Samsung HW-Q990C: Two-minute review

Unlike previous Samsung flagship soundbars, the Q990C doesn’t deliver any design differences from its predecessor aside from sporting a slightly different color. 

However, a few new features make the Samsung HW-Q990C one of the best soundbars. For starters, SmartThings Hub functionality has been added so that you can monitor and control other devices in your home. There’s also built-in support for Amazon Alexa voice control and Alexa device grouping to create effective multi-room setups.

There’s a new, more integrated auto-calibration system, too, while tweaks to Samsung’s Adaptive Sound mode are claimed to deliver a more lively, detailed sound at low volumes. Meanwhile, a new generation of Samsung’s Q Symphony enhances the way the speakers in Samsung’s TVs and soundbars work together.

It’s still the headline features that the Q990C carries over from its predecessor that matter, though. Namely, the colossal 11.1.4 channel count and massive 656W of power, which ensure that while the Q990C doesn’t sound significantly better than its predecessor with movies, it certainly sounds just as good – meaning it’s still the best Dolby Atmos performer in town.

It turns out that some retuning by Samsung’s sound engineers has also delivered a significant improvement in music playback, addressing the Q990C predecessor’s most significant limitation. 

Samsung HW-Q990C review: Price & release date

• Release date: May 2023
• Price: £1,599/$1,599/A$1,999

The Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar was released in May 2023. Its £1,599/$1,599/AUS$1,499 pricing clearly establishes it as a very premium soundbar. In fact, it’s Samsung’s flagship model for 2023. For perspective, it’s twice as expensive as the Sonos Arc or Sony HT-A5000 soundbars.

Samsung does provide a lot of bang for your buck, though, in the shape of a four-component system delivering a class-leading channel count. It’s worth pointing out, too, that there are a few single-bar or bar-plus-sub solutions out there that cost considerably more.

Samsung offers a step-down model to the Q990C, the £1,149/$1,099/AUS$1,499 HW-Q930C, that uses a smaller, less powerful main soundbar, drops a couple of channels, uses a more ‘standard’ subwoofer design, but still includes rear speakers.

Samsung HW-Q990C review: Specs

Samsung HW-Q990C review: Features

• 16 real channels of Dolby Atmos sound
• 2x HDMI inputs, but no 4K 120Hz support
• New auto-calibration system

The Q990C lives up to its billing as Samsung’s flagship soundbar by playing an impressive numbers game. It delivers a class-leading 11.1.4 real (rather than ‘virtual’) channel count, backed up by 656W of power coursing through 22 separate speakers fitted into four separate included components: the main soundbar, a hefty subwoofer, and two rear speakers. 

The idea behind including so many channels (which include four up-firing drivers) is to deliver a ‘proper’ experience with the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats the Q990C supports. That is, an experience that puts you at the heart of a hemisphere of sound (including overhead effects). There’s no ‘front sound only’ or ‘virtual height effect’ compromise here when playing the latest and greatest movie soundtracks.

The Q990C also impresses, for the most part, with its connections. In particular, it provides a two-input, one-output HDMI loop-through system capable of carrying the premium HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR formats (as well as the basic HDR10 and HLG systems). 

It’s a pity the HDMIs don’t extend to supporting the 4K 120Hz gaming feeds the latest consoles and PCs can deliver, especially given that Samsung cares about gaming enough to equip the soundbar with a Game preset that enhances specific placement effects so that it’s easier to tell where enemies are shooting/approaching you from. You can connect your 4K 120Hz-capable gaming device directly to any TV that supports HDMI’s eARC technology and pass Dolby Atmos soundtracks to the Q990C that way. Provided your set-up doesn’t suffer from the audio syncing issues occasionally experienced with ARC technology.

The Q990C supports many sources beyond those associated with its physical connections, including Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, AAC, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, MP3, OGG and ALAC hi-res audio files.

However, all the features we’ve discussed were also found on 2022’s Samsung HW-Q990B. So how does the 2023 model move things on from its predecessor?

The two most significant advances are its new SpaceFit Sound Pro auto-calibration system and the new tuning of the soundbar’s music performance. The first of these finally see Samsung auto-calibrating the system’s subwoofer and other speakers in unison rather than using a separate system to monitor bass. Activating this feature has an instant positive effect on the sound, and from then on, the system will continually monitor the sound to compensate for potential changes in your room set-up. I’ll talk about the new music tuning in the next section.

