The sound of the movie changes completely! Sennheiser "AMBEO Soundbar" review

……However, since the product has already been released overseas, many people may already know about it. Still, for those who were expecting a domestic release, it is exactly the long-awaited product. Before the release on July 27th, I was able to listen to it one step ahead, so let's introduce it.

A soundbar that will blow your mind in many ways

AMBEO Soundbar is a sound bar product that lives up to its name. Recently, there has been a demand for staying at home, and sound bars are gaining popularity for the reason that people want to upgrade their viewing experience at home! is attracting attention in this sense.

If you imagine such an AMBEO Soundbar, a so-called general soundbar, I guarantee you will be confused. Starting with an unparalleled price of about 360,000 yen (actual sales around 357,000 yen), it is a super-class soundbar in every aspect, including configuration and functionality.

First, let's check the appearance. At first glance, the first photo may look like a normal sound bar placed under a small monitor, but it's actually placed under a 60V monitor. The AMBEO Soundbar is a non-standard size with a width of about 130 cm and a weight of about 18.5 kg. Originally, he was worried about selling it because the size doesn't match the Japanese housing environment, but he decided to introduce it after receiving many inquiries. The enthusiasm of domestic maniacs is also amazing.

When you open the front grill, you can see the speaker unit. There are 6 woofers, 5 tweeters, and 2 full-range speakers, for a total of 13 speakers. As a result, surround playback of 5.1.4ch (5.1ch + ceiling 4ch) described later is realized.

Compatible inputs are also substantial, equipped with HDMI x 3, optical digital x 1, analog RCA x 1. It also supports Bluetooth, wireless LAN, and Google Chromecast built-in (audio only). In particular, it is quite unusual for a sound bar to have three HDMI inputs, and if anything, you can feel the concept of an AV amplifier. Since the sound bar itself takes up a lot of space, it makes sense that you can connect other AV devices together, and it is very convenient.

The biggest feature is that "AMBEO 3D technology" allows you to enjoy three-dimensional surround sound with a single sound bar. In other words, there is no need to prepare many speakers like in a conventional surround environment, and you can easily enjoy 3D audio.

To enjoy this 3D technology, you need to do a room calibration first. By setting up the attached microphone and measuring the shape of the room from the echoes in the room, it automatically recognizes the distance to the wall and the position of the furniture. As a result, the sound is reverberated in the room, creating a 5.1.4ch listening environment optimized for the room where the AMBEO Soundbar is installed!

Surround experience with "Spider-Man" and "Weathering with You"

I introduced the product overview of AMBEO Soundbar, but in the end, I was wondering, "What is that?" Really?” After all, isn't it impossible to achieve a surround experience with a single sound bar? In listening to the sound of software etc.

First, I watched "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (audio format: Dolby Atmos). In the middle of the story, in the scene where Spider-Man confronts Vulture on the ferry, the powerful action scene of Spider-Man and Vulture flying around freely is beautifully expressed, and it is so powerful that you can't help but cry out. In the scene where bullets, lasers, and vultures are fired from various places, it feels like they are passing overhead, and it is extremely three-dimensional. It was so much that I couldn't use the word "pseudo" anymore, and looked back and said, "Wait, did you put speakers in the back?"

The bass, such as the explosion, is also powerful, and although the AMBEO Soundbar has a subwoofer output terminal on the back, it is so powerful that it is completely unnecessary. I was knocked down by a tremendous performance from the first shot. That's amazing, AMBEO...

In that case, how about anime?! In the scene where Harareonna starts her part-time job ("Festival"), the feeling of the atmosphere on a rainy day and the difference in how the sound of rain reverberates depending on the angle is clearly depicted. The perfection that gives you an illusion. The music also sounds spacious, and blends seamlessly with the three-dimensional SE (sound effects).

I thought I had listened to the music of "Weathering with You" on a high-resolution version, but when I listened to it again in a surround environment, I was struck by the peculiar sensation of the music spreading around me. Nah ..." I became nostalgic.

In the scene where Hodaka is heading to the sky ("Grand Escape"), the texture of the raindrops when passing through the clouds, and the part where the chorus enters the song and the chorus rises all at once. You can enjoy a magnificent sense of scale. Not to mention the power in flashy scenes, the detailed depiction that allows you to listen carefully to the sound of small SEs does not make you feel that the sound is only coming from the sound bar in front of you... Where did the sound come from in the first place? I forgot that I was there, and was able to immerse myself in the work in a space surrounded by sound.

Check the expressive power of live music with Imus movies

Next, I also watched "THE IDOLM@STER MOVIE Kagayaki no Mukouha e!" (audio format: DTS-HD MasterAudio 5.1ch) . The last live scene, which is said to be “5 minutes and 30 seconds of shock”, is a masterpiece. From the lively atmosphere of the venue before the performance started, it is so realistic that it reminds me of the days when I often went to the live venue (I laughed at how real it was).

Of course, the sense of realism from the beginning of the song is just like the live performance itself, and the three-dimensional sound of the stage and the way the cheers and clapping spread are different. The spacious acoustics of the arena were reproduced, and it could be said that it was not inferior to a little live viewing (streaming screening of concerts etc. at movie theaters). I didn't bring it with me this time, so I couldn't try it, but I think you can definitely enjoy the actual music live footage.

In AMBEO's 3D sound, you can select sound settings from presets such as "movie" and "music". When I watched it while switching between the scenes where the above songs were playing, I got the impression that 'movie' emphasized three-dimensional effect, and 'music' emphasized the localization of each sound. If you want to enjoy realistic surround sound playback, you can use "Movie", and if you want to listen carefully to the performance of a song, you can use "Music".

By the way, you can turn off AMBEO's 3D sound itself, but the difference between turning it on and off is tremendous. The more you can clearly see the sound field, the narrower the sound field. As far as I tried various things this time, I felt that the idea of ​​​​always turning on when enjoying content normally is good.

These settings can be set using the smartphone app, and in addition to presets, you can adjust the equalizer, switch sources, and check codecs. I guess.

You can also listen to 3D audio. Compatible with Sony 360RA

Speaking of "3D audio" these days, Sony's "360 Reality Audio" (Sanrokumaru Reality Audio, 360RA). AMBEO Soundbar supports Chromecast built-in, and you can play music such as nugs.net and Deezer by streaming from compatible models such as Xperia.

This is also a big benefit from surround sound, and although it is not as impressive as a movie, if you close your eyes, you can tell what musical instrument is at a distance, and it is clearly different from stereo playback. I enjoyed the three-dimensional music experience. You can experience 360 ​​Reality Audio with ordinary earphones and headphones, but if you want to enjoy the content you've been looking for, I think it's worth listening to in such an environment.

Turns an ordinary room into a theater. It's big but "compact"!? It made me realize that I had made a big mistake. Best of all, thanks to room calibration, you can enjoy perfect acoustics even in a non-specially arranged room. This time, I watched it in a nondescript conference room-like space, but the finish was so good that I forgot about it.

It is quite large for a sound bar, but considering that it has 13 speakers and an AV amplifier, it may be said that it is rather compact. When I told the person in charge of Sennheiser that, he said, "It's just my imagination. It's big," but I believe so (firm feeling). If you have the space to install it, please consider it.