While 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound involves placing speakers around your room on a single plane, the concept behind Dolby Atmos audio is to give audio an element of height. If you don’t want to install speakers in your ceiling though, this sound bar is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to pull off the effect.
The Pioneer Surround Elite Atmos Soundbar is a 3.1.2 system, meaning you get three regular audio channels in the sound bar, a wireless subwoofer for bass, and two special “object” speakers that point upwards, and bounce sound off your ceiling, creating the effect of Atmos surround sound with minimal hardware. And for content that doesn’t support Atmos, the system is smart enough to mix it as regular 5.1.
At $500, it’s still not a cheap proposition, but that price is a full $500 less than usual, and easily an all-time low. Just note that this is a Gold Box deal, meaning it’s only available today, and it could easily sell out early.
This seems like a good time to remind you that Amazon’s just-announced new Fire TV supports Dolby Atmos for just $70.