This was the most comprehensive review of the plus I've seen. Excellently done. The main sticking points of these all in one solutions is the configuration of the room it is to be placed in and the lack of rear speakers. If the room isn't perfect you will be missing a lot of what the bar can produce which is the case with any soundbar anyway but at least with rear speakers some of the pain can be eased. The concensus is that all in one solutions are not that great. Even the Ambeo Max has its limitations I have learned from watching videos pertaining to it.
Love your humour and style of presenting! Great review 🙂 Some interesting features - unusual to see such comprehensive display customisation (I personally quite like having the displays on top - less visual distraction, and how often do you need to see/check them, really) and variety of I/O on a soundbar.
Thanks, with the display I think if you think it’s worth putting on than it’s worth making it visible. It actually is low key visible if you’re sitting high enough as the top is slanted down. It just seems like you’re making a weird compromise putting something meant to be seen where you can’t readily see it. You have options for not seeing it because you can turn it off but no good options for clearly seeing it if you like the constant feedback. Perhaps top five first world problem.
Thanks for this very detailed review! I wanted to try the Ambeo Plus and see if it was better than my Bose 900, sub 700, surrounds 700. I only had the Ambeo Plus for one day and I love it! Dialogue is good on the Ambeo, and you can fine tune it, but the Bose edges out on voice. Dolby Atmos on the Ambeo is amazing! Even without surrounds it feels very immersive! I’m using my REL T5X sub wired to the sound bar and it pairs brilliantly! I have a lot more testing to do, but so far I’m extremely pleased!
@@ednewmyI love the Ambeo Plus and I’m definitely keeping it. It’s very detailed and sounds fuller than the Bose. It helps pairing my REL T5X sub with it…but is still great without it. I can’t say anything bad about the Bose 900 setup…it was really good. I just enjoy the Ambeo performance even better! I use Apple TV hooked up to my LG G3 OLED and HDMI eARC to the Ambeo. It works great…the only issue when playing my Apple Music from the Apple TV and then going back to an app like Netflix on the bar. It won’t light up on the bar as Dolby Atmos when the content is Dolby Atmos. I unplug and replug the soundbar and it lights up again. It’s a small issue that doesn’t bother me for the return I get in sound quality!
@@luvtechLynn Ah that's fantastic to hear, thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds a bit annoying with the glitch but hopefully it can be fixed in a firmware update. Also maybe not so much of a issue if it doesn't impact performance. I will hunt around to see if I can find the bar at a good price!
@@ednewmy The glitch does not make it sound any different. I’m just particular and want the light to be on. On my G3 OLED It does come up on screen that it’s still Dolby Atmos to the soundbar. So far, out of all the soundbars I’ve had over the years this is by far the best. It’s not that the other bars weren’t great. This one is more audiophile reference sounding. I have heard the Ambeo Max and it definitely is better but it’s also at least twice the size and not aesthetically pleasing to me. It would not fit in my space anyway. Hope this helps you!
@@luvtechLynn Thanks, that's good to hear. Generally from what I've read across reviews and user experiences online this seems to be the bar that does the best job of movies AND music. Many bars seem to excel at movies but just cannot do music. I am looking to downsize from a hifi system so want something that can do both, as well as having a decent selection of inputs for my TV, turntable etc....Again something that the Sennheiser has over a lot of other bars.
Thanks NET. You are hilarious! After watching this video, I ordered it from Amazon, on sale. My wife will find out later, after it arrives (pray for me). I like the option for 4 (four) wireless subs! What actually sold me on this soundbar, over the Sonos or Bose, is the ability to add your own 3rd party subwoofer (you can never have too much undistorted clean bass). Thanks again for you hilarious review. Don't drop your son in the snow anymore.
Stick it in Adaptive mode with boost turned on, then boost the center channel by +4db. Don't use voice enhancement as it seems to boost everything and makes it worse. Agree with the 4 subs but believe their end game will be bar + 2 subs + 2 rears. Max doesn't have the ability to use wireless module hence why the sub isn't compatible wirelessly, so could be likely if rears come, they will only be supported on the plus. Agree on the sound from behind but I don't seem to have any issues with sound from the side. Test the original blade runner scene just after the market when the ships take off, that clearly comes from the sides like it should, then the obvious 'ready player one' race scene, this produces sound everywhere. It deffo does need the right shape room but works amazingly well in the right room. Obviously it doesn't have that Samsung Q990B full bubble but I found the actual quality of sound better on the Sennheiser plus which makes it more cinematic for me.
@@neverenoughtech Yeah, could be a hardware limitation though and not possible. Heard rumours floating around that if rears come you wouldn't be able to use 4 subs and 2 rears, so max configuration would be 2 subs + 2 rears... Although, I honestly can't see anyone pairing the bar with 4 subs 😅
Turn this on, turn that off, up that by +17, put it in this room only, spin around 3x before each movie - this defeats the purpose of a soundbar. Moreover, no amount of trickery will defy physics.
For large rooms the 4 subs actually makes a lot of sense because you need the added wattage and can have very even bass throughout the space which is typically very very spotty with a single sub.
Oddly Sennheiser recently replied to some queries and told us that when Ambeo mode is off, you hear a downmixed version of the audio (unless it is stereo). Worth noting as many reviewers, state they preferred the sound. Which means they preferred 5.1/7.1/Atmos etc downmixed to two channel stereo. If you sit in front of the bar and turn the Ambeo mode on and off you will notice it as the center channel shuts off entirely. It was reported by several of us because we presumed it was an error.
ad lacking surround sound effects: had the same impression until I activated the Dolby Virtualizer in the app. The difference is amazing! You will see the box in a whole new light..
I am a fan of sennheiser but indeed the absence of surround speakers is a letdown. But i think they will produce them in the future so they can compete with other brands.
Go try it . I just got back from the store . And changer my bose 900 .. and the surround sound effect are really impressive . Really feels like you have rear speaker and ceilling speaker Ambeo mode is insane .
A little distinction there - it's inaccurate to call all 9 drivers "woofers". Woofers are bass drivers which the two 4" ones are, but the remaining 7 are full-range drivers producing upper bass frequencies, mids & highs.
