There's one part of the home theater equation you might be overlooking: sound. Combine a beautiful picture with a thundering sound system, and you'll be that much closer to bringing the movie theater experience home.
Dolby Atmos is one of the best surround sound technologies currently on the market. We're highlighting some of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars that bring the technology into your home.
The LG SN10YG is a great all-around soundbar choice to bring Dolby Atmos to your living room. The 5.1.2 system offers 570 watts of power. And with Google Assistant built-in, you can play music and control the soundbar with your voice. No additional hardware is needed.
An AI room calibration feature determines the room characteristics to provide the best sound possible. It will then balance the audio to fit the location best. The AI can also adaptive control the sound to bring out bass or treble, depending on what you are watching.
In the future, if you want to add rear speakers, LG also offers an additional wireless rear kit to turn the soundbar into a fuller 7.1.2 system.
- Acts as a Google Assistant device
- AI room calibration determines size and shape of space to balance the soundbar
- Features Meridian Audio technology
- Brand: LG
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Integrations: Google Assistant
- Ports: 2 HDMI, 1 Digital Optical Audio
- Audio Format: Dolby Atmos
- Power: 570 watts
- Speaker Arrangement: 5.1.2
- Optional wireless rear speaker kit to turn soundbar into a 7.1.2 system
- Can connect other devices via Bluetooth
- Expensive compared to other models
Sonos has a considerable reputation for multi-room audio systems, and the new Sonos Arc soundbar brings Atmos technology to your television. The 5.0.2 system features Amazon Alexa built-in so you can play music, set alarms, and more with just a simple voice command. The soundbar is also compatible with Apple's AirPlay 2 protocol. You can also control the Arc with the Sonos app.
To get the most out of the soundbar, the Trueplay technology will tune the soundbar and optimize it for your space. While Atmos sound can fill the room, Sonos has also made sure that the Arc emphasizes human voices, so you'll always understand what is being said.
Since it's part of the larger ecosystem, you can easily add additional rear speakers or a dedicated subwoofer.
- Trueplay tuning modifies output to suit the room's acoustics
- Supports Apple AirPlay 2
- Can tie in with other Sonos speakers
- Brand: Sonos
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet
- Integrations: Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay 2
- Ports: HDMI, Optical Audio
- Audio Format: Dolby Atmos
- Speaker Arrangement: 5.0.2
- Available in black or white to better fit your decor
- Amazon Alexa built-in to play music and more
- No dedicated subwoofer included
A great affordable Dolby Atmos soundbar is the VIZIO SB46312-F6. The 3.1.2 system doesn't skimp on bass thanks to the wireless subwoofer's 10-inch driver. As a nice touch, all of the cables are included, so you'll be able to get the system set up quickly and easily.
Besides being able to play entertainment options from your television, you can connect with Chromecast, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. If you have a Google Assistant device, it's also easy to play music and more with a simple voice command.
- Subwoofer sports 10-inch driver
- Separate center channels for clearer dialogue
- Control the soundbar with your voice using Google Assistant
- Brand: Vizio
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- Integrations: Google Assistant
- Ports: HDMI, USB, Digital Optical Audio, 3.5mm, Ethernet
- Audio Format: Dolby Atmos
- Power: 155W
- Speaker Arrangement: 3.1.2
- All cables are included
- Stream music and apps using built-in Bluetooth and Chromecast support
- No Apple AirPlay 2 support
The JBL Bar 9.1 features a unique and innovative way to bring more immersive sound along with Dolby Atmos technology. When you're ready, detach the battery-powered, wireless rear speakers from the soundbar. They can provide up to 10 hours of use before needing to be recharged.
To do that, attach the pair back to the soundbar. The entire system sports a room-filling 820 watts of maximum power. A big part of that is a 300 watt, 10-inch subwoofer to bring great bass to anything you're watching.
For music and other content, you can stream it to the sounder via Chromecast or Apple AirPlay 2. It's also compatible with any Bluetooth device.
- Detachable wireless speakers can be placed onto the soundbar to recharge
- 820 watts of total power
- Large, 10-inch subwoofer brings bass
- Brand: JBL
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Integrations: Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2
- Ports: 2x HDMI, USB, Digital Optical Audio, Ethernet
- Audio Format: Dolby Atmos
- Power: 820W
- Speaker Arrangement: 5.1.4
- Compatible with Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2
- Can also stream via a Bluetooth connection
- Despite the name, the system is actually 5.1.4
The Samsung HW-Q900T is an excellent choice if you're already a fan of the company. The 7.1.2 soundbar features Amazon Alexa built-in so you can interact with the popular voice assistant to play music and interact with Alexa skills.
