LudacusVizio Elevate Soundbar
Remember Dolby Atmos? The audio technology by Dolby that uses upwards directing speakers to create moving audio that flows all around you with a sense of depth? While this is not the first soundbar that is capable of playing back Dolby Atmos encoded content, the Vizio Elevate Sound Bar definitely has one of the most innovative implementations of the speaker drivers.
Powered by a total of 18 drivers (!), a pair of the drivers will point forward when playing 5.1 or stereo audio content but will automatically rotate upwards when playing Dolby Atmos or DTS:X encoded audio. It also comes with an 8″ wireless subwoofer and 2 satellite surround speakers. Connectivity-wise, you can expect your usual Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Chromecast built-in.
Creative SXFI CARRIER
The successor of Creative’s U$5,799 X-Fi Sonic Carrier is a smaller, equally powerful soundbar that is a fraction of the price. Called the SXFI CARRIER, the first-of-its-kind DASS soundbar was jointly developed with Dolby Laboratories. The SXFI CARRIER is capable of playing back Dolby Atmos content and also house Creative’s award-winning Super X-Fi technology that produces authentic cinema sound over headphones at night.
The SXFI CARRIER is only 880 mm in length and comes with a 10-inch wireless subwoofer. In terms of connectivity, the SXFI CARRIER features Bluetooth, USB-C and USB-A ports, an HDMI eARC port for uncompressed and lossless HD audio, and two HDMI 2.1 inputs, which will allow rich sound and high-resolution picture quality to pass through from an 8K video source. The SXFI Carrier is slated to be launched in Q2 2020 and will be priced attractively under USD1,000.
JBL Bar 9.1
The Bar 9.1 is JBL’s first soundbar that supports the Dolby Atmos audio standard. Instead of using physical cables to connect the rear speakers, JBL decided to go with entirely wireless and battery-powered speakers. To charge the rear speakers, you simply have to connect them to the sides of the main soundbar and detach them when needed. For a single charge, the company says that it can provide up to 10 hours of audio playback wirelessly.
Connectivity-wise, the JBL Bar 9.1 supports Bluetooth, Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay2. It also comes with a 10″ subwoofer to complete the system. When available in Spring 2020, the JBL Bar 9.1 will be expected to set you back by U$1000.