SENNHEISER AMBEO

There are plenty of Dolby Atmos soundbars, but the Sennheiser Ambeo is different: it’s much more expensive, much bigger and a fair bit fussier. But it’s also much better. In fact, it’s the best sounding soundbar we’ve tested. Measuring 127cm wide and 14cm tall, this is a real beast. The Sony HT-A7000, by comparison, is 7cm shorter and 3cm less deep. A big factor in the Sennheiser’s comparative heft is that it approaches the soundbar conundrum in a different way from most. While many contemporaries combine vast arrays of small drivers with a separate subwoofer, Sennheiser has opted for much larger drivers that are capable of covering a far greater portion of the frequency range, negating the need for an external sub. This is a genuine one-box home cinema solution. That’s sound reasoning, but the size of the Sennheiser still creates some practical issues. Placed in front of the Samsung QE65Q90R, which has an extra-tall pedestal to accommodate a soundbar, the Sennheiser obstructs the bottom couple of inches of screen and the IR receiver. It can’t be placed on a lower shelf, either, as that will block the upward-firing drivers that create the Atmos effect. The ideal scenario is to have your TV wall-mounted, and the Sennheiser below it, either on a shelf/rack or wall-mounted itself. Like most products of its ilk, too, the Sennheiser bounces sound off walls and ceiling to create surround and Atmos effects, and while the mic-driven calibration will compensate at least somewhat for an irregularly shaped and/ or cluttered room, it's at its best with as few sonic obstructions as possible. However, while positioning the Sennheiser requires a good deal more effort than most soundbars, it’s a lot easier than setting up a genuine Atmos surround sound system. And what’s more, its delivery is worth making the effort for. With four HDMI sockets including one that supports eARC, not only can the Sennheiser pass signals (4K and HDR, including Dolby Vision, are supported) from the other inputs to the TV, it can also receive sound signals – including Dolby Atmos – from the TV via the one cable. Alongside the HDMIs are an ethernet socket, USB, optical input, stereo RCA aux-in, and subwoofer pre-out, should you feel the need for one. The Ambeo also supports Bluetooth 4.2 and Chromecast. The driver array nestled within the casework consists of six 10cm woofers and five 25mm tweeters arranged across the front and sides, plus two, upward-firing, 9cm full-range drivers. Insight and atmosphere Calibration is fast and straightforward, and we're soon digging into our Atmos-enabled 4K Blu-ray collection. Starting with the bombing run in Unbroken, we’re instantly impressed with the Ambeo’s performance. As the bomber squadron approaches its target, the chatter among the crew is clear and direct, while the room is filled with the rattling sounds of the cruising B-24 Liberator. This is the calm before the storm, and the Sennheiser delivers it with subtlety, insight and atmosphere. The Sennheiser steps up a gear when enemy fighters emerge from the clouds, filling the air with precisely placed machine gun fire. When an enemy fighter strafes the bomber, the Ambeo provides a brilliant, focused build up as the plane approaches, then a huge, room-filling zoom as it flies by. The dynamics really are exceptional for a one-box device, as are the scale and spaciousness. Switching to Alien:Covenant, we’re struck by the natural, full-bodied reproduction of the dialogue in the opening scene. Guy Pearce’s voice is a lovely baritone, and those bassier frequencies fill out his dialogue. While some soundbars with external subwoofers go deeper, the bass here is delivered with weighty gusto and is seamlessly integrated. It helps the Sennheiser achieve the sort of effortless, natural tonality and texture most rivals can’t begin to match. The large minimalist room of this opening scene creates echoes and reverb that less sophisticated speakers miss out on. This isn’t simply a case of the audio stretching out to the left and right; the Ambeo does that, but also stretches into the room, up to the ceiling and almost around the listening position. The rear effects don’t quite get behind you, but the fact that it comes close is impressive. It’s testament to the Ambeo’s ability that you don’t really notice it going about its business. So convincing is the processing, you’re not made aware that it’s happening – you simply enjoy what you’re watching. The Ambeo is expensive for a soundbar, rather huge, and quite fussy with positioning; but these design decisions have been made in the name of superior sonics – and they have paid off. By using bigger, higher-quality drivers, the Ambeo Soundbar is able to produce audio with rare, natural tonality, cohesion and solidity, and the 3D audio processing is utterly convincing. This is the best way to get surround sound into your room without filling it with lots of individual speakers.