- VERDICT
The Sennheiser Ambeo is an absolute beast of a product in terms of size, quality and price. This is a soundbar for the customer who wants the best and is willing to pay for it.
Half of the entertainment experience is sound but sometimes that sleek flat screen TV doesn’t deliver in that department which is why a soundbar like the Sennheiser Ambeo can be a real game changer.
The Sennheiser soundbar is a serious piece of audio equipment that offers Dolby Atmos and immersive 3D sound.
Under the hood are 13 high-end drivers that use the latest virtualisation technology that adapts to the acoustics of your environment.
On the design side, the Ambeo soundbar is quite large – we’re talking 1.26m long, 13.5cm high and weighing a whopping 18.5kg.
We said this was serious – and also priced at $3,995 which is probably more than what you paid for your TV.
The best place to position the soundbar is obviously in front of the television but being so high it will probably cover the bottom portion of the screen.
Which is why it would be ideal to either have your television elevated above the soundbar.
Or even better still would be to have your television mounted on the wall with the Sennheiser Ambeo sitting on an entertainment unit below it.
The soundbar can also be wall mounted just below the TV.
But once you get around these logistics you can focus on the amazing quality the Sennheiser soundbar will deliver.
The product has the hardware to deliver great sound out-of-the-box but Sennheiser takes it a step further with room calibration.
To do this, you set up a tall microphone in the centre of the room – ideally in the main the listening zone in front of the television – at head height.
This microphone connects to the front of the sound bar and performs the calibration by making sounds and calculating the size and shape of the room.
It does this because the Ambeo also uses walls to reflect sound and virtually position speakers in the room so the calculations need to be accurate.
Users have the option of connecting your TV via HDMI ARC (audio return channel) or optical.
There is also an Ethernet port on board so you can connect the Ambeo directly to your router if it is nearby.
Once all that is said and done, you’re ready to sit down and experience incredible sound.
For our review we watched Dolby Atmos content both on 4K disc, and through Apple TV+ and Netflix.
To say that we were impressed was an understatement.
The Sennheiser Ambeo provided true 3D sound from all directions.
We were hearing sounds coming from behind us and above us despite the fact the device was directly ahead of us below our television.
You can hear the power and scale of the audio that just lifted the viewing experience to a whole new level.
It can also be turned up quite loud – something to keep in mind if you have sensitive neighbours.
And what was even more impressive was the fact that it could produce tremendous bass response without the need for an external subwoofer.
And whether we were watching an action movie, a musical or a concert the Ambeo handled the output beautifully.
It would have to be the best soundbar we’ve ever heard – and also the largest and most expensive.
The stunning audio comes from the Ambeo’s Upmix Technology that can transform stereo or 5.1 audio into a 3D experience.
It can handle Dolby Vision and also has 4K passthrough compatibility as well.
The Sennheiser Ambeo also has a Smart Control app for both iOS and Android that allows users to adjust acoustic settings and adjust the sound to their taste.
Naturally you can also link your smartphone to the Ambeo via Bluetooth or simply by tapping through NFC (near field communication) so you can enjoy your content from your device as well.
Sennheiser Ambeo
Price: $3995
VERDICT
The Sennheiser Ambeo is an absolute beast of a product in terms of size, quality and price. This is a soundbar for the customer who wants the best and is willing to pay for it.
