Tom Frantzen
The Genius
A lot has already been written about the new Sennheiser Ambeo soundbar, which is the first ever soundbar of the German manufacturer. That is hardly surprising, given the various superlatives associated with it. Costing a whopping 2,500 euros, it is probably the most highly developed product of this field one could get at the moment. Apparently it was the development of sound formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X or Auro 3D that made the Hanoverians leave their domain of headphones and start their, as far as we know, first loudspeaker project. And what a project it was!
In regard to soundbars, one would usually talk about loudspeakers for TV-applications with an edge length of around one metre and a weight of perhaps three to six kilograms. The Ambeo from the house of Sennheiser however measures just under 130 cm and weighs 18.5 kilograms. We've already mentioned the equally exotic price. So, honestly, what's going on?
3D-Sound
Well, you only get to the top with determination, ambition – and competence. Sennheiser certainly didn't want a "me too" product for the overcrowded multiroom sector, with Bluetooth and a little surround. Instead, here, the developers aimed for nothing less than the best possible three-dimensional sound reproduction for music and films from a single device. Dolby Atmos & Co. came just in time for that. For such a no-compromise-goal, cabinet volume and large drivers are more or less mandatory – so a small case was ruled out per se.