It's not every day that you see a soundbar software upgrade actually add a feature as significant as Dolby Atmos. But owners of the Bluesound Pulse Soundbar+ ($899) are getting exactly that in a firmware update that is rolling out immediately, prior to the Black Friday holiday.
If you're wondering how a Soundbar that originally shipped without Dolby Atmos can regain this capability through a software update, the answer is height virtualization. This implementation of Dolby Atmos will include three separate virtualization profiles: Movie, Music, and Late Night. There is also the option to turn it off.
This Soundbar is able to play native Dolby Atmos encoded content as well as upsample two-channel stereo or surround sound into 3D immersive sound. The result is a "wider, higher, and even more enveloping soundstage." Furthermore, the sound has ensured that the tuning of the Pulse Soundbar+ retains natural timbre, regardless of where in the room the listener is seated.
“We are extremely excited that BluOS 3.16 brings a whole new dimension to our customers’ home theater experience with the Pulse Soundbar+. Many brands overlook audio quality when implementing new technologies in the soundbar category, but at Bluesound, audio quality comes first. So we’re delighted that our team’s decades of software engineering and HiFi audio design experience has made Dolby Atmos in a two-channel soundbar more believable and natural than ever.”
Matt Simmonds, Bluesound Product Manager.
For those who are unfamiliar, Bluesound is similar to Sonos in that it is a wireless ecosystem of products that can be used to assemble a multiroom audio system, and implement as individual mono, stereo, or surround-sound setups. The Pulse Soundbar+ is the foundation of the home theater oriented options that you can implement, But instead of having to buy new Soundbar to get Dolby Atmos, as is the case with the Original Sonos Beam and the new Sonos Beam Gen 2, Bluesound owners will enjoy Dolby Atmos without having to do anything other than check for that firmware update and run it.
Do you want to know more? With the Soundbar serving as the foundation of the system, you can expand upon it by adding the Pulse Sub+ 8 ($749).
Moreover, you can add a pair of Pulse Flex speakers as rear channels, to increase the surround-sound immersion. And when you're not watching movies and shows, or playing video games, there's the musical potential of the system. To be specific, Bluesound tunes the sound for audiophile quality. With the Pulse Soundbar+ you can stream high-res audio including MQA, And it supports Spotify, Tidal, Roon and Apple Airplay.
o Dolby Atmos. With Dolby Atmos, you can experience music, movies, sports and games in the most immersive and cinematic way.
o Future Forward. Bluesound’s next-generation quad-core processor boasts all the power and speed required for the latest and greatest audio and DSP processing, with built-in headroom for whatever technologies the future may hold.
o Audio First. The PULSE SOUNDBAR+ stays true to its hi-res audio foundations and its HiFi roots. The tried and tested amplifier platform packs a punch, allowing you to play loud and dig deep, with tight, musical control.
o BluOS. The world’s leading hi-res multi-room system connects the PULSE SOUNDBAR+ to any other Bluesound Player with precise control in the BluOS app.
2021-12-24 11:06:13
how is this a review?