Last updated at 05/09/2026 09:27:07
( a+) Sony Sa-rs5 Total 180w Additional Wireless Rear Speakers
Delivery $69
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Sony SA-RS5 Surround spkrs for HTA5K/7K
Delivery between 9–13 Sept $35.88
Sony Wireless Rear Speakers with Built-in Battery (SA-RS5)
Delivery between 11–14 Sept $29
Sony Sa Rs5 Ht A7000/Ht A5000
Free delivery between 15–18 Sept
originally posted on bestbuy.com
I'm not sure why these cost $600, but they certainly aren't $600 speakers. To start, when paired with an A7000, at max volume, they barely create any volume. Like the A7000, the complete lack of user-facing control over sound and sound quality is a shame.Having a battery on these that lasts 6-10 hours is the most pointless design flaw I've ever seen. These are stationary bookshelf speakers intended to be used in the home. Why in the world did somebody think adding a battery that needs to be plugged in and recharged every three days was a good idea? Seems like a half-baked way to make the price go up.You can always leave them plugged in all the time, which I do, but because the battery loses a little bit of juice every time the speakers get powered off, you have ... MoreI'm not sure why these cost $600, but they certainly aren't $600 speakers. To start, when paired with an A7000, at max volume, they barely create any volume. Like the A7000, the complete lack of user-facing control over sound and sound quality is a shame.Having a battery on these that lasts 6-10 hours is the most pointless design flaw I've ever seen. These are stationary bookshelf speakers intended to be used in the home. Why in the world did somebody think adding a battery that needs to be plugged in and recharged every three days was a good idea? Seems like a half-baked way to make the price go up.You can always leave them plugged in all the time, which I do, but because the battery loses a little bit of juice every time the speakers get powered off, you have to deal with the lights blinking for the first 15-30 minutes the speakers are on.I'm not sure whose bright idea it was to add a battery to a non-portable device, but it makes the whole thing more cumbersome than it needs to be and doesn't add anything to the standard, intended use of this product.Between the lacking volume and the nonsensical design of the product, these are not $600 speakers. I can't speak to the cheaper RS3's, but I'd wager the actual volume and sound quality between the RS3's and RS5's are identical.Weak effort from Sony, especially given the otherworldly sound quality of the A7000. Hard to fathom these came from the same product line and the same manufacturers.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
The first time I switched from a soundbar to a soundbar + subwoofer, my home movie experience changed dramatically. The first time I took the next step to add rear speakers, I felt like a kid at the movie theater again for the first time. From that point, I will always recommend a full surround setup over a soundbar alone. I from experience, even an inexpensive surround setup is preferred over a standalone expensive soundbar.The Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers make a great addition to an existing Sony soundbar+subwoofer and really round out the full theater experience.Setup:Getting started was easy. After connecting my skid bars, powering my subwoofer and rear speakers, I used the soundbar remote to start a firmware update. Once that was complete, I followed ... MoreThe first time I switched from a soundbar to a soundbar + subwoofer, my home movie experience changed dramatically. The first time I took the next step to add rear speakers, I felt like a kid at the movie theater again for the first time. From that point, I will always recommend a full surround setup over a soundbar alone. I from experience, even an inexpensive surround setup is preferred over a standalone expensive soundbar.The Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers make a great addition to an existing Sony soundbar+subwoofer and really round out the full theater experience.Setup:Getting started was easy. After connecting my skid bars, powering my subwoofer and rear speakers, I used the soundbar remote to start a firmware update. Once that was complete, I followed the speaker setup guide, which included a spatial audio setup feature designed to make it sound like there are even more “invisible speakers” beyond the soundbar, subwoofer, and 2 rear speakers. Throughout this process, each of the speakers make a variety of sounds, and it feels like the speaker software is mapping the location for each of the speakers and adjusting their individual outputs to maximize the sound quality and overall experience. It took 15 or so minutes between the initial update and setup, which felt like a long time as I was excited to really take the speakers for a spin, but the process was simple and calibration worthwhile,The Sony theater system, including rear wireless speakers was an upgrade to a good wireless speaker system I previously was using. One thing I noticed is the overall sound feels more balanced, so instead of being “blown away” by the sound coming from the rear speakers, it feels more like they aren’t designed to be noticed or to stand out. Instead, they create a balanced, immersive experience that doesn’t distract from the movie or content being watched. The remote does allow some manual tweaking of speaker settings if desired, but so far I’ve left it at the default calibration and been quite happy.The wireless speakers do include a battery option, though I primarily used them while connected directly to power using the included power cables. My previous wireless speakers were also battery operated, and while it was convenient for a time to be able to move them freely, knowing the speakers are always fully charged means never being surprised in the middle of a movie after forgetting to charge the speakers.Another convenient feature is the ability to use these speakers either standing on something, or mounted to the wall. The rear of the speaker has a cover that can be removed to expose a wall hanging hook that can latch onto a nail.I had a minor issue with my tv rediscovering the audio output periodically when I was first using the soundbar, but I swapped the HDMI cable I had been using for the high speed HDMI cable included with the Sony soundbar, and haven’t experienced the issue since.Overall, If you’re looking to add onto an existing Sony soundbar + subwoofer, or looking to build out a sound system, I would recommend these rear wireless speakers.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
