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Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar?

950K views 5K replies 447 participants last post by  Sledgehamma 
#1 · (Edited)
Did anyone get to listen to this soundbar at CES? I'm REALLY interested in a comparison between this and the Creative X-Fi. With the X-Fi being on sale at 50% off right now, tempted to pull the trigger.

https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/11/sennheiser-ambeo-3d-soundbar/

https://www.theverge.com/ces/2018/1/9/16870096/sennheiser-soundbar-ambeo-announced-ces-2018/

Sennheiser's First Soundbar Shakes Up CES with Stunning 3D Sound | Digital Trends

For current customer service phone, after Sennheiser was sold to medical audio company Sonova, see:
 
#4 ·
huh.. so this looks like an all-in-one and no sub. huh.. it doesn't sound like from the reviews that the lack of one is obvious. interesting to watch but a bit skeptical.. though if anyone can do it, i believe sennheisser can given their audio history.

if anyone listened to this would love to here how it compares to the samsun k950 or even the creative x-fi. definitely on the watch list
 
#5 ·
It looks like it has a Sub output. This from Digitaltrends review.

"When it comes to features, the bar is loaded up, and includes a trio of HDMI inputs expected to support 4K/60 fps video pass-through, alongside Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, as well as digital optical and analog RCA inputs. It also offers a subwoofer output, though Sennheiser says it faithfully gets down to a burly 30Hz one its own, and we were quite satisfied if not entirely overwhelmed by the bass response. In other words, if you have to have some massive rumble, you’ll want to add a sub, but the sound won’t feel naked without it."
 
#6 ·
From Tom's Guide CES Awards

Best Soundbar: Sennheiser Ambeo 3D Soundbar
Sennheiser has always been known for its headphones. But now, the company is throwing its hat into the soundbar arena, with impressive results. Currently just a concept, the Sennheiser Ambeo 3D Soundbar packs 13 speakers made up of five tweeters, six subwoofers and a pair of top-mounted speakers onto a relatively thin frame to deliver immersive audio. It does so by bouncing the sound off walls, and fine-tuning it for an optimal 3D listening experience. It's an ambitious product, but Sennheiser has the audio pedigree to make it work. —
 
#7 ·
Neumann drivers?

I don't know much about Neumann speakers, but is this worth waiting for simply because it will have such high end drivers? Now that a couple of reviews of the Creative X-Fi have said that the mid-range was lacking, it seems like this soundbar won't suffer that problem. And then reading the reviews that are linked above, hearing that the demo compared both a true surround system from Neumann with this soundbar, and the sound was remarkably close, is this something that I really should (or must) wait for before buying? The Creative 1/2 off is enticing, but this soundbar just sounds much better with the Neumann drivers. Would appreciate any helpful feedback.
 
#8 ·
I don't know much about Neumann speakers, but is this worth waiting for simply because it will have such high end drivers? Now that a couple of reviews of the Creative X-Fi have said that the mid-range was lacking, it seems like this soundbar won't suffer that problem. And then reading the reviews that are linked above, hearing that the demo compared both a true surround system from Neumann with this soundbar, and the sound was remarkably close, is this something that I really should (or must) wait for before buying? The Creative 1/2 off is enticing, but this soundbar just sounds much better with the Neumann drivers. Would appreciate any helpful feedback.
I find this to be a very enticing product in the soundbar sector. I remember a valued and informative member here at AVS Forums saying you need at least 4" driving speakers for a soundbar to be a legit alternative to speaker systems.
I would probably add a sub to this system to make it a complete sound system if I do purchase one.
I'm keeping a close eye on this one too.
 
#9 ·
It depends on your priority, sound quality or surround/atmos effect. I think this sound bar is going to compete with some of the better sounding sound bars at the moment like the Paradigm Soundscape, Martin Logan Vision X, B&W Panorama 2, etc. Having a few current HDMI inputs will definitely be to its advantage especially if using a Blu-ray player.
 
#13 ·
I don't know if this uses the same drivers that are in their studio monitor that has a 4" driver and tweeter. That monitor goes for $500 each, so $2k might not be out of line if a similar quality. I do think $2k is a little pricey but not much more than the other sound bars I mentioned.
 