The Q990C also adopts a new (third) generation of Q-Symphony technology, where recent Samsung TVs can join audio forces wirelessly with compatible Samsung soundbars to create a larger, more detailed front soundstage. This new version deploys all the speakers in both the TV and soundbar, rather than leaving some silent, and allows the soundbar to draw on the power of a Samsung TV’s AI-boosted audio processing.

Also new for the Q990C is built-in support for Alexa voice control and the ability to set up Alexa device groups – the latter of which gives you a simple way of establishing a multi-room sound system. Finally, you can use the Q990C with the SmartThings app for your phone to control other devices around your home, thanks to the new SmartThings Hub functionality.

• Features score: 4.5/5

Samsung HW-Q990C review: Audio performance

The HW-Q990C’s monster channel count signals that this soundbar is exceptionally – almost uniquely – focused on getting the best out of film soundtracks. And as with its predecessor, it lives up to that promise in spectacular fashion.

Its single most outstanding trait is its ability to craft an exceptionally immersive and full surround sound experience that places you at the heart of the sort of hemisphere/dome of sound required to create a whole Dolby Atmos experience more seamlessly than any other soundbar I’ve heard (bar last year’s Q990B). The side- and up-firing drivers in the two rear speakers and main soundbar join forces immaculately to ensure there’s no distracting, immersion-breaking gap in the three-dimensional sound stage. 

Placement effects are exceptionally accurately positioned within the Q990C’s cocoon of sound, too (especially with the SpaceFit auto-cal system doing its thing), and the various drivers’ combination of power, sensitivity and projection means that the soundstage always appears busy, detailed and convincing. Including when it comes to handling transition sounds across or through the hemisphere of sound. 

The cinematic feel of the Q990C’s sound with DTS:X and, especially, Dolby Atmos soundtracks is enhanced even further by how loud it can get without a hint of distortion, buzzing or crackling. Your ears will give in way before the Q990C’s speakers. 

Even the most shrill trebles manage to avoid sounding harsh or exposed, the mid-range is expansive, expressive and able to shift through more gears than most soundbars to take on swelling action scenes, and the bass from the subwoofer is deep, enthusiastic (without becoming over-dominant) and reactive. The unusual Acoustic Lens design of the subwoofer, which sees a diffusing ‘plate’ sitting an inch or two proud of the eight-inch driver, also helps the exceptionally rich, deep bass emanate throughout your room more smoothly and evenly.

Despite the impressive bass depths the subwoofer can achieve, low frequencies don’t feel at all baggy or detached from the sound output by the main soundbar – which speaks volumes (pun intended) about the dynamic range the soundbar is capable of.

As ever, with soundbars that reflect sound off walls and ceilings, the Q990C’s sound stage building can be affected by quirks in your room layout or design. However, while vaulted ceilings could present an issue with the clarity of the up-firing drivers, the latest Space Fit auto-cal system does an outstanding job of compensating for pretty much any other room shape problem you might have.

While the Q990C’s class-leading movie performance is beyond reproach, aside from a little more bass cohesion courtesy of the latest Space Fit auto-cal system, it doesn’t improve much over the Q990B. This is not the case, though with music – provided you put the Q990C’s subwoofer in the right place.

I’ve been critical of previous Samsung soundbars, including the Q990B, for being unable to adapt the immense power and dynamic range they bring to movies to music playback as convincingly as I’d like. New tuning by Samsung’s audio engineers, as well as the improved SpaceFit system, has finally delivered a flagship Samsung soundbar that’s consistently enjoyable to listen to with music, even in basic stereo mode. The sound is more coherent, consistent and balanced, retaining a musical feel despite the immense power bubbling away underneath it all. 

The subwoofer can sometimes kick in slightly too vigorously with a sudden heavy beat or plummeting bassline. Still, such distracting moments are far fewer and further between than they have been before on the Q990C predecessors. Provided, anyway, that you place the subwoofer forward of your seating position rather than to the side of or behind you. 

An Adaptive Sound option for music playback, which essentially remixes stereo tracks to take advantage of all of the soundbar’s channels, also impresses, often delivering results that sound like professional remixes. For the first time with a Samsung flagship soundbar, though, I slightly preferred listening to music on the Q990C in native stereo mode (the soundbar’s ‘Standard’ preset).