Right now the price is $995.95 for the soundbar and $499.95 for the subwoofer. I purchased and will see how it compares to others i have tried which is many. I do like the fact it does all DTS codecs and Dolby and has 3 HDMI connections. Plus sub out if i use a powered subwoofer. I agree, rear speakers would be great. Hope they come out with them?
@@skydancerforever ok the new Bose Ultra is basically the 900 with speech dialog. I should go with Ambeo plus and SVC subwoofer. Don’t need rear speakers in my townhouse.
Sound bars are excellent for easy setup over TV sound. I have heard many and this one and they all sound thin. While my ZVOX 580 does not do surround and such, it sounds much fuller than the Sony, Samsungs, and LG I have heard. PLUS the ZVOX has subout so I can connect my Martin Logan Depth-i Sub which outputs to other smaller subs placed around my family room. These brands will not use sub out because they want to lock you into their subs, the ONLY sound bar I would consider is the AMBIO series dues to having sub out.
Thank you for your reviews! I watched all your soundbar reviews now and it helped me to narrow my candidates. I'm looking for a soundbar+sub (no rears) and will use it mostly for movies and some (android) casting music. I'm now torn between the Sennheiser ambeo plus + sub or the Sonos arc + sub gen3. Is there a clear winner for you when it comes to sound quality and will this be different if you had to choose an overall winner? Thanks!
They are both good options … there is good reason to believe that Sonos will up their soundbar offering next year so if you get the Arc it might quickly become not the best thing. If you going sennheiser and want to expand to surrounds the future is unclear - with Sonos you kind of know what the options look like. Bottom line both are good choices but be aware other components will likely reveal themselves next year that may or may not lead to regret. If you know you don’t want surrounds and just want one bar and sub and that’s it - I’d say sennheiser is the superior offering
HTA9 which is not a soundbar but in the same market. Probably the Nakamichi 9.2 with two sets of surrounds but I think that sounds pretty thin. Overall best cinema soundbar sound experience is q990B - but a lot of people seem to have rear dropout issues. The safest is Sonos - I want to say it’s the most carefully crafted / most reliable bar and has a really nice spatial upgrade rear option coming with the Era 300s
@@neverenoughtech thank you so much for your reply. I will get the q990b only because my wife may be tempted to beat me savagely if I mention the others prices. Greetings from Scotland!
@@neverenoughtech "The safest is Sonos - I want to say it’s the most carefully crafted / most reliable bar and has a really nice spatial upgrade rear option coming with the Era 300s"
Hi Daniel, good review. What would be the best single atmos sound bar in your opinion? looking for good spacial sound and maybe a sub at a later stage. (I'm finally done with the 5.1 /7.1 setups which I rarely used) I love the sub out option on the Ambeo, Thx (thinking of Arc/Bose 900/HT-A7000/Ambeo Plus/ B&W Panorama 3)
Hey pal. Very nice and thorough video! 📹 ignore the haters and keep up the good job! Hope you can help, I am looking for a soundbar for my LG G3 TV. I have in mind the following: 1. Sonos Arc + Sub Gen 3 + 2 x Era 300 2. BOSE 900 + Sub 700 + 2 x 700 rears 3. Sennheiser Ambeo Plus + Sub 4. Samsung Q990C 5. JBL 1300X Which one you think its the best, Im not bothered about the price but also even if I seen and love Nakamichi Dragon thats a bit too much for my room. Thanks, Max
@neverenoughtech Thanks for the quick reply. Is there any specific reason you chose the Q990C? Have you had the chance to test it yet? I know the predecessor Q990B had many issues with the rears connectivity. Can we even compare the sound fidelity between Samsung and Sennheiser/Bose? 😊 Thanks in advance.
You have to wire the sub to the max. The plus is more updated in a number of ways. I kind of sense that the max is due for an internals update such that buying it at this point os a little shady. But sure if you’re kind of serious about the expensive all in one soundbar go with the max (eventually)
I'm hesitating between bluesound sound bar plus and Sennheiser. Blusound doesn't decode dts. Have you tested the Bluesound?Blue sound is more hifi than cinema and you can add surround speakers. Thanks for your opinion.
Really nice review, +1 sub ;) Love your little humour touch. I tought you had 100k subs, I wish you sucess. Every review I saw on this product are from tech sellers wich claims that's the best product ever made (like every products lol) . I was hoping for a real review like yours :)
Love the Channel! How would the inclusion of the rumoured surrounds play a part in your opinion of the bar? Between the email questionnaires and their marketing videos, there is a path that takes us there, so I'm interested in your thoughts. I'm looking to finally move up to an Atmos soundbar setup for its clean, less cluttered look, but I also want to ensure I choose the correct ecosystem. Already having a full Klipsch setup with a receiver in my theatre room along with an extra sub to hook up to this bar (a nice perk of not being anchored to a branded sub), I want something that can get most of the way there but without the cable hassle, being in my living room. Also, looking at the HT-A7000 as your review was promising, and the surrounds already exist but to get off the ground, I would need to buy a sub with it, putting the starting price to well over the Ambeo Plus. Edit: I should note that as of this video it is on sale in Canada for what equates with exchange to roughly $1,270.95 USD as opposed to is current MSRP of $1,499.95. Keep up the great work!
I think both bars would be compelling with surrounds. Whether it’s compelling enough for the price would be a different story. Like I kind of think don’t put yourself in financial straights for the Sennheiser setup … you can probably get similarly compelling sound for $1000 less … or something like that
@@neverenoughtech That's a fair assessment seeing as how both bars are in the $1,399.99-1,499.99 category. Out of the box with no additional components added, which would you lean towards when compiling a system that could be amalgamated over time? Sonos Arc is the easy value proposition when comparing these two, but given a choice between the two, what direction would you lean as a starting point? Thanks for the insight, and keep up the fantastic work!
Especially knowing that sonos is probably coming with their "Era" speakers line up with atmos surrounds. I think that's a better price setup then just one soundbar.
