A efficiency that provides up

In case you’re seeking to spend upwards of $1000/£1000 on a soundbar, chances are high you care a good bit about how your AV system seems and sounds (and have the price range to splash out).

Whereas that type of cash was beforehand reserved for correct encompass sound programs, a rising variety of soundbars are aiming themselves at these premium worth brackets – providing the type of uplift in efficiency {that a} devoted film lover craves, with out the house, wires and know-how {that a} encompass sound setup may require.

The Sennheiser Ambeo Plus is a kind of such soundbars, and is definitely the center little one in Sennheiser’s completed soundbar line up. It sits beneath 2019’s frankly mammoth Sennheiser Ambeo, now renamed Sennheiser Ambeo Max, and above the Sennheiser Ambeo Mini. It provides Dolby Atmos playback (and DTS:X and Sony 360 Actuality Audio for that matter) however, not like loads of the competitors at this worth, it does so from a single and fairly compact field. However what’s it wish to dwell with? I put it by means of its paces to search out out.

Pricing, specs and availability

The Sennheiser Ambeo Plus is obtainable for $1200/£1149, inserting it above the Sennheiser Ambeo Mini at $800/£699, however considerably beneath the mammoth Ambeo Max at $2000/£2100.

Design

The factor that is maybe most lovable concerning the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus’ design is its measurement. Contemplating what is going on on behind its grilles, it is surprisingly compact, at simply 105cm lengthy, and conveniently shallow too. Measuring 8cm tall, it will slide below most TVs with out concern, which makes it a heck of quite a bit simpler to accommodate than a few of its competitors.

In actual fact, it sits simply shy of operating edge to edge with my 55-inch TV – so in case your telly is that measurement or above, it will complement it completely.

Sennheiser has opted for a material grille that wraps across the soundbar’s mid-section, with a high-quality plastic grille overlaying the upwards firing Atmos audio system on the highest, and plastic management panel. There is a plastic base too, however all of it seems nice. It is nicely designed, however smart, with gently curved edges that assist to melt its total look.

Up on the highest of the bar, that management panel provides you touch-sensitive controls for quantity, Bluetooth and enter choice, in addition to a mic mute button for if you wish to make certain the built-in voice assistants (with a selection of Alexa or Google Assistant) aren’t listening in.

There’s an LED strip on the highest that may gentle up otherwise relying on the supply you might be taking part in from, together with utilizing totally different colored lights for Bluetooth, Spotify Join and USB. It is not vastly useful from a seated place as this gentle is just about out of sight for me, however it’s additionally not distracting, which is one thing.

You can even management the soundbar through the Sennheiser’s Sensible Management app, which is straightforward to make use of and actually handy, or there’s an included distant as a substitute should you desire. It is fairly easy – slim and plastic with rubbery buttons that let you management issues like supply and quantity, in addition to flick between audio modes like Film, Music, Information, Sports activities and Adaptive, plus particular modes like Evening (which takes a little bit of the oomph out of the bass) and Voice (for choosing out dialogue higher).

I discovered sticking with Adaptive labored nicely for many content material, however you may mess around with the modes to see which you favor.

There’s additionally a button for Ambeo, wherever you select to manage the soundbar, which is Sennheiser’s customized processing for spatial audio. I will contact extra on this later, however it goals to ship a 3D audio efficiency to all soundtracks, be they Atmos (and its equivalents) or not.

Options and connectivity

The Ambeo Plus is a 7.1.4ch soundbar with a complete of 9 drivers at work behind these grilles, ship 400w of sound. Seven of these are 50mm full-range aluminium drivers, with twin 10cm subwoofers in control of the bass.

To assist obtain the perfect Atmos sound, two drivers and each subs are upwards firing, with a driver at every nook to assist ship additional width as nicely. The remaining three drivers are organized alongside the entrance, to assist in giving a forwards focus to issues like dialogue.

There’s the choice of including a subwoofer, both wirelessly utilizing the Ambeo Sub ($600/£549), or utilizing the wired subwoofer pre-out.

Different connections embrace three HDMI ports (one in every of which is HDMI 2.1 with eARC for connecting to your TV), in addition to 1 x optical, 1 x RCA, 1 x USB and an ethernet port, for hardwiring to a router.

It is not a nasty displaying of connections, with the primary HDMI enter permitting for the assist of full-fat, lossless Atmos. However with the opposite two HDMI ports utilizing the older HDMI 2.0 normal, it means there is no such thing as a 4K/120Hz passthrough assist for suitable video games consoles, just like the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S.

The Ambeo Plus not alone on this – the Sonos Arc has no 4K/120Hz HDMIs in any way, however Sony’s A7000 provides HDMI 2.1 on all its ports, suggesting that Sennheiser may undoubtedly have performed extra right here.

It is not the tip of the world although – players will simply want to attach their consoles on to a suitable HDMI port on the TV as a substitute, although that is assuming they’ve one spare.