The adaptive sound feature analyzes the content and delivers the best sound for each scene. That feature will help you hear dialogue clearly, no matter what the volume is set to.
And gamers should also be happy to hear that a special mode will interact with the console to offer optimized and clear directional sound. If you have a compatible Samsung smartphone, just tap the soundbar, and it will automatically start playing your favorite playlist.
- Adaptive sound feature delivers the best sound for each scene
- Covered with high-end Kvadrat textile
- Samsung smartphone users can tap the soundbar with the phone to start a favorite playlist
- Brand: Samsung
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Integrations: Amazon Alexa
- Ports: 2x HDMI, Digital Optical Audo
- Audio Format: Dolby Atmos
- Power: 406W
- Speaker Arrangement: 7.1.2
- Amazon Alexa built-in
- 16 separate speakers power the 7.1.2 system
- No Chromecast or Apple AirPlay 2 support
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1.4 brings a fantastic Dolby Atmos experience at a reasonable price. Two wired rear speakers, along with the four upward-firing speakers in the soundbar, help create a cinema-like feel to your living room.
The outward-firing surround effects tweeters are designed to provide a 35 percent wider soundstage compared to similar soundbars. The total power of the unit is 600 watts.
Another great feature is three HDMI inputs so that you can use all of your equipment with the soundbar. You can even connect a smartphone, tablet, or other devices to play music and more thanks to built-in Bluetooth.
- Outward firing effects tweeters provide a larger soundstage
- Dual-center channel speakers provides clearer dialogue
- Rear speakers provide a more immersive experience
- Brand: Nakamichi
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Ports: 3x HDMI, Digital Optical Audio, Coaxial
- Audio Format: Dolby Atmos
- Power: 600W
- Speaker Arrangement: 7.1.4
- Three HDMI inputs
- More reasonably priced than other similar soundbars
- Rear speakers are wired
The Sony ST-5000 is a 7.1.2 soundbar offering a big kick with 800 watts of power. Along with full Dolby Atmos thanks to the two upward-firing speakers. Sony also provides several different enhancements to improve sound quality.
The ClearAudio+ mode will automatically adjust sound settings to suit better what you're listening to. Along with controlling the soundbar through Google Assistant, you can stream music from another device via Bluetooth or from Spotify and others using Wi-Fi.
- 800W of total power
- Three HDMI inputs for all of your devices
- Two levels of vocal enhancement for clear dialogue
- Brand: Sony
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Ports: 3x HDMI, Digital Optical Audio, 3.5mm Audio, USB, Ethernet
- Audio Format: Dolby Atmos
- Power: 800W
- Speaker Arrangement: 7.1.2
- Spotify Connect enabled
- Stream music and apps with built-in Bluetooth and Chromecast
- No Apple AirPlay 2 support
FAQ
Q: What Is Dolby Atmos?
Dolby has always been a big name in technology at the movie theatre and for home audio/visual enthusiasts. The company is leading the way in HDR TV formats with Dolby Vision. And Dolby Atmos is a big step up in sound technology.
Previously, with a surround sound system, the audio was assigned to a specific channel. But Dolby Atmos throws that confinement out the window. All of the different sounds exist as independent objects, meaning the technology can direct audio more precisely in a room.
A big part of the 360-degree sound experience is the upward-firing speakers. Instead of the usual 2.1, 5.1, or 7.1 designations, any soundbar with Atmos will be indicated with a third number, for example, 7.1.2. That last digit lets you know how many speakers point up.
Q: Do I Need a Dolby Atmos TV for a Dolby Atmos Soundbar?
The great news is that you might not need a new TV to enjoy everything a Dolby Atmos soundbar can provide. Many popular streaming devices—including the Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku Ultra 4K—can provide Atmos-compatible content to a soundbar.
Similarly, many high-end televisions support Atmos content, so you won't even need to worry about purchasing a streaming device. Other Atmos-capable devices include 4K Blu-Ray players, Microsoft's Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Q: What Streaming Services Support Dolby Atmos?
Even though you have a Dolby Atmos soundbar and compatible streaming device, there's one more part of the equation—content. You can currently find Atmos content on iTunes, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, and Disney+.
Just to note, not all content on those services is Atmos-enabled. You can find specific content by searching for Atmos and looking for the Dolby Atmos logo next to the description.
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