Turning to Q Symphony, I didn’t notice any major differences generated by the system now using all the speakers in the soundbar and a connected Samsung TV. Being able to draw on the audio processor in the TV did seem to yield slightly more refined and content-appropriate audio results, though. And the general ability of Q Symphony to blend the sounds from the TV’s speakers with those of the on-paper much more potent soundbar remains surprisingly effective.

• Sound quality score: 5/5

Samsung HW-Q990C review: Design

The HW-Q990C ships with no less than four separate components – so it’s more of an imposition on your living room than most soundbars. Nothing as imposing as a full-on separates system would be, of course. 

However, Samsung would make no apology for this because while it still offers a simplified audio solution, the Q990C also wants to provide a true surround sound experience.

The main soundbar is heftier, broader and chunkier than most, though it still fits underneath the screen of current Samsung TVs (and those of most rival brands, too, come to that), as long as they're 55 inches or up.

It angles back sharply at each end to accommodate side-firing speakers, giving it a distinctive and attractive shape that combines form and function perfectly. The rears feel impressively engineered, too, maintaining a surprisingly small footprint considering they house three separate channel drivers each; benefitting from a stylish sloped top to help train the up-firers slightly forward; and helpfully sitting on small feet that help to prevent unwanted vibrations getting into whatever shelf or bit of furniture the speakers are sitting on.

The subwoofer is a big, chunky affair, as you would expect for the rumble it can produce. The lens that protrudes above the large side-mounted driver gives it a more sophisticated, high-tech look than your average bass boomer.

At first glance, each speaker in the Q990C package looks the same as it did with 2022’s Q990B. Closer inspection reveals that the Q990C sports a slightly greyer finish than the metallic black of its predecessor. 

• Design score: 4/5

Samsung HW-Q990C review: Setup & usability

Samsung has gotten progressively better over the years at delivering stable wireless connections between the various components of its flagship soundbars. I’m happy to say that throughout many hours of testing the Q990C, I’ve yet to experience a single dropped connection from any of the speakers.

The speakers all find and connect immediately without any manual input when you first plug the system’s elements in. I was relieved that the Q990C sports an LED display on its front edge, where you can see it while sitting on your sofa, rather than putting it on the top edge like some previous Samsung flagship soundbars have.

There’s plenty of choice over how you control the Q990C. It ships with an attractive and well-organized remote control, for starters, but also supports basic but effective voice control via built-in Amazon Alexa. Or, if you prefer a more ‘visual’ control system, you can use Samsung’s SmartThings app on your phone – an app that makes it easy to get the soundbar set up on your Wi-Fi system. A few basic setting buttons are also built into the soundbar’s top edge.

Of course, most control will just be turning it on and off, and adjusting the volume, and HDMI-CEC handles these from your standard TV remote.

One last nice touch is Tap Sound support, where touching a recent Samsung phone to the soundbar’s bodywork is all it takes to establish a music-sharing connection between the two devices.

• Setup & usability: 4.5/5

Samsung HW-Q990C review: Value

At $1,599 / £1,599 / AUS$1,499 officially, the Q990C resides in the upper echelons of the soundbar world. You can buy an excellent 55-inch OLED TV for that sort of money. If you can afford it, though, I’d argue the Q990C is good value.

It justifies its cost in two main ways. First, it gives you four separate, well-built components delivering a fantastic 16 channels of sound, which helps it create the complete Dolby Atmos experience in the soundbar world. Second, it can pump out colossal amounts of power without losing precision or clarity. This makes it the nearest thing in the soundbar world to a separate system – but without the cables, AV receiver, multiple speakers to position… the convenience is valuable too.

• Value score: 4/5

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• Read TechRadar's review guarantee
• First reviewed July 2023

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus: Two-minute review

The Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus is an all-in-one soundbar (meaning it's a single unit), that's designed to deliver a huge home theater audio without multiple boxes dominating your room. It's a clear contender for one of the best soundbars on the market today… but getting there has meant it comes at a high price.

Coming a couple of years after the slightly-too-large, slightly-too-expensive Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max, this step-down model captures the same dynamic audio in a more reasonable shape, size and pricing category.

