Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars 2023
With all streaming services supporting 4K and various HDR formats, which most new LED and OLED TVs feature, they are now focusing on improving the audio experience.
All streaming services support various forms of surround sound, 5.1 being the standard, but that’s old-fashioned these days.
What is Dolby Atmos?
The new go-to surround sound format is Dolby Atmos, which adds two additional speakers higher up, allowing sounds to be interpreted as three-dimensional objects in a much more natural way.
Dolby Atmos typically has two front-height channels, but more advanced systems can add them to the rear as well.
Which streaming services support Dolby Atmos?
Currently, Netflix has either Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 or Dolby Atmos. Apple TV can do PCM multichannel (up to 7.1), Dolby Digital 5.1 or stereo.
Disney+ plans to take things to the next level by adding IMAX Signature Sound from DTS to select Marvel movies and more in 2023. This is in addition to the IMAX Expanded Aspect Ratio they already rolled out, which reduces the black bars in certain scenes.
The IMAX Signature Sound has a somewhat vague description that says it enables an elevated end-to-end experience, specially calibrated to provide fans at home with IMAX-quality images and sound.
However, the DTS underlying this technology is well established. DTS has a wide range of technologies up to DTS-HD Master Audio, which supports a virtually unlimited number of surround sound channels and lossless 24-bit, 192 kHz audio.
However, with all these fancy sound formats, how do you enjoy them without investing in an overly complex (and expensive) multi-speaker and AV receiver?
Surround sound sound bars
Fortunately, there are a growing number of soundbars that support many of these advanced sound formats.
Different brands achieve this in different ways. Some companies have dedicated rear speakers and a subwoofer, while others include all the speakers in the soundbar. Most of these try to virtualize the surround in some way; it’s not as effective as seven (or more) speakers and subwoofer woofers strung around your home, but it’s much more convenient.
For the best performance, the price of these soundbars can be expensive, but they are a worthy investment if you have spent a lot of money on a large TV and want a quality home cinema experience.
The best surround sound bar with Dolby Atmos and more
James, at Mighty Gadget has put together a list of the best surround sound bars on the market.
Sonos Beam Gen 2 – £425
The Beam Gen 2 is probably one of the best semi-affordable options that support Dolby Atmos. However, you need to pair it with rear speakers if you want to properly enjoy the surround sound experience.
Beam Gen 2 supports Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos (both Digital+ and TrueHD versions), Multichannel PCM and Dolby Multichannel PCM. Decoding for DTS digital surround will be later, but there is no DTS: X.
The Beam has a single eARC port that allows it to receive the highest quality audio formats.
Samsung HW-Q800B – 5.1.2 channel – £749
The Samsung HW-Q800B is not exactly cheap, but it is one of the most affordable options that claim to support full surround sound with Dolby Atmos. The speaker configuration is 5.1.2, and you have Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
Similar to the Sonos Beam, there is a single eARC HDMI port.
There is also the Samsung HW-Q930B, priced at £949. This is the next model. The main advantage is that you get two dedicated rear channels, which have two up-firing and four side-firing speakers. This claims to have a 9.1.4 channel sound which should give you a sense of height from the rear channels.
LG Soundbar S80QR – 5.1.3 channel – £999
The LG S80QR has a bit of an odd surround sound design with a 5.1.3 channel arrangement. The soundbar sits on the front which has three upward-firing channels. The central upward channel is a world first for soundbars.
It is then paired with dedicated rear speakers, which have a dedicated receiver, which then connects wirelessly to the soundbar.
This supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to recreate the 3D effect of sound from above. It then has Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and more, covering almost every need. It’s also certified for IMAX Enhanced, which LG states offers deeper bass and more dynamic sound for edge-of-seat sonic excitement.
This then has two HDMI ports, one with eARC and one input for another device. Unfortunately, the HDMI input is not HDMI 2.1, so the soundbar does not support 4K at 120Hz on its input port.
Sony HT-A7000 – 7.1.2 channel – £1099
This is an all-in-one soundbar that claims to do 7.1.2. It has two up-firing speakers, two beam tweeters and five front speakers. There’s also a built-in dual subwoofer for added bass.
Sony calls their virtual surround 360 Spatial Sound, which is a similar technology to the spatial sound used on the PS5.
You can upgrade this system for better performance. There is an optional SA-SW3 or SA-SW5 subwoofer. Then for the rear you have the optional SA-RS3S or SA-RS5S wireless rear speakers.
Sound support includes Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio and much more.
There are two HDMI ports. Both are HDMI 2.1, with an eARC. This means you can use the input port for a PS5, Xbox Series X or gaming PC and enjoy 4K 120Hz.
Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus – 7.1.4 – £1299
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus is the only all-in-one 7.1.4 channel soundbar on the market. If you don’t want the inconvenience of multiple speakers and a subwoofer, this is the best way to enjoy surround sound formats.
With all in one, the surround sound is virtualized, but it is highly effective. You may not be able to pinpoint the exact location of the sound, but it’s amazing how the sound seems to come at you from different directions.
You can also expand the system with any subwoofer using the RCA Out or the special wireless Sennheiser Sub.
Audio compatibility includes Atmos, DTS:X and more.
This has three HDMI ports, but only the eARC port is HDMI 2.1; the other two are HDMI 2.0a, therefore not compatible with 4K 120Hz.
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar MAX is also worth considering. It has a great speaker design with 13 speakers in total but only has one HDMI port that supports eARC. It’s been out for a few years, but it’s their flagship product and is accordingly priced at £1800.
Samsung HW-Q990B Soundbar – 11.1.4 channel – £1299
The Samsung HW-Q990B is the same price as the Sennheiser AMBEO Plus, but it takes a different approach.
You have the soundbar, two dedicated speakers and a subwoofer. There are a total of 22 speakers plus the wireless sub, which makes it possible to achieve an 11.1.4 channel sound. You would struggle to do that with separates!
It’s basically an upgraded HW-Q930B. The rear speakers are the same design, with two up-firing and four side-firing speakers. The soundbar then has the usual left, center and right speakers. Then two up-firing speakers. It then improves the surround sound performance with two side-firing speakers and two angled speakers, which they claim direct the sound from the side of your listening position.
Sound support includes Atmos, Dolby MAT, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby True HD.
You have three HDMI ports. One HDMI 2.1 eARC, but the other two lack support for 4K 120Hz and variable refresh rate signals.