Sony HT-S20R 5.1ch Dolby Digital Soundbar with Subwoofer (HT-S20R) vs Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Studio Microphone (SM7B)
What separates them
These two differ on 2 recorded specifications. The Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Studio Microphone (SM7B) is ₹21,000 dearer.
Sony HT-S20R 5.1ch Dolby Digital Soundbar with Subwoofer (HT-S20R) vs Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Studio Microphone (SM7B)
Sony
Sony HT-S20R 5.1ch Dolby Digital Soundbar with Subwoofer (HT-S20R)
₹17,990
Real rear speakers rather than virtual ones is the entire argument for this over a slimmer bar, and it is a strong one -- sound genuinely comes from behind you instead of being simulated.
Full details →
Shure
Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Studio Microphone (SM7B)
₹38,990
The reason this microphone frustrates first-time buyers is a single number: -59 dBV/Pa output, which is extraordinarily low and means it needs roughly 60 dB of clean gain that most affordable interfaces cannot deliver.
Full details →Who the Sony HT-S20R 5.1ch Dolby Digital Soundbar with Subwoofer is for
Buy it if: Anyone who wants actual surround sound and can route speaker cable to the back of the room.
Avoid it if: Anyone unwilling to run cables, or who specifically wants Dolby Atmos height effects.
Who the Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Studio Microphone is for
Buy it if: Anyone with an interface that can supply about 60 dB of clean gain, or willing to add an inline preamp.
Avoid it if: Anyone wanting a plug-and-play USB microphone -- this needs XLR, an interface, and probably a preamp.
Specifications, side by side
2 of 18 rows differ. Differences first.
| Specification | Sony HT-S20R 5.1ch Dolby Digital Soundbar with Subwoofer | Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Studio Microphone |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹17,990 | ₹38,990 |
| Connectivity | HDMI ARC, optical, USB, Bluetooth | XLR only -- not USB, so an audio interface is mandatory |
| Weight | Bar 2.3 kg, subwoofer 5.6 kg | 765 g |
| Warranty | 1 Year Official Brand Warranty | 1 Year Official Brand Warranty |
| Audio decoding | Dolby Digital and DTS. No Dolby Atmos | not published |
| Bar dimensions | 90 x 6.4 x 8.8 cm | not published |
| Cabling note | The rear speakers are wired to the subwoofer, so cable has to be run across the room | not published |
| Channels | 5.1, with physically wired rear speakers | not published |
| Frequency response | not published | 50 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Gain requirement | not published | Roughly 60 dB of clean gain. Most affordable interfaces do not have it, so a Cloudlifter or FetHead is usually needed |
| Included | not published | Windscreen and yoke mount |
| Output level | not published | -59 dBV/Pa -- very low, and the single most important fact about this microphone |
| Phantom power | not published | Not required by the microphone itself |
| Polar pattern | not published | Cardioid |
| Power consumption | About 55 W in use | not published |
| Shielding | not published | Internal, against electromagnetic hum from monitors |
| Subwoofer | Wired, external | not published |
| Subwoofer dimensions | 17 x 34 x 36 cm | not published |
| Total output | 400 W peak | not published |
Every row is a figure one or both products record. A blank is a figure the catalogue does not hold, not a zero.
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