UNBOXING:The unboxing experience of the SA-RS5 is very simple. Inside the box you have the 2 wireless rear speakers, their 2 wall power adapters, and fancy cable guides to tidy up the power adapter’s entry point into the bottom of each speaker—this is especially nice for when you are using the speakers on a shelf or flat surface, rather than using the threaded screw mount for stands or wall mounting.BUILD:In terms of build quality, the SA-RS5 appears well-built for a pair of wireless speakers. The minimalist fabric provides a clean aesthetic that should fit in with most setups, and the fact that the rear is flat means that it shouldn’t have issues mounting to a wall should you wish to do so.On the bottom, you have the AC power entry point, a basic cable ... MoreUNBOXING:The unboxing experience of the SA-RS5 is very simple. Inside the box you have the 2 wireless rear speakers, their 2 wall power adapters, and fancy cable guides to tidy up the power adapter’s entry point into the bottom of each speaker—this is especially nice for when you are using the speakers on a shelf or flat surface, rather than using the threaded screw mount for stands or wall mounting.BUILD:In terms of build quality, the SA-RS5 appears well-built for a pair of wireless speakers. The minimalist fabric provides a clean aesthetic that should fit in with most setups, and the fact that the rear is flat means that it shouldn’t have issues mounting to a wall should you wish to do so.On the bottom, you have the AC power entry point, a basic cable holder for AC the power cable, a LINK button for manual setup, and a closed port entry that is likely to be for Sony’s proprietary diagnostics/servicing tool. You won’t need to access this port, and adhesive is used to keep this port closed. It should also be noted that these speakers have an internal battery rated for up to 10 hours of playback should you wish to take advantage of it.On the back, you have a removable door to access the threaded mounting holes so that you can mount to a wall or a speaker stand.Each speaker functions via a wireless connection to either the HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 Soundbar. In addition to the front-facing tweeter and woofer found on most wireless speakers, the SA-RS5 sport up-firing speakers for more immersive directional audio experiences as well as dual passive radiators for deeper bass tones. All of this becomes necessary with the use of Dolby Atmos audio.SETUP:The first step to setting up your speakers is mounting them at a reasonable location. If possible, mount them a few feet or more behind your seat position and several feet away from your ears, and with the height positioned such that your tweeters are level with your ears.The setup of the SA-RS5 is one of the easiest setups I’ve had yet. Simply fire up the settings menu of your HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 soundbar, and launch the 1-2-3 easy setup. The wizard will detect your wireless speakers, run a calibrating sound test, and it’s ready to go. Additionally, you can do some manual adjustments in the menu that allow you to indicate the relative positioning of the speakers if you would prefer to better dial in your seating position or increase the verticality of the speakers.Additionally, pressing the OPTIMIZE button on either of the speakers can start the sound field optimization functionality—which is especially useful if you are re-positioning the speakers around and don’t want to navigate the on-screen menus to perform the optimization. In tandem with the onboard battery, this makes the SA-RS5 a good pair of speakers that you can store away when not in use, and quickly whip them out to use when you’ve got a movie night. And Sony claims a quick 10 minute charge should yield about 90 minutes of playback time.It’s important to note that Dolby Atmos support via ARC is not a guarantee on all TVs, and if you didn’t notice it before installing the SA-RS5, it’s important to double check that you are properly receiving a Dolby Atmos signal. You can usually check this via your TV’s on-screen info menu.If you have an older TV or if you’re simply running into compatibility issues with getting Dolby Atmos working, you may have to route your device (Blu Ray player, Game Console, Apple TV, etc.) through the sound bar for best compatibility, as was the case for me.SOUND:It’s important to note that the SA-RS5 is really only as good as your source audio lets it to be. I tested some shows and movies that supported Dolby Atmos to best experience the best that these rear speakers have to offer. After having spent several days and several different movies with it, I feel as though the SA-RS5 adds crisp, clear directionality to my system. Paired with the HT-A5000 and the SA-SW5, my cinematic experiences are fuller, with more immersion thanks to the added directionality.You’re paying quite a bit for these speakers, but I should also note that these don’t at all sound tinny compared to other wireless rear speakers I’ve tested in the past—even from Sony. Coming from an older Sony wireless system (HT-Z9F sound bar + SA-Z9R rear speakers), the SA-RS5 is a drastic step up in terms of presenting a full-bodied sound that represents a perfect match for the HT-A7000 or HT-A5000.Whether it’s an explosion, a car driving by, or people chattering behind me, there’s a clear difference with these rear speakers added in. There’s often a sense of being surrounded by audio, but your mileage will of course vary depending on the source material.In terms of vertical height, this Sony system virtualizes height effects, which will work best when your ceiling isn’t egregiously tall, as it's designed to use acoustic reflections from your ceiling to virtualize these effects. I can’t say that my experience with the virtualized height has been particularly impressive, but this experience will also depend on your source material, and I don’t feel as though my material particularly made good use of this effect. So your mileage will vary, but it’s not going to compare to having actual ceiling speakers.Sony also recently added a 360 Sound Mapping feature which is supposed to virtualize extra speakers so that you achieve even more directionality without actually having all the additional speakers. In my experience, it does a decent job at adding more sound to the left and right. If you’ve ever experienced a great surround sound set-up, there are often demos that have objects making noise and circling around you—like a buzzing insect, or a helicopter. The Dolby Core Universe demo demonstrated a much more complete auditory image with the 360 Sound Mapping feature enabled versus having it disabled. Without it enabled, it was more obvious that I didn’t have speakers to the left and right of my seated position. But I wouldn’t say that it fooled me into believing there was an actual speaker where there was not.When it comes to standard stereo music, I think the SA-RS5 ends up being more tame in its presentation, and it’s almost a shame. Even with the rear speakers maxed out, they’re more of a subtle presentation. I think Sony could allow some additional customization since some people might want a bit more volume out of the rear speakers during music playback.CONCLUSION:The SA-RS5 wireless rear speakers are a good piece of tech, but they have some room for improvement. The pair delivers very clear audio during cinematics and music playback, but sometimes I think the speaker levels are a bit too subtle, so I’d like to see some options to better calibrate this behavior since some may prefer a more obvious and accentuated rear-speaker experience.There’s a lot of technology packed into this pair of speakers, and that’s reflected in the price. While I’m not the kind of person who will make use of the onboard battery, I think this kind of niche characteristic is great for those who live in smaller spaces and simply don’t have the room or power outlets for rear speakers to be permanently positioned. They can be conveniently stored away until they are needed, and they can be set up virtually anywhere and calibrated very quickly with just a touch of a button.While I don’t think this is an absolute home-run product that everybody should get, I think that especially those who have limited space but want a full-bodied surround sound system should absolutely consider pairing the SA-RS5 with an HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 soundbar and the SA-SW5 or SA-SW3 subwoofer. These rear speakers are easy to set up and stow away, and they add more presence and directionality to your home theater audio experience.
