The Second Ambeo soundbar, Ambeo Plus is not only cheaper than the first Sennheiser soundbar, it is also much more compact. It is now about the same size as a typical flagship soundbar from other brands. Signboard remains the Ambeo technique to create a surround image by virtualizing phantom speakers. This technology was developed together with the Fraunhofer Institute. Based on an acoustic measurement performed by four microphones in the soundbar, the size, shape and properties of the living room are determined. This allows the soundbar to send sound so that it seems that sound effects can be heard above and next to it. A first demo we experienced at an event gave the impression that the Ambeo Soundbar Plus is just as effective in that area as the original Sennheiser soundbar. A amount of days ago the soundbar also appeared.
Lots of streaming options in Second Ambeo soundbar from Sennheiser
Sennheiser’s MOZART software runs on the soundbar. This gives it ample streaming options (AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect). There is also support for the latest surround codecs. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X were expected, but that includes MPEG-H (used in some Asian countries) and 360 Reality Audio (a Sony invention available from Tidal and Deezer).
The built-in woofers on the Plus would produce basses up to 27 Hz. Even deeper bass (up to 16 Hz, it said) is possible by adding a sub. Sennheiser does take the unusual step of offering an option to use multiple subwoofers. That is unseen with soundbars. Yet it is not a new technique. When building home theaters, multiple subwoofers are often used to smooth out acoustic imperfections in parts of the room. When using one or more subwoofers, the calibration software will also ‘blend’ all devices in terms of sound to get an even and full room filling. There are currently no plans to offer wireless rear speakers, something that you will find with the competition.
The new Ambeo Soundbar Plus will be released later in September. The cost of 1,499 euros makes it a competitor for the top models from LG, Samsung and Sony.