#15 ·
This really piques my interest, along with the Nakamichi. The 4 inch drivers is great news, and Sennheiser knows their business,

This soundbar managed to impress listeners by dint of its audio qualities, with no great marketing hoopla.

With the bass emanaiting fron the soundbar itself you should have more coherent sound.

4 inch drivers!
 
#22 · (Edited)
Should be the end of 2018.
I think this is one of the sleepers of CES, and the review that I read of the CES Demo was pretty great...better than another poster on another thread stated.

That poster stated that it was 80% effective in reproducing a fully enveloping sound-field, but that is not what the reviewer stated.

The Ambeo was compared by Sennheiser to its own vastly more expensive discrete speaker arrangement, utilizing larger Neuman drivers...larger than the 4 inch Neumans used in the Ambeo.

The reviewer said he heard effects from all over the room, including overhead from the Ambeo. When comparing it to the much more expensive Nueman separates the reviewer said the Ambeo wan 80% as effective and detailed (paraphrasing here) as the Sennheiser separates. This is quite a different thing, and people should not think they are not getting an immersion effect with the Ambeo. And with 4 inch drivers this soundbar should overcome one of the weak points of most soundbars...inadequate midrange, one of the most important parts of the audio spectrum.

I'm interested in this and the Nakamichi,, and am curious about the new 5.1.4 Samsung.
 
#27 ·
Yeah, this is an interesting piece of equipment. It only has two up firing drivers, yet Sennheiser says it produces the equivalents of 5.1.4… Not 5.1.2.

Ambeo is a name not just for the Soundbar, but also their headphones and other equipment. if I understand correctly, it really represents another object oriented system like Atmos or DTS X, that also strives to place sounds anywhere in the room. Additionally it presumably can accept Atmos and DTS X, and output it as Ambeo.

And you're right, that those large Neumann drivers look to be something special. A true one-piece Soundbar that performs like something more.
 
#29 ·
All's quiet on the Western front as far as industry reviews or further demos of the Ambeo, but here's a really peculiar youtube of what purports to be a demo of the ambeo. It reminds me of the alien autopsy video, as in "what's going on here?"

Is' it a blowy day in the Netherlands (or somewhere), and is what we're hearing an audio track of rain, matched to a blowy, drizzly day? It's actually a little annoying in it's lack of explanation, and of course hearing whatever it is on your PC speakers means.....nothing.

But here it is, so you can having something possibly Ambeo to chew on.

 
#32 ·
Any new info on this, it should be quite interesting especially to compare with Creative Labs Sonic Carrier. All I have heard is the cabinet design and some features (number of HDMI ports, etc.) have NOT been finalized. The speakers and positions have been finished, but the cabinet may be styled and trimmed a bit more than what has been shown so far. I was told to expect more at CEDIA 2018 for an update.
 
#36 ·
If I am reading that article right this could be a massive kick in the teeth to owners of 2018 soundbars as well?


Does that mean all 2018 soundbars that can be patched, the manufacturer will need to go back and disable Atmos upmixing?


Some bars were heavily advertised, like the Sony Z9F which has a single press button that upmixes content and gives it the Atmos height channel, this could mean that feature has to be removed?
 
#39 ·
I’m actually getting hyped for this after all the other sound bar product and announcement fails. Six 4” drivers... :::drool::: Strong, balanced audio and I live in a small place so I can probably make due without rears. And then you dont have or really need a separate subwoofer cleaning things up even more. Hopefully it wont be 3-5k where I think it will end up landing.
 
#40 · (Edited)
What I am hearing now is that it may not hit this year and be more polished and finalized at next year's CES 2019 in January. Considering there are no promos of it being forthcoming from Sennheiser or any news for updates than what was already known, I would say it's a good bet.

For now, the Creative soundbar is the absolute best you can get, but it costs as much as many spend on their 65 inch OLED. I'm still guessing the Sennheiser will be around $2,999 when shipped.

You still have the Samsung N950 coming soon but it will NOT support Dolby Vision due to Samsung not being in their format camp just like their TVs. It gets automatically ruled out for me due to this being a must have.
 
#42 ·
Dang, it’s going to be quite the wait but on the positive side, that should hopefully mean that all HDMI ports will be full 2.1. I’m hesitant to buy a $2000+ system without the latest standards as with the N950 not having DV. I do not have a DV TV now but I might in another couple years...
 
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