( a+) Sony Sa-rs5 Total 180w Additional Wireless Rear Speakers
Delivery $69
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Sony SA-RS5 Surround spkrs for HTA5K/7K
Delivery between 9–13 Sept $35.88
Sony Wireless Rear Speakers with Built-in Battery (SA-RS5)
Delivery between 11–14 Sept $29
Sony Sa Rs5 Ht A7000/Ht A5000
Free delivery between 15–18 Sept
I'm not sure why these cost $600, but they certainly aren't $600 speakers. To start, when paired with an A7000, at max volume, they barely create any volume. Like the A7000, the complete lack of user-facing control over sound and sound quality is a shame.Having a battery on these that lasts 6-10 hours is the most pointless design flaw I've ever seen. These are stationary bookshelf speakers intended to be used in the home. Why in the world did somebody think adding a battery that needs to be plugged in and recharged every three days was a good idea? Seems like a half-baked way to make the price go up.You can always leave them plugged in all the time, which I do, but because the battery loses a little bit of juice every time the speakers get powered off, you have ... MoreI'm not sure why these cost $600, but they certainly aren't $600 speakers. To start, when paired with an A7000, at max volume, they barely create any volume. Like the A7000, the complete lack of user-facing control over sound and sound quality is a shame.Having a battery on these that lasts 6-10 hours is the most pointless design flaw I've ever seen. These are stationary bookshelf speakers intended to be used in the home. Why in the world did somebody think adding a battery that needs to be plugged in and recharged every three days was a good idea? Seems like a half-baked way to make the price go up.You can always leave them plugged in all the time, which I do, but because the battery loses a little bit of juice every time the speakers get powered off, you have to deal with the lights blinking for the first 15-30 minutes the speakers are on.I'm not sure whose bright idea it was to add a battery to a non-portable device, but it makes the whole thing more cumbersome than it needs to be and doesn't add anything to the standard, intended use of this product.Between the lacking volume and the nonsensical design of the product, these are not $600 speakers. I can't speak to the cheaper RS3's, but I'd wager the actual volume and sound quality between the RS3's and RS5's are identical.Weak effort from Sony, especially given the otherworldly sound quality of the A7000. Hard to fathom these came from the same product line and the same manufacturers.
The first time I switched from a soundbar to a soundbar + subwoofer, my home movie experience changed dramatically. The first time I took the next step to add rear speakers, I felt like a kid at the movie theater again for the first time. From that point, I will always recommend a full surround setup over a soundbar alone. I from experience, even an inexpensive surround setup is preferred over a standalone expensive soundbar.The Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers make a great addition to an existing Sony soundbar+subwoofer and really round out the full theater experience.Setup:Getting started was easy. After connecting my skid bars, powering my subwoofer and rear speakers, I used the soundbar remote to start a firmware update. Once that was complete, I followed ... MoreThe first time I switched from a soundbar to a soundbar + subwoofer, my home movie experience changed dramatically. The first time I took the next step to add rear speakers, I felt like a kid at the movie theater again for the first time. From that point, I will always recommend a full surround setup over a soundbar alone. I from experience, even an inexpensive surround setup is preferred over a standalone expensive soundbar.The Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers make a great addition to an existing Sony soundbar+subwoofer and really round out the full theater experience.Setup:Getting started was easy. After connecting my skid bars, powering my subwoofer and rear speakers, I used the soundbar remote to start a firmware update. Once that was complete, I followed the speaker setup guide, which included a spatial audio setup feature designed to make it sound like there are even more “invisible speakers” beyond the soundbar, subwoofer, and 2 rear speakers. Throughout this process, each of the speakers make a variety of sounds, and it feels like the speaker software is mapping the location for each of the speakers and adjusting their individual outputs to maximize the sound quality and overall experience. It took 15 or so minutes between the initial update and setup, which felt like a long time as I was excited to really take the speakers for a spin, but the process was simple and calibration worthwhile,The Sony theater system, including rear wireless speakers was an upgrade to a good wireless speaker system I previously was using. One thing I noticed is the overall sound feels more balanced, so instead of being “blown away” by the sound coming from the rear speakers, it feels more like they aren’t designed to be noticed or to stand out. Instead, they create a balanced, immersive experience that doesn’t distract from the movie or content being watched. The remote does allow some manual tweaking of speaker settings if desired, but so far I’ve left it at the default calibration and been quite happy.The wireless speakers do include a battery option, though I primarily used them while connected directly to power using the included power cables. My previous wireless speakers were also battery operated, and while it was convenient for a time to be able to move them freely, knowing the speakers are always fully charged means never being surprised in the middle of a movie after forgetting to charge the speakers.Another convenient feature is the ability to use these speakers either standing on something, or mounted to the wall. The rear of the speaker has a cover that can be removed to expose a wall hanging hook that can latch onto a nail.I had a minor issue with my tv rediscovering the audio output periodically when I was first using the soundbar, but I swapped the HDMI cable I had been using for the high speed HDMI cable included with the Sony soundbar, and haven’t experienced the issue since.Overall, If you’re looking to add onto an existing Sony soundbar + subwoofer, or looking to build out a sound system, I would recommend these rear wireless speakers.