Wi-fi connectivity is nicely catered for, with Bluetooth 5.0 alongside AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Join, and all work as you’d anticipate. This implies the Ambeo Plus can double up as a reasonably completed music speaker too – however extra on that subsequent.

Efficiency

While you first get began with the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus, you are inspired to carry out a room calibration, which is made attainable because of its 4 far-field, high-precision mics.

It is fairly explicit, thoughts you, cancelling the calibration and forcing you to restart if a canine barks or it hears somebody speaking – which is kind of irritating should you get half manner by means of when this occurs. It solely takes a couple of minutes, fortunately, however you’ll want to guarantee your atmosphere is lethal quiet for it to finish efficiently.

You do not want any additional package to get it accomplished although, simply sit in your listening place and depart the remaining to the bar. It’s going to fireplace out a spread of unusual sounds into your lounge to higher perceive it, tweaking its sound accordingly on the finish to make sure the soundbar sounds its greatest.

And sound its greatest, it does. What the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus is able to from an all-in-one design is nothing wanting very good, and from the second it’s plugged in, it transforms the audio coming from my TV.

I’ve simply bought common daytime TV on after I first plug it in, and even with that, the distinction is evident. Issues aren’t simply louder (and I imply, room-fillingly loud, if you want it), however dialogue is clearer, there’s higher element at play, and there is instantly extra space within the combine.

Swap to one thing that’ll benefit from its capabilities although, and the Ambeo Plus will take full benefit of the chance. Watch any Atmos content material on Netflix, and the Ambeo Plus jumps into motion, serving up constancy, scale and immersion by the bucketload.

There’s an actual sense of top right here, from these upwards-firing channels, and width too, which creates a really expansive soundstage. There are limitations, after all, and also you’re by no means going to really feel like sound is coming from really overhead or behind you – however for a single field, it is as cohesive a soundstage as I’ve heard.

There is no lack of punch right here, and the Ambeo Plus makes the dealing with of beefy motion scenes look simple. You will discover low-end wallop to spare, however that is all the time dealt with with supreme management and authority. There’s by no means a touch of distortion, even when turned up loud.

In actual fact, the efficiency is so good right here, that I would not say there’s a entire lot of want for a separate sub for most individuals – significantly contemplating the associated fee – although if pit-of-your-stomach rumble is your factor, then the choice is there so that you can purchase it.

Away from the low finish, the Ambeo Plus reveals itself to be simply as assured a performer too. For all its means to offer the room a wobble when wanted, it could actually deal with the softer moments with simply as a lot confidence. Advantageous element is pulled to the forefront, as is dialogue, which isn’t misplaced in even the busiest of soundtracks.

Treble is as nicely dealt with because the low finish too, with crisp precision that by no means veers into harsh.

In actual fact, it is supremely balanced, and works as a complete – by no means dropping sight of what is going on on elsewhere within the frequency vary, whereas additionally giving no space the limelight. The whole lot pulls collectively to provide a vastly likeable, cinematic presentation.

I begin with the Ambeo setting turned on, and there is no doubt it does what it units out to do – broadening the soundstage and giving a way more spacious and open presentation. Nevertheless, I would use it with care if you would like the easiest efficiency.

It is undoubtedly at its greatest with non-Atmos content material, serving to to ship the added sense of top that it intends to – with out sounding unnatural or processed. In actual fact, it is actually cleverly dealt with, and instantly you’re feeling the sound is lifted from being so targeted on the bar.

There’s the odd misstep, and – for me – dialogue-heavy content material does lose a little bit of focus and might sound only a contact hole with Ambeo mode turned on. In case you’re watching Query Time, I would in all probability select to depart it off, however with the most recent BBC drama or when streaming a present from HBO Max, the Ambeo setting can produce a really welcome impact certainly.

With native Atmos content material, be that through 4K Blu-ray or from a streaming service like Netflix or Disney+, Ambeo does the anticipated and pushes the impact additional nonetheless – however it could actually take a little bit of the precision and among the presence out of the sound. For that purpose, I would in all probability select to show Ambeo off and let the sound format do its factor with out interference, however that is seemingly down to non-public desire.

The excellent news is you may see which you favor, or which setting fits that particular content material, by switching simply between the 2 settings. It is in all probability not one thing I would wish to depart both on or off the entire time, which is barely annoying, however it’s an incredible to have the choice of it.

Verdict

The Sennheiser Ambeo Plus is a improbable soundbar, which delivers one of the crucial cinematic performances that I’ve heard from a soundbar this measurement. Certain, it isn’t low cost, however it delivers the easiest of what you are listening to with an virtually dogged dedication, and in from a comparatively compact, all-in-one design.

It has scale to spare, however does not lose sight of the element, and serves up all of it with an even-handed strategy to the frequency vary, from low bassy rumbles to crisp highs.

It offers a very good displaying with Atmos content material, delivering the added top and immersion you’d anticipate, whereas the Ambeo setting – though not a silver bullet – brings a reasonably stable spatial expertise to non-Atmos content material too. It is an virtually easy performer, and one you may battle to search out from many different bars at this – undeniably lofty – worth.