Hisense 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Soundbar Review: upping your sound game

I’ve always said that if you want to get the absolute most from your TV viewing experience, you have to hear your existing TV with a soundbar.

It really makes a mammoth difference, particularly for those who love movies, Netflix, Stan and sport. But, a good soundbar can really set you back a dime or two.

Hisense’s entry into the Soundbar category this year should create more competition on price, and that’s only good for consumers.

In the EFTM office, we’ve got our hands on the 5.1.2 channel Dolby Atmos soundbar which kicked off at $999 – but can be found below $800 at major retailers as we scanned the prices today.

We paired it with a Hisense TV, but that’s not a requirement at all – just worked for our photos really:)

Interestingly though, I’ve got to say I was disappointed with the “fit”. The bar is too wide to fit between the legs of the 65 inch Hisense TV, so you need a decent amount of depth on your entertainment unit if your TV is not wall-mounted.

Setup was easy, the wireless sub-woofer pair fast and we were running.

And boy oh boy does that Sub have some power. You’re going to want to hear it pumped up to maximum Bass at least once, but that shook the glass cabinets in the office big time, great effect, but in reality it sounds great at just 0 on the Bass scale (the settings go into negative if you choose).

Sound in the room was rich, and full, a real step up from a standard TV experience, and my new go-to for sound testing the Netflix Drive to Survive F1 Documentary (which over-engineers the sound effects on track) just sung.

Amazing surround sound effects, but most importantly a very strong left to right differentiation.

“Dolby Atmos” is in the name of the soundbar, and while I’ve no doubt of it’s Atmos support, I always struggle to find genuine Atmos content to hear and besides, after that mega expensive Sennheiser experience – I’m not sure I can ever really experience properly again.

I like the style of the design, I think the Bass is out of the park, and the overall sound quality is going to lift your game more than you know it.

At a $550 odd premium over the 2.1 channel Hisense offering, I think there’s a clear benefit to the 5.1.2 on overall performance – and for well under $1,000 you might just bring a whole new lift to an older TV you have now, while anyone spending $1,500 or more on a TV should consider a soundbar to get the best overall experience.

A few points off for the size, but solid performance on Bass and Surround sound – this is an 8 out of 10 for me, especially at the sub $800 price point.