UNBOXING:The unboxing experience of the SA-RS5 is very simple. Inside the box you have the 2 wireless rear speakers, their 2 wall power adapters, and fancy cable guides to tidy up the power adapter’s entry point into the bottom of each speaker—this is especially nice for when you are using the speakers on a shelf or flat surface, rather than using the threaded screw mount for stands or wall mounting.BUILD:In terms of build quality, the SA-RS5 appears well-built for a pair of wireless speakers. The minimalist fabric provides a clean aesthetic that should fit in with most setups, and the fact that the rear is flat means that it shouldn’t have issues mounting to a wall should you wish to do so.On the bottom, you have the AC power entry point, a basic cable ... MoreUNBOXING:The unboxing experience of the SA-RS5 is very simple. Inside the box you have the 2 wireless rear speakers, their 2 wall power adapters, and fancy cable guides to tidy up the power adapter’s entry point into the bottom of each speaker—this is especially nice for when you are using the speakers on a shelf or flat surface, rather than using the threaded screw mount for stands or wall mounting.BUILD:In terms of build quality, the SA-RS5 appears well-built for a pair of wireless speakers. The minimalist fabric provides a clean aesthetic that should fit in with most setups, and the fact that the rear is flat means that it shouldn’t have issues mounting to a wall should you wish to do so.On the bottom, you have the AC power entry point, a basic cable holder for AC the power cable, a LINK button for manual setup, and a closed port entry that is likely to be for Sony’s proprietary diagnostics/servicing tool. You won’t need to access this port, and adhesive is used to keep this port closed. It should also be noted that these speakers have an internal battery rated for up to 10 hours of playback should you wish to take advantage of it.On the back, you have a removable door to access the threaded mounting holes so that you can mount to a wall or a speaker stand.Each speaker functions via a wireless connection to either the HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 Soundbar. In addition to the front-facing tweeter and woofer found on most wireless speakers, the SA-RS5 sport up-firing speakers for more immersive directional audio experiences as well as dual passive radiators for deeper bass tones. All of this becomes necessary with the use of Dolby Atmos audio.SETUP:The first step to setting up your speakers is mounting them at a reasonable location. If possible, mount them a few feet or more behind your seat position and several feet away from your ears, and with the height positioned such that your tweeters are level with your ears.The setup of the SA-RS5 is one of the easiest setups I’ve had yet. Simply fire up the settings menu of your HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 soundbar, and launch the 1-2-3 easy setup. The wizard will detect your wireless speakers, run a calibrating sound test, and it’s ready to go. Additionally, you can do some manual adjustments in the menu that allow you to indicate the relative positioning of the speakers if you would prefer to better dial in your seating position or increase the verticality of the speakers.Additionally, pressing the OPTIMIZE button on either of the speakers can start the sound field optimization functionality—which is especially useful if you are re-positioning the speakers around and don’t want to navigate the on-screen menus to perform the optimization. In tandem with the onboard battery, this makes the SA-RS5 a good pair of speakers that you can store away when not in use, and quickly whip them out to use when you’ve got a movie night. And Sony claims a quick 10 minute charge should yield about 90 minutes of playback time.It’s important to note that Dolby Atmos support via ARC is not a guarantee on all TVs, and if you didn’t notice it before installing the SA-RS5, it’s important to double check that you are properly receiving a Dolby Atmos signal. You can usually check this via your TV’s on-screen info menu.If you have an older TV or if you’re simply running into compatibility issues with getting Dolby Atmos working, you may have to route your device (Blu Ray player, Game Console, Apple TV, etc.) through the sound bar for best compatibility, as was the case for me.SOUND:It’s important to note that the SA-RS5 is really only as good as your source audio lets it to be. I tested some shows and movies that supported Dolby Atmos to best experience the best that these rear speakers have to offer. After having spent several days and several different movies with it, I feel as though the SA-RS5 adds crisp, clear directionality to my system. Paired with the HT-A5000 and the SA-SW5, my cinematic experiences are fuller, with more immersion thanks to the added directionality.You’re paying quite a bit for these speakers, but I should also note that these don’t at all sound tinny compared to other wireless rear speakers I’ve tested in the past—even from Sony. Coming from an older Sony wireless system (HT-Z9F sound bar + SA-Z9R rear speakers), the SA-RS5 is a drastic step up in terms of presenting a full-bodied sound that represents a perfect match for the HT-A7000 or HT-A5000.Whether it’s an explosion, a car driving by, or people chattering behind me, there’s a clear difference with these rear speakers added in. There’s often a sense of being surrounded by audio, but your mileage will of course vary depending on the source material.In terms of vertical height, this Sony system virtualizes height effects, which will work best when your ceiling isn’t egregiously tall, as it's designed to use acoustic reflections from your ceiling to virtualize these effects. I can’t say that my experience with the virtualized height has been particularly impressive, but this experience will also depend on your source material, and I don’t feel as though my material particularly made good use of this effect. So your mileage will vary, but it’s not going to compare to having actual ceiling speakers.Sony also recently added a 360 Sound Mapping feature which is supposed to virtualize extra speakers so that you achieve even more directionality without actually having all the additional speakers. In my experience, it does a decent job at adding more sound to the left and right. If you’ve ever experienced a great surround sound set-up, there are often demos that have objects making noise and circling around you—like a buzzing insect, or a helicopter. The Dolby Core Universe demo demonstrated a much more complete auditory image with the 360 Sound Mapping feature enabled versus having it disabled. Without it enabled, it was more obvious that I didn’t have speakers to the left and right of my seated position. But I wouldn’t say that it fooled me into believing there was an actual speaker where there was not.When it comes to standard stereo music, I think the SA-RS5 ends up being more tame in its presentation, and it’s almost a shame. Even with the rear speakers maxed out, they’re more of a subtle presentation. I think Sony could allow some additional customization since some people might want a bit more volume out of the rear speakers during music playback.CONCLUSION:The SA-RS5 wireless rear speakers are a good piece of tech, but they have some room for improvement. The pair delivers very clear audio during cinematics and music playback, but sometimes I think the speaker levels are a bit too subtle, so I’d like to see some options to better calibrate this behavior since some may prefer a more obvious and accentuated rear-speaker experience.There’s a lot of technology packed into this pair of speakers, and that’s reflected in the price. While I’m not the kind of person who will make use of the onboard battery, I think this kind of niche characteristic is great for those who live in smaller spaces and simply don’t have the room or power outlets for rear speakers to be permanently positioned. They can be conveniently stored away until they are needed, and they can be set up virtually anywhere and calibrated very quickly with just a touch of a button.While I don’t think this is an absolute home-run product that everybody should get, I think that especially those who have limited space but want a full-bodied surround sound system should absolutely consider pairing the SA-RS5 with an HT-A7000 or HT-A5000 soundbar and the SA-SW5 or SA-SW3 subwoofer. These rear speakers are easy to set up and stow away, and they add more presence and directionality to your home theater audio experience.
