HOME CINEMA CHOICE SEPTEMBER 2019
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38 REVIEWS
example, the Movie mode has more weight, dropping
the bass deeper than in Neutral, but it doesn’t exaggerate
the boom.
Ambeo processing also comes in diff erent fl avours,
accessible via the app: Light, Standard and Boost. In Light
mode there's very little sense of any post-processing at
work, while the Standard mode gives you a heightened
sense of ambience when compared to straight stereo.
In Boost, the size of soundstage broadens considerably,
but it loses some focus in the process, so is probably
worth avoiding.
The Sennheiser Smart Control app is actually the most
frustrating element of the Ambeo Soundbar experience.
Prone to disconnecting, and generally unresponsive,
I suspect most users will forego it altogether. Pairing over
Bluetooth is more straightforward, and allows your mobile
to act as a source device.
Use your illusion
A run through of some standard Dolby Atmos demo clips
confi rms the immersive illusion of this single-box, 13-driver
system. Objects seem to circle tightly around your head,
distinct from a canopy of sound above.
A Dolby Atmos-induced rainstorm, one of the tracks
on the latest offi cial Dolby Atmos platter, dramatically
demonstrates this sense of height as rain pitter-patters
seemingly on to a metal sheet above your head.
‘The Ambeo's performance is
genuinely, hugely cinematic,
and will make you want to
revisit your disc collection'
With Ambeo disengaged, the soundmix retreats back
to the 'bar.
The bass response is impressive; there's an appreciable
pressure ripple when LFE eff ects arrive. And there's
admirable volume on tap. If you want a wall of noise,
this Sennheiser will build one for you.
Pleasingly, the Ambeo Soundbar rewards those who
drive it hard. The system really comes alive when cranked
up; it’s as if all the drivers step up their game. Let loose
with the textured, thumping soundscape of Blade Runner
2049 (Ultra HD Blu-ray), I found it oppressively powerful;
the score resonates threateningly, the general hubbub
of the sci-fi world embraces you.
There's nothing mealy-mouthed about its performance.
It's genuinely, hugely cinematic, and will make you want
to revisit your disc collection. Step forward Kingsman:
The Secret Service (Blu-ray), and the sequence where
Taron Egerton is faced with his fi rst task. As his dorm
room is suddenly submerged underwater, the 'bar literally
drowns you with the pounding score. As he shatters the
glass and the water gushes out, it seems to pour directly
from the speaker itself.