The best Dolby Atmos soundbars of CES 2023
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When it comes to new AV technology, CES is first and foremost a TV show, though projectors were also a hot item on the show floor this year – with audio taking a back seat over the last decade. Nevertheless, we did see a few hi-fi products CES 2023along with some innovative new Dolby Atmos soundbars from various manufacturers.
The best Dolby Atmos soundbars do much more that’s an upgrade over your TV’s built-in audio; depending on their number of speakers and configuration, they can give systems based on them the best AV receivers run for the money. TV makers like Samsung, LG, and Sony offer a full range of soundbars to accompany their sets, and while these aren’t updated at the same annual frequency as TVs, CES nonetheless provides a good opportunity to check out new soundbar offerings.
Our list below isn’t exhaustive, but it does hit the highlights of the soundbars on display at CES 2023. These range from a relatively basic 3.1.3 channel model that’s meant to work with and a TV’s built-in speakers to a 11.4.6 system designed to hit lease-breaking. theatre-like sound pressure levels. Audio may no longer be a major focus for CES, but it’s certainly alive and well.
1. JBL Bar 1300X
JBL’s outside demo room at CES had a dedicated area to showcase its new soundbars, with the flagship Bar 1300X taking first place.
The Bar 1300X ($1,699) is a Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatible 11.1.4 channel system that uses 6 upfiring drivers to convey height effects in soundtracks and also comes with a 12-inch subwoofer – an impressive format for a soundbar sub. The sleek soundbar also features the company’s new PureVoice feature, a technology that uses a proprietary algorithm to improve dialogue clarity during passages in soundtracks with loud sound effects, and it supports both AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in for audio streaming.
The most interesting thing about the Bar 1300X system, however, are the detachable wireless rear channel speakers with front and upward firing drivers. These are placed in the outer left and right edges of the bar for charging, and can be used to expand the sound field in the process. Once charged, they can be removed and installed at the back of the listening area, where they can also be connected via USB-C for power. But that’s not the end of the story for JBL’s flexible, multi-function rear channel speakers, which can also be taken to another location where you can use them as a Bluetooth speaker for mono playback, or pair them together for stereo.
JBL’s new soundbar line also includes the Bar 1000 ($1,119) and 700 ($899) which offer 7.1.4-channel and 5.1.4-channel sound, respectively, both using detachable wireless rear speakers. All new JBL soundbars will be available at the end of February.
2.Samsung HW-Q990C
Samsung can always be counted on to introduce innovative soundbars at CES, and this one was no exception. The company’s new HW-Q990C is an 11.1.4-channel offering that tries to bring an improvement over last year HW-Q990Ba model that guides us best sound bars guide as the best choice for high quality Dolby Atmos immersion.
While the HW-Q990C has the same number of 11.1.4 channels and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing as its predecessor, there are a number of software improvements worth considering. One is AI Sound Remastering, which uses AI processing in a connected Samsung TV to balance the delivery of sound objects in a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X mix to ensure a smooth and clear presentation. guarantee. Another is SpaceFit, a room EQ technology introduced in previous Samsung soundbars that has been updated to optimize bass and surround sound.
Alongside the HW-Q990C, Samsung dropped the new HW-G60C, a compact soundbar designed for gaming that offers LED effect lighting and bi-directional audio support. There was no word on pricing or ship date for either model, but given Samsung’s usual timeline for announcements, we should know more in February or March.
3. LG SC9
LGs SC9 was announced ahead of CESwhere a lot of attention was paid to compatibility with LG C-series sets, such as the new C3 OLED in the TV Lineup 2023.
This 3.1.3 channel (a third top-mounted driver on the soundbar, similar to last year’s S80QY, functions as both a Dolby Atmos height speaker and a center channel amplifier) soundbar comes with special mounting hardware to connect it to LG’s C-series TVs. In addition, it has a new feature that LG calls Triple Level Spatial Sound for a more dramatic presentation of Atmos and DTS:X height effects; Wow Orchestra, which integrates the soundbar with the built-in speakers in an LG TV; and both built-in Spotify and Tidal Connect, the latter with support for high-resolution tracks encoded with MQA.
Along with the SC9, LG also announced a new compact, all-in-one soundbar, the SE6, a 3-channel model that uses virtual processing to deliver Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks.
No pricing or shipping dates were given, but we expect to see these new models around the same time as Samsung’s new soundbars arrive.
4. Nakamichi Dragon
[Creaky, wheezing wizard voice]: Gather around, kids, and listen to an audiophile tell a story. Way back in ancient times, people used to listen to music using a tape based format called the cassette. Of all the makers of the machines that played these cassette tapes, Nakamichi was the most legendary and his Dragon cassette player the most respected.
Nakamichi isn’t the same company now – the name has been licensed to a new manufacturer that specializes in soundbars. But the soundbars the new Nakamichi makes are seriously ambitious designs, and at CES the company showcased its most advanced design to date, the new Dragon soundbar system.
The Dragon is huge, 58.1 x 7.6 x 4.4 inches (think Sennheiser Ambeo, but wider) soundbar that uses 31 speakers to deliver 11.4.6 channel sound. Power is specified at an incredible 3,000 watts and is said to be capable of hitting 125dB SPL peaks (think chainsaw to your face, only louder). Nakamichi’s system supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X Pro and uses wireless rear channel speakers with upfiring drivers and dual wireless subwoofers, both of which use a push-pull configuration that is said to be equivalent to the output of four separate subwoofers.
Other specs are fully up-to-date for an advanced soundbar system shipping in 2023 and include 3 HDMI 2.1 inputs and HDMI eARC output, all with 4K/120Hz and VRR pass-through. Bluetooth aptX HD is also supported.
The Dragon is expected to hit the world in spring 2023 and will cost $3,499.