@@soludsnake hopefully in the near future but it took a very long time before they just got regular DTS. I believe it was in 2021. I think that's a big problem with Sonos anyways , they rely too long on several products withouth really innovating. For instance they have the Sonos sub for many many years now and it had some hardware changes but it is basically still the same looking Sub.
Amazing video! I need your help I have ran through the Vizio m and p elevates Bose 900 and now the Klipsch flexus 200 which so far is the best but……I am still missing that richness and weight to all the sound. The Bose and the flexus 200 both did a good job of filling in my larger room but there’s still a depth and fullness missing I can’t quite figure out why. With the center channel on the klipsch being the only one with a tweeter it also makes the center to bright and in your face it highly overpowers the left and right channels which don’t have tweeters even with lowering the treble in the app. I am trying to find a rich full deep overall sound from a bar that’s also CLEAN clarity is my top preference. Is there any soundbar you can recommend that can achieve this for me anything at all is very much appreciated you have so much experience I’m hoping you have some ideas. All of them especially the Vizio just have this thin tinny sound to the vocals especially. My older Vizio 5.1 setups in my other rooms have so much weight behind the sounds coming out of it that it makes it sound and feel three times the size it is and I’m having such a hard time finding something to achieve this.
I want to say maybe checkout the Polk Max AX SR. You might also go for the Arc. These two may be among the best options for clarity, richness, but perhaps not too much of the prickly trebly stuff. Didn’t know the Flexus was available to order. Appreciate the heads up.
Thanks so much yeah it’s pretty cool if you liked the cinema 600 I’m guessing this will really impress you just my personal taste I need more depth in my vocals the Flexus built in subwoofers are crossed over way to low for my taste leaving this emptiness in dialogue. But again thanks so much for the recs. Your videos are the best please keep them coming!!
Another detailed review 🤩 Just on time when I eliminated all the hot-shot sandbars and was about to pull the trigger for Bose 900 (Bar + Sub), this one came 🫠😐🫤 Would you recommend it as overall better option as compared to Bose 900, or not, 🤔 Or should I go n look for a used Ambeo MAX (the big n ugly one) ?
What do you recomend this jbl 1300x Or the samsung q990c ? Because i want to buy one this week , . I like to play video games , view horror movies and play music sometimes at loud volume
Hello! Huge fan! Would you say that the 990B is much better than the 950A? Is it worth the upgrade? It seems that 990C is also an 11.1.4 soundbar and I am not going to upgrade my qled tv .. so no q-symphony 3.0 in the equation. The question is: upgrade to 990B or.. wait for 990D. Thanks!
Thanks for the review. Some reviewers are pointing out the how good a pair of Apple Home Pods work as a home theater set up. Unfortunately it work’s only through Apple TV. Looking forward to some body coming up with the same software wizardly - supposedly convincing surround sound - that connects to the TV with a HDMI connection. What would be better? Beam with a mini sub or a stand alone arc Thanks
If you are going to stop at either of those points I would say beam and sub mini … however as its somewhat close the the arc can potentially expand into something far better than either of those options … I would go with Arc if you are willing to expand later
Any news on rear speakers coming out for the Plus? I'm torn between this with the sub vs the Sony HT-A7000 with RS5s (because the batteries mean I can hide them and not upset the other half).
Sonos needs to release a bigger/upgraded arc or sennheiser needs to release some atmos surrounds. I’m in so deep into the Sonos ecosystem that switching will need to be worth my money, time and it needs to wow me.
I’ll just say Ambeo - I was kind of tough on it but it’s level of sophistication is maybe unmatched as a stand-alone. If they could get it some decent Ambeo level surrounds and you have a somewhat complimentary room -- it would be a tough one to beat from a refinement/technical perspective. Super expensive unfortunately
I agree. I got my plus yesterday. It is truly great experience. I got sub too but it didn’t make any difference to my taste. I will return. But my opinion is, plus alone is better than Bose 900 and bass 700 together. The only case Bose leads very slightly is voice clarity. Plus voice clarity is still exceptional for me. Everything else by plus with big margin especially in terms of room filling with sound. I will try 3ed party sub to see bass improvements.
@@spattipa I thing I will pull the trigger this weekend since Ambeo Plus only $999 now. Was debating this or new Bose Smart Ultra soundbar. My new 4k tv coming next week.
Sennheiser is very good and sounds best in large spaces. I would take the whole Q990B system over sennheiser - I’ll have a 1300x review up in 5 days or so
I liked the Ambeo Sub - a safe choice - integration benefits. Though I think you seem like the kind of dude that would want some fine grain control over the sub so I’d recommend the 1000 - which could be used elsewhere later. I only have experience with the SVS Sub Mini - but I’ll extrapolate and say the 1000 is good too
At 15:53 you show a picture of Sennheiser surround speakers but I cannot find them on their website or the internet. Do they really exist and if so where does one find our more about them?
I'd say the sennheiser has a cleaner sound but from a richness and immersion perspective its not much of a comparison ... the B just has so much more to work with
@@neverenoughtech so you are saying the detail in sound is better on the 990b? I mean I know the Sennheiser sub must blow the 990b bass modular out of the water. I mean like hearing the little details in a movie that most soundbars might miss..
Hi sir. I try connecting it to my wifi and it keeps saying connecting. It doesn’t work no matter what I do. Do you think the soundbar need an update? I am not sure how to do it. Thanks.
Could you try connecting it in a friends house. Might clarify if it’s the bar or your particular network. If it’s your network you might need to call your ISP for advice on any particular firewall. If it’s the bar you will want to talk with Sennheiser on whether a return or exchange is warranted. And yes all this is extremely annoying … I would know having dedicated far too much time to setting up soundbars
@@neverenoughtech I found the setup button and it says WPS searching when I push it. The app seems to have trouble linking the soundbar to my internet when it finds my username. I wonder if I enter it manually and select WPS if they will work. I will try a few things first.
that's a complicated question that I haven't fully thought about. Offering surrounds is a big deal but if just bar on bar, I think there is an element of taste ... that is I think there is an argument for each bar to claim best on technical merits ... which is really bad for the plus because its like twice as expensive as the others
There is one sub out on the max - I suppose you could get multiple wired connections if your powered sub has a pre-out. I’m sure there are ways to do it but it might be somewhat of a hack
I f'n love your channel and the humor lol. Okay quick pick from you. Sennheiser Plus or Sonos Beam 2 for just Soundbar in my apartment? I respect your choice from your knowledge.
