Enjoy your own personal cinema and music experience without filling the room with sound.
The Sony BRAVIA Theatre U (HT-AN7) is a wearable wireless neckband speaker designed to provide immersive personal audio while keeping your ears open to the world around you. Unlike conventional headphones or earbuds, it rests comfortably around your neck and directs sound towards your ears.
It is particularly useful for watching films and TV when you want to enjoy much more immersive sound without disturbing other people in the room.
What I particularly like about the Theatre U is how it changes the way you can watch television at home.
You can watch a film late at night and enjoy much fuller, more immersive sound without turning up the TV speakers and disturbing the family.
It is also very different from using earbuds. With earbuds, I sometimes found myself missing a phone call or not hearing someone speaking to me. With the Theatre U, your ears remain open, so you can continue listening to your own music, films or podcasts while remaining aware of what is happening around you.
For me, it makes it a very practical device for everyday use rather than something that is only useful for watching films.
When used with a compatible Sony BRAVIA TV, the Theatre U can provide a personalised spatial audio experience using 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer.
The system can analyse your ear shape through the compatible Sony app and create a personalised sound field. With compatible BRAVIA TVs, this can be used to enjoy a more immersive Dolby Atmos® experience. Sony notes that compatibility and additional equipment requirements vary by TV model.
The result is a more enveloping sound experience for films, TV programmes and gaming.
Open-ear wearable design
The neckband sits around your shoulders rather than covering your ears, allowing you to remain aware of your surroundings while listening.
X-Balanced Speaker Units
Sony's X-Balanced Speaker Units are designed to provide clear dialogue and high-quality sound while reducing distortion.
360 Spatial Sound Personalizer
Creates a personalised spatial sound experience based on your ear shape when used with compatible devices.
Dolby Atmos®
Enjoy a personalised Dolby Atmos experience when paired with compatible BRAVIA TVs and the required setup.
Up to 12 hours battery life
Provides up to approximately 12 hours of playback at normal volume, with quick charging providing approximately one hour of playback from a 10-minute charge.
Bluetooth connectivity
Wireless Bluetooth connection makes it suitable for compatible TVs, smartphones, tablets, computers and other devices.
Multipoint connection
The Theatre U can be paired with two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, making it convenient when switching between devices such as a computer and smartphone.
Clear hands-free calls
Precise Voice Pickup Technology and noise reduction are designed to provide clearer voice calls.
Flexible and comfortable design
The flexible neckband is designed to sit securely around the neck and shoulders while remaining comfortable during extended use.
IPX4 splash resistance
The speaker is rated IPX4 for protection against water splashes, making it suitable for everyday activities such as cooking or household chores.
Wired connection for gaming
A supplied wired audio connection can be used where lower audio latency is desirable, including compatible gaming setups.
Sony currently lists the HT-AN7 as the BRAVIA Theatre U wireless neckband speaker and provides current firmware/support information for the model.
The Theatre U occupies an interesting middle ground between a conventional TV speaker and headphones.
You get your own personal audio, while your ears remain uncovered. This means you can continue to hear people around you, answer the phone, hear household sounds and remain aware of your surroundings.
For films, TV, gaming, music, podcasts and audiobooks, it provides a very different experience from ordinary Bluetooth earbuds.
It is also particularly useful when two people want different volume levels: Sony's Speaker Add function can allow two BRAVIA Theatre U speakers to be connected to compatible equipment, so each listener can control their own volume.
The item shown in the photographs is the actual item you will receive.
Please examine all photographs carefully for the exact condition, packaging and accessories included.
Whether you want to watch films without disturbing the family, enjoy music while remaining aware of your surroundings, play games with low-latency wired audio, or simply have your own personal TV sound, the Sony BRAVIA Theatre U HT-AN7 offers a particularly versatile solution.
It is one of those products that makes sense once you have actually used it: personal immersive sound without completely disconnecting yourself from the people and sounds around you.