The 6 Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars - Fall 2020
Reviews

The best Dolby Atmos soundbar that we've tested is the Samsung HW-Q90R. This well-built 7.1.4 setup comes with a soundbar, a subwoofer, and two satellite speakers. The up-firing speakers on the bar and the rear speakers help make it sound like your favorite movies are happening all around you. Overall, it provides amazing performance.

With a good, neutral sound profile, it does well with most audio content, including music, movies, and TV shows. Its extended bass can reproduce the thump and rumble found in movie scores and action-packed scenes. At loud volumes, it reproduces sound clearly and with little compression, which is excellent. There are even some options for customizing the bar's sound profile based on your preferences, including an available EQ.

Unfortunately, it lacks some sound enhancement features such as room correction and night mode. It also underperforms compared to dedicated down-firing speakers from home theater setups, although it still does a decent job creating a sense of height with Dolby Atmos content. However, this is still one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars available.

The best Atmos soundbar with a 5.1 setup that we've tested is the JBL Bar 9.1. This sleek, premium-looking option comes with a dedicated subwoofer and two truly wireless satellite speakers that you can position anywhere in your room to create the most immersive listening experience possible. It can get loud without a lot of compression artifacts, which is great.

Overall, it has a very neutral, well-balanced sound profile that's suitable for lots of audio content. The bass is present and thumpy, so you really feel explosions and other action-packed scenes in your favorite Dolby Atmos content. It even comes with a room correction feature, which analyses the unique qualities of your room to create the best possible sound quality.

Unfortunately, it only comes with a few EQ presets, which may be disappointing if you really like to customize the sound profile. It also lacks a dialogue enhancement feature to make voices sound more crisp and clear in your favorite movies. That said, overall, this 5.1.4 setup has an impressive performance that's ideal for watching Dolby Atmos content.

The best standalone Dolby Atmos soundbar we've tested is the Sennheiser AMBEO. Its unique 13-speaker integrated design creates an immersive experience with only a standalone bar. It's an eye-catcher with such a massive design and high-end look.

While not as great as dedicated down-firing speakers, it still produces good surround sound thanks to its unique 3D audio mode. Its room correction feature helps adapt audio to your room using an external microphone that can enhance your listening experience. It has an impressive amount of connectivity options, including Bluetooth and Chromecast built-in. It also has a standby mode triggered by 20 minutes of inactivity. If you need to clean them, you can remove the fabric covering the speakers.

Unfortunately, it's large, and finding the right position for it is quite difficult. If you don't have AMBEO mode activated, the sound signature also lacks bass and instead leans more bright. On the upside, if you don't like this sound profile, you can customize the EQ with the companion app. If you're looking for a standalone option that can do it all without a dedicated subwoofer, this one is a good choice.