Despite being a single box, it claims to deliver 7.1.4 channels of detailed Dolby Atmos sound system, thanks to virtualization tech – no other single-unit soundbar makes such loft claims. This is paired with a thorough feature set to ensure you can utilize the premium formats and music streaming services common to any audiophile.

Costing well into four figures, the Ambeo Soundbar Plus still isn’t cheap – but it offers excellent audio performance, with the finesse and control needed to ensure the sound never overpowers you. We have a couple of questions about its user interface capabilities (why don’t those buttons click?) but the Ambeo Soundbar Plus excels where it matters: with its sound.

While you’ll need Sennheiser’s separate subs to get a fully fleshed-out home theater experience, the soundbar alone is still a quality piece of audio gear, and should elevate any TV setup with aplomb – especially if what you want is big cinematic sound from a single, simple box.

Of course, you won't get the same truly behind-you rear sound that you'd get from the Samsung HW-Q990B, which is a similar price. And if you want something like this, but the price puts you off, the Sonos Arc will save you a lot.

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus review: Price and release date

The Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus retails for $1,499 / £1,299 / AU$2,399, and was released in late 2022.

It’s a little pricier than a lot of other high-spec soundbars – in our guide to the best soundbars, only the Samsung HW-Q990B matches it for price, though that specific model includes a few separates alongside the base soundbar (two rear speakers and a subwoofer). The Ambeo Soundbar Plus is a premium all-in-one model, then, though it backs up its price tag with quality performance, as we’ll detail below.

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus review: Features

You get a single HDMI 2.1 port, to connect to a TV with eARC, alongside two additional HDMI 2.0 ports for connecting additional media players or game consoles to your television – so there's no passing through of 4K 120Hz video from a console. That's a bit of a shame at this price, but won't affect everyone. 4K HDR Dolby Vision is passed through just fine, though.

Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Sony 360 Reality Audio are all supported here for spatial sound – so whatever you listen through, you can get the full effect.

The soundbar supports most important wireless connection standards, including Bluetooth 5.0, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and Chromecast. 

While this is a single-unit soundbar as sold (and as we're reviewing it here), you can purchase and wirelessly connect standalone Sennheiser subwoofers (up to four at a time) to get more low-end performance, which we'll talk a little about later. Uniquely, you can add up to four of them for distributed bass.

• Features score: 4.5/5

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus review: Audio performance

The Ambeo Soundbar Plus deftly navigates frequencies both high and low, with none of the sudden contrasts of cheaper soundbars, where the bass seems to come from an entirely different source from the higher frequencies.

The bass performance can, in fact, be so subtle that it’s hard to notice at all at lower volumes – though it will arrive with force when needed, thanks to a pair of upward-firing subwoofers. It's a soundbar that prefers to be driven hard.

Watching HBO’s The Last of Us, the full range of frequencies on offer are on full show. The Ambeo Soundbar Plus can draw out incredibly complex instrumentals, each pluck of a guitar vibrating and fading out in turn; but when hushed voices are replaced by the crash of a truck into a building’s brick wall, the Ambeo’s quietly rumbling engine comes into focus. This is a soundbar that excels at weaving between different acoustic demands in a continuous and dynamic way.

Sennheiser boasts that the Ambeo Soundbar Plus can output “thundering bass” as low as 38Hz, and it’s certainly no slouch in this department – if a little more controlled than some listeners may be used to. The higher-end Ambeo Soundbar Max should reach a little lower, starting at a 30Hz bass response, but given that model is almost twice the price, there’s not much reason to opt for it (it lacks the Ambeo Plus’ voice assistant support too).

A host of audio modes help matters further, for Music, Movies, Sport, News, and the like. The Voice Enhancement mode is brilliant for verbal clarity, bringing voices to the forefront of the soundstage, and I found myself using it constantly; Sennheiser’s AMBEO mode also creates that four-channel virtual height elevation to make sound output more immersive and three-dimensional, aided by the upward-firing bass drivers. The difference with the AMBEO mode on is stark, and certainly worth trying out, even if you prefer the sound balance in other modes overall.

One thing to note is the ability to add external subwoofers – up to four of them. We're not counting this towards the sound score in this review, because it's not something you can do out of the box. However, we've tried it, and using more than two subwoofers is a game-changer for cinematic bass.