The new Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers with Built-In Battery is an outstanding speaker system and a fantastic addition to my Sony home theater.I am a long-term fan of Sony electronics, from the old Trinitron CRT TVs to the current Bravia 4K UHD models, to Sony audio and home theater components, to Sony digital imaging gear. I have consistently been extremely favorably impressed with Sony innovation, performance and reliability.The SA-RS5 Rear Channel Speakers are an evolution of, and improvement upon the SA-RS3S speakers. Wherein the RS3S speakers produce 100 Watts Total System power (50W + 50W) at 6 Ohms, 200-20,000 Hz – 1kHz with a THD of 1%, the new RS5 speakers are significantly more powerful at 180 Watts Total System power (90W + 90W) at 6 Ohms, ... MoreThe new Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers with Built-In Battery is an outstanding speaker system and a fantastic addition to my Sony home theater.I am a long-term fan of Sony electronics, from the old Trinitron CRT TVs to the current Bravia 4K UHD models, to Sony audio and home theater components, to Sony digital imaging gear. I have consistently been extremely favorably impressed with Sony innovation, performance and reliability.The SA-RS5 Rear Channel Speakers are an evolution of, and improvement upon the SA-RS3S speakers. Wherein the RS3S speakers produce 100 Watts Total System power (50W + 50W) at 6 Ohms, 200-20,000 Hz – 1kHz with a THD of 1%, the new RS5 speakers are significantly more powerful at 180 Watts Total System power (90W + 90W) at 6 Ohms, 200-20,000 Hz – 1kHz with a THD of 1%.More significant are the innovative attributes that differentiate the Sony SA-RS5 speakers. The SA-RS5 speakers have internal, rechargeable batteries which support up to 10 hours of use exclusively on battery power. This makes the SA-RS5 truly wireless, with no audio cables and no power cables being necessary for operation.This wireless, no power-cord needed capability allows complete, optimal flexibility in room placement of the rear channel speakers, without being limited by the availability of electric receptacles to power the speakers. Any floor, bookshelf of tabletop location can be selected, as well as wall-mounting and dismounting as needed for recharging of the batteries.The incredible sound production of the Sony SA-RS5 speakers is the product of Sony’s superior synthesized spatial sound capability, which Sony calls “360 Spatial Sound Mapping”. Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping produces absolutely incredible, immersive surround sound by creating phantom speaker effects which creates a sound field that seems to originate from every direction surrounding the listener.The SA-RS5 rear speakers and the compatible Sony HT-A7000, 7.1.2 channel or HT-A5000, 5.1.2 channel soundbars each use internal microphones to accurately map the audio characteristics in the room and with the selected speaker component positioning.My system is comprised of an outstanding Sony Bravia X950G 75”, 4K UHD TV, an excellent Sony HT-A5000 5.1.2 Channel Soundbar and an impressive Sony SA-SW5 300 Watt Wireless Subwoofer in conjunction with the new, Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Channel Speakers. These components are located in a fairly large room, with a high, vaulted ceiling.The SA-RS5 speakers are cylindrical with a flat back. They stand 9 7/8” tall and are 5 ¾” in diameter. Each weighs 5 lbs. – 5 oz. The speaker units are fully covered in black grille cloth. The top of each unit has a Power button and an Optimize button for initiating a 360 Spatial Sound Field Optimization process. Sound Field Optimization is necessary upon initial placement of the speakers, and needs to be repeated if the speakers are relocated thus requiring the recalibration of the sound field. Optimization can also be performed through the compatible soundbar, using the on-screen menus displayed on the connected TV.The bottom of the speakers have the DC power supply jack, a Link button for manually pairing to a compatible Sony soundbar, and the labeling designating which speaker is the Left Rear or Right Rear channel.On the front bottom of each speaker are LED lamps, concealed behind the grille cloth. Three large white LED lamps are in the lower position, and indicate the level of available battery charge when illuminated solid. During charging, each LED flashes slowly and incrementally until all three are illuminated solid, indicating a full charge. Similarly, as the battery charge is depleted, the solid white LEDs decrement to reflect the remaining charge. Above those LEDs is a smaller LED which illuminates red when the SA-RS5 is in Stand-By mode, and illuminates green when the speaker is active and in use. That LED will flash green when pairing with a soundbar. The brightness of the LEDs is adjusted in synchronous with the paired Sony soundbar.When used in battery only operation mode, upon powering off the connected TV and soundbar, the SA-RS5 speakers go into Stand-By mode, and after an interval of time, the speakers shut off completely to conserve battery capacity (the red LED turns off). Resultantly, when the SA-RS5 speakers have shut off completely, they do not wake automatically when the TV and soundbar are switched on. If the speakers remain connected to AC power, they do not turn off completely and will remain in Stand-By mode (just like the soundbar and sub-woofer), and all devices will turn on simultaneously with the TV so long as the soundbar is connected to the TV via an eARC (Audio Return Channel) HDMI port with CEC (Consumer Electronics Control).The initial setup of the SA-RS5 speakers is generally straightforward and is facilitated by the intelligent menu options in the soundbar.Upon connecting the SA-RS5 speakers to AC power with the included AC power blocks (which are fairly large) to charge their internal batteries, the “Easy Setup” process or Manual Setup options of the soundbar are used to pair the wireless SA-RS5 speakers to the soundbar. The “wall wart” power supplies are equipped with 6.5’ of low voltage cable.Immediately upon identifying the speakers, the soundbar prompted for the available software updates for the A5000 and SA-RS5 to implement the 360 Spatial Sound Mapping functionality.Once the software updates download and install, the 360 Spatial Sound demo audio immediately convinces you that you selected great components, as the sound is absolutely remarkable. The manner in which the audio fully surrounds and fully envelops the listener is incredible! Owing to there being a total of