I’m probably moving on to the C when it comes out. I think the more obvious comparisons would be with other bar woofer pairs like the Arc. If the plus starts supporting surrounds that would be an interesting comparison probably
I can’t confirm as I don’t have on hand but I would say yes. An optical port takes an optical signal. The plus optical port worked with a music streamer suggesting that these bars’ optical ports work with more than just TVs
@Gordon, yes you can ! I used my pc for all HT, I can go out all sound with the ifi zendac (soundcard external amplifier) in RCA, Optical on xeo 10 or on my soundbar Denon DHT-S217 (optical or hdmi directely with my PC)
I don't want anything that I have to dick with. No adjusting eq no streaming no music crap. Turn it on and never touch it again or TV speakers are good enough. And no extra speakers or sub
yes but not necessary, i see on the web that in app audio setup menu and subwoofer part, if you active the phasing on 180°, you boost all frequencies from 20hz to 50hz to 40dB (from 35dB to 75dB) it's amazing thing ! even 990b can't make this !
@@neverenoughtech True. Although I love Sennheiser (I even have the Ambeo Smart Headset, which is awesome!!), and also the immersive spacious sound of Atmos, the real problem (for me at least) is the lack of additional surround speakers. I have a budget soundbar from Philips, with eARC, HDMI pass through, Dolby Atmos and a wireless active subwoofer that puts out a decent amount of sound. But even when watching Atmos content, there’s no virtual speaker immersion to be heard. And that’s fine with me. It costed me only €300 ($300USD), so I didn’t expect much in the first place before buying this soundbar. If I want to immerse myself with 3D content, I’d rather buy a dedicated, quality brand multi channel receiver from the likes of NAD, and front, center, surround, rear surround, height speakers and probably two Klipsch active subs. No matter how good any soundbar is in sound and spaciousness, it simply can’t compete with a dedicated full surround setup like I mentioned above.
This was the most comprehensive review of the plus I've seen. Excellently done. The main sticking points of these all in one solutions is the configuration of the room it is to be placed in and the lack of rear speakers. If the room isn't perfect you will be missing a lot of what the bar can produce which is the case with any soundbar anyway but at least with rear speakers some of the pain can be eased. The concensus is that all in one solutions are not that great. Even the Ambeo Max has its limitations I have learned from watching videos pertaining to it.
4 Subs to evaluate the structural integrity of your neighbors walls
😂
Love your humour and style of presenting! Great review 🙂 Some interesting features - unusual to see such comprehensive display customisation (I personally quite like having the displays on top - less visual distraction, and how often do you need to see/check them, really) and variety of I/O on a soundbar.
Thanks, with the display I think if you think it’s worth putting on than it’s worth making it visible. It actually is low key visible if you’re sitting high enough as the top is slanted down. It just seems like you’re making a weird compromise putting something meant to be seen where you can’t readily see it. You have options for not seeing it because you can turn it off but no good options for clearly seeing it if you like the constant feedback. Perhaps top five first world problem.
Thanks for this very detailed review! I wanted to try the Ambeo Plus and see if it was better than my Bose 900, sub 700, surrounds 700. I only had the Ambeo Plus for one day and I love it! Dialogue is good on the Ambeo, and you can fine tune it, but the Bose edges out on voice. Dolby Atmos on the Ambeo is amazing! Even without surrounds it feels very immersive! I’m using my REL T5X sub wired to the sound bar and it pairs brilliantly! I have a lot more testing to do, but so far I’m extremely pleased!
Hi, just wondering how you're getting on with the Ambeo Plus a month or so later?
@@ednewmyI love the Ambeo Plus and I’m definitely keeping it. It’s very detailed and sounds fuller than the Bose. It helps pairing my REL T5X sub with it…but is still great without it. I can’t say anything bad about the Bose 900 setup…it was really good. I just enjoy the Ambeo performance even better! I use Apple TV hooked up to my LG G3 OLED and HDMI eARC to the Ambeo. It works great…the only issue when playing my Apple Music from the Apple TV and then going back to an app like Netflix on the bar. It won’t light up on the bar as Dolby Atmos when the content is Dolby Atmos. I unplug and replug the soundbar and it lights up again. It’s a small issue that doesn’t bother me for the return I get in sound quality!
@@luvtechLynn Ah that's fantastic to hear, thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds a bit annoying with the glitch but hopefully it can be fixed in a firmware update. Also maybe not so much of a issue if it doesn't impact performance. I will hunt around to see if I can find the bar at a good price!
@@ednewmy The glitch does not make it sound any different. I’m just particular and want the light to be on. On my G3 OLED It does come up on screen that it’s still Dolby Atmos to the soundbar. So far, out of all the soundbars I’ve had over the years this is by far the best. It’s not that the other bars weren’t great. This one is more audiophile reference sounding. I have heard the Ambeo Max and it definitely is better but it’s also at least twice the size and not aesthetically pleasing to me. It would not fit in my space anyway. Hope this helps you!
@@luvtechLynn Thanks, that's good to hear. Generally from what I've read across reviews and user experiences online this seems to be the bar that does the best job of movies AND music. Many bars seem to excel at movies but just cannot do music. I am looking to downsize from a hifi system so want something that can do both, as well as having a decent selection of inputs for my TV, turntable etc....Again something that the Sennheiser has over a lot of other bars.
Thanks NET.
You are hilarious! After watching this video, I ordered it from Amazon, on sale. My wife will find out later, after it arrives (pray for me). I like the option for 4 (four) wireless subs! What actually sold me on this soundbar, over the Sonos or Bose, is the ability to add your own 3rd party subwoofer (you can never have too much undistorted clean bass). Thanks again for you hilarious review. Don't drop your son in the snow anymore.
