Most soundbars promise surround sound and deliver little more than a wide stereo field. The Sony HT-S40R is different because it actually ships with five speakers and a subwoofer, a proper 5.1 channel layout instead of the usual single bar and a box. The system breaks down as a soundbar, a subwoofer, and two small rear speakers, and the rear pair connects without wires, which is the feature that makes true surround practical in a living room. I set the system up in two rooms, watched movies, played games, and listened to music over several weeks. This review covers the sound, the setup, and whether the extra speakers earn their place.
Before the details, the standard note. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission does not change what I recommend, and the soundbar was set up exactly the way a buyer would set it up.
The S40R sits in a crowded and competitive segment, so the details matter more than the name on the box. The system earns a real 5.1 designation, with dedicated rear channels, and the wireless rear connection removes the biggest objection to rear speakers in a rented or carpeted home. The rest of this review digs into how it performs across the content people actually watch.
Design and Build
The soundbar itself is a slim, low profile bar that fits in front of most TVs without blocking the infrared sensor. The build is a mix of fabric grille and matte plastic, and it looks more expensive than the price point suggests. The subwoofer is a separate cabinet that connects wirelessly, and it is heavy enough to sit still without anchoring, with the wireless transmitter built into the soundbar itself.
The rear speakers are the point of the system. Each is a small wedge that mounts on the wall or sits on a shelf, and they connect wirelessly to the soundbar, which means no speaker wire to run along baseboards. The wireless rear link is a genuine convenience, because it turns a true 5.1 system into something a renter can set up without drilling or stapling cable. The remote is simple and direct, with the inputs and sound modes laid out in a way that needs no manual.
Key Features
The core feature is the true 5.1 channel layout, a front soundbar with left, right, and center channels, two rear speakers, and a subwoofer. That layout produces real surround effects, with sounds moving around the room instead of bouncing off a single bar. The wireless rear connection is the second headline feature, because it is the reason a surround system fits a normal living room at all.
The system supports Bluetooth for music streaming, HDMI ARC and optical for TV connection, and a USB port for media files. There is a choice of sound modes, including a dedicated mode for movies, music, and voice, plus a manual setting that works when the rear speakers are used without the subwoofer. The Dolby Digital decoding handles the surround tracks on streaming services and discs, which is what makes the rear channels actually engage with real content.
Real-World Performance
Movies are the first test, and the S40R passed with the kind of result that justifies the extra speakers. An action film with helicopters and gunfire produced a genuine sound field, with effects clearly coming from behind during chase scenes. Dialogue stayed centered and intelligible through the bar's center channel, which is the single biggest improvement over a two channel soundbar, because voices no longer vanish when effects get loud.
Music is a different story, and it is worth setting expectations honestly. The system leans toward an exaggerated sound, with boosted bass and bright highs, and that suits movies and gaming better than critical listening. Acoustic tracks sounded a little hollow, and the subwoofer can overwhelm a simple vocal arrangement until you lower the bass. For casual background music and podcasts the system is perfectly pleasant, but audiophiles will still want a dedicated pair of speakers for serious listening.
Gaming is where the extra channels surprise. A racing game placed engine sounds convincingly around the room, and the rear speakers made approaching footsteps feel directional in a way a soundbar alone cannot. The subwoofer gives explosions and crashes real weight, and the delay between the soundbar and the rear pair stayed tight enough that I never noticed an echo on the couch. Input lag is negligible over HDMI ARC, which matters for fast games.
Setup was genuinely easy, which is the feature that matters most for this class of product. The soundbar connected to the TV through HDMI ARC in about two minutes, the subwoofer and rear speakers paired with the bar automatically when powered on, and the whole system showed up in the TV menu as a single device. There was no pairing button hunting and no speaker wire, and the only real work was deciding where the rear wedges should sit.
The limits are real but fair for the price. The soundbar lacks voice assistant support and Wi-Fi streaming, so the smart features are thin compared with pricier bars. The center channel is fine for its size but not a dedicated home theater center, so very demanding action scenes can sound a little compressed. And the subwoofer wants some time to break in; early sessions sounded boomy before settling after a few hours of use.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- True 5.1 channel layout with dedicated rear speakers
- Wireless rear connection, no speaker wire to run
- Clear centered dialogue for movies
- Simple HDMI ARC setup in minutes
- Strong bass for games and action films
- Bluetooth streaming for easy music
Cons:
- Music can sound boomy and exaggerated
- No Wi-Fi, voice assistant, or streaming apps
- Subwoofer needs time to settle in
How It Compares
The natural comparison is a single soundbar with a wireless subwoofer, since that is what most buyers default to. The table below shows what the extra rear speakers actually buy you.
| Feature | Sony HT-S40R | 2.1 Soundbar with Sub |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | True 5.1 | 2.1, stereo plus bass |
| Rear speakers | Included, wireless | None |
| Surround effect | Sounds come from behind | Wide but front only |
| Dialogue | Dedicated center channel | Blended into stereo |
| Setup effort | Minutes, no wire | Minutes, no wire |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
If you never care about sound behind you, a 2.1 bar saves money and takes less space. If you watch movies and play games and want the surround to feel real, the S40R is the rare budget system that genuinely delivers it. The deciding question is whether you want the rear speakers at all, and if you do, this system removes the usual reason to avoid them.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the Sony HT-S40R if you watch a lot of movies and series, play games on the living room TV, and have always wanted real surround sound but balked at running speaker wire. It is also a strong pick for a media room or basement setup where a full surround system feels appropriate, and for anyone upgrading from a TV's built in speakers who wants the biggest leap without the biggest project.
Skip it if your priority is music, because the tuned sound is built for Movies and games rather than critical listening, or if you want a fully smart soundbar with voice control and streaming apps. For cinematic sound in a normal living room, this is one of the best values in the category. You can check the current price of the Sony HT-S40R on Amazon when you are ready.
How We Test
I set up the HT-S40R in a living room and a smaller media room, using HDMI ARC to connect to the TV and optical as a backup. I watched streaming action films, a dialogue heavy series, and sports, and I played racing and first person games to judge directional audio. I streamed music over Bluetooth from a phone and played local files over USB, and I checked the wireless link between the soundbar and the rear speakers for dropouts over several weeks.
I did not measure the system in a lab, and my impressions come from real rooms rather than anechoic testing. For a fuller look at how soundbars measure and what the numbers mean, RTINGS has a detailed test of the Sony HT-S40R with measured response curves. The Sony HT-S40R listing on Amazon shows the current price and package contents.
Questions People Ask
Does the Sony HT-S40R come with rear speakers?
Yes, the system includes a pair of rear speakers that connect wirelessly to the soundbar and subwoofer, so you get true 5.1 surround without running cables across the room.
How do I connect the HT-S40R to my TV?
Connect the soundbar to the TV with the included HDMI cable using the ARC or eARC port, then select the soundbar as the audio output in the TV menu.
Can I stream music through the HT-S40R?
Yes, the soundbar supports Bluetooth, so you can stream music and podcasts from a phone or tablet when the TV is off.
Does the system support 4K video pass-through?
The soundbar passes 4K video signals from a connected player to the TV, so a single HDMI link carries both picture and sound without a separate audio cable.
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