four top firing speakers, which reflect sound off the room ceiling, between the HT-A5000 soundbar and the SA-RS5 rear channel speakers, even high speaker effects are synthesized.Clearly, the design of the SA-RS5 speakers stands out. Each of the 90 Watt speakers has three active transducers behind the grille covering. On the front plane is a soft dome tweeter positioned above a wide directivity woofer. On the top of each speaker enclosure is an upward firing speaker which is mounted at a slightly forward oriented angle. Each speaker also has two passive radiators on the sides to further enhance low frequencies. This intelligent and powerful speaker design coupled with the amazing Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping software, creates a remarkable immersive and spatially realistic sound environment that is extremely enjoyable.In conjunction with the outstanding Sony HT-A5000 soundbar, which also has a pair of top firing speakers, the soundbar and SA-RS5 rear channel speakers fully support and capitalize on Dolby Atmos and DTS:X as well as 360 Spatial Sound Mapping to produce incredible, immersive surround sound audio which is especially enjoyable when viewing movies and concert performances which capitalize on the most faithful reproduction of sound tracks with those precision audio enhancement technologies.Sony claims that the SA-RS5 speakers will operate for up to 10 hours on fully charged batteries. I actually did get about 10 hours of intermittent operation over a period of a few days, before recharging the SA-RS5 internal batteries.I am presuming that the internal batteries are Lithium Ion cells, but I was unable to locate any documentation regarding the actual type of battery chemistry. Also undocumented, is whether or not the rechargeable batteries are replaceable, and if they are, whether they are end-user replaceable or if that would require delivering the SA-RS5 speakers to a Sony Service Center.Aesthetically, the Sony SA-RS5 rear channel speakers are sleek, modern and attractive. In fact, my wife likes their appearance as well and does not find them to be the least bit out of place in our home.Overall, I am very pleased with the new Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers with Built-In Battery. Coupled with the Sony HT-A5000 5.1.2 channel soundbar and the Sony SA-SW5 300 Watt Wireless Subwoofer, I am enjoying excellent 5.1.2 channel surround sound with movies and concerts. Additionally, for routine TV programming from news to sitcoms, this superior Sony sound system delivers very enjoyable audio, including clear and very intelligible dialog.If you are using a Sony HT-A5000 or HT-A7000 soundbar, the SA-RS5 wireless rear channel speakers are a necessity to derive the outstanding spatial surround sound experience!
These Sony SA-RS5 rear speakers have been an incredible addition to my Sony HT-A5000 soundbar and SASW3 subwoofer. At 90W of power output each, complete with up firing speakers, tweeters, and woofers, I am getting levels of audio detail to my movies and music that I have not heard before except for in theaters.The connection of these speakers is wireless and is probably one of the best options currently available if you are a renter and/or are hesitant to want to have to run cables inside your walls or other invasive or ugly means to run surround speakers. These are TRULY wireless, meaning, they have their own battery (up to 10 hours on one charge, an hour and a half of listening time at moderate volume with 10 minutes of charging) and do not have to be constantly ... MoreThese Sony SA-RS5 rear speakers have been an incredible addition to my Sony HT-A5000 soundbar and SASW3 subwoofer. At 90W of power output each, complete with up firing speakers, tweeters, and woofers, I am getting levels of audio detail to my movies and music that I have not heard before except for in theaters.The connection of these speakers is wireless and is probably one of the best options currently available if you are a renter and/or are hesitant to want to have to run cables inside your walls or other invasive or ugly means to run surround speakers. These are TRULY wireless, meaning, they have their own battery (up to 10 hours on one charge, an hour and a half of listening time at moderate volume with 10 minutes of charging) and do not have to be constantly plugged in to a power source to work in tandem with the rest of your Sony sound system. Think of them as large, powerful Bluetooth speakers that already come equipped for easy setup with your Sony soundbar. If you do want to have them hooked up to their AC adaptor cords though, that is not a problem!The setup of these speakers could not have been easier. I pulled them out the packaging, turned them on, and placed them in my room in the spots I wanted to try out. I then went to the Home screen of my soundbar and was able to get these to auto connect within seconds. I then updated the firmware of the speakers via the update navigator in the Sony HT-A5000 soundbar menu and got these updated. Finally, I followed the easy prompts to optimize the sound with the 360 Spatial Sound mapping technology and oh my gosh, the sound is incredible! Even my wife, who is not an audiophile but more representative of the average media consumer, came into the living room during the 360 Spatial Sound demo and her jaw dropped!The only issue I have had in general with the soundbar and these rear speakers is that I have had to do some tweaking of the audio settings and cable swapping to get my Apple TV 4K (2021) to play audio in tandem with this setup without audio dropouts occurring. I also moved my wifi router away from the soundbar and that seems to have helped reduce signal drops occurring.A couple of things I think you should know before you buy these are that they are definitely a clear a sensible upgrade if you already have one of the supported Sony soundbars. These are mountable on your wall via a screw (not included) or on a speaker mount stand. They also, in my opinion, are incredibly nicely built and look great on our side and sofa table the way we have them set up. They are no bookshelf speakers of the highest end power output and detail, but they are going to make 99% of listeners so ecstatic with the great surround sound and ease of set up.Altogether, I could not have asked for a nicer addition to my sound system. The lack of complexity setting these up combined with the incredible audio quality makes these an absolutely no-brainer purchase if you budget allows for it! Thank you so much and hope my review helps to encourage you!