Glad you found it useful - I’ll pass on the kid throwing advice to the dad on the video 😀
Did you end up keeping the Ambeo? If so how are you getting on with it now?
Stick it in Adaptive mode with boost turned on, then boost the center channel by +4db. Don't use voice enhancement as it seems to boost everything and makes it worse.
Agree with the 4 subs but believe their end game will be bar + 2 subs + 2 rears. Max doesn't have the ability to use wireless module hence why the sub isn't compatible wirelessly, so could be likely if rears come, they will only be supported on the plus.
Agree on the sound from behind but I don't seem to have any issues with sound from the side. Test the original blade runner scene just after the market when the ships take off, that clearly comes from the sides like it should, then the obvious 'ready player one' race scene, this produces sound everywhere.
It deffo does need the right shape room but works amazingly well in the right room. Obviously it doesn't have that Samsung Q990B full bubble but I found the actual quality of sound better on the Sennheiser plus which makes it more cinematic for me.
The max would need an update. Good point.
@@neverenoughtech Yeah, could be a hardware limitation though and not possible. Heard rumours floating around that if rears come you wouldn't be able to use 4 subs and 2 rears, so max configuration would be 2 subs + 2 rears... Although, I honestly can't see anyone pairing the bar with 4 subs 😅
Turn this on, turn that off, up that by +17, put it in this room only, spin around 3x before each movie - this defeats the purpose of a soundbar. Moreover, no amount of trickery will defy physics.
@@mrsj1417 Tweaking settings defies the purpose. Erm ok 😅
For large rooms the 4 subs actually makes a lot of sense because you need the added wattage and can have very even bass throughout the space which is typically very very spotty with a single sub.
Oddly Sennheiser recently replied to some queries and told us that when Ambeo mode is off, you hear a downmixed version of the audio (unless it is stereo). Worth noting as many reviewers, state they preferred the sound. Which means they preferred 5.1/7.1/Atmos etc downmixed to two channel stereo. If you sit in front of the bar and turn the Ambeo mode on and off you will notice it as the center channel shuts off entirely. It was reported by several of us because we presumed it was an error.
Keep up the good work I've been a fan of your website since day one.
🫡
ad lacking surround sound effects: had the same impression until I activated the Dolby Virtualizer in the app. The difference is amazing! You will see the box in a whole new light..
I am a fan of sennheiser but indeed the absence of surround speakers is a letdown. But i think they will produce them in the future so they can compete with other brands.
Go try it . I just got back from the store . And changer my bose 900 .. and the surround sound effect are really impressive . Really feels like you have rear speaker and ceilling speaker
Ambeo mode is insane .
A little distinction there - it's inaccurate to call all 9 drivers "woofers". Woofers are bass drivers which the two 4" ones are, but the remaining 7 are full-range drivers producing upper bass frequencies, mids & highs.
Right now the price is $995.95 for the soundbar and $499.95 for the subwoofer. I purchased and will see how it compares to others i have tried which is many. I do like the fact it does all DTS codecs and Dolby and has 3 HDMI connections. Plus sub out if i use a powered subwoofer. I agree, rear speakers would be great. Hope they come out with them?
Yah 500 bucks off now😱 . This or Bose Smart Ultra soundbar 🤔?
@@MyJeffrey1970 I already tried the Bose 900 with 700 subwoofer. Was not impressed, especially at it's price.
@@skydancerforever ok the new Bose Ultra is basically the 900 with speech dialog.
I should go with Ambeo plus and SVC subwoofer.
Don’t need rear speakers in my townhouse.
I’d pick the Sennheiser - that bar is kind of special
How are you getting on with the Sennheiser a few months down the line? Are you liking it?
Sound bars are excellent for easy setup over TV sound. I have heard many and this one and they all sound thin. While my ZVOX 580 does not do surround and such, it sounds much fuller than the Sony, Samsungs, and LG I have heard. PLUS the ZVOX has subout so I can connect my Martin Logan Depth-i Sub which outputs to other smaller subs placed around my family room. These brands will not use sub out because they want to lock you into their subs, the ONLY sound bar I would consider is the AMBIO series dues to having sub out.
Excellent work as always! 👏💪
Thank you! Cheers!
As an owner of the max, it’s been a great solid soundbar since 2021 and sennheiser makes great products 🤷🏼♀️
Sony ht a7000 or Sennheiser ambeo plus which is best to buy in 2023 please reply because i have to make a quick decision
Neither - but Ambeo plus if you are not going to expand -- 7000 of you are going to expand
@@neverenoughtech going buy Sony A95L tv , what soundbar & Subwoofer would you pair it with? No back speakers
4 surrounds and 4 subwoofers would be a dragon slayers 😊
We are watching because you make fantastic videos
Appreciate that!
Sticking to my Q950T samsung buy whilst buyin my 2nd era 300 and waiting in anticipation for the next sonos bar in the future
Era 300 has a future … makes sense
Thank you for your reviews! I watched all your soundbar reviews now and it helped me to narrow my candidates. I'm looking for a soundbar+sub (no rears) and will use it mostly for movies and some (android) casting music. I'm now torn between the Sennheiser ambeo plus + sub or the Sonos arc + sub gen3.
Is there a clear winner for you when it comes to sound quality and will this be different if you had to choose an overall winner? Thanks!
They are both good options … there is good reason to believe that Sonos will up their soundbar offering next year so if you get the Arc it might quickly become not the best thing. If you going sennheiser and want to expand to surrounds the future is unclear - with Sonos you kind of know what the options look like. Bottom line both are good choices but be aware other components will likely reveal themselves next year that may or may not lead to regret. If you know you don’t want surrounds and just want one bar and sub and that’s it - I’d say sennheiser is the superior offering
Great presentation! Super helpful, pretty funny too.
Hi Daniel, another brilliant video, thank you.
Which soundbar would give me the most immersive experience in your very respected opinion?
