Sony HT-S100F Review: Clear 2 Channel Soundbar

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The factors that help with choosing a great soundbar depends on what the person is looking for.

For example, one person might go to the store or online, & the information they use to decide could be reviews, the price, or even features.

So in this review of the Sony HT-S100F, we’ll take a look at a soundbar I feel offers great sound quality & clarity — and has a small enough design to fit in a variety of rooms.

But is it the right one for you?

Let’s find out.

Sony HT-S100F Soundbar Review 

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The Sony HT-S100F soundbar delivers clear sound with its dual tweeters & bass reflex speakers. If you have trouble hearing dialogue in your shows, or you’re just looking for a casual system to watch TV or the occasional movie with in a smaller room, it’s awesome in my opinion.

 

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Features Of The Sony HT-S100F Soundbar

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2 Hidden Bass Reflex Drivers With Integrated Tweeter

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2 hidden bass reflex drivers with an integrated tweeter provides clear sound output in a 2 channel configuration.

 

 

Added Bass With A Bass Reflex Port

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An integrated bass reflex port delivers additional bass output when playing content.

 

120 Watts Of Power Via Integrated Audio Amplifier

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120 watts of power via an integrated audio amplifier allows for rich sound output.

 

4 Different Sound Modes

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4 different sound modes are present for further choice in customizing your sound; Auto Sound, Music, Standard, & Theater.

There’s also a Night Mode for viewing at night, and a Voice Mode to boost audibility of dialogue.

 

S-Force Pro Surround Sound

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Through a virtual audio feature that Sony calls S-Force Pro, the HT S100F can simulate a surround sound effect.

 

Bluetooth Capability

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Stream your favorite music wirelessly with the soundbar’s integrated bluetooth technology.

 

It Can Be Wall Mounted

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Mounting key holes on the back of the device allow it to be wall mounted for added placement flexibility.

 

Easy TV Set Up

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Setup of this soundbar is easy since it can be connected to the TV via HDMI ARC.

 

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How To Set Up The Sony HT S100F Soundbar

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Setting up the Sony S100F 2.0 ch soundbar is really simple.

In fact you only need a single HDMI cable to do so.

It doesn’t come with one though unfortunately, only the optical cable.

This is the HDMI cable I personally use.

But all you have to do is plug the HDMI cable into the the HDMI ARC input on your TV, connect the power cord, and you’re good to go.

Luckily, lots of modern TVs from Sony, Samsung, LG, etc have support for ARC.

If the TV doesn’t have an ARC input though, then it can be connected via optical cable.

 

 

The Performance Of The Sony HT-S100F Soundbar

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First Impressions Of The Overall Sound Quality

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I was honestly impressed by the Sony HT S100F when I first heard it.

There’s a lot to like about this soundbar, but from my experience, what I particularly liked was the S100F’s clarity.

Just watching TV with it, I noticed an immediate jump in the audio quality compared with my TV’s speakers.

To me, it highlighted the value in how good audio quality can make a difference in watching content.

Voices through the device were audible and crisp, and quality of the sound effects were more immersive.

In fact, it’s actually one of my favorites for the purpose of watching TV.

It’s good for movies too in my opinion, but do note there’s no internal or exterior subwoofer so if you’re looking for a soundbar for heavily watching movies specifically, then the Sony HT S400 model might be more your speed.

The upper ranges of the frequency response in particular were clear without being too shrill or sibilant.

I think that was one of my favorite things about it since I’ve heard soundbars before that had this issue.

Luckily this one doesn’t, and it maintained awesome clarity even at a volume without distortion.

It made an appreciable difference that I felt made watching content more enjoyable overall.

 

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The Soundbar’s Power & Output

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Despite being a smaller soundbar, it was still capable of getting loud while holding its composure at those higher volumes.

With 120 watts of power though, I feel it definitely makes sense why.

