Top 5 Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars of 2025

You can enjoy your favorite films and TV series in a more natural and immersive way with the best Dolby Atmos soundbars. This is due to Dolby Atmos, a surround sound audio format that, instead of being connected to a specific speaker in a setup, isolates audio to specific objects—such as a dog barking, a helicopter overhead, or someone screaming—that can be mapped in three dimensions.

It will therefore sound as though a helicopter is flying over your head if you can see one on screen. In essence, sound is positioned more precisely and effectively than standard surround sound, depending on what you’re viewing on the screen.

Dolby Atmos soundtracks won’t be presented in the same unaltered manner.that the best AV receivers deliver when paired with a surround sound speaker system, but those setups take up a lot of space and can be expensive. That’s where the best soundbars show their advantage, and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars are the easy way to deliver a powerful home theater experience.

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Last update on 2025-01-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Top 5 Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars of 2025

1.Samsung HW-Q990D

Last update on 2025-01-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Samsung is a big TV seller, if I may risk pointing out the obvious. Furthermore, even though we don’t have any concrete proof, we predict that it detests it when people pair those TVs with soundbars from other companies.

This is the reason it (as well as rival/competitive TV manufacturer LG) is so committed to creating its own market-leading soundbars. In recent years, it has also been progressively approaching that ambitious goal; last year’s flagship Q990C model came within a hair’s breadth of receiving a five-star rating.

The Q990D, the model that replaced it, is now attempting to accomplish what its predecessor was unable to. Conceptually, not much has changed: this is a complete system with two wireless surround speakers, a soundbar, and a wireless subwoofer, totaling an incredible 11.1.4.channel count. Feature upgrades are few but meaningful, particularly for gamers, but the real upgrade is to the sound.

The Q990D looks almost exactly like the Q990C it replaces, which looked a lot like the Q990B from the year before, with the exception of a slightly darker shade of grey that makes it nearly black. There are many sensible design elements, such as the relatively non-reflective finish and relatively stout height of the bar at just under 7cm, which means the system blends into a dark room and doesn’t obstruct the bottom of a typical TV. However, the angular, monolithic design of the bar and satellites is beginning to look a bit dated and will be a bit too severe for some tastes.

It’s interesting to note that the subwoofer has a smoother and somewhat softer appearance, which makes sense considering its large 41 x 22 x 41cm.The bar itself is the same width as a contemporary 55-inch TV at 123 cm, but when used with a 65-inch model, as it is for our testing, it doesn’t appear odd. The bar’s underside has thin isolating feet spaced about 20 cm from each end, which may be too far apart for some furniture. Additionally, they are too shallow to let the bar cross over into a standard TV stand. Fortunately, Samsung has taken this into account and includes extra isolation pads in the box, allowing the bar to be positioned directly on top of a TV pedestal stand’s bottom plate.

Simple brackets for the bar are also included, which will please those who are more interested in wall mounting.in the box, and each of the two satellite speakers has a threaded hole for easy mounting – though you will need to purchase brackets for these separately. The thoughtfulness continues in the form of extra-long power cables for the satellite speakers. If they’re still not long enough for your needs, a longer, third-party figure-of-eight mains cable is all you need – as long as the connection is right-angled.

2.Samsung HW-Q800D

Last update on 2025-01-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Good Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundbars don’t have to cost a fortune. There is no better example of this than the Samsung HW-Q800D. The Q800D offers powerful, striking sound, a wealth of features, and immersive Atmos effects at a reasonable cost.

We praised the Samsung HW-Q800D’s strong bass and clear voice in our review. We were also impressed by how well the sound was mapped to the characters and action on screen. The surround sound on the HW-Q800D, however, was what really stood out. “Despite the absence of rear channels, this soundbar still asserts a striking spatial impression,” as we stated in our review. We really couldn’t find anything wrong with the Q800D for the mid-range price you pay, with the exception of the fact that it isn’t much different from its HW-Q800C predecessor – in itself not a bad thing.

In terms of features, the HW-Q800D has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support for music playback in addition to Samsung’s Q Symphony, which is compatible with Samsung TVs starting in 2022 and uses the TV’s built-in speakers to produce an even richer sound. Only 4K 60Hz passthrough is available on its HDMI ports for gaming, which is one thing lacking.

The only significant drawback of the Q800D is its somewhat angular and chunky design. Soundbars aren’t usually visually appealing, but the Q800D is especially uninteresting. Other than that, though, it is the best Dolby Atmos soundbar for the majority of users and balances price and performance almost perfectly.

The HW-Q800D from Samsung is a 5.1.2 channel system. First, the main soundbar has five channels: two on the front, on either side of the center, two on each end of the bar, and one in the middle. In addition, it features a dedicated subwoofer and two upfiring speakers on top of the soundbar.

Only Dolby Atmos and DTS:X functionality can enhance the incredibly immersive audio that this setup helps to deliver. I found Atmos to be very effective when watching movies because it provides amazing audio width and adeptly tracks on-screen action. I’ll go into more detail about that in the next section, but the upfiring speaker drivers also provide amazing verticality for films and TV series.