HTA9 which is not a soundbar but in the same market. Probably the Nakamichi 9.2 with two sets of surrounds but I think that sounds pretty thin. Overall best cinema soundbar sound experience is q990B - but a lot of people seem to have rear dropout issues. The safest is Sonos - I want to say it’s the most carefully crafted / most reliable bar and has a really nice spatial upgrade rear option coming with the Era 300s
@@neverenoughtech thank you so much for your reply. I will get the q990b only because my wife may be tempted to beat me savagely if I mention the others prices.
Greetings from Scotland!
@@neverenoughtech "The safest is Sonos - I want to say it’s the most carefully crafted / most reliable bar and has a really nice spatial upgrade rear option coming with the Era 300s"
Hi Daniel, good review. What would be the best single atmos sound bar in your opinion? looking for good spacial sound and maybe a sub at a later stage. (I'm finally done with the 5.1 /7.1 setups which I rarely used) I love the sub out option on the Ambeo, Thx (thinking of Arc/Bose 900/HT-A7000/Ambeo Plus/ B&W Panorama 3)
I like the Ambeo plus for the single bar performance … /A7000 though not a huge fan overall of that bar … Arc … Smart Ultra …. Skip the panorama
Hey pal. Very nice and thorough video! 📹 ignore the haters and keep up the good job!
Hope you can help, I am looking for a soundbar for my LG G3 TV.
I have in mind the following:
1. Sonos Arc + Sub Gen 3 + 2 x Era 300
2. BOSE 900 + Sub 700 + 2 x 700 rears
3. Sennheiser Ambeo Plus + Sub
4. Samsung Q990C
5. JBL 1300X
Which one you think its the best, Im not bothered about the price but also even if I seen and love Nakamichi Dragon thats a bit too much for my room.
Thanks, Max
4 is the smart choice, 1 is the wildest ride best atmos choice
@neverenoughtech Thanks for the quick reply. Is there any specific reason you chose the Q990C? Have you had the chance to test it yet? I know the predecessor Q990B had many issues with the rears connectivity. Can we even compare the sound fidelity between Samsung and Sennheiser/Bose? 😊 Thanks in advance.
Fantastic review!
If you plug it up to a good wired subwoofer your all set. My wired subwoofer sounds great with it!!
Great job! 😎👍
Waiting on the nakamichi dragon to get released hopefully you are able to get one and test it to the limit..
I’m committed to getting my hands on one … I suspect its going to be difficult for a while. Not sure how many they can make.
No other soundbar can beat nakamachi and Sennheiser
Sorry Samsung q990 who??😊😂
X”lent review as always pls let me know that you toggle the eq or let it remain neutral. Thanks
I typically kept the Ambeo effect active but at its lowest level
Would you still choose the max over the plus? Can i still add the wireless sub to the max?
You have to wire the sub to the max. The plus is more updated in a number of ways. I kind of sense that the max is due for an internals update such that buying it at this point os a little shady. But sure if you’re kind of serious about the expensive all in one soundbar go with the max (eventually)
I'm hesitating between bluesound sound bar plus and Sennheiser. Blusound doesn't decode dts. Have you tested the Bluesound?Blue sound is more hifi than cinema and you can add surround speakers. Thanks for your opinion.
I’ve don’t have experience with that brand but I think I’ll get around to reviewing next year
Really nice review, +1 sub ;) Love your little humour touch. I tought you had 100k subs, I wish you sucess. Every review I saw on this product are from tech sellers wich claims that's the best product ever made (like every products lol) . I was hoping for a real review like yours :)
Thanks! 😃
Love the Channel!
How would the inclusion of the rumoured surrounds play a part in your opinion of the bar? Between the email questionnaires and their marketing videos, there is a path that takes us there, so I'm interested in your thoughts.
I'm looking to finally move up to an Atmos soundbar setup for its clean, less cluttered look, but I also want to ensure I choose the correct ecosystem. Already having a full Klipsch setup with a receiver in my theatre room along with an extra sub to hook up to this bar (a nice perk of not being anchored to a branded sub), I want something that can get most of the way there but without the cable hassle, being in my living room.
Also, looking at the HT-A7000 as your review was promising, and the surrounds already exist but to get off the ground, I would need to buy a sub with it, putting the starting price to well over the Ambeo Plus.
Edit: I should note that as of this video it is on sale in Canada for what equates with exchange to roughly $1,270.95 USD as opposed to is current MSRP of $1,499.95.
Keep up the great work!
I think both bars would be compelling with surrounds. Whether it’s compelling enough for the price would be a different story. Like I kind of think don’t put yourself in financial straights for the Sennheiser setup … you can probably get similarly compelling sound for $1000 less … or something like that
@@neverenoughtech That's a fair assessment seeing as how both bars are in the $1,399.99-1,499.99 category.
Out of the box with no additional components added, which would you lean towards when compiling a system that could be amalgamated over time? Sonos Arc is the easy value proposition when comparing these two, but given a choice between the two, what direction would you lean as a starting point?
Thanks for the insight, and keep up the fantastic work!
Especially knowing that sonos is probably coming with their "Era" speakers line up with atmos surrounds. I think that's a better price setup then just one soundbar.
@@remco3819 What is your mindset on lack of DTS-X/DTS-HD support?
@@soludsnake hopefully in the near future but it took a very long time before they just got regular DTS. I believe it was in 2021. I think that's a big problem with Sonos anyways , they rely too long on several products withouth really innovating. For instance they have the Sonos sub for many many years now and it had some hardware changes but it is basically still the same looking Sub.
Amazing video! I need your help I have ran through the Vizio m and p elevates Bose 900 and now the Klipsch flexus 200 which so far is the best but……I am still missing that richness and weight to all the sound. The Bose and the flexus 200 both did a good job of filling in my larger room but there’s still a depth and fullness missing I can’t quite figure out why. With the center channel on the klipsch being the only one with a tweeter it also makes the center to bright and in your face it highly overpowers the left and right channels which don’t have tweeters even with lowering the treble in the app. I am trying to find a rich full deep overall sound from a bar that’s also CLEAN clarity is my top preference. Is there any soundbar you can recommend that can achieve this for me anything at all is very much appreciated you have so much experience I’m hoping you have some ideas. All of them especially the Vizio just have this thin tinny sound to the vocals especially. My older Vizio 5.1 setups in my other rooms have so much weight behind the sounds coming out of it that it makes it sound and feel three times the size it is and I’m having such a hard time finding something to achieve this.
