With Atmos you get a improbable and wide sound than you could get from a stereo 2.0 example , with upfiring speakers ’ ability to place intelligent effects above you to create an immersive sound .
Dolby Atmos soundbars are uncommitted in different sizes and form , so we ’re here to help you sift through the noise to find the best model for you .
We should make clear that there are differences in performance and engineering across these soundbars . Some have upfiing speaker system , others issue forth with rearward speakers , and some apply digital processing to create spatial sound recording , all of which can set up the performance . Our choice spread from as much as £ 2000 / $ 2000 down to £ 300 / $ 300 to cover a variety of budget pick .
To sort the wheat from the straw , we screen the soundbars by watching / listen to plenty ofDolby Atmosfilms to empathise how they deal with immersive content . Like the rest of the soundbars we test , we give attention to the conception , what connectivity options a soundbar has to make certain you ’re getting the best execution from your TV .
We ’ll look at lineament and see whether there are any that are exclusive to certain boob tube ( such as Samsung ’s soundbars ) , and of course price factors into the overall evaluation . You ’ll desire to be getting the just operation for your money .
If you ’re not concerned in Atmos soundbars , then you may have a look at our generalbest soundbarspage where there are stereo options . Of if you ’re after true Atmos immersion , have a look at ourbest surround sound systemsas well .
Best Dolby Atmos soundbars at a glance
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Soundbars were created to boost TV levelheaded character – which signify we terminate up watching a lot of telecasting . We play everything – news reports for voices , movies for plate and effects direction – to secure that the soundbars that come through the doors at Trusted Reviews are given a right challenge . We ’ll play unlike genres of music , too , since a good soundbar should be capable of double - up as a groovy music system .
More complex soundbars feature web functionality for thieve up to other speaker system and playact medicine around the nursing home , so we test for connectivity return and ease of use . We overlay the spectrum of model uncommitted , everything from punk soundbars costing less than £ 100 to those over £ 1000 , to insure our reviews benefit from our extensive grocery store knowledge . Every product is compared to likewise priced rivals , too .
Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max
Pros
Cons
Sonos Arc Ultra
Samsung HW-Q990D
Samsung HW-Q800C
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Samsung HW-S61B
Trusted Score
TheSennheiser Ambeo Max soundbaris one of the best soundbars on the market , although its carrying into action comes at a pregnant smash to the wallet and an asking Leontyne Price of over two grand .
Much like the monetary value , the Ambeo soundbar does n’t offer compromises in its design , stretching to over a measure long , which means you will want space to accommodate it . At 18.5 kg it ’s a big beast , heavier than 12kgDevialet Dione , a soundbar we already feel was passably heavy .
It ’s one of few all - in - one soundbars we ’ve find subsist up to the title of immersive audio recording , commit gist above , to the side and even behind our sitting position for a incredibly involving and engaging functioning . There ’s a powerful sense of bass for a soundbar that does n’t come with a subwoofer ( though you’re able to add one through the pumped connection ) , and it paint a soundstage with plenitude of depth and detail . You ’ll want to make certain the Ambeo processing is switched on , as without it we chance the bar ’s performance recede a sense of depth and height .
As well as supporting Dolby Atmos , there ’s support forDTS : Xand the lesser supported MPEG - H , which offers choice of home movie house enthusiast to listen their physical mass medium collection in immersive strait . The cooking stove of connectivity is also good , with threeHDMIinputs ( for secure to the television as well tot source ) , aux - in , digital optical out along side Bluetooth 4.2 and Google Chromecast .
The Sennheiser is a soundbar that offers thrilling strait and plays all types of contentedness . If you do n’t have space for a surround sound arrangement , the Ambeo would make for a estimable alternative that takes up less space . Even after a few years on the market , we still place it as our favourite Atmos soundbar .
referee : Steve MayFull Review : Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max
If your budget for a new Dolby Atmos soundbar only stretches to the £ 1000 / $ 1000 , theSonos Arc Ultrais one of the most outsanding option usable .
The original Arc was the first fourth dimension Sonos waded into theDolby Atmoswaters and this sequel amend upon the first soundbar with a clear and cleaner delivery of dialogue , while the young Sound Motion transducer give more depth and preciseness to the bass .
Our reviewer regain thta it positioned audio in a room well , as if effects were actually coming from above or from far - away , and with euphony it address all flavours of genre well . If you ’re concerned in a surround system , then you may supply theSub 4for more bass ( although it depends on the size of your room whether you require it ) along with theEra 300orEra 100speakers as rear utterer .
The Arc Ultra only has anHDMI eARCport , which means your tv set also needs an eARC port for the highest quality audio . WirelesslyAirPlay 2is joined byBluetoothfor cyclosis to the soundbar , and in the Sonos app the Arc Ultra can be placed within amulti - roomsystem alongside other Sonos speaker unit .
The Sonos app feature access to a longsighted listing of music stream serving in Spotify , Tidal , Deezer , Qobuzas well as the Sonos Radio . And those with iPhones can take advantage of theTrueplay featurethat optimise audio performance of the soundbar for any room that it is in . Android substance abuser benefit from the QuickTune function that dress the legal profession up in seconds .
Reviewer : David LudlowFull brushup : Sonos Arc Ultra
The SamsungQ990Dtweaks and refine the performance of its theQ990Cpredecessor to produce the best immersive audio performance from a soundbar system .
Samsung has n’t made sweeping changes to the canal enumeration which still stands at 11.1.4 channels , but alterations to its sound have resulted in a better sensory faculty of power and pizzazz , a soundbar arrangement that delivers intensity , impact and plenty of pizzazz . With music its performance is better , with a warmer tone and good bass integration with the subwoofer .
