KEF XIO vs Sony BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9

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XIO compared with BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9

	KEFXIO	SonyBRAVIA Theatre Bar 9
Overview
Released
Released	July 2025	April 2024
Sound
Type
Type	Soundbar	Soundbar
Channels
Channels	5.1.2	7.0.2
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes
Drivers
Drivers	Six 50 mm Uni-Q MX, two 50 mm full-range and four 50 × 180 mm P185 bass drivers with VECO control	13 speaker units; 45 × 90 mm front and centre cone speakers with passive radiators, 10 mm front soft-dome tweeters, a 22 mm centre soft-dome tweeter, 16 mm soft-dome beam tweeters with acoustic tubes, and 46 × 54 mm up-firing and side speakers (acoustic suspension)
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	Twelve Class D amplifiers; 820 W instantaneous total power rating	S-Master HX digital amplifier, 13 channels
Frequency response
Frequency response	34 Hz–20 kHz (±3 dB, measured at 85 dB/1 m); maximum SPL 102 dB at 1 m	–
Audio formats
Audio formats	Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Sony 360 Reality Audio and MPEG-H	Over HDMI eARC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced and LPCM up to 192 kHz/24-bit; 360 Reality Audio; High-Resolution Audio
Room tuning
Room tuning	Intelligent Placement Technology; Default, Movie, Music, Direct, Dialogue and Night modes	Sound Field Optimization; 360 Spatial Sound Mapping; Voice mode and Night mode; DSEE Ultimate; Voice Zoom 3 and Acoustic Center Sync with compatible BRAVIA TVs
Connections
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
AirPlay
AirPlay	Yes	Yes
HDMI eARC
HDMI eARC	Yes	Yes
Voice assistants
Voice assistants	None	None
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax; 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz	Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.2; SBC, AAC and LDAC (receiving); A2DP and AVRCP
Ports
Ports	HDMI 2.1 eARC, optical, service USB-C, Ethernet and RCA subwoofer output; no HDMI input	HDMI eARC/ARC out to the TV; HDMI in (4K/60p 4:4:4, HDR, Dolby Vision, HLG, VRR, ALLM, HDCP 2.2); S-CENTER OUT for TV Center Speaker Mode
Streaming
Streaming	AirPlay, Google Cast, UPnP, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and regional in-app services	AirPlay; Spotify Connect; Bluetooth
Multi-room
Multi-room	Optional KW2 receiver for compatible wireless subwoofers. KEF still lists wireless rear-speaker support as a future firmware update.	AirPlay to several speakers; wireless SA-RS5 or SA-RS3S rear speakers and SA-SW5 or SA-SW3 subwoofers (up to two of the same model) sold separately
App
App	KEF Connect	Sony | BRAVIA Connect; settings also appear in the Quick Settings menu of compatible BRAVIA TVs
Design
Weight
Weight	10.5 kg	5.5 kg (better)
Controls
Controls	Top-panel power, source, mute and volume buttons with source, Wi-Fi, volume and codec indicators; supplied infrared remote with playback, source and customisable favourite and sound-profile buttons	Power button on the bar; supplied remote control with SOUND FIELD, VOICE and NIGHT buttons; HDMI CEC with the TV remote
Microphones
Microphones	–	None; Sony says the speaker system doesn't have a microphone
Mounting
Mounting	Supplied wall-mounting kit and template	Wall-mountable with the supplied brackets and template; supplied feet raise it to 76.2 mm
Size
Size	1210 × 70 × 165 mm (width × height × depth)	1,300 × 64 × 113 mm (W × H × D)
Colours
Colours	Silver Grey or Slate Black	–
In the box
In the box	Soundbar, remote, AAA batteries, 2 m HDMI cable, 2 m power cable, wall-mounting template and kit, and printed materials	Sound bar, remote control, TV center speaker mode cable, HDMI cable, AC power cord, two feet, wall mounting brackets, screws and template, documents; batteries in some regions