Caught this thread a day late but i spent months obsessing over this same thing. The HT-A7000 is great, but that price is just wild for a single bar. Eventually went with the Sony HT-A5000 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar when it was on sale and ive been super satisfied with how it plays with my X90J TV. Here is what I learned during my hunt:

• eARC is the real MVP for keeping audio in sync without lag
• Sony bars let you tweak settings directly from the TV UI which is a nice touch
• Open-box deals at big stores are a lifesaver for staying under $800 Staying in the Sony family for that integrated menu system makes things so much smoother for the kids. No complaints at all with the A5000 setup tho, it really just works and sounds huge in my living room.

Building on the earlier suggestion, I've had issues with Sony's mid-range options lately... they're honestly kinda disappointing for the price. Unfortunately, some of their cheaper bars just didnt have the punch I expected. If you want better value, maybe look at the Vizio Elevate 5.1.4 Home Theater Sound System. It's usually way under $800. Quick question though, how big is the room you're putting this in?

Honestly, i wouldnt worry too much about sticking to the same brand just for the remote. HDMI-CEC (Sony calls it Bravia Sync) handles the power and volume perfectly fine across basically any modern brand nowadays. I am currently using a Sony TV with a soundbar from a different brand in my bedroom and it works well without any issues at all. But for my main living room setup, i ended up going with the Sony HT-A5000 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar and i am really satisfied with how it integrates. It fits way better in that $800 range than the A7000 does, especially if you find a decent sale online. I have been using it for months and have zero complaints. The acoustic center sync feature is a neat trick but ngl its not a total dealbreaker if you decide to skip it for a better value bar. The sound quality on the A5000 is already super clear and punchy. If you really have your heart set on the Sonos performance, the Sonos Arc Premium Smart Soundbar is amazing, but you might need to hunt for a deal to stay under your budget limit. My quick tip is to make sure you enable Bravia Sync in your TV settings right away and use a high-quality cable in the eARC port. If you dont use that specific port, you wont get the high-res audio or the seamless remote control you are looking for. It makes the whole experience so much better when everything just works together... definitely worth the five minutes of setup time.

Did this last week, worked perfectly