• Audio performance score: 5/5

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus review: Design

Measuring 1050 x 75 x 120mm, and weighing 6.3kg, it’s not the smallest soundbar, but a simple matt black finish and mesh detailing makes it pretty innocuous next to a decently-sized TV – 55 inches and up is ideal.

The remote is a sleek affair – a boxy rectangle with a subtle incline on the uppermost side to improve ergonomics. Its soft rubber buttons are a delight to touch – with inputs for switching source, altering volume, and switching between key audio modes such as Movie, Music, Voice enhancement, and Night – though there’s no backlighting to help out in the dark. (Just make sure you follow the setup instructions, as you’ll need to twist the battery cover before activating the remote for the first time.)

• Design score: 4/5

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus review: Setup and usability

At setup, the Ambeo Plus runs through an automatic calibration system, which involves a lot of loud noises (we wouldn’t do this around a toddler or pet if possible). This allows the soundbar to virtually map the acoustic landscape of your room and calibrate its output in response – with Sennheiser advising you to repeat this process if you move any furniture around or implement new surfaces, such as curtains on the windows. It’s a little irritating on the third go, but will be fine for more static homes.

The companion Smart Control app is brilliantly done, with easy nudges towards connecting important streaming services (or the Alexa / Google Assistant capability) and ticking them off as you go. Between the remote, this mobile app, the built-in controls, and support for voice assistants, there’s plenty of leeway to interact with the Ambeo Plus however you want.

There are inputs on the upper side of the soundbar itself, with a dynamic LED bar that lights up when in use – blue for Bluetooth, green for Spotify Connect, white for volume, and the like. These inputs don’t click inwards, though, so it’s hard to tell immediately whether an input has been registered.

• Setup and usability score: 4.5/5

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus review: Value

Though it's obviously expensive, it's very hard to fault the value of the Ambeo Plus, because its sound is so rich, so dynamic, and so big for a relatively compact bar. It's a lot more expensive than something like the Sonos Arc, which is already pretty premium, but it also brings lots more features than the Arc – as well as delivering even more convincing spatial audio.

Now, I said it's "hard" to fault the Ambeo Plus, but there is one obvious omission: no HDMI 2.1 passthrough. The (slightly cheaper) Sony HT-A7000 offers this, and is also an all-in-one unit, so games using a TV with a limited number of HDMI 2.1 ports might be better off with that.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus?

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Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus review: Also consider

• First reviewed: March 2023
• How we test: Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

The Sonos Era 300 is the company's first Dolby Atmos-enabled speaker, and I got to try it with both Dolby Atmos streaming music and movies in a home theater configuration. Sonos has made soundbars with Dolby Atmos before, of course, but this is its first separate speaker unit to be designed around positional audio – and I've got to say, it blew me away.

We'll obviously reserve final judgment for a full Sonos Era 300 review, but even after a demo I can say that it's one of the most impressive speakers I've heard for its $449 / £449 / AU$749 price, and that it's a genuinely transformative upgrade for the Sonos Arc soundbar, finally bringing the true 'dome' of Dolby Atmos sound to a Sonos home theater setup.

And like the smaller Sonos Era 100, it's easier to get audio to it than almost any other Sonos speaker, thanks to featuring Bluetooth audio support as well as optional 3.5mm line-in via an adapter, and I think that even you don't put Dolby Atmos sound through it, it could still line up as one of the best wireless speakers around today based on my early impressions. So let's get into all the details.

Hands-on Sonos Era 300 review: Price & release date

• Released on March 28th, 2023
• Priced at $449 / £449 / AU$749
• Cheaper than the Sonos Five

The Sonos Era 300's $449 / £449 / AU$749 price is far from cheap – it's beyond even the Apple HomePod 2, which is similarly designed for Dolby Atmos thrills. But it's actually cheaper than the Sonos Five (which is sticking around in Sonos' line-up as the more hi-fi-focused option), and is much less expensive than the likes of the Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen.

And I gotta tell you, compared to what I described in my hands-on Sonos Era 100 review, the Era 300 is really on a whole new level in terms of dispersing the sound, clarity and positioning of instruments, and rich bass.

