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A good sound system can turn a mediocre home TV experience into an amazing one. There is just one problem: the price tag for many of these sound systems is out of reach for a lot of us.
That is where Sennheiser comes in, specifically the Ambeo Plus Soundbar. Because of its massive lineup of headphones and other sound products, you might have heard about Sennheiser before. But, for the longest time, the original Ambeo soundbar was the only soundbar that Sennheiser made, but now it has a sibling, the Ambeo Plus.
Coming in at $1,499.95, the Ambeo Plus might not seem like a budget soundbar, but for what you are getting in this relatively small package, you cannot beat this price. So, is the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus the best speaker for the price?
Find out if it is right for you in this article.
Sennheiser Ambeo Plus Specs
| Sennheiser Ambeo Plus | |
|---|---|
| Price | $1,499.95 |
| Amplifier | 9x class D amplifiers |
| HDMI | 1x HDMI eARC (HDMI 2.1) 2x HDMI 2.0a (HDMI IN) |
| Dimensions (with feet) | With feet: approx. 105,1 x 7,7 x 12,1 cm Without feet: approx. 105,1 x 7,5 x 12,1 cm |
| Bluetooth version | 5.0 Classic/BLE |
What Makes the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus Special?
We could put all the detailed specs for this soundbar, but none of these numbers mean anything if it doesn’t sound good. So, let’s jump into the fun stuff!
Sound Quality
The most important quality of a soundbar is, of course, the sound quality. Despite having 4 fewer speakers than its bigger sibling, the Ambeo Max, the absolute power you get out of this speaker is impressive. It is so remarkable that you won’t be able to tell the difference unless you are a big audiophile.
With its tiny size, it pulls 400 watts of power to output 7.1.4 channels. For us, non-speaker manufacturers, that means 7 full-range speakers and 1 sub-bass channel, and 4 upward-firing channels.
So, with just one speaker, you can get a full 3D Dolby Atmos sound, which is insane! We remember just a couple of years ago, you would need to have a degree in sound design and at least 7 speakers in your living room to get that sound.
Connectivity
The Ambeo Plus is not short of connectivity options.
Wireless-wise, you can use BlueTooth, Airplay, Chromecast, and Spotify connect. For wired physical connections, you have 3x HDMI ports (one with eARC support), as well as an optical digital audio port and stereo RCAs for analog audio. There is also a subwoofer output, ethernet port, and powered USB port. Finally, if you are a fan of voice assistants, Alexa and Siri are built into the Ameo Plus.
The only downside to the Ambeo Plus is you cannot wirelessly connect to another speaker. However, Sennheiser claims that the sound quality is good enough with the Ambeo Plus alone, so you do not have to connect more speakers to this.
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Virtualization
For modern soundbars offering this surround sound experience with one speaker, you must go through a virtualization process. This process varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and from our experience, Sennheiser has one of the most straightforward virtualization processes.
Using the 4 built-in microphones, the Ambeo Plus will measure your room to deliver the best results. However, it is worth noting that you will have to redo this process whenever you move the speaker to a new space. But, the results it delivers with this automatic process are worth the 10 minutes to do this.
Size
One of the biggest advantages of soundbars is the fact they can fit in almost any home TV setup regardless of the size. This is where the Ambeo Plus has a huge advantage compared to the Ambeo Max. With the feet on the Plus, it measures 105.1 x 7.7 x 12.1 cm, which, for the most part, can easily tuck under any TV except for those LG TVs that have an incredibly short stand.
Price
Even though the Ambeo Plus is not the cheapest soundbar out there, the absolutely amazing performance you get out of it makes the price well worth it. Coming in at $1,499.95, this is still firmly in the budget section of sound systems. Now that we’re in the holiday season, keep your eye out for any sales or special deals for the Ambeo Plus.
You can find it on Amazon here.
- AMBEO virtualisation turns audio into a room-filling sound experience: Replicate a full 7.1.4 home theatre system while capturing your room's acoustic properties to create a 3D sound experience
- Immersive 3D surround sound: 7 speakers and built-in 4" dual subwoofers for sharp fidelity, clear mids and booming bass. Connect an additional subwoofer like the AMBEO Sub for even deeper bass
- Music and streaming with codec support: Works with Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify, Tidal Connect, and Chromecast built-in - supported by Dolby ATMOS, DTS:X, MPEG-H and 360 Reality Audio
- Customisable sound: With integrated equaliser, sound modes and AMBEO virtualisation levels - voice enhancement for speech clarity - audio presets and night mode for optimal and discreet listening
- Effortless control: Operate the sound bar via the remote, the Sennheiser Smart Control App, a web interface or through Alexa built-in, works with Google Home and Apple Home for easy setup and personalization
Is the Sennheiser Soundbar Ambeo Plus Right for You?
If you are in the market for a soundbar, whether you are looking to upgrade an old setup or this is your first one, the Ambeo Plus is an excellent option. Although, we must say, if this is your first soundbar, you might become a little jaded when it comes to sound quality. Even people looking at higher-priced sound setups might want to look at the Ambeo Plus, the punch that this relatively small soundbar delivers is hard to pass up.
The Soundbar Ambeo Plus is, by far, one of our new favorite soundbars on the market currently. Although it’s not the same, we highly recommend going to your local tech store to test one of these speakers in person. After listening to it for the first time, you will see, or rather hear, what we are so excited about.
Last update on 2023-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
