AV SYSTEMS TV/SOUNDBAR/GAMES CONSOLE
SYSTEM 1: BASIC
1 Sony KD-65XH9005 (£1100) 2 Sonos Arc (£800) 3 Sony PlayStation 5 (£450)
TOTAL: £2350
W
e kick off our trio of systems based on Award-winning kit with what is, on the face of it, a really simple set-up. A big-screen TV, a superb soundbar and a games console as a 4K Blu-ray player to go along with the streaming apps on the television.
It’s simple looking, as we say, but those appearances are, of course, deceptive. The PlayStation 5 is the newest kid on the block, and a powerhouse of a games console that also handles 4K Blu-ray and any required extra streaming duties. It’s an extremely impressive piece of kit, and marries beautifully with our favourite soundbar of 2020 and Sony’s Awardwinning 65in television.
There is a more affordable PS5 Digital Edition (£360) that, according to Sony, is identical to the standard PS5 in terms of performance and specs but lacks an optical disc drive. In this system, however, that disc drive is fairly crucial to our requirements – so the more expensive model it is, then.
Image credit: Sony/Getty
One of the big flaws we highlight in our review of the PS5 is that Dolby Atmos isn’t supported at a system level. 7.1-channel PCM is the highest-quality audio delivery that can be selected in the console’s menus, and that’s the best you’ll get out of any games or streaming apps. You can, however, enable Atmos for discs by accessing a menu within the Disc Player app.