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Product test

Sony HT-MT300: A little thing with a big bang

Fabio Endrich
21.9.2017
Translation: machine translated

A home cinema system is great. But as an audiophile, I don't just go for anything. That's why I dared to test it: is the Sony HT-MT300 any good?

I am a self-confessed fan of home cinema. I have a 5.0 home cinema system at home with Klipsch speakers and a Pioneer receiver. It all started in my student days when I (honestly) bought my first home cinema set from digitec. After that, I kept adding and replacing individual components. And although I'm very sceptical about soundbars and soundplates, I tried to overcome my fears with this test and put the products through their paces.

As soon as I unpack the HT-MT300, I notice that it comes in a rather small, handy package that can be carried around easily thanks to a handle. The bar is quickly set up and wired. I realise that the product doesn't have an HDMI input. I think: "Well, the entry-level model doesn't necessarily need this and the optical cable for the built-in optical input is even included".

The HT-MT300 does not have a screen

As the HT-MT300 does not have an integrated screen, it is difficult to recognise which sound mode is currently active (shortly after setting, only the LED of the current input lights up). The night mode for compressed, quieter playback with consistent intelligibility of voices is an extra that you can look for in most entry-level soundbars. Especially if you have children, this setting can be a saviour for cinema evenings.

The subwoofer can be tilted and easily slid under the sofa. Sony has built in a special sofa mode for this purpose. As a diaphragm is also installed on the side, the subwoofer switches to this in sofa mode and sounds your sofa from below. With Clear Audio+, the device decides which of the existing sound settings is used depending on which scene of a content is currently being played.

The design is deliberately slim, with minimal LEDs and a leather-like surface. The soundbar, whether in the black or cream-coloured version, blends well and minimalistically into any living room design.

That's all well and good, but in the end only one thing counts: the sound. That's why I chose films to give the HT-MT300 a hard time. Does the HT-MT300 do these films justice?

The soundtrack fills the entire room nicely and the details of the scene, such as the clacking of shoes on the floor, stand out well. Only with the quieter voices during the song in comparison does the soundbar have a bit of trouble picking out the quiet dialogue passages in the middle of the sound carpet cleanly. The voice mode provides a remedy here.

But only partly. The reason for this is that it becomes clear that in a classic 5.1 home cinema, the sound image is much wider simply due to the arrangement. The subwoofer is again very powerful, with some passages lacking a little brilliance in the highs of the sound spectrum. I also get the impression that Clear Audio struggles to maintain the balance between dialogue and action environment, especially in scenes with rapidly changing sound passages.

The system can be controlled and monitored via NFC

Conclusion

Pro:

  • Very good price-performance ratio
  • Slim design/subwoofer can be conveniently placed under the sofa
  • as a complete package light and handy as devices are small and slim
  • NFC for music playback
  • Night mode

Contra:

  • No display
  • No HDMI connection

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As a drummer, enthusiastic visitor of Drum 'n Bass parties, hobby producer of electronic music and record lover I am interested in all imaginable aspects of the audio universe. As a compensation I also enjoy the absolute silence under water while diving or taking pictures in the nature. 


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