The 6 Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars to Elevate Your Home Entertainment

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The best TVs offer extraordinary picture quality, stunning color accuracy, and razor-sharp resolution. Unfortunately, even the most expensive models have built-in speakers that produce poor sound, lacking the depth and clarity to complement the exceptional visuals. That’s why investing in a high-quality soundbar, especially one with Dolby Atmos, has become the perfect gift to upgrade your friend or family member's audio setup if they've been complaining about their listening experience.

Dolby Atmos can enhance dialogue clarity and deliver rich, dynamic soundscapes, bringing movies, shows, and video games to life in a way that built-in speakers cannot match. The technology adds “height channels” to the mix, placing listeners in a virtual dome of sound,

As Dolby Atmos becomes more common in the home, choosing the right option can feel overwhelming. Lucky for you, we've done the work to find the best models available. Whether you’re using your tax refund to gift this for yourself, or you’re giving one to a friend, you can’t go wrong with any of these best soundbars with Dolby Atmos.

The Best Soundbars

• Best Overall: Vizio M-Series Elevate

• Best Value: Samsung All-in-One HW-S60B

• Best for Audiophiles: Sony HT-A7000

• Best for Small Spaces: Polk MagniFi Mini AX

• Best Smart: Bose Smart Ultra

What to Consider

Most soundbars look similar, but there’s a lot going on underneath the hood that will determine which is right for you or your recipient. Choosing the right one takes careful consideration of various factors, including the hardware, connectivity, size, and more.

What Is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos leverages an object-based audio format that treats individual sound elements (voices, raindrops, explosions) as distinct entities free to move within a virtual three-dimensional soundscape. It's a more realistic and immersive experience, placing sounds precisely where the creators envisioned them. Dolby Atmos also utilizes overhead channels to further enhance the dimensionality of the sound—you'll feel the visceral impact of thunder rumbling above you.

Hardware

When looking at soundbars, you’ll often find spec sheets full of jargon like “drivers” and “channels.” Essentially, drivers are the physical components that reproduce specific frequency ranges: woofers for low frequencies (bass) and tweeters for high frequencies. The more drivers, the better. Meanwhile, a channel is essentially the pathway a signal takes on the way to the respective driver.

Common channel configurations include 2.0 (stereo), 2.1 (stereo with a separate subwoofer), 5.1 (surround sound with front, center, rear, and subwoofer channels), and so on. Soundbars with Dolby Atmos are designated as 5.1.2, 7.1.2, or 7.1.4, with the final number representing two or four height channels.

Additionally, it’s important to decide how comprehensive you want your audio setup to be. You can buy a standalone soundbar, giving you a sleek, easy-to-set-up solution for improving your TV’s audio quality. On the other hand, some soundbars come with additional hardware, such as a subwoofer or satellite speakers (or both), providing a more comprehensive surround sound experience.

Connectivity

Contemporary audio setups demand compatibility with modern devices. Beyond connecting to a TV, a soundbar should also feature connectivity options for smartphones, tablets, or laptops through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi connectivity offers compatibility with Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast systems, allowing users to stream music with higher quality than Bluetooth. The presence of Wi-Fi also makes it easier to set up a connected sound system by wirelessly linking other compatible speakers.

While soundbars indeed offer wireless capabilities, they often involve wired connections. Premium soundbars often use HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) or eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) technologies to transmit audio signals between the TV and soundbar. Think of ARC as a compressed audio pipeline, while eARC offers a wider, uncompressed lane for the highest quality sound. Streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV+, and Disney+ typically offer Dolby Atmos in a compressed format that ARC can handle. However, to experience the full, uncompressed glory of Dolby Atmos as found on 4K Blu-ray discs, you'll need an eARC connection.

Size

From a practical standpoint, a soundbar should fit its space, whether placed on a media stand or mounted on a wall. Picking one that's too big can overwhelm a setup, especially in a smaller room. From an audio perspective, the size of a soundbar can impact the overall sound quality. Larger soundbars generally pack more of a punch, offering a more immersive experience. Finding the Goldilocks zone for a specific setup is vital.

That said, there is no “perfect” size because there are so many variables in every setup. But it’s important to be mindful of both the size of the soundbar and how it might fit in a space. Before choosing, take stock of things like the size of the room, the size of the TV, and the size of the media stand. These factors can help determine what will fit into a particular setup.

Additional Features

Virtual assistants have become an integral part of modern-day life, so it’s no surprise that many soundbars offer support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri. These make it possible to play content and control compatible smart home products with voice commands. Support for these assistants isn’t a make-or-break feature, but the hands-free functionality adds convenience and contributes to a more accessible and user-friendly experience.

How We Selected

To curate this list, we extensively researched products from industry-leading brands, ensuring they met our rigorous criteria outlined above. Our methodology involved examining each of the Dolby Atmos soundbar's hardware, scrutinizing reviews from industry experts, and analyzing consumer feedback to pinpoint today's finest models. We also leveraged existing Best Products coverage, which encompasses prior testing of soundbars varying in price and quality.

As passionate gamers and movie enthusiasts, we recognize the significance of an immersive audio experience. Beyond the features listed above, we also factored in other intangibles, such as its design, ease of setup, and compatibility with a mobile app. We also factored in the price, ensuring our recommendations cater to a diverse range of budgets.

M-Series Elevate Soundbar

The Vizio M-Series Elevate is our top overall pick, offering a balance of hardware, design, and features. It will rumble during action sequences and deliver crisp dialogue in quieter moments, ensuring a dynamic and immersive audio experience. Plus, it can seamlessly fit into small and large rooms, with a sleek charcoal fabric exterior that blends into any interior space. (As much as any soundbar can.)

