Jumping in here. I went through this last year and tbh I was sooo worried about firmware stability and eARC handshaking safety with my Bravia setup. - Sony HT-A9 High-Performance Home Theater System: Elite integration, but keep the control box ventilated to prevent thermal throttling.
- Sonos Arc Premium Smart Soundbar: Rock-solid 5.0.2 processing, but you lose the Acoustic Center Sync synergy. Sony hardware felt safer for long-term ecosystem reliability. Works well! gl

For your situation, if you wanna save some cash but still keep that Sony synergy, check out the Sony HT-A3000 3.1ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar. It’s often around $450 and still supports Acoustic Center Sync! Honestly, for a medium room, it’s plenty. If you’re really budget-conscious, the Sony HT-S2000 3.1ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar is like $350, but you'd lose the center sync perk. I'd stick with the A3000 for the best value. GL!

For your situation, I think sticking with Sony is best since I've used their TVs for years. I'm kinda new to audio gear, but I basically just got the Sony HT-A7000 7.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar and that center sync makes the TV act as a speaker. Its seriously worth it! Im realy happy with it, plus eARC works perfect. Ngl, it definately beats messing with other brands tho. gl!

Been using this for years, no complaints

Can vouch for this

TL;DR: Focus on room calibration and cable quality over brand loyalty. Just saw this. In my experience, people get way too caught up in the ecosystem hype. One major warning tho—be careful with that center sync stuff. I've tried many configs where the TV speakers actually dragged down the audio quality because they couldnt match the bars tone. It sounds muddy. If you want real data, head over to RTINGS and look at the frequency response graphs instead of trusting the marketing blurb. Also, from a DIY perspective, your room layout matters more than the brand. Use a decibel meter app on your phone to balance the levels properly once you get it home. Most people just plug it in and wonder why the dialogue sounds quiet. Oh, and definitely verify your cables with the HDMI Cable Certification app. Bad cables are the number one cause of eARC handshaking headaches. Check AVSForum too, they usually have specific owner threads for every model where you can find the real-world bugs people are dealing with.

TL;DR: The Sony HT-A5000 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar is the sweet spot for Sony integration, but the Samsung HW-Q990C 11.1.4ch Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer and Rear Speakers offers better value for raw Atmos performance if you don't mind losing the ecosystem perks. Coming back to this... ok so, since the A7000 was already mentioned, I wanted to weigh in from a technical side. Honestly, you gotta be careful with the 'Acoustic Center Sync' hype. It's cool, but it can sometimes make the dialogue sound a bit thin cuz the TV speakers aren't as high-quality as the bar's drivers... just something to keep in mind. If you're looking for value, here's how I see it: - Sony HT-A5000 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar: Better for medium rooms. You get that Bravia integration and it’s easier to set up, but you'll still wanna add a sub like the Sony SA-SW5 300W Wireless Subwoofer eventually to really feel those movies. - Samsung HW-Q990C 11.1.4ch Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer and Rear Speakers: This thing is an absolute beast for Atmos. Samsung lowkey crushes the 'all-in-one' package deal for immersion, though it won't be as "plug-and-play" with your Bravia settings. Pro tip: There's a great resource at RTINGS.com where you can compare the frequency response of these sets side-by-side. Also, definitely check the 'r/Bravia' subreddit for specific eARC settings for your model... it'll save u a headache later. But yeah, if you want that "one remote" life, stick with Sony. Just be ready for the extra cost of the sub and rears like the Sony SA-RS5 Wireless Rear Speakers. gl!