This guide is for a narrow setup: one soundbar at the television, with no separate subwoofer or rear speakers in the base package. It compares the documented base package, physical dimensions, TV connection layout, setup path, optional expansion, and manufacturer-listed audio formats for three exact models. It does not compare sound quality, bass, dialogue, room fit, latency, reliability, price, or package value.
The three products below are standalone bars as supplied. Optional components stay separate from the base-package comparison. If your main question is dialogue controls or acoustic setup, use our guide to soundbars for clear dialogue instead.
Start with the base package
| Model | Base package boundary | Dimensions (W × H × D) | TV and source connection layout | Setup path |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonos Arc Ultra | Arc Ultra, power cable, HDMI cable, and documentation; Sub and rear speakers are separate | 46.38 × 2.95 × 4.35 in | One HDMI eARC/ARC TV connection; optical needs a separately sold adapter; no HDMI input is documented | Sonos app and Sonos account for initial setup |
| Sony BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 HT-A9000 | Body-only bar; wireless surrounds and dual subwoofer support are optional | 51.25 × 2.625 × 4.5 in | One HDMI input plus one HDMI eARC/ARC output; no optical port is listed in the current specification | Sony BRAVIA Connect app for initial setup |
| Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar | Bar, HDMI eARC cable, optical cable, ADAPTiQ headset, power cord, remote, and quick-start guide; bass modules and surrounds are optional | 41.14 × 2.29 × 4.21 in | One HDMI eARC/ARC or optical TV connection; source devices connect to the TV, with no HDMI input or video passthrough presented | Bose app setup |
The table is a package-and-connection inventory, not a performance ranking. Measure the available TV-stand surface and the space below the screen, then compare the exact input path you intend to use.
Sonos Arc Ultra: one eARC or ARC TV path
The Sonos Arc Ultra base box lists the soundbar, power cable, HDMI cable, and documentation. Sonos lists Sub products and Era rear speakers as optional additions rather than included components. That keeps the starting package to one bar at the TV.
Its documented dimensions are 46.38 inches wide, 2.95 inches high, and 4.35 inches deep. The television connection is HDMI eARC or ARC. Sonos documents no HDMI input on the bar; an optical connection requires a separately sold adapter. Initial setup uses the Sonos app and a Sonos account.
For formats, Sonos lists Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, multichannel PCM, and DTS Digital Surround with connection qualifications. Read those qualifications alongside the television and source documentation; a listed format is not a blanket statement about every TV or source route.
See the Sonos Arc Ultra on Amazon.
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 HT-A9000: one HDMI input and one TV output
Sony describes the HT-A9000 as the Bar 9 main unit. Wireless surround speakers and dual subwoofer support are optional, so they are outside the body-only package considered here. The documented dimensions are 51.25 inches wide, 2.625 inches high, and 4.5 inches deep.
The current Sony specification lists one HDMI input and one HDMI eARC/ARC output. It does not list an optical port. The named setup application is Sony BRAVIA Connect, and Sony support directs initial setup through the app.
Sony publishes separate audio-format lists for its HDMI-input and eARC paths, including Dolby and DTS families and LPCM. Treat those lists as route-specific documentation: the selected source connection and television path still determine which part of the list applies.
See the Sony BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 HT-A9000 on Amazon.
Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar: HDMI eARC/ARC or optical at the TV
The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar base box lists the bar, HDMI eARC cable, optical cable, ADAPTiQ headset, power cord, remote, and quick-start guide. Bose bass modules and surround speakers are optional additions, not included base-package components. Its documented dimensions are 41.14 inches wide, 2.29 inches high, and 4.21 inches deep.
Bose documents a TV connection through HDMI eARC/ARC or optical. Source devices connect to the television; the documentation does not present an HDMI input or video passthrough on this model. Setup uses the Bose app.
Bose states Dolby Atmos support for the Smart Ultra Soundbar. This is the manufacturer format statement used here; it is not expanded into a broader codec matrix.