The Samsung SWA-9500S rear speakers can be added for even more expansive sound, but a surround sound boost might not require additional money. That’s because Q-Symphony allows you to maximize the power of your TV, provided it’s a specific Samsung model from 2022–2024. With the help of this feature, your HW-Q800D can enhance the three-dimensional output of your TV by collaborating with its built-in speakers.

Naturally, Q-Symphony and another feature called Wireless Dolby Atmos are only available on Samsung TVs. This allows “pinpoint” wireless delivery of sound effects without the need for HDMI, but it requires a Samsung TV that was released after 2022. Note that this will be compressed, in contrast to the Atmos TrueHD that comes with one of the best 4K Blu-ray players and a wired connection. If you only ever stream movies, though, it won’t make a difference.

3.Vizio Elevate

Last update on 2025-01-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Vizio Elevate soundbar is a 5.1.4 setup with a unique design. When you watch Dolby Atmos or DTS:X content, the sides of the bar automatically rotate upwards, resulting in a wide and immersive-sounding soundstage. You can rotate the sides upwards when you listen to other types of audio content, too, or you can turn it off entirely. Right out of the box, the bar’s sound profile is bass-heavy, and vocals and lead instruments are mostly clear but also quite bright due to the recessed treble. That said, you can use its bass and treble adjustments to customize its sound based on your preferences.

TV shows and other vocally focused content work well with the Vizio Elevate soundbar. With the discrete center channel included in this 5.1.4 setup, voices can precisely anchor to specific spots in the soundstage. Voices sound clear thanks to its balanced mids, and you can even enhance your audio with a dialogue enhancement mode and a treble adjustment feature.

For music, the Vizio Elevate 5.1.4 performs admirably. Out of the box, it can reproduce lead instruments and vocals fairly clearly, but the prominent treble range makes higher frequencies sound a little harsh. Moreover, in bass-heavy genres like hip-hop and EDM, the additional boom in the bass range helps you feel the rumble. Thankfully, if you want a more subdued tone, bass and treble adjustments are also available. However, you won’t find a graphic EQ to help you customize the bar throughout the range.

For watching movies, the Vizio Elevate soundbar works well. Its revolving sides provide a broad, well-focused soundstage that gives the impression that sound objects are emanating from a specific spot. In a chase scene, for instance, cars appear to speed past you from one side of the screen to the other. It supports Dolby Atmos content and is a good option for surround sound as well.

4.Vizio M Series M512a-H6

Last update on 2025-01-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

With the addition of two upfiring Dolby Atmos speakers, the Vizio M512a-H6 is the company’s successor to the superb M51a-H6.

To help with soundstage height, Dolby Atmos adds up-firing speakers to create more immersive spatial audio for the uninitiated. Movies mixed for Dolby Atmos are being added by an increasing number of streaming services in order to benefit from this new audio format.

The name of the M512a-H6 gives away the configuration of the system. One subwoofer, two upfiring Atmos speakers, and five channels are included. In addition to the two upfiring Atmos speakers mentioned earlier, the sound bar itself has center, left, and right channels. The sound bar and subwoofer have a wireless connection, but the two satellite speakers are wired and need to be plugged into the subwoofer.

Features-wise, the Vizio M512a-H6 is fairly basic: neither a built-in smart assistant nor Wi-Fi for direct streaming. Bluetooth is available, though, in case you want to stream music using the sound bar system. Don’t expect it to work with your multi-room music system unless you connect a smart speaker to its 3.5mm port because it doesn’t support Google Cast or Airplay.

Despite having simple features, the M512a-H6 offers an excellent user experience. The sound bar will turn on and off with your TV because it supports HDMI eARC. Surprisingly sturdy, the remote control has a tiny LED screen that shows you the settings you are adjusting. Everything, including inputs, balance, EQ, and other settings can be controlled with the physical remote.

The Vizio M512a-H6 has excellent sound quality right out of the box, with the subwoofer fading into the background. The satellite speakers behind the listener create a wonderful sense of space. You won’t be able to tell precisely where various instruments are coming from because the soundstage is surprisingly wide but lacks the pinpoint accuracy of more costly soundbars and speakers.

Our tests demonstrate that the M512a-H6 is primarily intended for home theater, offering a large soundstage, a ton of volume, and impact. Although it lacks instrument separation and detail, the music sounds good.

Generally speaking, though, movies are more immersive, and Dolby Atmos speakers are good at creating a sense of height—well, depending on how your room is set up. You see, ceilings that are flat and between 10 and 12 feet high are ideal for Dolby Atmos. The upfiring Atmos speakers won’t be as helpful for people with vaulted ceilings. Nevertheless, for a soundbar at this price range, it performs surprisingly well if you have the proper setup.

The tiny 6-inch subwoofer does a decent job of producing deep bass, but it lacks the larger subwoofer’s visceral impact. In order to experience bass, one must set up a system with a larger sub like the Vizio Elevate.

