Whether clients are looking for a simple immersive experience or want to hear dialog clearer, soundbars have proven to be a popular solution, with manufacturers constantly bringing products to the channel. Here are some of the more recent product entries.
Sonos Arc Ultra
The Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar uses the brand’s Sound Motion transducer technology, which reduces the size of the transducer while supercharging the bass. Arc Ultra delivers up to double the bass of its predecessor, with a 9.1.4 spatial audio experience in a sleek design. Arc Ultra provides boosted bass, a spine-tingling spatial audio experience with Dolby Atmos, and advanced Speech Enhancement for even more levels of control. The all-new architecture features 14 Sonos-engineered drivers, including a Sound Motion woofer and a cluster of tweeters with waveguides on both ends to deliver a 9.1.4 spatial audio experience. Tune with Trueplay to pinpoint the best sound for your space, now available for both iOS and Android. With a new center-channel architecture, Arc Ultra maximizes vocal clarity so it’s easier to follow dialog. An all-new advanced Speech Enhancement feature lets you choose your preferred level of dialog clarity in the Sonos app.
Russound Cinema Bar 3.0
The Russound Cinema Bar 3.0 passive soundbar is designed for use with wall-mounted flat panels 65 inches and larger, boasting 100 watts RMS power handling per channel. Three full-range 4-inch drivers, three 1-inch tweeters, and three 4-inch passive radiators provide rich and room-filling audio. The Russound Cinema Bar 3.0 features a reinforced MDF body with isolated audio chambers for each channel while the satin black soundbar adds elegance and appeal beneath the television. To complement the aesthetics, the soundbar’s oversized area around the speaker connectors covers any wall openings for the wiring and allows plenty of room to hide any excess when the soundbar is mounted. It mounts to any available soundbar mounting kit or TV mount, and with the included MicroSlide brackets or built-in threaded inserts, it’s easy to install.
James SPL Series
The James SPL Soundbar Series features Quadratech tweeter technology as seen in the recent release of the new James Visual Experience Series with Quadratech. The new SPL5QT, SPL6QT, and SPL8QT soundbars are engineered to deliver an exceptional audio experience, offering crisper detail and broader sound dispersion. The integration of Quadratech tweeter technology represents a significant advancement in sound quality, providing listeners with a wider soundstage and detailed clarity that brings every note and sound effect to life. This technology was developed through iterative machine learning to optimize the driver performance for the size and surface area.
The new QT SPL models have also received a new CDX crossover design. The SPL5QT, SPL6QT, and SPL8QT models will continue to feature the built-to-order aircraft-grade aluminum construction to precision-match the dimensions and aesthetic of the specific television display per project.
Klipsch Flexus Core 300
Klipsch has announced the next wave of its Flexus Series with the introduction of the 5.1.2-channel Flexus Core 300 – Powered by Onkyo soundbar with Dirac Live Room Correction Technology. The Flexus Core 300 sits atop the Flexus Series range, above the Core 200 and Core 100 introduced earlier this year. Offering an immersive audio experience with its Dolby Atmos and DTS:X presentation, the Core 300 features two 2.25-inch up-firing and two 2.25-inch side-firing drivers, complemented by four front-firing 2.25-inch drivers tuned by expert acousticians. With its four 4-inch built-in subwoofers, the Core 300 delivers powerful bass from a relatively small footprint. Additionally, a dedicated center channel equipped with Klipsch’s horn-loaded tweeter technology delivers vocal intelligibility that guarantees clear dialog at any volume.
TCL Q Class
The TCL Q75H is a 5.1.2 soundbar that allows users to experience Dolby Atmos and DTS:X with built-in side surround speakers. Other quality-enhancing features include built-in tweeters that deliver precise, high-frequency sound to complement the bass, a center channel speaker that ensures voices are always heard with crystal-clear clarity, up-firing Atmos speakers for floor-to-ceiling sound, and the Ray-Danz acoustic waveguide reflectors for a super-wide soundstage.
Building on the features of Q75H, TCL’s Q85H is a 7.1.4 soundbar that delivers the ultimate enveloping home theater experience by adding wireless rear speakers, which also incorporate rear Dolby Atmos up-firing drivers. With Ray-Danz, side and rear surround, and front and rear Dolby Atmos drivers, TCL’s Q85H is an immersive experience, which makes it the perfect match for a TCL QD-Mini LED TV.
