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Why you need a soundbar and where to place it
Where to find soundbars with Dolby Atmos
Soundbars with Dolby Atmos® are everywhere. All major soundbar brands like LG, Samsung, Sony, Sonos, Toshiba, Philips, Loewe, Panasonic, and Sennheiser have Dolby Atmos in their products and major retailers carry plenty of options for you to choose from — as low as £180/€150/$199. Whether you decide to shop online or in person, just look for the Dolby Atmos badge on the retail packaging or product feature list.
How to set up a Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar
There are two main options for connecting your Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar to your TV.
The first, and simplest one, is to connect your TV and soundbar with a single ARC/eARC cable. Find the HDMI port labelled “ARC/eARC” on the back or side of your TV. Then connect one end of your HDMI cable to your TV and the other end to the port labeled “eARC/HDMI input” on your soundbar.
The second way is via HDMI passthrough. Locate the port labelled “HDMI output” on the back or side of your soundbar. Then connect one end of your HDMI cable from it to the “HDMI input” port located on the back or side of your TV.
If you want to add an additional device (for example a streaming device, Blu-ray player, or gaming console) just connect your device to the soundbar’s “HDMI input” port. That’s it!
For a deeper dive, read our article for connecting your Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar to your TV.
How to get the best experience out of your soundbar
A soundbar with Dolby Atmos may contain a minimum of two Dolby Atmos-enabled speaker elements to generate height audio effects above you. This unique feature will create the feeling that sound is coming from overhead. To get the best experience from your soundbar, place it so nothing is between the Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers and the ceiling.
To deliver the best height effects, the soundbar should be placed just below your TV without obstructing the picture or any of the speakers on the soundbar (roughly chest height when seated is a good reference point).
Some Dolby Atmos soundbars may also contain side-firing elements to enhance the surround sound effects, creating a feeling of moving audio all around you. If it has side-firing speakers, make sure that the sound from the speakers is not immediately blocked by pictures, plants, books, or any other objects close to it.
Most soundbars enabled with Dolby Atmos have an indicator that lets you know when the device is receiving and playing content in Dolby Atmos. The indicator may show up on the display of the device, as an LED light, or could be on an app which runs on a mobile device (like a phone or a remote control). You’ll need to consult your product manual for details on how your device indicates Dolby Atmos.
Now that you’ve got your soundbar enabled with Dolby Atmos set up you will probably want to test its speakers. There is a wide range of entertainment you can choose from on popular streaming platforms such as Apple TV +, Netflix, HBO Max (US), Paramount + (US), Amazon Prime Video, and Disney +. As well as cable services such as Sky and BT Sport in the UK and Comcast in the US. Just look for the Dolby Atmos badge on the title pages of your favorite entertainment.
Many services will offer Dolby Atmos as part of their standard subscription. If not available, check with your service provider as you may need to upgrade to a different subscription plan.