The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus is a standalone soundbar released in 2022. It's a smaller and more affordable version of the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar MAX, offering a cinematic sound in a standalone soundbar setup. Like the MAX, the bar supports many different audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, though it adds built-in voice assistant support for those who want to control the bar with their voice. With the AMBEO 3D feature, you can upmix stereo content to virtual surround using one of the bar's three presets: Light, Standard, and Boost.
Note: The manufacturer advertises this bar as a 7.1.4 setup. However, after testing the bar, we have determined that it is physically more in line with a 5.1.2 soundbar. It has surround channels on each side, along with left and right stereo channels and a center channel. There are also two up-firing drivers and the integrated dual subwoofers. Our impressions appear to be confirmed by an exploded view of the bar's setup found on the manufacturer's website. The bar is marketed to use its room correction technology to position seven "virtual" speakers around you and four overhead, which is likely why it's advertised in this way.
Our Verdict
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus is good for mixed usage. This premium setup has a solid build and supports lots of different audio formats that you're likely to come across on different streaming platforms and Blu-rays. With its AMBEO 3D mode, you get an expansive surround sound, and it does a decent job with Atmos content for a standalone bar. Without a dedicated sub, it lacks thump and rumble in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies.
- Room correction feature.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Dolby Atmos support.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus is great for dialogue-centric content like TV shows and podcasts. Its discrete center channel improves overall vocal reproduction, so dialogue sounds clear and present in the mix. There's a dialogue enhancement tool on hand, too, if you want to make voices more crisp. Plus, podcasts and audiobooks are easy to stream right to the bar over a wireless connection.
- Room correction feature.
- Dialogue enhancement tool.
- High latency via HDMI.
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus is decent for music. It comes with a room correction feature that automatically adjusts the bar's sound based on the unique acoustics of your room. However, since it lacks a dedicated subwoofer, it can't reproduce the deep rumble in the low-bass that's commonly found in bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop. Overall, its sound profile is fairly neutral, with a touch of extra brightness due to the lack of bass. You can adjust its output if you wish, using the graphic EQ and presets available in its companion app.
- Room correction feature.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus is good for movies. It supports 5.1 surround sound formats like Dolby Digital as well as lossless and object-based formats like Dolby Atmos, which you're likely to find on lots of different streaming services. Its virtual surround mode, called AMBEO 3D, brings an additional richness to audio. It offers a pretty immersive listening experience for a standalone bar; however, it lacks rumble in the low-bass and can't replicate height with the same accuracy as other setups.
- Room correction feature.
- Dolby Atmos support.
- Lacks low-bass.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 21, 2024: This review has been updated to mention the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 in Video Passthrough to TV.
- Updated May 21, 2024: Per TBU 1.3 methodology, we updated the text in the Stereo Sound boxes after retesting with the manufacturer's recommended settings. Also added text to Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical boxes. Some updates to the usages as well, in line with these changes.
- Updated May 16, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench Update 1.3. If applicable, we've retested stereo sound based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Additionally, we've expanded our audio latency tests to the following boxes: Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Dec 12, 2023: Added market comparison with the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini in the Dimensions - Bar box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus is available in Black. You can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update the review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus is a standalone bar that's smaller than the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar MAX. It supports many different audio formats and offers a lot of the same customization tools as the MAX, with added support for voice assistants built into the bar itself. That said, it doesn't bring the same punch with immersive audio formats, especially Atmos content, and you don't get the same feeling of height.
You can also check out our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best standalone soundbars, and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
The Sonos Arc and the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus are both very premium standalone soundbars with Dolby Atmos support. The Sonos has a wider, more immersive soundstage, which is especially noticeable with Atmos content. However, it doesn't come with HDMI In ports like the Sennheiser, and it doesn't support as many wireless playback options like Bluetooth.
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar MAX is better than the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus. The MAX is a bigger setup with a lot more rumble in the bass, which is great for action-packed movies and bass-heavy music genres. Both bars support many audio formats and offer similar sound enhancement features, but the MAX's large design brings a more cinematic sound, especially with Atmos content. However, it doesn't have built-in voice assistant support like the Plus.
The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 is a slightly better all-in-one 5.1.2 soundbar than the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus. While both bars have built-in subs and let you add a wired outboard sub too, the Klipsch has a more powerful bassy punch. Even though these soundbars support similar audio format selections and have HDMI In ports, the Klipsch possesses a more up-to-date 2.1 class-compliant spec, which is great for sports and gaming. It also has a more even Atmos and surround sound tuning. Still, the Sennheiser is more compact, boasts an extra HDMI In port, and despite its smaller size, has a neutral tuning, a similar soundstage width, a slightly louder max volume, and a bit less compression at max.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 and the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus are premium Dolby Atmos soundbars. The Bose's sound quality is superior, as it has a better soundstage that creates a more immersive listening experience. It's especially noticeable with Atmos content. However, it can't do video passthrough like the Sennheiser since it lacks an HDMI In port.
Test Results
