Rankings
The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar offers premium nine-speaker Dolby Atmos performance with ADAPTiQ calibration and dual-assistant voice control. Its lack of an integrated subwoofer and bright tuning may limit bass impact, making it ideal for users seeking high-end features in a single bar.
The Samsung HW-S61D is a compact all-in-one 5.0-channel soundbar that provides built-in Alexa, Wi-Fi, and auto-calibration while delivering virtual Dolby Atmos without a separate subwoofer. Its limitations include weaker bass due to the lack of a dedicated subwoofer and reliance on virtual height processing. It best serves Samsung TV owners who want a slim, feature-rich bar without extra speakers.
The Bose Smart Soundbar provides immersive Dolby Atmos sound in a slim form factor with built-in Alexa and Wi-Fi connectivity. It omits advanced room-calibration and a separate subwoofer, positioning it for small-to-medium rooms where convenience outweighs ultimate performance.
The Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 is a premium 3.1.2 soundbar delivering audiophile-grade audio and integrated bass in a sleek, wall-mountable package. Its remote is cumbersome and the system cannot be expanded with extra speakers, limiting future upgrades. Ideal for listeners who prioritize high-fidelity sound and design over modularity.
The Denon Home 550 is a 4-channel virtual-surround soundbar featuring Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, HEOS multi-room streaming, and built-in voice assistants. It omits a dedicated subwoofer and its power output is unspecified, limiting deep bass. Perfect for users wanting a sleek, all-in-one streaming bar for small to medium rooms.
The Polk Signa S3 offers a low-profile 2.1-channel soundbar with built-in Chromecast and Google Assistant, providing easy streaming and dialogue enhancement. Its limited channel configuration and lack of detailed power specifications restrict surround-sound performance. Best suited for users who want a simple, affordable upgrade for modest TV setups.
| Attribute | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5best | — | 5best | 5best | 4 | — | |
— | — | 200 Wbest | — | — | — | |
— | — | — | — | — | 10.2 cmbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 5.75 kg | 1.8 kgbest | 2.7 kg | 3.14 kg | 3.3 kg | 6.5 kg |
— | — | — | 9 mbest | — | — | |
1 years | 1 years | 1 years | 1 years | 1 years | 2 yearsbest | |
104.5 cmbest | 90 cm | 67 cm | 69.44 cm | 65.9 cm | 14.2 cm | |
5.82 cm | 5.5 cm | 6.2 cm | 5.61 cm | 7.5 cmbest | 7.4 cm |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audio(3) | ||||||
Audio Channels | 5 | 2.1 | 5.0 | 5 | 4 | — |
Supported Audio Formats | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS:X, DTS-HD MA, PCM | Dolby Digital, DTS Virtual Surround | Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD | Dolby Atmos, DTS:X | Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, 24-bit Hi-Res Streaming |
Wireless Subwoofer | false | true | false | false | false | false |
Connectivity(1) | ||||||
Bluetooth Version | — | — | — | 5.0 | Supported | aptX Adaptive |
General(1) | ||||||
Warranty Period (years) | 1 years | 1 years | 1 years | 1 years | 1 years | 2 years |
Design(4) | ||||||
Soundbar Weight (kg) | 5.75 kg | 1.8 kg | 2.7 kg | 3.14 kg | 3.3 kg | 6.5 kg |
Soundbar Width (cm) | 104.5 cm | 90.0 cm | 67.0 cm | 69.44 cm | 65.9 cm | 14.2 cm |
Soundbar Height (cm) | 5.82 cm | 5.5 cm | 6.2 cm | 5.61 cm | 7.5 cm | 7.4 cm |
Soundbar Depth (cm) | 10.69 cm | 8.2 cm | 10.5 cm | 10.39 cm | 12.0 cm | 121.2 cm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers praise the Bose Smart Ultra for its AI Dialogue clarity, TrueSpace upmixing, and ADAPTiQ room calibration, noting its accurate and spacious sound. However, they criticize the bright default tuning, limited height immersion without satellites, and the absence of a bundled subwoofer, which reduces bass impact compared to larger systems.
Everyday users love the ultra-crisp vocals, immersive surround feel, and the convenience of voice control, while consistently noting that the sound can become treble-heavy and that bass lacks punch without an optional subwoofer. Sync issues with non-eARC TVs are also a recurring complaint.
Professional reviewers commend the Signa S3 for its low-profile aesthetics, straightforward setup, and useful features like VoiceAdjust and built-in Chromecast, while noting its limitation to 2.1 channels and the lack of detailed power specs.
Everyday users appreciate the simple plug-and-play installation, clear dialogue from VoiceAdjust, and the solid bass from the wireless subwoofer, with no major complaints beyond the system's basic channel configuration.
Professional reviewers highlight the Samsung HW-S61D's combination of a compact all-in-one 5.0-channel soundbar featuring built-in woofers, a center speaker, and virtual Dolby Atmos/DTS Virtual:X for immersive audio, optimized for small to medium spaces and Samsung TV integration.
Everyday users consistently commend the soundbar's impressive Atmos immersion, deep bass, and minimalist design, noting that setup is generally easy. The most common complaints revolve around the need for precise wall-mounting and the absence of native voice-assistant support.
Professional reviewers commend the Smart Soundbar for delivering a remarkable sound-to-size ratio, with its five-speaker array and TrueSpace upmixing providing immersive audio despite the compact chassis. The inclusion of Dolby Atmos and Alexa adds convenience, but critics note the lack of ADAPTiQ calibration and a lower speaker count than Bose's higher-end Ultra model, making it a solid mid-range choice rather than a flagship.
Professional reviewers commend the Smart Soundbar for delivering a remarkable sound-to-size ratio, with its five-speaker array and TrueSpace upmixing providing immersive audio despite the compact chassis. The inclusion of Dolby Atmos and Alexa adds convenience, but critics note the lack of ADAPTiQ calibration and a lower speaker count than Bose's higher-end Ultra model, making it a solid mid-range choice rather than a flagship.
Professional reviewers commend the Denon Home SB550 for its virtual 4-channel Atmos/DTS:X implementation, wide soundstage, and the convenience of a single HDMI eARC cable that also carries 4K HDR video. They also highlight the HEOS multi-room ecosystem and the bass boost from three passive radiators, while noting the absence of a dedicated subwoofer and calibration tools as potential drawbacks for audiophiles.
Consumers generally view the SB550 as an easy-to-set-up, space-saving soundbar that offers solid streaming options and immersive virtual surround. Praise centers on the straightforward HDMI eARC hookup and the ability to stream high-resolution music, while the lack of deep bass and unspecified power output are occasional concerns.
Professional reviewers commend the Panorama 2 for its audiophile-grade sound, wide imaging, and effective Atmos height effects, noting its superb build quality and dynamic performance even at high volumes. However, they point out the lack of a dedicated music surround mode, limited on-board EQ, and fewer features compared to competitors, making it a strong but feature-light all-in-one solution.
Everyday users overwhelmingly praise the Panorama 2 for its exceptional sound, deep integrated bass, sleek design and straightforward setup, often calling it the best sound bar they've owned. Recurring criticisms focus on the unwieldy remote, high price and the bar's large size, which can be problematic in smaller spaces.
