The pricing for soundbars varies so greatly, it's hard to know where to dive in. Recently we reviewed the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar, which lacks a subwoofer at its base price of over $1,000. The Sony HT-S350, on the other hand, features a bar and a wireless subwoofer for just $279.99. So it's only natural to wonder whether a 2.1 system this affordable is going to be any good. The good news is that it is indeed possible to get quality soundbar audio—with a subwoofer—for a relatively low price. It may not be audiophile-grade, but the HT-S350 is a powerhouse, with variable sound modes and subwoofer levels. It packs a lot of thunder, and is an excellent value for the price, earning our Editors' Choice.
Design
The HT-S350's main unit is a relatively modest 2.7-by-35.5-by-3.5-inch (HWD) bar, with a black contour featuring touch-sensitive buttons on its faux-leather top panel and a front-facing grille covering the drivers. The buttons are for power, TV (optical source), Bluetooth source, and volume, as well as indicators for MultiChannel, TV, or Bluetooth modes—they're labeled up top, but the LEDs face forward from behind the grille.
Also beneath the grille, front-firing drivers deliver the audio, combining with the wireless subwoofer for an output of 320W. The subwoofer measures roughly 15.2 by 15.3 by 7.5 inches, is shaped somewhat like a PC tower, and houses a 6.3-inch driver.
Similar Products
As for connectivity, the HT-S350 has an HDMI (ARC) output and an optical input, with an optical cable included. The back panel also houses an IR repeater to transmit the remote's signal to the TV. The sound bar can be mounted to the wall; a mounting guide is included, but no mounting brackets.
You get an oblong, 6.2-inch, black remote, which has buttons along the top section for power, TV and Bluetooth source, and a number of sound modes including Auto, Cinema, Music, Night, and Voice. The middle section houses a plus/minus volume control, and below that are buttons for the subwoofer volume, mute, audio (which selects the channel for Dolby Digital multiplex broadcast), Secure Link (for connecting the sub without worries of interference from nearby wireless devices), Indicators (to turn the LED indicators on or off), and modes for Game, News, Sports, and Standard. The remote runs off of two included AAA batteries.
Movie Performance
If we described every sound mode the HT-S350 offers in detail, this review would be way too long. As usual, our preference is for the Standard setting, but the various modes—particularly Cinema and Music—also have plenty to offer. And keep in mind, within these modes, you can also tweak the subwoofer levels to taste. This allows for a wide breadth of sonic possibilities, and you can even dial the subwoofer so far back that it's barely audible. That extreme is not necessarily useful, but the point is you can take the HT-S350 from relatively light bass to full-on mega-subwoofer mode, with lots of variables in between.
First, we checked out Blade Runner 2049's crash scene, during which Ryan Gosling falls from the sky in what looks like a military-grade flying Lamborghini. It features multiple explosions, which through the HT-S350 are capable of serious rumble. You can really dial it up, or essentially eliminate it, using the subwoofer levels on the remote. Dialogue is delivered crisply in both Standard and Cinema modes, though Cinema allows for perhaps a slightly better focus on clarity.
During the Death Star explosion scene in Stars Wars: A New Hope, the HT-S350 delivers excellent depth—you can take things to a seriously rumbly, thunderous place, or dial them back a bit. In Cinema and Standard modes, the dialogue and music are cleanly delivered, even when the sub is pumped up. Those looking for surround sound-like effects won't find much of that here—the focus is on clarity, bass depth, and a solid stereo image.
Music Performance
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout" and Thom Yorke's "Twist," the HT-S350 delivers thunderous lows. The sub can be set to a relatively subtle position, but at mid levels and in Standard or Music modes, the bass depth is quite powerful and impressive. At maximum volume levels, the sub doesn't distort, and it definitely can rattle the walls. At reasonable levels, you can dial in your desired bass depth, and achieving strong balance between the bright soundbar and the thunderous sub is possible.
Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the HT-S350's general sound signature. With the sub at mid levels on this track, the drums and Callahan's baritone vocals sound a bit too bass heavy. Dialing the sub back significantly helps—though you still end up with a sculpted, not-quite-accurate sound signature in Music mode, and something a bit more natural and balanced in Standard mode. It would be nice to have a treble EQ in addition to the subwoofer volume levels.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop receives ideal high-mid presence, allowing the loop's attack to retain its punchy edge. The subwoofer adds some serious thump to the loop's sustain, while the sub-bass synth hits also sound powerful here—though less powerful than the drum loop itself when the subwoofer is pumped up. The vocals on this track are delivered cleanly and clearly, without any sense of added sibilance.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, get some added bass depth that can sound a little boomy at times, depending on the sub levels. The higher register brass, strings, and vocals sound crisp and bright, however, and if you find the right levels for the sub while in Standard mode, the overall audio experience sounds fairly natural.
Conclusions
For a 2.1 soundbar system at this price, the Sony HT-S350 is a steal. The various audio modes and subwoofer levels allow for plenty of fine-tuning, but things already sound pretty great to begin. In this price range, we're also fans of the JBL Bar 3.1, the Polk Audio Signa S1, and the Sonos Beam. But for $280, it's hard to find a better-sounding, more powerful 2.1 soundbar setup than the Sony HT-S350.
The Sony HT-S350 soundbar delivers a wide range of audio modes and some serious thunder from its wireless subwoofer for a surprisingly affordable price.
Like What You're Reading?
Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newslettersAbout Tim Gideon
Contributing Editor, Audio
![Tim Gideon](https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/authors/04896dWbRzLlA7BUwmQSojs.fit_lim.size_200x200.v1723226071.png)