Even though these are supposed to be the latest and greatest I ultimately went back to the store to exchange for the less SA-RS3's which I am far more pleased with my HT-7000a and SW3 sub. Here's why:1) One of the speakers was experiencing interference, likely from my wifi router being nearby. Tried different optimization settings and changing connections but nothing worked. Note: the RS3's did NOT have this problem in the same location.2) These things are big and heavy. Take note of the dimensions. Also thought the design didn't really match the rectangle soundbar.3) Found the volume to be too uneven. Sometimes a little too much bass, other times can barely hear. Price to performance was not worth it to me.4) You can't use these as standalone stereo speakers ... MoreEven though these are supposed to be the latest and greatest I ultimately went back to the store to exchange for the less SA-RS3's which I am far more pleased with my HT-7000a and SW3 sub. Here's why:1) One of the speakers was experiencing interference, likely from my wifi router being nearby. Tried different optimization settings and changing connections but nothing worked. Note: the RS3's did NOT have this problem in the same location.2) These things are big and heavy. Take note of the dimensions. Also thought the design didn't really match the rectangle soundbar.3) Found the volume to be too uneven. Sometimes a little too much bass, other times can barely hear. Price to performance was not worth it to me.4) You can't use these as standalone stereo speakers which may have justified the additional cost to take into another room or increase music throughout the home.I would point out these rears are only useful in 5.1 channel (or higher) audio source. They will work with stereo music if you use the "Immersive Audio" function but I found the sound to be too altered from the main soundbar (very airy and echo-y) so usually just keep it off.Very satsified with the RS3's at half the price for adding surround which makes for a fuller movie experience. I find the atmos upfiring feature to be pretty overrated overall, but do enjoy the Sony combination for multiuse in the living room.
Sony has nailed what I have been looking for in a home theater solution. Finally, rear surrounds that can run on battery and feature up firing speakers for improved Dolby Atmos! Though I initially wanted the HT-A9s, I was intrigued by the SA-RS5s ability to not only pair to a traditional sound bar with a discrete center channel but also the flexibility in placement thanks to a built-in battery.Out of the box I was impressed by the build and aesthetics. Though smaller than the HT-A9s, the SA-RS5s are roughly 6” wide and 10” tall. Sony graciously provided power adapters that are practically as large as the speakers themselves. Fortunately, just 10 minutes of charging can provide 90 minutes of playback, great for topping them off before a movie if you don’t plan to ... MoreSony has nailed what I have been looking for in a home theater solution. Finally, rear surrounds that can run on battery and feature up firing speakers for improved Dolby Atmos! Though I initially wanted the HT-A9s, I was intrigued by the SA-RS5s ability to not only pair to a traditional sound bar with a discrete center channel but also the flexibility in placement thanks to a built-in battery.Out of the box I was impressed by the build and aesthetics. Though smaller than the HT-A9s, the SA-RS5s are roughly 6” wide and 10” tall. Sony graciously provided power adapters that are practically as large as the speakers themselves. Fortunately, just 10 minutes of charging can provide 90 minutes of playback, great for topping them off before a movie if you don’t plan to leave them out.The SA-RS5 speakers automatically paired to my HT-A5000 and SW5 which enabled Sony’s latest 360 Spatial Sound Mapping firmware to create an immersive audio experience after optimizing the speakers. One great feature is the dedicated optimize button which adjusts the speakers based on their location in your home. I tried placing the speakers in numerous spots including the floor (not recommended) and Sony’s optimization does a pretty good job for compensating placement. Having found the HT-A5000 to have only fair height effects in scenes of Atmos enabled movies, the SA-RS5s round out the effect providing not only improved height effects but also extended the sound stage around you. I do find the speakers to be a touch soft so I have the rear volume set to max but sometimes I found myself wanting a touch more unless they were directly behind me on the sofa table. The 10-hour battery life makes it convenient to turn them on as needed without worrying about the charge level or they can remain plugged in and they will go into standby instead of turning off when the sound bar is not in use.For me these speakers are exactly what I was looking for as I don’t have the optimal place to have rear speakers plugged in without cords along the floor. The speakers are also a perfect addition if you already own a compatible Sony sound bar or if you were considering the pricier HT-A9s but don’t love the look or have the needed outlets.
I got those to supplement my HT-A5000 soundbar.Pairing was as easy as powering on the soundbar and then powering on each speaker. That was it.After I positioned the speakers on stands next to my my couch, I pressed Optimise on one of the speakers and the optimisation process kicked in. After that I was ready to experience the premium Home Theatre sound of the system.With a tweeter, a woofer(+2 passive radiators on each side of the woofer) and an up-firing speaker those make a massive difference to the audio experience. The immersion in Dolby Atmos movies is amazing. Even conventional DD5.1 with the help of Sony's 360 Spatial Audio Mapping sounds incredible. This is because it can create so called phantom speakers in the 3D space to project sound from ... MoreI got those to supplement my HT-A5000 soundbar.Pairing was as easy as powering on the soundbar and then powering on each speaker. That was it.After I positioned the speakers on stands next to my my couch, I pressed Optimise on one of the speakers and the optimisation process kicked in. After that I was ready to experience the premium Home Theatre sound of the system.With a tweeter, a woofer(+2 passive radiators on each side of the woofer) and an up-firing speaker those make a massive difference to the audio experience. The immersion in Dolby Atmos movies is amazing. Even conventional DD5.1 with the help of Sony's 360 Spatial Audio Mapping sounds incredible. This is because it can create so called phantom speakers in the 3D space to project sound from everywhere in your Living room setup for fantastic immersion experience. That doesn't apply just for movies, even listening to Dolby Atmos music from one of your favorite streaming services will sound incredibly realistic.Excellent performance.In addition, the speakers can operate either on battery(up to 10h) or wired. You can mount them or place them on top of a furniture, the included cable tidy makes sure when placing those on top of something cabling stays neat and secured.@yyuhd
Bravo Sony!!!! Finally some true wireless rear surround speakers that can run off an internal battery. I had some battery operated Sony speakers that ran off of D cells back in the late 1980s hooked up to my Dolby Pro Logic AVR. My wishes have finally came true to have true wireless rear speakers that actually sound good available for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content.I tested the HT-A7000 sound bar without the SA-RS5 surrounds and SA-SW5 sub and it does a fantastic job with virtual surround by itself if you sit no more the 7 feet from it. Any further than 8 feet you will definitely want to add these rear surrounds and a sub. The surrounds do a fantastic job in conjunction with the sound bar to produce sound that should be in the rear especially during a Dolby Atmos / ... MoreBravo Sony!!!! Finally some true wireless rear surround speakers that can run off an internal battery. I had some battery operated Sony speakers that ran off of D cells back in the late 1980s hooked up to my Dolby Pro Logic AVR. My wishes have finally came true to have true wireless rear speakers that actually sound good available for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content.I tested the HT-A7000 sound bar without the SA-RS5 surrounds and SA-SW5 sub and it does a fantastic job with virtual surround by itself if you sit no more the 7 feet from it. Any further than 8 feet you will definitely want to add these rear surrounds and a sub. The surrounds do a fantastic job in conjunction with the sound bar to produce sound that should be in the rear especially during a Dolby Atmos / DTS;X soundtrack movie.I used the Dolby Atmos app on Xbox series X to test the function of these speakers. And yes the height, surround, and virtual rear surround all work appropriately. They sound great for being primarily a surround speaker. The $600 MSRP is steep for surround speakers. But the quality sound and function of true wireless justified the cost for me.