I want to say maybe checkout the Polk Max AX SR. You might also go for the Arc. These two may be among the best options for clarity, richness, but perhaps not too much of the prickly trebly stuff. Didn’t know the Flexus was available to order. Appreciate the heads up.
Thanks so much yeah it’s pretty cool if you liked the cinema 600 I’m guessing this will really impress you just my personal taste I need more depth in my vocals the Flexus built in subwoofers are crossed over way to low for my taste leaving this emptiness in dialogue. But again thanks so much for the recs. Your videos are the best please keep them coming!!
Another detailed review 🤩 Just on time when I eliminated all the hot-shot sandbars and was about to pull the trigger for Bose 900 (Bar + Sub), this one came 🫠😐🫤
Would you recommend it as overall better option as compared to Bose 900, or not, 🤔
Or should I go n look for a used Ambeo MAX (the big n ugly one) ?
I’d recommend it over the 900 with bass … but if you want surrounds you’re out of luck on this one
@@neverenoughtech thanks man 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
Great review. My Max has died and was looking at the Plus. But as I trust your judgment, I’m gonna look elsewhere.
I’m a bose guy, just started liking sennisher. Between the two surround sound system which is better?
Bose just because they have an option. Sennheiser will be better once they get their surrounds
What do you recomend this jbl 1300x
Or the samsung q990c ?
Because i want to buy one this week , . I like to play video games , view horror movies and play music sometimes at loud volume
The C has the superior bar -- gotta go with that
Hello! Huge fan!
Would you say that the 990B is much better than the 950A?
Is it worth the upgrade? It seems that 990C is also an 11.1.4 soundbar and I am not going to upgrade my qled tv .. so no q-symphony 3.0 in the equation.
The question is: upgrade to 990B or.. wait for 990D.
Thanks!
I do think it was a significant update in sound refinement and design
My Ambeo sub makes weird sounds when on 100% Volume and playing music with a lot bass. (Cracking sounds)
Is that normal?
Is this speaker having bluetooth dropout issues?
Thanks for the review.
Some reviewers are pointing out the how good a pair of Apple Home Pods work as a home theater set up. Unfortunately it work’s only through Apple TV. Looking forward to some body coming up with the same software wizardly - supposedly convincing surround sound - that connects to the TV with a HDMI connection.
What would be better? Beam with a mini sub or a stand alone arc
Thanks
If you are going to stop at either of those points I would say beam and sub mini … however as its somewhat close the the arc can potentially expand into something far better than either of those options … I would go with Arc if you are willing to expand later
Sony st5000 👌 👍
Any news on rear speakers coming out for the Plus? I'm torn between this with the sub vs the Sony HT-A7000 with RS5s (because the batteries mean I can hide them and not upset the other half).
I'm wondering the same thing , seems to be al lot of demand for rear speakers so i hope they will.
can I mix the soundbar + my existing 5..1 surrounding sound system together?
Sonos needs to release a bigger/upgraded arc or sennheiser needs to release some atmos surrounds. I’m in so deep into the Sonos ecosystem that switching will need to be worth my money, time and it needs to wow me.
What's Next 2024: Samsung Q990C & Sennheiser Ambeo Max & Sonos Arc
ruclips.net/video/ryd5b1-VcQ4/видео.html
Sonos 2024 Rumors - Don't Skip This!
ruclips.net/video/UCnY0bGPpB8/видео.html
Please do comparison between Ambeo Soundbar Plus and Bose Soundbar 900 with their respective Subs.
I’ll just say Ambeo - I was kind of tough on it but it’s level of sophistication is maybe unmatched as a stand-alone. If they could get it some decent Ambeo level surrounds and you have a somewhat complimentary room -- it would be a tough one to beat from a refinement/technical perspective. Super expensive unfortunately
I agree. I got my plus yesterday. It is truly great experience. I got sub too but it didn’t make any difference to my taste. I will return. But my opinion is, plus alone is better than Bose 900 and bass 700 together. The only case Bose leads very slightly is voice clarity. Plus voice clarity is still exceptional for me. Everything else by plus with big margin especially in terms of room filling with sound. I will try 3ed party sub to see bass improvements.
@@spattipa Thanks for the comment. This helps a lot.
@@spattipa I thing I will pull the trigger this weekend since Ambeo Plus only $999 now. Was debating this or new Bose Smart Ultra soundbar. My new 4k tv coming next week.
Is this overkill for a bedroom about 10x15? And would i need the sub or can I use the bar by itself for the 7.1.4 Atmos?
No - this is not an overkill system
Thanks for the video 👍. Is the senheiser beseer than Samsung q950b or jbl 1300? Thank you! 🙂
Sennheiser is very good and sounds best in large spaces. I would take the whole Q990B system over sennheiser - I’ll have a 1300x review up in 5 days or so
@@neverenoughtech Ok, thanks for the quick reply ✌️
Sir, I have an Ambeo Max, should I buy the Sennheiser subwoofer or should I go for svs 1000 pro?
I liked the Ambeo Sub - a safe choice - integration benefits. Though I think you seem like the kind of dude that would want some fine grain control over the sub so I’d recommend the 1000 - which could be used elsewhere later. I only have experience with the SVS Sub Mini - but I’ll extrapolate and say the 1000 is good too
Isnt that what the ambeo really is - a high end 3.0.2 speaker system but with fancy effects added?
Well done, as usual. Sennheiser makes quality components, but their price point seems a bit much.
That’s for sure … you gotta really pay to be in the club.
Do you think if Sennheiser would release surround speakers this combination could beat an Arc witch era 300's ?
Depends on the rear speaker - if they’re mail ins maybe not but if as innovative as the bar sure totally a possibility
16:23 how would I even connect 4 subwoofers and 2 surround speakers to the Ambeo max? I want to achieve this dragonkiller status he talked about.
