The Sony HT-S100F is a budget-friendly 2.0 soundbar setup from Sony's 2018 lineup. For a bar of this style and stature, it doesn't support height channels, but it offers an always-on surround sound mode called S-Force Front Surround to help improve its audio reproduction. That said, it's still fairly barebones overall.
Our Verdict
The Sony HT-S100F is mediocre for mixed usage. This bar has a slightly uneven sound profile since it struggles to reproduce the deep rumble and punch of bass, affecting its performance with bass-heavy music genres and movies. It's better suited for dialogue-oriented content since vocals and instruments sound clear. It's also loud enough to fill a large room and performs quite well at max volume. Its overall build quality is decent, too. However, this bar won't be great for an immersive movie listening experience as it lacks height channel and support for Atmos content.
-
Voice mode available.
-
Gets loud enough for most uses.
-
Decently built.
-
Lacks bass.
-
Doesn't support DTS.
-
Bad surround performance.
The Sony HT-S100F is decent for dialogue and TV shows. You can use this soundbar to listen to voice-oriented content like podcasts, audiobooks, or TV shows. The sound profile is a bit uneven, but this bar can still reproduce dialogue clearly. It can get pretty loud, and you can use the Dialogue Enhancement feature to get an even better listening experience and make dialogue in movies even clearer. Additionally, you can stream content from your phone wirelessly, thanks to its Bluetooth compatibility.
-
Voice mode available.
-
No room correction feature.
The Sony HT-S100F is passable for music. Although it 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 uses and performs well at max volume. It's easy to stream music via Bluetooth, but unfortunately, the bar doesn't have any sound customization features.
-
Gets loud enough for most uses.
-
Decently built.
-
Lacks bass.
-
No room correction feature.
The Sony HT-S100F is sub-par for movies. It's 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 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 can hear the dialogue in movies very clearly thanks to the Voice mode.
-
Gets loud enough for most uses.
-
Decently built.
-
Lacks bass.
-
Doesn't support DTS.
-
Bad surround performance.
-
No room correction feature.
- 6.2 Mixed Usage
- 7.1 Dialogue/TV Shows
- 6.4 Music
- 5.5 Movies
-
Updated Nov 13, 2024:
The Compared To Other Soundbars box has been updated to add context in 2024 and mention the TCL S45H, alongside the Audio Format Support - ARC box.
- Updated Jun 04, 2024: Updated text in Stereo Dynamics, Audio Latency: ARC, and Audio Latency: Optical boxes with new methodology from TBU 1.3. Some updates to the usages as well.
- Updated Jun 03, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench Update 1.3. If applicable, we've retested stereo sound based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Additionally, we've expanded our audio latency tests to the following boxes: Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Apr 09, 2024: We've updated this review's text to improve its clarity and accuracy.
- Updated Feb 19, 2024: Added market comparison with the Hisense HS214 in the Build Quality box.
- Updated Jan 25, 2024: Added market comparison with the Creative Stage to the Stereo Frequency Response box.
- 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.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sony HT-S100F comes in one variant: 'Black,' and you can see our model's label here. If you come across another variant of this soundbar, please let us know in the forums.
Compared To Other Soundbars
If you're looking for a simple step up from your TV speakers, then the Sony HT-S100F may be up your alley. This simple 2.0 soundbar may not offer the most profound performance since it lacks most of the bells and whistles of a more premium product, but it can get loud enough to fill a large room, and it's decently built, considering its price. If you want a more complete setup with a dedicated subwoofer from Sony, check out the Sony HT-S350 or the more high-end 7.1.2 Sony HT-ST5000 setup for a more immersive experience. In subsequent years since the Sony HT-S100F was released, features like room correction, alongside Dolby Atmos and DTS support, have trickled down into other affordable 2.0 soundbars like the TCL S45H, which might serve as a reason to look at what else is there.
See our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best budget soundbars, and the best soundbars with a subwoofer.
The Bose TV Speaker is a bit better than the Sony HT-S100F. The Bose has 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. However, it doesn't get quite as loud as the Sony.
The Sony HT-S100F is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Bose Solo 5. The Sony can get louder with fewer compression artifacts, which is handy if you have a large room, and it has some EQ presets so you can adjust its sound. It also has an ARC port, which supports Dolby Digital, a format common to streaming platforms and Blu-rays. That said, the Bose has a better build quality and a more balanced and neutral sound.
The Sonos Arc is better than the Sony HT-S100F. The Sonos supports Dolby Atmos content and has better center, surround, and soundstage performances. It is better built and has a room correction feature and built-in voice assistant support, unlike the Sony.
The Samsung HW-S60B/S61B is a better soundbar than the Sony HT-S100F. The Samsung is a smaller soundbar, but it manages to pack a punch, thanks to its 5.0 setup. It's better built and sounds more neutral, and it can play Atmos as well as DTS content. It has more robust sound customization features that also help you get the most out of the bar. However, the Sony gets louder with fewer compression artifacts.
The Sony HT-S400 offers an improved performance over the Sony HT-S100F. Thanks to its subwoofer, the HT-S400 can reproduce more low-bass, and overall, its sound profile is more balanced. Its surround performance is better, too, although the bar still downmixes 5.1 content into stereo. That said, the HT-S100F offers a better phantom center channel performance, and it may even be a better choice if you're very low on space since it doesn't have a subwoofer.
The Creative Stage and the Sony HT-S100F are both budget-friendly soundbars. The Creative has a dedicated subwoofer, so it can reproduce more low-bass and has a better stereo soundstage, too. However, it's not as well-built as the Sony soundbar and doesn't support as many audio formats. Plus, there's less compression with the Sony's sound, so you get cleaner audio reproduction.