These speakers definitely have a nice build quality and look really good. They are quite large for a surround sound speaker, definitely closer to Shelf Speaker size.Unfortunately the size is deceiving for the perceived power output…each speaker is 90W, which should produce some good sound. Which I guess I can still say it does, just not loud enough. When watching 5.1 or 7.2 content my Sony HT-A7000 soundbar just overpowers anything these speakers can put out. And if you are going to go with the traditional surround sound setup have these behind you, then they need to be pretty close. If you are watching on a 65” screen typically you would be sitting at least 8ft -12ft from the TV and these speakers would be another 2’ behind you and at least 8ft apart. However, ... MoreThese speakers definitely have a nice build quality and look really good. They are quite large for a surround sound speaker, definitely closer to Shelf Speaker size.Unfortunately the size is deceiving for the perceived power output…each speaker is 90W, which should produce some good sound. Which I guess I can still say it does, just not loud enough. When watching 5.1 or 7.2 content my Sony HT-A7000 soundbar just overpowers anything these speakers can put out. And if you are going to go with the traditional surround sound setup have these behind you, then they need to be pretty close. If you are watching on a 65” screen typically you would be sitting at least 8ft -12ft from the TV and these speakers would be another 2’ behind you and at least 8ft apart. However, given that these are supposed to be able to serve an a typical setup with the 360 Spatial Sound, I just don’t hear it.I have the RS5’s at Max volume and keeping the soundbar at 40-45 level, you can get the surround sound effect going, but it is just enough to hear it at certain times.I am finding this is the case when watching movies and tv, when running the included 360 Spatial Demo or the Rainforest Demo, or the Dolby Atmos Bluray Demo disc I have, the sound is loud and you get that surround sound feel.I am watching off of a 55” set and don’t have the ability to put the speakers behind me, so they sit on side tables and the speakers are turned towards me.If you are going to mount them on a stand you will need a pretty sturdy stand and a deep mounting screw if that stand requires the speaker to be screwed against a plate; the instructions say 30mm. There is a screw slot if you are going to mount to a wall and if doing so you will definitely want it in a stud as these speakers are not light. Possibly a certain kind of drywall anchor would be fine, but I wouldn’t use the typical plastic insert style, especially if you are going to be running wireless and taking off to charge every 10 hours of use.I was hoping with these being wireless that I could use them standalone and in tandem with each other like a typical wireless speaker, but that is not a feature they have, they only work with the HT-A5000/7000 soundbars. I know none of the Sony literature said they would do this, but I secretly hoped with the 360 Spatial update out of the box, this may be an included feature.I was hoping for a bit more from the 360 Spatial update, but I just cannot get the effect, but to be honest Dolby Atmos systems I have tried I also feel the same about. You really need a 9ft ceiling and quite a large tv viewing area to be able to position yourself in the right spot under the deflection of the sound off the ceiling.Like I already stated, if my typical viewing content audio sounded like the included demo’s this review would be totally different, but my streaming and disc based content just isn’t loud enough to compete with the sound bar and that defeats some of the features these speakers are meant to benefit, the biggest being able to put them in non-traditional locations.I have not needed to recharge the batteries yet, the Manual states 10 minutes = 90 minutes run time as the power bricks put out 45watts of charging. The cord is heaving and thick and definitely wouldn’t want to run these on the surface of your wall, they would be pretty unsightly. Sony does a good job with cable management underneath the speaker and hiding the mounting bracket points behind an easily removable panel (albeit it needs a very tiny screwdriver…I recommend the tip of a credit card/rewards card to remove the plate).
Experience true surround sound with wireless rear speakers with up-firing speakers and built-in battery power for cable-free positioning. When combined with compatible soundbars, these wireless rear speakers create multiple phantom speakers around your room, delivering our revolutionary 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology.
Experience true surround sound with wireless rear speakers with up-firing speakers and built-in battery power for cable-free positioning. When combined with compatible soundbars, these wireless rear speakers create multiple phantom speakers around your room, delivering our revolutionary 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology.
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The lowest price for SA-RS5 Total 180W Additional Wireless Rear Speakers With Built-in Battery by Sony right now is , compared across 4 retailers.
SA-RS5 Total 180W Additional Wireless Rear Speakers With Built-in Battery by Sony
Experience true surround sound with wireless rear speakers with up-firing speakers and built-in battery power for cable-free positioning. When combined with compatible soundbars, these wireless rear speakers create multiple phantom speakers around your room, delivering our revolutionary 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology.
Experience true surround sound with wireless rear speakers with up-firing speakers and built-in battery power for cable-free positioning. When combined with compatible soundbars, these wireless rear speakers create multiple phantom speakers around your room, delivering our revolutionary 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology.
The all-time low was $329.16 on 5 June 2026 — today's price is 143% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 5 Sept 2026.