Hands-on Sonos Era 300 review: Features

• Upfiring and side-firing drivers for Dolby Atmos
• Bluetooth and 3.5mm line-in support
• Creates 7.1.4 system with Sonos Arc

Let's start with the speakers in the Sonos Era 300. Interestingly, Sonos has gone for compression drivers for the most part, which are much harder to integrate well into small home-friendly speakers than standard dynamic drivers (because they require an extra structure to shape and amplify their sound) – but they can be more efficient, easier to steer for directional sound, and lower-distortion when done right.

Here, there's a forward-firing compression driver, then one upfiring driver at roughly a 10-degree angle, and two side-firing drivers (one left, one right) also at around 10 degrees.

And then there are two side-firing woofers, facing left and right, in a force-opposing configuration. This means they play the same audio, and can be driven hard for rich bass without vibrating such a small speaker right off the shelf – the vibrations of the two drivers cancel each other out.

A processing platform with 4GB of RAM powers the thing, helping to get the Dolby Atmos positional effects from the drivers.

You've also got Bluetooth 5.0 and a USB-C port, and you can connect an adapter to the latter than enables 3.5mm line-in or Ethernet. Wi-Fi 6E is here too.

Sonos says that an upgrade to Bluetooth 5.2 will come in the future.

Hands-on Sonos Era 300 review: Sound quality

I truly cannot wait to get my hands on the Era 300 for more testing, because I loved what I heard in my time with it.

First: music. It's absolutely crammed with detail, yet seems to also be able to punch deep for bass notes without overriding the finer points elsewhere in the mix. Treble floats sweetly, and voices in the mid-range came through the soundstage clearly and naturally.

But more importantly, this is all happening in what may be the most well-dispersed soundstage I've heard from a single speaker. Stuff that should be central comes from the speaker unit, yes, but everything else has space to swarm around, including nearly feeling like they're coming from your sides at times.

Even when it doesn't get that far, the sound is so wide and so tall – I can't think of another speaker this size that's filled the whole space in front of me quite as well.

Sound positioning isn't just limited to steering things far left and right, to be clear. Instruments can be placed just around the Era 300 speaker too – I heard a song where different parts of a drum kit sounded like they're coming from around the speaker as it faced me.

This was music playing from Amazon Music via the Sonos app – sadly, right now that's the only way to get Dolby Atmos music to play on it. Sonos says that support for Dolby Atmos in Apple Music is coming, but couldn't say when.

For all my gushing above, I was even more impressed when trying it in a home theater setup with the Sonos Arc and Sonos Sub. Sonos describes that as a 7.1.4 system, whereas every previous Sonos surround system has been 5.1.2 at most.

But I think that undersells it. I use a Sonos Arc with Sonos One rear speakers at home, and the transformation here compared to that is just astounding.

The biggest issue with the Sonos Arc compared to the very best Dolby Atmos soundbars is that its height effect isn't that impressive, but when you add the two extra upfiring speakers from the Era 300, that changes. During my demo, the height effect was clear and dynamic, shifting forward and back, or side to side as the film needed.

And the movement of sounds around the rear channels is a dramatic change too. Individual parts of the audio steer so much more neatly and precisely between the two rear speakers, but the rears also hand sounds back and forth with the Arc soundbar more seamlessly, creating something much closer to the feeling of being surrounded by speakers on all sides, rather than having one in front and two behind.

Hands-on Sonos Era 300 review: Early conclusion

My opinion walking out of my Sonos Era 300 demo is that I needed to get a pair of these in my house ASAP. I was most excited by their home theater performance, no question, but I'm desperate to see how one does on its own with a broader selection of music too, especially non Dolby Atmos tracks. 

Assuming that the Era 300 still disperses stereo tracks as convincingly left and right as it does with Dolby Atmos, I could see this being one of the best-value speakers for music lovers with little space to spare – you could put one of these on a single set of shelves with one of the best turntables connected over its line-in adapter, and I think you'd have a hell of a setup that fits in a corner of a room.

The angular design, while clearly necessary, may put some people off – it comes across as more 'techy' than the simple cylinder of the Sonos Era 100 – but it doesn't matter to me. After that demo, the Sonos Era 300 is my most anticipated launch of the year.

Denon DHT-S517: One-minute review

The Denon DHT-S517 wants to maximize the sound your money can get you. This is a Dolby Atmos-ready, soundbar-plus-wireless-subwoofer system, configured to serve up a 3.1.2-channel interpretation of movie soundtracks. From its tidy dimensions, to its adequate build and finish, the DHT-S517 is an unremarkable object with deadly serious aspirations.

