This soundbar setup doesn’t have height channels and doesn’t support Atmos.
The Sony S100F has limited sound enhancement features. It has a Voice Mode, which makes it easier to hear dialogue in movies at a lower volume, but no EQ presets. This bar is also advertised to have a virtual surround feature, which other basic soundbars like the Insignia NS-HSB318 2.0 tend to lack. This feature is called S-Force Front Surround and it is always on. Unlike the Vmai 2.1 Channel Sound Bar, it has a night mode feature to help keep the volume level consistent between different programs. If you're looking for a 2.0 setup with more customization options, check out the LG SK1.
The Sony HT S100F has only the most basic wired connections, so it isn't a versatile bar. You won't be able to use it as a hub between your TV and home media devices since it doesn't have HDMI. You also can't connect older devices with a regular audio cable since, unlike the TaoTronics TT-SK023, this soundbar also lacks an AUX input.
This bar can decode surround sound over ARC thanks to its Dolby Digital support but will downmix it to 2.0. Dolby Digital content is common on streaming platforms like Netflix, or on Blu-ray discs. Unfortunately, you won't be able to decode DTS or any of the higher-end formats like Dolby Atmos, which can offer you object-based surround sound experience.
There's no Full HDMI In port on this bar.
Just like over the HDMI ARC port, only Dolby Digital surround sound is supported over Optical. However, as this is the most common surround sound format, you'll find plenty of content, especially in streaming platforms or Blu-rays. The unsupported DTS format isn't widely available on its own; it's the fallback for the higher quality DTS-HD MA found on many Blu-ray discs.
This bar can't be used as a hub between your PC and the TV.
Bluetooth is the only wireless way to playback sound on this bar. This, however, is enough for those who keep their music collection on the cloud and listen through their phone or tablet.
The interface is very simple and consists of a set of lights that inform you which setting you're using. However, unless you know what each light corresponds to, you have to get close to the bar to read the text above the lights.
The controls found on the top are pretty simple and allow you to control the power, the input source, the volume level, and help you connect to your Bluetooth devices.
The remote is fairly simple and sits well in your hand. It has some preset modes to match certain playback content. The 'PLAY MODE' is a play/shuffle/repeat once/etc button when the USB port is used.