The Sennheiser Ambeo soundbar is equipped with 13 drivers in a 5.1.4-channel setup inside an all-in-one design. It supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

Sennheiser Ambeo soundbar
A prototype was showcased at CES earlier this year. The soundbar will not be available until 2019 but at IFA 2018 the company is ready to demonstrate it to the public.

Sennheiser’s soundbar has been dubbed Ambeo and the company has set out to create an audio solution that can deliver impactful object-based audio in the living room without the user having to reshuffle furniture. It is an all-in one soundbar design.



- ”The latest product developed under Sennheiser’s AMBEO trademark for 3D immersive audio, the soundbar offers a remarkably spatial sonic experience with immersive 5.1.4 sound and deep bass that has to be heard to be believed. All this is delivered by a single all-in-one device and without the need for an additional subwoofer," the company said.

Sennheiser uses many superlatives in describing the soundbar's performance, saying that it delivers ”a thrillingly immersive 3D sound experience” and that it sets ”a new reference in HiFi sound quality”. It uses 13 drivers to power the many channels. It also uses virtualization to fill the room with audio, including overhead audio. A built-in microphone is used to calibrate and tune the soundbar to the environment.


Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
The soundbar, developed in partnership with Fraunhofer, support both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It also supports MPEG-H. The company explains that it has ’Upmix Technology’ to upconvert stereo and 5.1 surround.

The company has created a short movie dubbed ’Final Stop’ to demonstrate what object-based sound is capable of. It has been directed by horror director Roxanne Benjamin and was recorded using Sennheiser’s Ambeo Smart headset.



The soundbar is just the latest to emerge with Dolby Atmos. Besides Sennheiser, major players such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Philips, Yamaha and others have launched soundbars with support for object-based audio. Most of the these are premium-priced but the new audio technology has the potential to improve the listening experience across the board. Many new movies and TV series are being released in Dolby Atmos.

While several competitors have opted to include or offer optional rear speakers, and oftentimes a subwoofer, Sennheiser claims to deliver similar performance from an integrated design. So, can they? We will stop by Sennheiser at IFA 2018 in Berlin to find out.

Sennheiser has not yet revealed full specifications. The Ambeo soundbar will be available in 2019. Pricing was not announced.

Sennheiser Ambeo soundbar – highlighted features
 
 Immersive 5.1.4 sound in an all-in-one device
Advanced room calibration that precisely tailors sound to your room
Upmix technology that recreates all content into 3D sound
State-of-the-art bass response of 30Hz without the need of an external subwoofer
Built in Google Chromecast and Bluetooth
Compatibility with Dolby Atmos, MPEG-H and DTS:X