Setting up the Denon DHT-S715 is simple. Input options are adequate. The subwoofer and the soundbar form a wireless connection almost as quickly as they’re plugged into power. If ‘ease of use’ is important to you, this Denon will be just the ticket – it’s genuinely hard to suggest ways in which it could be less taxing to operate. It's one of the best cheap soundbars for those who don't want any fuss.

The way the Denon DHT-S715 delivers movie soundtracks is equally gratifying. It serves up a big, expansive sound that’s immersive and easy to follow, even if it doesn’t maximize the full potential of Dolby Atmos soundtracks in the way that the best Dolby Atmos soundbars do. The subwoofer is just a little estranged from the rest of the action, though, and its relative lack of detail puts it at odds with its partnering soundbar, which is nice and clear. The whole system could do with a little more positivity when it comes to reproducing music, too.  

There’s plenty to admire here, though, and the Denon DHT-S517 is well worth consideration if you're looking for a very affordable and more compact option (ideal for TVs 50 inches and up). The Sony HT-G700 remains marginally our favorite in this kind of price range, though – and if you want something without the subwoofer, look to the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 or Sonos Beam 2nd Gen.

Denon DHT-S517 review: Price & release date

• Released in mid-2022
• Officially priced at $449 / £379 / AU$699

The Denon DHT-S517 launched in 2022, and in the UK it’s priced at £379 – although you don’t have to look long or hard to find it dipping closer to the £300 mark. In the US it retails for $449 tops, and in Australia it costs AU$699 or thereabouts. 

This is a keen price for a Dolby Atmos soundbar/wireless subwoofer combo from one of the most credible brands around, but it’s by no means without competition. Everyone from Sonos to Sony to Samsung has an option competing to get in our list of the best soundbars at around this price, though most don't have the real upfiring Dolby Drivers of the Denon.

Denon DHT-S517 review: Features

• Great physical connectivity
• Seven drivers in the soundbar
• Setup is a breeze

The speakers in the Denon DHT-S517's soundbar portion are arranged to deliver the '3' and '2' element of the DHT-S517’s ‘3.1.2’ spatial audio configuration, while the subwoofer handles the bass. The soundbar is equipped with an oval 120 x 40mm ‘racetrack’ midrange driver at each end of the front, each accompanied by a 25mm tweeter, forming the left and right channels. A 25mm full-range driver sits in the center, as the center channel, unsurprisingly. 

Behind each grille on the top of the soundbar there’s a 66mm full-range driver, carefully angled to give it the best chance of reflecting sound from your ceiling for that overhead Dolby Atmos effect.

Denon is coy about revealing the amount of amplification power that’s on tap here. But – as the 'audio performance’ section will make obvious – the power that’s available is plainly more than adequate for all but the largest listening spaces.

Setup couldn’t really be any simpler. Both units require plugging into the power, and then the soundbar is attached to your TV – ideally via eARC, so its Dolby Atmos potential can be exploited. However, you've also got digital optical and a 3.5mm analogue input available. Happily, there are a couple of HDMI sockets – one with eARC to connect to the TV, while the other can take a video input and pass it through to the TV, so you don't lose the use of one of your precious HDMI ports.

The subwoofer and the soundbar wirelessly pair in an instant. If they don’t, they can be forced to, but in our experience they locate each other and form a connection immediately. And that’s your job done. There’s no room calibration, no fiddling with cross-over frequencies. As far as the Denon DHT-S517 is concerned, one size fits all.

Control options are brief, and to the point. Aside from the physical controls on the soundbar itself, the DHT-S517 ships with a small, clicky remote control handset. As well as the obvious stuff – on/off, volume and input selection – it features an independent control for bass output, a 'dialogue enhancer' (which is basically the same thing, but for the midrange – choose between low, med and high), and a 'pure' control. This last simply switches off all audio processing, letting you enjoy music in simple old-fashioned stereo.

The audio format LED indicator on the DHT-S517 soundbar lights up in cyan to indicate a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, green for non-Atmos Dolby formats. But on occasion the green light comes on even though you know your incoming signal is in Dolby Atmos – and the soundbar’s HDMI connection needs to be un- and then re-plugged before the Denon understands.

