Finally, a luxury soundbar that's compact and delivers immersive audio (and it's $500 off)

A good soundbar can elevate your television or music experience to another level. Instead of listening through tinny TV speakers or those cheap desktop speakers, why not go with a device capable of giving you more — more volume, more bass, more depth, more space, and more clarity?

I’ve tested and used many soundbars over the years, and my favorite has been the JBL Bar 1000, which usurped my aging Klipsch. But the Bar 1000 does take up some space. Not only is the main speaker long, but the sub is large, and the satellite speakers need to be mounted and plugged in. 

Also: One of the most immersive soundbars I’ve tested isn’t made by Klipsch or Bose (and it’s $200 off)

If you don’t have the money or space for such a soundbar, consider the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus. It offers incredibly immersive sound with just a single 27″ soundbar and a subwoofer that delivers serious depth for its size.

And given you get that classical, rich Sennheiser sound, what’s not to love?

The specs

• Automated self-calibration.
• Connectivity via Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect with Dolby Atmos, and Google Chromecast.
• 4″ dual subwoofers.
• 9x class D amps.
• Total power output – 400 W (RMS).
• Audio processing – Quad Core 1.8 Ghz SOC.
• Frequency response – 38Hz – 20Khz
• Ports – 2 HDMI in, 1 x stereo RCA, 1 x USB-A
• Dimensions – 41.4″ long, 4.8″ high, and 3″ deep.
• Price – $999 without sub and $1,599 with.

Note: the Sennheiser site claims the Ambeo Soundbar Plus includes 1 x S/PDIF, but I have yet to find it).

My experience

My first attempt at testing the Ambeo Soundbar Plus didn’t go so well. I connected it to an older smart TV (that doesn’t support eARC) via HDMI, and the TV didn’t recognize the soundbar. Since the Ambeo Soundbar Plus didn’t include any other connection possibilities that the older TV could support, I opted to connect it to my laptop to see how this speaker combo would work not only with movies/TV but also with music. That’s a shame because the eARC connection offers a higher-quality playback than Bluetooth.

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I then tested it with a TV that did support eARC, but I couldn’t get the speaker to connect. There’s a source button on the remote, but there’s no way of knowing what source has been selected. So, in the name of getting this test done, it was back to Bluetooth.

I’m happy to report this small-footprint speaker does a remarkable job of filling a room with sound that puts to shame most other soundbars I’ve tested (with the exception of the JBL). Of course, I was not surprised, given Sennheiser’s reputation and ability to produce high-quality audio products.

Before I continue, it’s important to know that the Ambeo Soundbar Plus and the Ambeo subwoofer are sold separately. Although the Ambeo Soundbar Plus does have pretty solid bass on its own, the frequency response should let you know that it’s not capable of getting to the depths you probably expect from high-quality audio and (especially) a soundbar to heighten the experience of moving watching. 

Also: This midrange Yamaha soundbar holds its own against systems that are twice its price

For me, it’s not so much about the kabooms and roars that a sub can enhance; it’s how they can give more depth and presence to the human voice. In order to achieve this with the Ambeo, you really do need the accompanying subwoofer, otherwise, voices tend to ring a bit hollow. At the same time, the difference between EQ options (Movie, Music, News, Sports, Neutral, and Adaptive) is very subtle. 

However (and this is a big however), the Ambeo Soundbar Plus includes automated self-calibration to sense the acoustics of the room and adjust the sound accordingly. Because of that, you’ll want to allow it to make the adjustments before drawing a conclusion. I tested the soundbar in my office, which has very high ceilings. To my surprise, the Ambeo did a great job of adjusting to the room, and the sound was impressive.

I will say this: Spotify sounded much better than Netflix through the Ambeo Soundbar Plus. In fact, I would recommend this soundbar/sub combo to replace your desktop speakers (especially if you play games via that computer). That’s not to say the Ambeo isn’t a solid option for TV and movies, but I do have some issues with it.

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First off, the Sennheiser app has a lot to be desired. For example, it needs to connect to a wireless network, but it can’t find any of the three different networks I have in my house. Without the ability to connect to a wireless network, I can’t update the Ambeo firmware or even use the app. According to the app, the Ambeo should be able to connect to a wired network, but no RJ45 connection can be found. I then attempted to add my wireless network manually, but it still failed to connect.

In other words, I had to complete my testing without the benefit of the app, and, to be honest, it would have been nice to have it.

Since I didn’t have the app, there was no way to make any sound adjustments. That’s fine for those who aren’t as picky about sound as I am. Although the voices didn’t sound nearly as tinny as a lot of other soundbars I’ve tried, they could have used a boost, and, unfortunately, there’s no way I could have adjusted the sub-crossover frequency. My guess is that the sub-crossover is set fairly low because it didn’t bolster the voices much. The good news is that it also didn’t muddy up the sound effects or music from video content.

ZDNET’s buying advice

This was a rather challenging review because of the hurdles presented by the connectivity and the failed app experience. Even with those problems, I found the Ambeo Soundbar Plus (and sub) a delight to hear. The sound is rich, with a wide soundscape, and includes enough depth to level up your television’s sound.

Sadly, the Ambeo Soundbar Plus did not live up to the JBL Bar 1000, but few soundbars in this price range do. That doesn’t mean it’s a product you should avoid. It’s not. The Ambeo is quite a capable soundbar that would be a perfect fit for a small room with low ceilings. With the right acoustics, this soundbar really shines — especially when using the adaptive EQ setting from the remote. 

Also: This is the soundbar I recommend if you have limited space at home (and it’s $100 off)

And given its size, you’ll be shocked at how well it can fill a room. Better yet, you will never miss a word spoken with the help of this soundbar. Sennheiser has done a great job of overcoming issues surrounding modern films and the horrible mastering of sound. No matter what genre of film or TV I watched, voices were always very clear.

If you listen to more music than you do watching movies or TV, the Sennheiser Soundbar Plus will be most impressive. I found that music really brought this speaker to life. But if I were to compare the Ambeo Soundbar Plus to the JBL Bar 1000 (which sells for $899 on Amazon), I would go with the Bar 1000 every time. If, however, you are tight on space, the Ambeo will serve you well.