The Sony HT-S200F is slightly better than the Sony HT-S100F model, especially thanks to its 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 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 has more sound enhancement features like a graphic EQ. That said, the Sony is better built with a better center channel performance.
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 TCL S45H is better than the Sony HT-S100F. Both budget all-in-one 2.0 soundbars lack a full-sounding bass, but the TCL offers greater audio format compatibility and lower latency, in addition to room correction. It's more consistent sounding across stereo, surround, and object-based formats than the Sony, which is limited to EQ presets and doesn't support DTS or Dolby Atmos.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Sony HT-S100F. The Sonos is a 3.0 system with a center channel, making dialogue 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 into your setup.
The Sony HT-S100F is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Roku Streambar. The Sony has a better-balanced sound profile 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 surround performance is much better, too.
The Sony HT-S100F and the Hisense HS214 are both budget-friendly standalone soundbars, and the Sony is the best of the two. The Sony is a little wider than the Hisense, but if you have the space, it's worth it since it has more sound enhancement features and a louder sound. That said, it's not quite as well-built as the Hisense.
The Sony HT-S100F is a better overall soundbar than the LG SK1. Both soundbars have a fairly neutral sound profile that lacks 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 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 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-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 surround 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 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, 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 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 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 grille covering the speakers, and it even comes with wall-mounting brackets, which the Sony doesn't have.
The Sony HT-S100F and the TCL Alto 6 are both budget-friendly standalone soundbars, and the Sony is a bit better overall. The Sony offers a better low-frequency extension, so you get a little more bass in the mix. Also, it comes with an auto-volume mode, which the TCL lacks. That said, the TCL's stereo soundstage is a little better.
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 Sonos Playbar is a slightly better soundbar than the Sony HT-S100F. It has an extra dedicated center channel, making dialogue 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 many 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 HDMI ARC port, unlike 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, can cast content wirelessly via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and 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 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 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 has HDMI inputs. That said, some users may prefer the Vizio's smaller, more compact design.
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 it 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 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.
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.
Test Results
The Sony HT-S100F is a fairly wide soundbar. It's all black and has a metal grille covering the front and half of the sides, while the rest is solid plastic. The top has a faux-leather texture and hosts some touch-sensitive controls.
The bar is fairly wide, and it's unlikely to fit between the legs of a 55-inch 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 OLED. 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.
This bar is mountable, although the equipment to do so isn't included in the box, so you'll have to purchase it separately.
The Sony HT-S100F's overall build quality is decent. The metal grille at the front doesn't attract dirt or get damaged easily like other fabric-covered bars, like the Roku Streambar, and the solid plastic and faux-leather texture on the top gives off a slightly premium feel. Other budget models, like the Hisense HS214, have a better overall build quality.
- Manuals
- Optical cable (3.2 ft / 1m)
- Remote & batteries
- Power cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
This bar's stereo frequency response is okay. Its sound is somewhat uneven as it lacks a lot of low bass, so movies with lots of explosions lack thump and rumble, especially compared to other models with a dedicated sub like the Creative Stage. The treble is also quite rolled off, so dialogue and instruments sound veiled and lacking in detail. On the upside, a couple of audio features can help the overall performance, like Voice Mode, which can help make dialogue clearer. For a 2.0 system with better audio quality, check out the JBL Link Bar or the Roku Smart Soundbar.
While this soundbar has a couple of EQ presets available, the Standard mode gives you the most balanced sound.
The soundstage is mediocre. It's disappointingly narrow and is even less wide than the soundbar itself. On the upside, the 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. Even though there's a dip in the low bass, it won't be audible because the soundbar already has trouble reproducing those frequencies.
The Sony S100F has 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 sounds more diffused and less clear than a discrete center. Voices still sound fairly clear and accurate, though a bit harsh.
The Sony HT-S100F has poor performance with surround channels. Like many other Sonys, this soundbar has an always-on surround sound mode that causes a strange frequency response measurement, visible in our plot. Its 2.0 configuration doesn't produce 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 has limited sound enhancement features. It has a couple of EQ presets to help you adjust its sound, including Standard, Music, Cinema, and Auto Sound. There's also a Voice Mode, which makes it easier to hear dialogue in movies at a lower volume. This bar also has 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.
This bar has only the most basic wired connections, so it isn't versatile. You can't 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. On the upside, an Optical port is available.
This bar can decode surround sound over ARC thanks to its Dolby Digital support, but it downmixes it to 2.0. Dolby Digital content is common on streaming platforms like Netflix or on Blu-ray discs. Unfortunately, you can't decode DTS or any of the higher-end formats like Dolby Atmos, which can offer you an object-based surround sound experience. However, another stereo soundbar that supports these formats is the TCL S45H if you want to be able to decode Atmos or DTS, for instance.
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 on 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 has an outstanding latency performance via ARC. This connection may not support many audio formats, but the ones it does, like Dolby Digital, have low enough latency to keep your audio and visuals in sync. Some apps and TVs compensate for latency, though.
This bar also has decent latency via Optical. However, latency is higher using this connection across both supported formats, so you may experience some lip sync delays. Some apps and TVs compensate for latency, though.
Bluetooth is the only wireless way to playback sound on this bar. However, this 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 must get close to the bar to read the text above the lights.
The controls on the top are pretty simple and allow you to control the power, the input source, and the volume level, and they help you connect to your Bluetooth devices.
