The Sony HT-AX7 is portable spatial sound for your small-screen tech

Hooking up your phone, tablet or laptop to some of the best home theatre kit around might be overkill for simply catching up on your YouTube subscriptions – but pairing with one of Sony’s HT-AX7 speakers makes a lot more sense. The portable music maker has detachable satellite speakers that can be placed around you, with spatial sound upmixing for an immersive listen.

The HT-AX7 uses the same 360 Spatial Sound mapping tech found in Sony’s top-tier soundbars, which splits an incoming stereo signal into multiple channels. There’s no need to faff with room calibration or bouncing sound off your walls and ceiling – just pop the main speaker in front of you and the left and right satellites behind, and you’re good for convincing 3D sound. Or that’s the claim, anyway. When you’re done listening, pop the satellites back on the main unit and they’ll recharge using its on-board battery.

Sony reckons it’s a perfect purchase for frequent travellers, but equally anyone who spends more time in front of a tablet than a telly should benefit from louder, more enveloping audio. Turn off the 360 sound field and all three speakers will create an even sound field around a room, which sounds perfect for parties.

The main unit uses two of Sony’s bespoke X-balanced speaker drivers and twin passive radiators, while each satellite speaker has a single upward-firing full range driver.

There’s Bluetooth multipoint for hooking up two devices at once, and a built-in mic to handle voice calls when paired to your smartphone. It’s wireless only, with no 3.5mm or USB inputs.

Sony reckons the HT-AX7 is good for 30 hours of Bluetooth listening, with just 10 minutes of USB-C fast charging able to add an extra two and a half hours of playback.

The Sony HT-AX7 is expected to go on sale in August. European and UK prices will start at €550/£499, with US figures still TBC. We’re betting it’ll set you back around £500/$500.

• Related: What’s the best Bluetooth speaker? Top portable boom boxes reviewed and rated

Tom Morgan-Freelander Deputy Editor

About

A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews.  When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.

Areas of expertise

Smartphones/tablets/computing, cameras, home cinema, automotive, virtual reality, gaming