Sharp’s new soundbars bring Dolby Atmos into your living room – without breaking the bank
Sharp has announced two new soundbars with built-in Dolby Atmos for a 3D sound home cinema experience – and they’re actually kind of affordable.
The HT-SBW800 and the HT-SBW460 are the latest addition to Sharp’s soundbar lineup, and the two devices promise to create a 360-degree surround sound system right in your living room.
Related: What is Dolby Atmos? All you need to know
The HT-SBW460 is a small 3.1 channel soundbar that creates a heightened 3D soundscape without up-firing drivers.
The next step up is the HT-SBW800. This soundbar is even more powerful with five speakers, including a centre speaker, two side-firing speakers and two up-firing speakers. The sound bounces sound off the walls and ceiling, giving movies a full, cinema-like Atmos effect.
Both soundbars have two HDMI inputs and one HDMI output along with 4K pass-through and ARC CEC functions. They’re also compatible with loads of devices with Bluetooth 4.2, digital optical, aux, coax and USB.
The HT-SBW800 has a max power output of 570W, while the HT-SBW460 has a slightly smaller max power output of 440W. Both feature powerful wireless subwoofers and centre speaker channels designed for clear-voice reproduction.
Soundbars are generally regarded as a more affordable method of getting the 3D sound experience in the home without paying out of pocket or filling the room with speakers.
Dolby Atmos-compatible soundbars generally combine the traditional soundbar tech with upward-firing speakers – like those in the Sharp HT-SBW800 – to recreate the Atmos experience without the clutter of a proper surround sound system.
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While these new soundbars aren’t quite the cheapest out there, they are among the more affordable available, especially when you consider some of the higher end options on the market.
The new Sharp soundbars are available to buy now from Amazon. The Sharp HT-SBW800 is priced at £449, while the Sharp HT-SBW460 is even more affordable at just £299.