Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar £2199

Ask the question, “When there are so many good Dolby Atmos soundbars out there, why should I buy one that’s more expensive, much bigger and a fair bit fussier?” our answer is simple. Because it’s also much better, that’s why. In fact, the Ambeo is the best-sounding soundbar we’ve ever tested.

It’s much bigger than most products of its type, but that’s because Sennheiser has opted for much larger drivers, capable of covering a far greater portion of the frequency range, negating the need for an external subwoofer. This is a genuine one-box home cinema solution.

That driver array consists of six 10cm woofers and five 25mm tweeters arranged across the front and sides, plus two upward-firing 9cm full-range drivers.

Around the back of the Ambeo you’ll find four HDMI sockets, three of which are standard inputs, with one supporting EARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel). This means it can send and receive sound signals – including Dolby Atmos – from the TV via the one cable.

Alongside the HDMIS are an ethernet socket, USB for updates, an optical input and stereo RCA aux-in, while Bluetooth and Chromecast make your streaming options almost endless. There’s a sub pre-out, too, should you feel the need to add a dedicated bass unit.

We’re not ones for pre-judging, but we have to admit that we didn’t expect the Ambeo Soundbar to be nearly as good as it is. A rich, natural sound bounds from this unit, with dynamic shifts both large and small well within its grasp.

Most important is how well it delivers those surround effects. Its presentation stretches into the room, up to the ceiling and almost around the listening position.

Yes, the Ambeo Soundbar is bulky and, yes, it’s far from cheap. But the sound quality and processing on offer here are good enough to make those concerns fade into insignificance, and keep the Ambeo top of the pile.