Sony HT-CT550W

Sony HT-CT550W

When Sony released the HT-CT100 sound bar back in 2008, the company was way ahead of the competition, offering HDMI connectivity and surprisingly good sound quality at a budget price. Four years later, the Sony HT-CT550W ($400 street price) faces a much different market. It's a premium-priced sound bar that's packed with connectivity, including three HDMI inputs, but that's considerably less valuable now that newer HDTVs have an ample selection of ports. The bigger problem is that the HT-CT550W doesn't sound good enough to live up to its price, especially since its unconventional design is more cumbersome than the standard budget sound bar. If you need a lot of connectivity on your sound bar system, the Sony HT-CT550W is worth considering, but most buyers will be better off with less-expensive (and better-sounding) options like the Haier SBEV40-SLIM or Vizio VHT215. Most modern sound bar systems consist of a sound bar and a wireless subwoofer, but the HT-CT550W also includes a head unit, which powers the sound bar and handles AV switching duties. That makes the HT-CT550W not quite as slick as its competitors, with extra wires between the sound bar and the head unit.