The 5.1.2 channel system includes two height channels, a subwoofer, and two satellite speakers, offering a complete surround sound experience. The two-height channels can automatically rotate up or down for optimal sound. Meanwhile, the subwoofer connects to the soundbar wirelessly, giving you the freedom to place it anywhere in your space.

One satisfied user says, "The bass can be literally floor-shaking and can be felt in the chest. I tried the Music EQ setting via Bluetooth from my phone, using music I know well. It was impressive and accurate — no distortion or muddiness. The surround feature put me in the stadium for the World Cup final. Outstanding system."

The Vizio M-Series Elevate supports Bluetooth and has one HDMI eARC and an extra HDMI input for connecting a Blu-ray player or gaming console. That being said, it doesn't offer Wi-Fi capabilities, meaning there's no built-in support for Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, or Amazon Alexa.

All-in-One HW-S60B Soundbar

Soundbars with Dolby Atmos generally come at a cost, but the Samsung HW-S60B is an affordable way to experience the more immersive audio technology. The soundbar is a 5.0 channel system that features seven speakers (four woofers and three tweeters), providing a powerful all-in-one experience. One of the speakers is dedicated solely to dialogue, ensuring every piece of dialogue is crisp and clear during the most dramatic moments.

The nice thing about Samsung's system is it can connect wirelessly to select Samsung TVs, making the setup process incredibly easy. Alternatively, the soundbar has an HDMI ARC port for a hardwired connection. Additionally, it offers built-in Alexa and can connect to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac via AirPlay 2. It also supports DTS Virtual:X, an audio technology that simulates surround sound, creating a comprehensive audio experience that's affordable and easy to use. At under $300, it's the perfect price point for a birthday or anniversary gift for someone you love.

One reviewer says, "I purchased the Samsung HW-S60B for an all-in-one with the option to add rear surrounds and a subwoofer in the future. The soundstage is extremely wide because the side speakers project its sound, which bounces off the walls. The 5.0 setup does a great job at separating the sound into five distinct channels."

HT-A7000 Soundbar

The Sony HT-A7000 is a robust soundbar with a 7.1.2 system that packs two up-firing speakers, two beam tweeters, five front-facing drivers, and a built-in subwoofer—all in a single chassis. As such, Sony's soundbar is on the larger end; it's 51.25-inches wide, 5.6- inches deep, and 3.25-inches tall. That makes it suitable for larger spaces, such as living rooms and main bedrooms.

The benefit of a larger soundbar (outside of fuller sound) is the transparent number of ports. In addition to support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the Sony HT-A7000 features two HDMI input ports and one HDMI output port. Two of the HDMI ports are capable of handling 4K at 120Hz, making the soundbar compatible with the latest gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony.

Like the Sony HT-A5000 that our editors love, the Sony HT-A7000 is compatible with several audio formats, including audiophile-grade Hi-Res Audio and 360 Reality Audio. The latter format uses object-based spatial audio technology that simulates what it's like being as a live concert. For an even more immersive audio experience, the HT-A7000 can connect to optional subwoofers and surround speakers.

MagniFi Mini AX Soundbar

As the "mini" in the name suggests, the Polk MagniFi Mini AX is an excellent option for small spaces. It measures less than 15 inches wide, making it possible to fit on a side table. Despite its small size, the soundbar offers robust and detailed sound.

According to Stefan Vazharov, senior technology editor at Best Products, the MagniFi Mini AX will "instantly transform your space into a private movie theater with multidimensional sound and rumbling bass via its down-firing wireless subwoofer."

The MagniFi Mini AX has five drivers and features four preset sound modes: Music, Movie, 3D, and Night. These presets help emphasize the details of different media. For example, the Movie preset produces crisp dialogue and clear sound effects. In addition, the MagniFi Mini AX includes essential connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2, and Google Chromecast. Know someone just moving into their first space? A small setup like this may be just about perfect.

The biggest downside of the MagniFi Mini AX is it has a single HDMI eARC port, with no additional ports for connecting source devices like a Blu-ray player or gaming console.

Smart Ultra Soundbar

What does it mean when a soundbar is smart? For the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, it means the addition of an AI Dialogue Mode that can sense when dialogue is occurring and automatically balance the sound to improve the clarity. The feature ensures viewers aren't left wondering what a character just said. And with Bose's "TrueSpace" technology, things like instruments, dialogue, and effects are intelligently separated and placed in different parts of a room for an immersive spatial audio experience.

On top of that, the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar sports a premium design thanks to a metal grille and an acrylic panel covering the top. Inside the soundbar is a 5.1.2 channel system with nine drivers, including two up-firing drivers for height. The brand's soundbar also has Alexa built in, with further support for AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect.

One happy customer writes, "I was constantly raising and lowering the volume on the television, unable to hear much of the conversation while hearing plenty of the background. [The Bose Ultra Soundbar] has solved all of the issues. I can now clearly hear the conversations at a reduced volume and am extremely pleased with the soundbar!"

Arc Soundbar

The Sonos Arc is an excellent soundbar in its own right, but what elevates it is its ability to seamlessly connect to other Sonos gear. With support for Wi-Fi, users can link several Sonos products together, making it easy to create a surround sound experience or multi-room audio system.

On top of that, the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar sports a premium design thanks to a metal grille and an acrylic panel covering the top. Inside the soundbar is a 5.1.2 channel system with nine drivers, including two up-firing drivers for height. The brand's soundbar also has Alexa built in, with further support for AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect.

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