You can’t - you can’t even add surrounds
Hey!, can you review new Polk Flagship Soundbar? Magnifi Max AX?
At 15:53 you show a picture of Sennheiser surround speakers but I cannot find them on their website or the internet. Do they really exist and if so where does one find our more about them?
They exist in my fantasies - and maybe in a secret Sennheiser lab somewhere
@@neverenoughtechThank you for quickly responding to my question.
Would you say sound quality alone. I am talking bass, mid bass, mids and highs are better than the 990b?
I'd say the sennheiser has a cleaner sound but from a richness and immersion perspective its not much of a comparison ... the B just has so much more to work with
@@neverenoughtech so you are saying the detail in sound is better on the 990b? I mean I know the Sennheiser sub must blow the 990b bass modular out of the water. I mean like hearing the little details in a movie that most soundbars might miss..
Hello what about pass through hdcp version ?
Ambeo plus only $999 now. Should I get Ambeo plus or Bose Smart Ultra soundbar? Both with there subwoofer
Ambeo if you’re stopping at the bar and sub
At this price u can get Q990C now.
Hi sir. I try connecting it to my wifi and it keeps saying connecting. It doesn’t work no matter what I do. Do you think the soundbar need an update? I am not sure how to do it. Thanks.
Could you try connecting it in a friends house. Might clarify if it’s the bar or your particular network. If it’s your network you might need to call your ISP for advice on any particular firewall. If it’s the bar you will want to talk with Sennheiser on whether a return or exchange is warranted. And yes all this is extremely annoying … I would know having dedicated far too much time to setting up soundbars
@@neverenoughtech I found the setup button and it says WPS searching when I push it. The app seems to have trouble linking the soundbar to my internet when it finds my username. I wonder if I enter it manually and select WPS if they will work. I will try a few things first.
this or HT-A7000 for someone who will never get rears?
This
how do this compare to the likes of sonos arc and bose 900?
that's a complicated question that I haven't fully thought about. Offering surrounds is a big deal but if just bar on bar, I think there is an element of taste ... that is I think there is an argument for each bar to claim best on technical merits ... which is really bad for the plus because its like twice as expensive as the others
Is it easy to run dual svs sb 3000 with ambeo max I just want a killa front stage,
There is one sub out on the max - I suppose you could get multiple wired connections if your powered sub has a pre-out. I’m sure there are ways to do it but it might be somewhat of a hack
Simple question: Overall, is it better than Bose 900?
Bar and sub alone - yes
@@neverenoughtech what do you mean? Sennheiser bar + sub is better than Bose 900 bar + Sub?
I f'n love your channel and the humor lol. Okay quick pick from you. Sennheiser Plus or Sonos Beam 2 for just Soundbar in my apartment? I respect your choice from your knowledge.
Sennheiser - next gen tech as far as I can tell
PORSCHE DESIGN Soundbar PDB90
Will a comparison between Ambeo Plus vs. Samsung Q990B follow? 🙂
I’m probably moving on to the C when it comes out. I think the more obvious comparisons would be with other bar woofer pairs like the Arc. If the plus starts supporting surrounds that would be an interesting comparison probably
can i connect sennheiser ambeo max to a pc with a optical output sound card?
I can’t confirm as I don’t have on hand but I would say yes. An optical port takes an optical signal. The plus optical port worked with a music streamer suggesting that these bars’ optical ports work with more than just TVs
@Gordon, yes you can ! I used my pc for all HT, I can go out all sound with the ifi zendac (soundcard external amplifier) in RCA, Optical on xeo 10 or on my soundbar Denon DHT-S217 (optical or hdmi directely with my PC)
Nice
Great review sub par product
I’d say sub par for the cost. It would be a great $600 bar I’d argue
@@neverenoughtech How do you compare this with Bose 900?
So definitely not a spirit animal. Sucks that it doesn't have actual rears.
this is the best atmos effect, even netflix used the ambeo technology on his plateform n futur. (info on the web)
15:55 it's a fake done out of WHARFEDALE EVO 4.S
I don't want anything that I have to dick with. No adjusting eq no streaming no music crap. Turn it on and never touch it again or TV speakers are good enough. And no extra speakers or sub
🍻
🍻
@@neverenoughtech I really enjoy your videos
Top review💥next Devialet dione
How did you know about my wife 😂
A hunch
Can you add an extra sub"
Supports 4 wireless subs
yes but not necessary, i see on the web that in app audio setup menu and subwoofer part, if you active the phasing on 180°, you boost all frequencies from 20hz to 50hz to 40dB (from 35dB to 75dB) it's amazing thing ! even 990b can't make this !
4 subwoofers over the top is right lol
My sense is it’s a bit much but two surrounds and two subs is more the ticket 🤔
wtf is a schmedium
The average of small and medium
A soundbar isn't worth that price.
Agree.
It’s worth what you’re willing to pay in a fundamental sense but many will share your opinion - in particular on this bar
@@neverenoughtech True. Although I love Sennheiser (I even have the Ambeo Smart Headset, which is awesome!!), and also the immersive spacious sound of Atmos, the real problem (for me at least) is the lack of additional surround speakers. I have a budget soundbar from Philips, with eARC, HDMI pass through, Dolby Atmos and a wireless active subwoofer that puts out a decent amount of sound. But even when watching Atmos content, there’s no virtual speaker immersion to be heard. And that’s fine with me. It costed me only €300 ($300USD), so I didn’t expect much in the first place before buying this soundbar. If I want to immerse myself with 3D content, I’d rather buy a dedicated, quality brand multi channel receiver from the likes of NAD, and front, center, surround, rear surround, height speakers and probably two Klipsch active subs. No matter how good any soundbar is in sound and spaciousness, it simply can’t compete with a dedicated full surround setup like I mentioned above.
500 bucks off now. Only $999 😱
Where was this? I just got an open box one from private seller for $750 but would have gone for 999 for a new one.
OMG an elf reviewing Sennheiser. There is everything on the internet.
Yes but height-wise it’s more LOTR than Keebler