The ‘ Acoustic Lens ’ subwoofer have some of the mysterious grumbling we ’ve come across , but it feels more balanced and integrated into the overall frequency range thanks to the Space Fit Pro calaibration system . The rearward talker offer fantastical levels of detail to make a cohesive soundstage with effects positioned accurately around the soundstage whether they be overhead , behind the listening emplacement or towards the slope .
The pattern and connectivity options are the same as before with two HMI input signal and a single optical audio input , with the HDMI input able-bodied to pass throughHDR10+,Dolby Visionand 4K/120Hz signals .
With compatible Samsung tv , there is support for the Q - Symphony technology that combines the soundbar ’s drivers with a Samsung TV speakers to create a big strait . Alexa part recognitionis build up - in and for Io users there’sAirPlay 2to stream audio .
If you find the Q990D too expensive , there is theHW - Q930Dthough that repress the epithelial duct phone to 9.1.4 layout .
Reviewer : John ArcherFull Review : Samsung HW - Q990D
Although theQ800Cis now two years old , this mid - range model is still useable and still offer a fantastic performance .
It ’s best suited to being partnered with TVs that 55 - inches or self-aggrandising . There is a HDMI input to plug in a source , and there ’s various means of streaming to the soundbar wirelessly throughSpotify Connect , Bluetooth , AirPlay 2 , and Wi - Fi casting . Strangely there is no Chromecast support even though other Samsung soundbars support it .
We establish the Q800C ’s soundstage to be expansive and marvelous . While it does n’t come with rearward speakers , it takes reward of its side and upward - firing speakers to deliver a sound that ’s big than any TV is capable of .
The facts of life of dialogue is excellent , clearing up difficult to get word conversations in the likes of Dune and Tenet . It sense of dynamism is great , jumping from quiet to brassy and frailty versa effectively ; while bass is big and well integrated into the frequency range with the subwoofer render a deep but controlled performance .
With music we found the Q800C an assured performer with Spotify Connect streams sounding crisp , decipherable , and detailed . The performance overBluetoothis not too bad , though we ’ve plant there ’s more item and bite gained from using the Adaptive mode .
We ’d suggest not promote the volume past 30 as listen to movies / music above that volume can lead to it becoming too bassy .
referee : Kob MonneyFull Review : Samsung HW - Q800C
TheSonos Beam ( Gen 2)is a soundbar that ’s designed for smaller spaces , perfect for those who do n’t have the space for full - sized models but still want the issue of spatial audio .
There have been subtle design tweaks from the original that brought it in line with the modernistic look of theArc soundbar . While the Arc is advantageously beseem to TVs 55 - inches or bigger , the Beam Gen 2 works best with television receiver ’s up to 49 - inch .
There’seARCsupport where the original featuredHDMI ARC , while the rest of the physical connection option remains the same with a bundled optical adapter for connexion to TVs without aHDMIinput .
While the eARC porthole allow for Atmos , Wi - Fi summate a roster of streaming services and features through the Sonos app . you’re able to append the Beam 2 to a multi - elbow room setup of talker , call up Google Assistant orAmazon Alexadigital help and initiateTrueplay(with an iPhone ) that optimises the soundbar ’s sound .
For its size , we find the Beam sound exceptionally expert . Its Dolby Atmos operation does n’t make use of upfiring speakers but through digital processing , so watching Captain Marvel fromDisney+in Atmos , the sensation of space that was present in the Arc was n’t as strong but it ’s still a good public presentation overall .
The carrying out in the bass section is self-coloured , and while it does n’t have as much range as the Arc due to its slightly more tight sound , we did feel it ’s audio performance on the whole was balanced . It also impress us with its manipulation of music , deal with bass without causing distortion and treat the more elusive stuff with a good level of shade and fineness .
Reviewer : David LudlowFull Review : Sonos Beam Gen 2
While theSamsung HW - S61Bhas been discontinued and replaced by the S61D , you could still buy the soundbar online , and it is one of the dependable options if you ’re not wait to spend much .
Its audio carrying out is crisp , clear and punchy , with detailed and spacious sound for a bar as small as it is . It offers plenty of energy and onslaught that betters anything a TV can produce . Its built - in subwoofer bring on a punchy performance , adding wallop to action scenes .
With Atmos subject , the soundstage is projected up and to the side , and is bigger than the dimension of the bar and television receiver it ’s partner with , presenting a good gumption of musical scale that touch Hollywood blockbusters .
It does n’t plan its sounds into a room , so the soundstage it name is still a flat one that sits in front of the spectator . Nevertheless , its sensation of dynamism and intensiveness shit for a consistently piquant listen . It ’s not a speaker that is gung - ho all the time either , describing subtlety and detail of quieter scenes well .
It ’s pretty solid with music whether over Wi - Fi or Bluetooth , though the former produces a decipherable , more detailed performance . The lack ofHDMI eARCis a dashing hopes as it means you wo n’t be get the highest quality Dolby Atmos sound possible , and we ’re not fans of the position of the light-emitting diode filmdom , which we can barely see it at the best of sentence .
There are other options in the market place if you are looking for a soundbar and subwoofer jazz band , most notably thePolk MagniFi Mini AX , but its Atmos performance is n’t as convincing as the Samsung .
Reviewer : Kob MonneyFull review : Samsung HW - S61B
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If money was no object , we ’d say that the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar is the effective on the market . Despite being a individual streak effort , it offer a jolly impressive Atmos effect
If space is at a premium then the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a suitable alternative . It ’s a compact effort , that set in a balanced , elaborated functioning and beneficial bass for its size .