Steinway Lyngdorf Model S
Steinway Lyngdorf’s first Steinway & Sons soundbar, the Model S soundbar, is driven by powerful digital amplifiers, while the RoomPerfect technology calibrates it for any room and placement. The Model S soundbar offers a high-performance design with two woofers, three Air Motion Transformer tweeters, and three midrange drivers for clarity and detail, all powered by four digital amplifiers with a combined 1600 watts. The rigid and heavy enclosure is made from machined solid aluminum front and back panels, housing a low-resonance MDF frame with five acoustically separated chambers inside. The Air Motion Transformer tweeters with Kapton foil and the midrange drivers with anodized aluminum cones are powered by neodymium magnets. The left-center-right configuration allows a stable center soundstage and imaging, either in pure stereo or with center channel upmixing/multichannel downmixing in the digital Steinway & Sons processor. The two 10-inch woofers are a high-excursion design with a four-layer voice coil, an anodized aluminum cone, neodymium magnet, and an ultra-rigid cast aluminum basket. The black front is complemented by signature gold-plated tweeter frames and bronze-gold lacquered sides with black strings, resembling the piano and musical instruments.
2024 Sony Soundbar Lineup
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8, BRAVIA Theater Bar 9, and BRAVIA Theater Quad all support Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced, Sony 360RA, and Hi-Res audio playback, and feature Acoustic Center Sync with compatible Sony displays. The Bar 8 features 11 speakers and has 30% smaller volume compared to the HT-A5000. The Bar 9 features 13 newly designed drivers, including newly added side channel speakers. The new driver design results in a 36% smaller cabinet compared to the HT-A7000.
The four-speaker Quad system replaces the HT-A9 and features 16 total drivers (four per speaker, including tweeter, mid, woofer, and upfiring), using Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping to create 16 phantom channels, virtually placing speakers around the room. Compared to the HT-A9, the Quad has a much thinner design, which is more optimal for wall mounting.
The Bars and Quad also feature Sony’s new Voice Zoom 3, which uses AI to extract just voices to raise (or lower) for clearer dialog intelligibility. Powered by Sony’s sound separation AI technology, Voice Zoom 3 identifies and isolates dialog that can then be adjusted, making it easier to hear voices without affecting other sounds.
Phase Tech VSL
PhaseTech’s custom-length and color Variable Length Soundbars (VLS) —VLS70-LCR for TVs 60 to 70 inches and VLS100-LCR for TVs 75 to 100 inches — are made-to-order, 3-channel soundbars that are specially crafted to serve as left, center, and right channels, using three separate speakers in a complete surround system while aesthetically matching the video display width and color. Both the speaker and matching grille are customized to the specific television model provided by the ordering integrator. The VLS soundbar mounts to a TV bracket or directly to the wall. The VLS70-LCR and VLS100-LCR are now available globally and made to order based on the TV size and brand, typically shipping within a few days of ordering. For an optimal sound experience, PhaseTech recommends pairing them with the P3-35 3-Channel Dolby Digital Amplifier.
LG S95TR
At the forefront of LG’s soundbar lineup is the premium S95TR model, delivering 810 watts and creating surround sound through its 15 channels. The S95TR boasts five up-firing channels, including the industry’s first center up-firing speaker. Moreover, the angle of the center up-firing speaker ensures a seamless audio-visual experience with precise elevation to the TV screen’s level.
The S95TR features improved tweeters for clear and precise audio, while also incorporating a passive radiator to enrich bass sounds and optimize the overall balance between the soundbar and the subwoofer. Notably, viewing quality is further strengthened in the S95TR, which was designed with a matte color palette, materials, and finish to effectively reduce reflections.
When paired with WOW Orchestra, the soundbar and LG TV harness the full potential of their audio channels. LG’s soundbars deliver the superior quality of Dolby Atmos, driven by the advanced technology of DTS:X. WOWCAST takes audio excellence a step further, allowing the S95TR to connect wirelessly to LG TVs, ensuring superior sound without any compromise, even when playing Dolby Atmos audio.
