Best Premium Soundbars: Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio, and More

Featured in this article

Contrary to what some folks on A/V forums and sites like Reddit would have you believe, modern soundbars are actually very good. They deliver clear, impactful sound in place of your TV's subpar onboard speakers. Even a budget soundbar can make a big impact on everything from sports to movie night. Spending up is where most forum lovers will jump down your throat: People claim an A/V reciever and speakers is the only way to go, but my experience says a premium soundbar system can take your experience from adequate to transformative, and is easier to hide around a modern living room than a receiver, wires, and speakers.

WIRED colleagues and I have tested nearly every major soundbar model over the last few years. For this guide, I gathered a shortlist of my favorite premium soundbars, as well as other plug-and-play systems that left a lasting impression on me. From swirling Dolby Atmos surround sound to striking performance with music, these top picks deliver performance worthy of your premium TV. They'll cost you more than the average bar, but you will certainly hear the difference.

How WIRED Defines Premium Soundbars

To find the best premium soundbars, I curated models at the top of their respective fields in a variety of designs and styles. Every model clears a high bar (pun inteded) for quality in its audio performance and features, but also in daily usability. Each pick also supports high-quality audio formats, including Dolby Atmos to provide an immersive experience with supported content from streaming services like Netflix, HBO, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, and 4K HDR Blu-rays.

Other features I looked for include support for Wi-Fi music streaming to go along with basic Bluetooth, apps for adjusting settings like EQ (equalization) and speaker volume/velocity, automated calibration to tune the sound to your room, and networking features that allow you to grow your system with other speakers in a true surround or whole-home audio system.

What Is Dolby Atmos and Why Do I Want It?

Traditional surround sound systems incorporate five or more channels along the horizontal plane, including at least two behind you, as well as a bass channel from a subwoofer. This is referred to as 5.1 surround (the bass is the “.1”), 7.1 surround, and so on. These systems respond to surround sound mixes in TV shows and movies by spreading sound effects across each channel in order to provide a realistic sonic environment that corresponds with on-screen images to “surround” you in sound.

Dolby Atmos and rival 3D audio systems like DTS:X supplement traditional surround sound by adding a height element that spreads sound effects not just across the horizontal plane, but also the vertical one to create what is referred to by Dolby and others as a “dome” or hemisphere of sound. A basic dolby atmos system offers 5.1.2 or 5.1.4 channels, with the extra “2” or “4” indicating the number of height channels.

Multi-component home theater systems usually employ a separate speaker cabinet for each represented channel, including speakers either mounted on the ceiling or designed to bounce sound from the floor off to the ceiling to represent the overhead height channels in Dolby Atmos and other 3D sound mixes.

Dolby Atmos soundbars use a similar design concept, including upfiring drivers and, for some, separate speakers for the surround sound elements, referred to as rear or satellite speakers. Others use a mix of digital signal processing, upfiring and side-firing drivers (often a mix of both) to bounce sound off your ceiling and walls. These systems can be very effective, but especially when it comes to rear surround sound channels, there's no substitute for real speakers placed behind you.

How We Test Soundbars

My colleagues and I test soundbars in our homes, using them the same way you would. We watch whatever comes across our daily screens to get a lived-in feeling, alongside regimented testing material, including Dolby Atmos demo discs from Spears and Munsil and specific scenes in movies and TV shows we've seen dozens of times, like Mad Max: Fury Road, Ant-Man (it's got great Dolby Atmos scenes), and many others.

We test all the features, use (and sometimes lose) the remote, setup Wi-Fi for streaming and network connection, and stream music to test for streaming consistency and how the different sound registers work across our favorite test tracks. We also measure the volume in decibels (dB) using meters or phone apps to see how loud the sound gets in various situations.

Honorable Mentions

Not every premium soundbar reaches my elite list, but that doesn't mean they're not worth consideration, depending on your budget and setup. Here are some other choices that I or other WIRED reviewers tested and liked.

Marshall Heston 120 for $1300: This first soundbar from the legendary amplifier and (more recently) Bluetooth speaker maker provides some real perks. I love the classy design highlighted by sparkling gold control knobs and groovy strips of vinyl that recall Marshall's iconic instrument amplifiers. The sound is musical, detailed, and balanced, and adds solid Dolby Atmos expression. The main drawback is that the sound that feels restrained, something I was especially aware of when the action ramps up, which is the opposite of what you'd expect from a bar steeped in rock 'n roll heritage. The price also rose $300 after launch, further dampening the vibe.

Yamaha True X Surround 90a for $3,500: Yamaha's return to the soundbar market certainly has the “premium” part down in the staggeringly expensive 90a. The package includes a wireless subwoofer and two fully wireless, battery-powered surround speakers that can also be used as Bluetooth speakers outside your home. Reviewer Simon Cohen says the sound is excellent, with impressive detail and surround sound clarity, alongside support for Dolby Atmos and other advanced 3D audio formats. It's got some drawbacks though, including fewer connection options and features than I'd expect, and some issues with dialog out of the box.

Bluesound Pulse Cinema for $1,499: If you're concerned about Sonos' software reliability, Bluesound has become a refuge for many folks looking for a powerful networking system in place of Sonos speakers. The Bluesound Pulse Cinema offers many of the same features as the Sonos Arc Ultra, including the ability to expand with other speakers for multi-room audio, along with acoustic additions like upfiring speakers for Dolby Atmos. Unfortunately, it lacks common options like EQ and channel adjustment, and our reviewer found the performance doesn't reach the same heights as the Sonos bar, making its high price harder to stomach.

Sony Bravia Theater 9 for $1,200-$1,500: Sony's latest flagship soundbar performs well in a vacuum, but it's not as good as the bar it replaces, the HT-A7000. The design is more simplified (read more boring), with fewer inputs and sound settings, and its sound is not as weighty in the midrange or bass. It's still a Sony flagship soundbar, and that means good detail, solid music performance, and good immersion with 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos. A new design (with a higher price) doesn't guarantee an upgrade, though, and this bar feels like a step back.