Sitting about 6 feet from it in average sized room, I didn’t have any issues with hearing it adequately.

I did notice that where I sat had an impact on perceived loudness though, since it didn’t sound as loud when I sat to the side of it.

 

 

The Soundstage

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In terms of the HT-S100F’s overall soundstage, I felt that it did well for a soundbar.

Keep in mind though, that the sound is still technically coming from a singular direction.

The S-Force Pro feature that emulates surround sound I found to be pretty good, but it may not be a complete substitute for something like an Atmos emulation or even a traditional surround setup.

But that being said, there was some semblance of an enhanced soundstage with that feature that I felt added to the experience.

 

 

The Bass Quality

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It’s important to note that this soundbar connects to the TV via HDMI or optical connection; meaning it can’t be connected with a subwoofer.

There isn’t an integrated or included subwoofer, so it reaching those thunderous lows that dedicated subs are known for isn’t probable.

However there are 2 bass reflex speakers, and I thought they performed reasonably well.

Sometimes the bass seemed a little quieter when there was a really action heavy sequence or a bass drop from what I noticed, but that was in really busy scenarios.

But for what bass is there actually does sound good.

It was authoritative and present, which added depth to the audio mix in scenes.

 

Music Sound Quality

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I thought the soundbar performed well when it came to music too, and it did a good job with clarity and representing separation between instruments.

Even with bass heavy music, the bass had a pretty good punch and accuracy to it which was nice.

The music mode added a little more dynamism to the audio, making it feel more lively.

Overall, if you just want a soundbar for a bedroom or smaller room in the house to simply watch TV, the occasional movie on, or to listen to music with, then the Sony HT-S100F is an awesome choice to go with in my opinion.

 

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My Experience With The Setup & Bluetooth Connectivity

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Setup of the device was really easy, only requiring a single HDMI cable, and what was really cool was being able to control the TV and soundbar with the same remote.

Speaking of remotes, the remote control it came with had a beginner friendly button layout, and felt solid in the hand.

Plus, it even came with batteries!

Bluetooth connectivity worked without issue, and it easily found whatever device it was paired to.

Using my phone, the bluetooth connection with streaming remained solid with the HT-S100F.

But there were some things I noticed about this soundbar that you’ll want to consider in your decision process.

For example, there isn’t support for the DTS format, and there aren’t HDMI inputs; only outputs for connecting it to the TV via HDMI ARC.

 

 

Thoughts On Its Appearance & Design

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The one thing I really liked too was the device’s slim form factor.

This made it really easy to place or wall mount which was convenient.

Plus it’s subdued aesthetic in its all black colorway allowed it to blend in.

There’s a metal grille that wraps around the front and stops mid way on the sides.

On top of the device is a textured material with the Sony logo off to the left; and controls for the unit in the middle.

On the back there’s an HDMI output, optical input, and a USB input.

As for the size of the sound bar itself, it’s relatively small about 37.8 x 14.7 x 9.2 inches so finding space for it shouldn’t be an issue.

Other than that, there’s really not much else to say about the appearance of this soundbar.

It’s slim, compact, and forgoes any fancy touches that would make it stand out.

I still thought it looked nice though, since it wasn’t too big and build quality of the product felt premium in the hands.

I’d say if you’re looking for something that’ll blend in rather than call attention to itself, this would be a good soundbar to consider.

 

 

Pros/Likes

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• Great clarity
• Music sounds awesome on it
• Low profile design
• Really easy to set up
• Bluetooth works well
• S-Force Pro enhances soundstage
• Can be wall mounted

 

Cons/Dislikes

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• Lack of Dolby Atmos
• Missing support DTS format
• Would like more bass

 

Final Thoughts

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Summing up my thoughts on the HT S100F, it’s a massive step up from your typical television speakers that delivers clear and concise sound.

If you’re having trouble with hearing dialogue in your shows, or just looking for a casual system to watch movies with, this is a good choice to go with.

 

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