I tested an ultra-cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar against a premium alternative, here’s why it’s worth spending the extra cash harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan) | usagoldmines.com

If you’re looking to grab one of the best soundbars around, there’s something that you’ll almost certainly be seeking – Dolby Atmos support. And I wouldn’t blame you. This immersive audio tech can provide a three-dimensional, natural sound profile to your viewing experiences that will really take movie nights to the next level.

Luckily, I’ve been able to test a number of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars here at TechRadar – everything from ultra-cheap models around the $100 / £100 mark to more premium options in the $1,500 / £1,500 range. So, you might be wondering, if you can access Atmos at such a low price-point, is it really worth spending extra on a more elite option? Let’s find out.

A few months ago, I checked out the Majority Elias, a soundbar that’s available in the UK for £99.95 (about $130 / AU$190). This budget standalone soundbar packs in Dolby Atmos support alongside upfiring speakers – something you need if you’re looking to reap the benefits of Atmos’ verticality.

I tried watching a few movies with this soundbar, such as Top Gun: Maverick – a hit that gives Atmos plenty of space to showcase its strengths, with soaring jets and all-action onslaughts. During one scene where Tom Cruise’s character flies his aircraft up at a rapid pace, the Elias offered a more expansive impression than my standalone TV audio, but it couldn’t map his trajectory to a precise, true-to-life degree.

The Elias is a 2.0.2 soundbar – it lacks a standalone sub and rear speakers, merely offering two forward facing and two upward firing speakers. Now, a lot of the more expensive models out there come with their own sub, maybe even individual rear speakers, meaning you get true surround sound. This really takes the effects of Atmos up a level, enveloping you in a layer of sound for high-calibre immersion. Its worth commending the Majority Elias for casting a decent spatial impression – but also noticing that despite having Atmos capabilities, they’re fairly limited.

Ultimately, the Elias also suffers from an issue that many cheap soundbars – including models like the Ultimea Nova S50 – struggle with. Namely, disappointing overall audio quality. I found that dialogue could sound fairly muddy when watching movies and TV shows and that it struggled with busier scenes where details could get hidden away in the mix.

And what that unfortunately means is you’re not going to be able to fully indulge in the joys of Dolby Atmos. With average or sub-par audio, more subtle artefacts can seem hidden – something you don’t have to worry about with the Samsung HW-Q800D – a model I tested at the tail-end of 2024.

Atmos, in all its glory

The HW-Q800D has a list price of $999 / £749 / AU$1,099, so it’s by no means cheap, but oh my do you still get your money’s worth. First off, you don’t have to face up to middling audio quality here – the HW-Q800D can do it all, from ultra-defined dialogue through to rhythmic music replication.

But on Atmos specifically, the HW-Q800D can plate up phenomenal three-dimensional audio that fills your room effortlessly. When testing, I threw on The Boy and the Heron and the soundbar mapped the titular bird’s flight expertly, tracing his every flutter. In an area consumed by fire, both the width from the soundbar’s side speakers and verticality from its upfiring ones captured the frightening, heart-racing atmosphere of the opening scene to perfection, really involving me in the action.

This model also comes with a dedicated sub, which adds incredible low-end power for those tense moments in movies and video games – or bass-heavy bangers in your music library. You’re getting a total power output of 360W from the HW-Q800D, more than double that of the Majority Elias – so you can attain the kind of power needed for an authentic home cinema experience.

Of course, if you have a bit more money to play with (lucky you), you can heighten performance by adding rear speakers with a model like the Samsung HW-Q990D. But there are cheaper options available that offer amazing Atmos. For instance, we still love the Sony HT-S2000 – a standalone soundbar that can often be found for less than $400 / £300. This bar harnesses virtual processing to make height effects in Dolby Atmos soundtracks like Top Gun exceed the verticality of your TV screen – pretty neat at this price-point!

All in all, I’d argue that if you have the budget, spending extra on a higher-end Dolby Atmos soundbar is well-worth it. You can access more accurate mapping, impressive verticality and truly expansive sound, even with mid-range options like the Sony HT-S2000. Ultimately, a lot of budget soundbars lack the ability to plate up nuanced, fully three-dimensional audio – especially without surround channels.

But if you are on a tighter budget, fear not – there are some excellent cheap options out there – albeit without Atmos. One of the best cheap soundbars is the diminutive Hisense HS214, which offers clear dialogue and impressive power for less than $100 / £80.

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