• Features score: 4/5

Denon DHT-S517 review: Audio performance

• Big, assertive and (mostly) confident sound
• Subwoofer could be better integrated
• Dynamism and detail in similar measure

With Dolby Atmos audio, there’s a lot to like about the way the DHT-S517 sounds. The mid-range, for example, is really impressively realized. The center channel is the hardest-working element of pretty much any movie soundtrack, of course, if for no other reason than that’s where all the dialogue sits. The Denon does a good job in creating enough space for voices to project, and has plenty of insight into character, texture and tonality of spoken words. Even when voices are shouting to be heard above a busy, action-packed background, the DHT-S517 gives them enough space to express themselves.

The spaciousness of the overall soundstage is not to be sneezed at, either. The ‘height’ aspect of the Dolby Atmos soundtrack to The Man From Toronto isn’t especially pronounced, it’s true. But the Denon’s presentation is nevertheless expansive and immersive. It steers effects on the ‘left/right’ axis with real positivity and locks sounds in position with similar authority.

At the top of the frequency range, there’s absolutely as much bite and crunch as is acceptable. The DHT-S517 never threatens to misbehave, though, not unless you’re reckless with volume levels – treble sounds can become ill-defined and a little shouty in these circumstances. Keep things at a realistic level, though, and there’s decent balance to the top end and plenty of detail regarding texture and substance to enjoy.

The bottom of the frequency range is a little more problematic. There’s no doubt the subwoofer digs deep and hits hard, and the all-important control of attack and decay is pretty good too. But it’s a little short of detail and insight in comparison to the soundbar, and seems happy enough to just thump along to whatever’s happening on-screen. 

But more significant is the slight-but-definite sonic gap at the point where the soundbar hands over to the subwoofer. It’s not a huge distance by any means, but the imperfect way the crossover between the two is judged is audible. It’s got enthusiasm, though, the subwoofer. It absolutely relishes the big dynamic variations present in so many movie soundtracks, and even at considerable volume it controls its output well.   

Switching to some purely audio content takes the DHT-S517 a little way out of its comfort zone. A file of Sugar’s If I Can’t Change Your Mind streamed via Bluetooth sounds every bit as robust and assertive as a movie soundtrack, but the Denon’s inability to properly unify its frequency response is thrown into greater relief. The result is a sound that’s a little lumpy, and rather too obviously the product of numerous components instead of a single entity.

• Sound quality score: 4/5

Denon DHT-S517 review: Design

• Simple design with classy fabric
• Suitable for TVs of 48 inches and up
• Remote control, or controls on top

The soundbar portion of the Denon DHT-S517 is a usefully compact 1050 x 60 x 95mm / 41.3 x 2.4 x 3.7 in (WxHxD), which is no wider than the best 48- to 50-inch TVs, and unlikely to block the bottom of all but the lowest-slung screens. The cabinet is of unremarkable plastic, though the dark gray acoustic cloth that covers its front half looks and feels upmarket in an understated sort of way.

The front of the soundbar features a small amount of branding and an equally little row of four LEDs. The number that are illuminated, and the color they display, will give you details of source, audio format and volume level. The top is where you’ll find five control buttons, covering power on/off, Bluetooth pairing, input selection and volume up/down. The rear of the soundbar, meanwhile, is where the physical inputs live. There are also a couple of keyhole cutouts in case you’d like to wall-mount the soundbar – at 2.5kg it’s not much of a threat even to partition walls.

The subwoofer, meanwhile, is built from the same plastic as the soundbar, and its front portion is covered in the same acoustic cloth, which hides a 150mm bass driver. At the back of the subwoofer cabinet is a fairly big bass reflex port, a socket for power and a button to wirelessly pair the sub to the soundbar. There’s also a little tell-tale light to confirm wireless pairing has occurred.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Denon DHT-S517 review: Value

The speaker setup here is pretty much unrivalled for the price, and it's great fun to watch your favorite movies with this soundbar blasting out the audio, so it's a real shame that the link between the sound of the subwoofer and the soundbar isn't smoother.

When it comes to features, it's good, but not far beyond other affordable options – some will give you Wi-Fi, but some may not include a second HDMI port. It's a great-value buy, no question, but it's not far out of line with other options once you balance everything out.

• Value score: 4/5

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