Think I Found my Sonos Replacement

It’s what a $700+ Soundbar should be. Has HDMI ports and supports modern audio codecs.

Is it the best home theater option? Certainly not. But for what Sonos charges it’s light years ahead.
This is the bit I never get with these sort of posts. The $700+ isn't a compulsory tax, it is a choice in a free and competitive market. If a product meets the needs of the market much better than another, at a similar price, the inferior product will soon sink. What you get for your money is what is promised, there is no set of features that is a basic human right for a particular price.

Sonos must be making a judgement that the cost of adding additional codecs and connections would not pay for itself in increased sales. I don't know if they are right or wrong, but if a product doesn't give you what you want for the price you are willing to pay, don't buy it.

You’re aware that home theater is not their forte so why did you post this? Wait a minute....did Sennheiser put you up to this? Why I oughta.....
If this ever comes to market here’s how it’s going to play out:
1- purchase soundbar and shortly after hooking up you’ll say hey wait, it doesn’t sound the same without actual rear surrounds.
2-you will buy the rear surrounds the offer as a supplement. Then, Hey wait- that explosion LOOKED cool, but why didn’t I feel it in my gut?
3- Buy subwoofer after selling your car to afford it.
4- go on Sennheiser's forum and complain that soundbar didn’t live up to your expectations and you are selling it for a Sonos set up!
For a company that has never made home theater a priority for them, Sonos sure has impressed the pants off of me it! It is simply that amazing, yes

From the article:

"I have a Sonos Playbar and sub in my living room, and this Sennheiser speaker blows that out of the water, too."

Another article on the Sennheiser:

https://gizmodo.com/sennheisers-first-home-audio-product-is-a-3d-sound-bar-1821977579

Article states it sounds almost as good as a 9.1 setup.

Another article. This thing sounds amazing. I'll check it out when it comes out.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/sennheiser-first-soundbar-ambeo-3d-surround-dolby-atmos/

Purchasing a TV that can handle DD 5.1 is a workaround and you are missing out on TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, the list goes on. Even the addition of DTS at this stage in the game is too little too late. Modern audio codecs are a requirement for a luxury home theater product in 2018. You would not buy a 1080P television set, let alone one that cost the same as a 4K set.

The Sennheiser unit is in production and scheduled to be released this year. That's more of a road-map than I heard from the Sonos camp.

They had a great concept with the 5.1 setup but never truly delivered. The system is great for wireless music but even that space is getting crowded.

The Sennheiser unit is in production and scheduled to be released this year. That's more of a road-map than I heard from the Sonos camp.
I don't see any firm information on release schedule or pricing ($2,000 is hinted at), and it appears to be in development rather than in production. Why don't you check back in on this thread when (1) the product is actually available, (2) you know how much it costs, and (3) you've heard it for yourself.

They had a great concept with the 5.1 setup but never truly delivered. The system is great for wireless music but even that space is getting crowded.

My whole point I guess I am trying to get through is IT IS A GREAT 5.1 setup! You are telling me that you own/have listened to a Sonos 5.1 set up and did not enjoy it? You are saying that you TRULY notice a difference between Sonos 5.1 and a set up with actual Dolby/DTS? You can not include ATMOS, 7.1, 9.1 because that’s a different game. I have been fortunate in my life to own tons of audio gear. I have literally owned probably 30 complete 5.1 set ups. I actually took part in designing one of the most sought after car audio competition subwoofers. I was an IASCA judge for a few years. I cannot for the life of me, get how you figured out how you “found your Sonos replacement” from an article that takes 3 minutes to read. Wow, the 4 inch speakers play down to 20hz. That must go through you like a cannon!

I must admit I didn't click the OP's link and didn't realise that he hadn't actually seen or heard his vastly superior alternative to Sonos.

They had a great concept with the 5.1 setup but never truly delivered. The system is great for wireless music but even that space is getting crowded.

My whole point I guess I am trying to get through is IT IS A GREAT 5.1 setup! You are telling me that you own/have listened to a Sonos 5.1 set up and did not enjoy it? You are saying that you TRULY notice a difference between Sonos 5.1 and a set up with actual Dolby/DTS? You can not include ATMOS, 7.1, 9.1 because that’s a different game. I have been fortunate in my life to own tons of audio gear. I have literally owned probably 30 complete 5.1 set ups. I actually took part in designing one of the most sought after car audio competition subwoofers. I was an IASCA judge for a few years. I cannot for the life of me, get how you figured out how you “found your Sonos replacement” from an article that takes 3 minutes to read. Wow, the 4 inch speakers play down to 20hz. That must go through you like a cannon!

Yes I own a Sonos 5.1 system. As a Home Theater solution it is awful. It excels at music and is maybe good for some TV programs. A true home theater solution should be able to decode modern codecs. I cannot even play a Dolby TrueHD or any non-lossy audio codecs.

The Sennheiser product does all that and more and is receiving glowing reviews from those who have heard it. I will gladly report back as this is a day-one purchase for me.

Sounds like the Sonos fanboy is strong in this forum and for whatever reason people are not willing to admit Sonos’ offering is antiquated. It is not even marginally “good” when you factor in price:performance ratio.

And yes - I can most certainly hear the difference between DD 5.1 on Sonos and TrueHD or DTSX on a more capable system. Clear as I can hear the difference between an MP3 and lossless 192/24 Losless HD audio file.

I know if I had found my Sonos replacement, the very last thing I would be doing is posting on the Sonos forum. Aside from posting the system on e-bay, if I hated it enough to replace it, it would be over and done. I also don't follow my ex-girlfriend's Facebook feed or lurk outside her home. But that's just me. 😃