5.Sony BRAVIA Theater Quad with Bass Module

Last update on 2025-01-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The soundbar, which acts as an anchor for the main left, right, and center channels, is the foundation of the majority of consumer home theater systems. Subwoofers and satellites can then be added for bass support and rear surround. With the Bravia Theater Quad, Sony defies this norm by using four identical wireless speakers to cover all ambient sounds. It’s a very powerful solution that uses a soundbar-less design to create an immersive spatial audio experience. The Theater Quad sounds great, but in addition to the system’s already high you will need to purchase a subwoofer in order to get any noticeable low-end rumble. You can build your own home theater system around the Sonos for more powerful sound at about the same cost.

Four speakers and a control box that wirelessly connects to them make up the Theater Quad. With table stands that extend their footprint to 5.2 inches deep and raise them by 0.7 inches, the speakers are identical rectangular slabs that measure 10.8 by 11.5 by 2.3 inches (HWD). There are also brackets for wall mounting. Each speaker has a flat black metal top panel with another grille for the upward-firing drivers, and they are all wrapped in gray grille cloth. There is only a power cable on the bottom of the speakers because they are wireless. If the speaker is mounted on a wall, you can run the power cable straight down or around the table stand.

The big, flat front surface of each speaker needs to be facing the listener. It is difficult to hide them beneath your TV, like a soundbar, or even on the same surface as the TV because they are all the size of coffee table books. Placing the speakers on the far corners of my entertainment center would block part of the screen because it is 15 inches wider than my TV. The front speakers should most likely be mounted on the wall or placed on separate stands.

The transmitter, a 2.3-by-6.4-by-6.4-inch black plastic control box, is small enough to fit beneath all TVs except the ones with the lowest seats. This box wirelessly streams audio to all four speakers and connects to your TV via HDMI eARC. It has a power button on the back, an Ethernet port, a 3.5mm center channel output for connecting to compatible Sony TVs with a center channel input, such as the Bravia 8, an alphanumeric LED display on the front, and HDMI out and in ports for pass-through from another device.

A plain black candy bar with simple controls serves as the remote. The system’s largest button is a circular rocker that controls the main volume. Below it is a smaller rocker that allows you to switch between the three bass settings (Min, Med, and Max). Along with three additional buttons that switch between the system’s dynamic range-dampening Night Mode, surround sound-processing Sound Field Mode, and dialogue-enhancing Voice Mode, the remote also features power, input, and mute buttons. As an eARC device, you can also use the TV remote control to mute the system and adjust the volume.

Sony’s Bravia Connect app for iOS and Android allows you to control the Theater Quad, but it’s primarily only helpful for speaker setup. To update the Theater Quad’s firmware, you must first create a free account. More significantly for the listening experience, it can adjust the speakers’ output according to the acoustics of your room and your typical sitting position. A sequence of tones will be played through each speaker channel as the app instructs you to hold your phone while seated. These tones will be measured by your phone’s microphone, which will then adjust the settings accordingly.

How to choose the best Dolby Atmos soundbar

We can wager that your new 4K TV lacks the audio necessary to go with the visuals, even if you adore its svelte design. To get the most out of your favorite TV series and movies, you should choose the best soundbar to pair with your TV. However, how do you pick the top Dolby Atmos soundbar for your needs?

The first thing to think about is where it will go. The majority of the soundbars in this guide are sleek, simple, and made to blend in with a wall or home theater system. You must choose a location for it and make sure it will fit. In light of this, you should think about getting a soundbar that works well with your TV.

For instance, the lengthy Sonos Arc soundbar is designed specifically for large screens, so won’t look right with a smaller 50-inch TV. You’ll need to know the size of your current TV and the size of the space you have to fit it and compare those figures to the dimensions listed alongside the soundbar you want to buy.

The best Dolby Atmos soundbar: FAQs

Are Dolby Atmos soundbars worth it?

They are unquestionably the most immersive soundbar experience available, albeit primarily at the higher end of the spectrum. Speakers with a lot of angled drivers and sophisticated processing make the most of them because they are made to produce spatial audio with 3D effects. Although it’s nice that low-cost soundbars can access Atmos’ audio quality, it’s not as necessary because they won’t produce the same “dome of sound” effect.

However, not every new soundbar is Dolby Atmos compatible. These days, many models from well-known brands—such as LG, Samsung, Sonos, and Sony—have Dolby Atmos built in. They come in a variety of sizes and styles with a range of features. Regardless of your decision a Dolby Atmos soundbar or a regular one, they’re generally a good idea these days. Screen tech in the best TVs has evolved over the years to make them thinner, but there’s less space for big speakers. Soundbars are the solution.

What are the key features of a Dolby Atmos soundbar?

The only method for transmitting Atmos sound between a Dolby Atmos soundbar and your TV is to use HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC. If not, the best Atmos soundbars will have upfiring drivers, which means that both speakers facing forward and two or more speakers pointing upward. Dolby Atmos’ ability to add height and surround sound is one of its key features, and the best way to achieve this from a soundbar is with upfiring drivers. Some Dolby Atmos soundbars employ ingenious digital processing to enhance the audio quality instead of upfiring drivers. However, it never works as well as having actual upfiring drivers.