See the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar on Amazon.
Map the TV stand and cable route first
Start with the objects that must fit at the TV: the bar, its power lead, its TV connection, and any cables that leave the television for external sources. The listed widths, heights, and depths provide the documented measurements to compare with the stand and screen clearance you have. They do not predict fit in a particular room or television arrangement.
Then choose the connection topology to document before ordering. Sonos uses one eARC/ARC connection and does not list an HDMI input. Bose documents HDMI eARC/ARC or optical at the TV and does not present HDMI input or video passthrough. Sony lists one HDMI input as well as its eARC/ARC output. These are different cable maps, not evidence that one route is universally preferable.
For a TV-centered setup, note which source devices already connect to the television and which path each audio format requires. If you are also planning networked equipment near the TV, our mesh Wi-Fi guide for multi-story homes covers a separate home-network decision. For smart-home platform roles in the same room, see the Matter and Thread buying guide.
Keep optional expansion separate
All three product families document optional components. Sonos names separate Sub products and Era rear speakers. Sony lists wireless surrounds and dual subwoofer support as optional. Bose lists optional bass modules and surround speakers. Those additions are not part of the base package represented in this guide.
Keeping that boundary explicit makes the initial TV-stand decision easier to inspect: one bar, the documented included cables or accessories, and the specified setup path. If your plan changes to include more components, return to the manufacturer documentation for that exact configuration rather than treating the base package as a description of an expanded system.
Setup and format checks before you decide
- Measure the stand’s available width, height, and depth against the documented bar dimensions.
- Identify the television port labeled eARC or ARC and the exact source devices that use it.
- Decide whether the planned route needs an HDMI input, an optical option, or only a TV connection.
- Review the named app and account requirements before starting setup.
- Match any format question to the manufacturer’s documented connection qualifications and the television/source manuals.
- Keep optional subwoofers and rear speakers out of the base-package comparison unless you separately document that expanded configuration.
Frequently asked questions
Do these bars include a separate subwoofer?
No. This guide covers the standalone base package for each exact model. Sonos Sub products and rear speakers, Sony wireless surrounds and dual subwoofer support, and Bose bass modules and surround speakers are documented as optional additions.
Which one has an HDMI input?
The Sony BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 HT-A9000 lists one HDMI input and one HDMI eARC/ARC output. Sonos does not document an HDMI input for the Arc Ultra. Bose presents TV connections through HDMI eARC/ARC or optical and does not present HDMI input or video passthrough.
Can I use optical?
The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar includes an optical cable and documents an optical TV connection. Sonos says an optical connection requires a separately sold adapter. Sony’s current specification does not list an optical port. Check the applicable manufacturer and television documentation for the exact connection you plan to use.
Read the exact configuration, not the product family
The model name is only the starting point for this comparison. Before making a TV-stand plan, keep the manufacturer’s current page, the exact product identifier, and the base-package list together. A product-family page can also describe optional subwoofers, surrounds, mounts, adapters, or app features that do not belong to the one-bar package in front of you.
Use the same discipline for cables and formats. First identify the bar’s documented ports, then identify the television port and the source route you plan to use. A format name on a product page does not replace the connection qualifications published by the maker, the television’s own support documentation, or the source device’s settings. Where those documents do not resolve a detail, leave that detail open rather than filling the gap from a similar model or an expanded system.
This small documentation check also keeps optional expansion honest. If you later add a subwoofer or rear speakers, that becomes a different package with its own placement, power, pairing, and setup documentation. Recheck that exact configuration instead of assuming that the base-package dimensions or included accessories describe the expanded arrangement.
Evidence boundary
This is a documentation-led base-package comparison of exact models. It relies on current manufacturer configuration pages and the named product identities. It does not make sound quality, bass, dialogue, room-size, latency, reliability, value, price, rating, availability, safety, health, hearing, or comparative-superiority claims.