DALI Katch One soundbar, Iron Black

Product Information

Generally, soundbars are a single long speaker with several drivers inside but some come with external subwoofers for extra low-end extension and rear speakers for surround sound effects whereas others are compatible with other speakers from within the manufacturer's brand. If floor-shaking bass is high on your priority list then these are models you'll want to consider. The two different sound modes "Wide" and "Focus" are designed to let the KATCH ONE perform with the widest selection of movies, documentaries, news, and music. "Focus" offers a focused and very linear audio reproduction, while "Wide" offers a wide, impressive and very dynamic audio rendering - bringing a room-filling, surprisingly powerful experience. So-called soundbar systems have been flourishing for years, as they represent the simplest and most compact solution for this task from the consumer’s point of view. After all, the aim is to add just one single system that can be integrated into the living space around the television as homogeneously and discreetly as possible. At least a soundbar is mandatory… The Sonos Arc uses 11 drivers to create your soundfield, a number of which are upward-firing and angled into your room to bounce sound off your walls and ceiling and give you a more realistic Dolby Atmos effect. It all adds up to one of the most convincing Atmos performances you can get from a soundbar based on our tests. Sound is supplied by two 5.25in wood fibre cone mid/bass drivers and a pair of 1in soft textile dome tweeters. The Class D amplifier features an all-digital crossover and delivers 25W to each driver individually, resulting in a quoted total power output of 100W.

In the vast majority of cases we will not be able to install the cabinet doors to built-in laundry products as the fittings very rarely match up. We will try our best however if we are unable to do this we will still install connect to plumbing and put the appliance in situ. ARC/eARC also allows your main TV remote to control the basic volume and power functions of your soundbar via HDMI CEC(Consumer Electronics Control). Some soundbars come with their own remotes and/or have app control, but if your connection to your TV uses an optical cable, you may still be able to use your regular controller. Certain models, such as the Sonos Ray and B&W Panorama 3, can 'learn' to recognise the commands of both IR and RF remotes, but the set-up will depend on your TV manufacturer.Delivering Dolby Atmos from a small chassis is no mean feat but the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sonos Beam Gen 2 achieves a convincing, immersive performance without so much as a vertical speaker in sight. The Dali KATCH one is, in our humble opinion, exactly what it should be, a soundbar that can be integrated as simply and easily as possible into any living environment, leaves a very elegant impression, guarantees easy operation and delivers impeccable TV sound, no more, no less. Dali Speaker A/S itself does not promise anything else, does not talk about a home cinema solution, does not lure with anything bombastically exaggerated, but simply presents what the Dali KATCH one can actually deliver, TV sound, but in such a way that it sounds very appealing and flawless. It’s worth noting that there’s no surround sound processing, which is a blessing. The Kubik One’s direct and focused stereo presentation allows you to enjoy the movie without distractions, but the unit’s power and wide-dispersing drivers make you feel reasonably enveloped anyway. You’ll want to think about how you plan to use your soundbar and make sure the model you get has the connectivity options to support the devices you plan to use with it. For example, do you want to use HDMI or optical audio, and Bluetooth or Wi-Fi? If your TV has HDMI ARC or eARC, consider getting a soundbar that supports this feature, as it allows for better audio and control over a single HDMI cable.

It must be clearly stated that when deciding for or against an audio system for the television set, design plays an essential, if not the most important role for the vast majority of customers, as do the possibilities for integrating this audio system into the home environment. Both the casing and the front baffle of the KATCH ONE are moulded from a glass fibre reinforced ABS compound. This material enables us to construct a platform for the drivers that optimises the flow of air, widens the stereo image, and guides the sound towards the listener. This forms the base for an extremely rigid structure that ensures that the movement of the drivers does not cause unwanted resonances in the cabinet structure that could result in distortion of the audio signal. Kubik One is undeniably expensive, but justifies the outlay with outstanding build quality, fresh, modern aesthetics and fantastic sound quality. It’s a versatile performer that makes music and movies sparkle, while its wide range of connections makes it easy to access your music. The KATCH ONE offers two different sound modes: Wide and Focus. They are designed to let the KATCH ONE perform with the widest selection of movies, documentaries, news and music.

Highlights

By using a specially designed chassis, an inverted membrane and spider suspension, this shallow woofer has the same top excursion as a similar sized traditional woofer. The internal depth is turned into true low-frequency reproduction generating bass with as little help from the DSP as possible. The outward turned aluminium membrane cone is constructed with a soft fabric dust cap and allows the woofer superior air flow even at mid-range frequencies while lowering surface resonances, and retaining detail and clarity. Performance With the same acoustic architecture as the first version, the updated Beam doesn’t have upward-firing speakers for full Atmos immersion. But thanks to psychoacoustic techniques used across five speaker arrays, it does a deft job of replicating overhead effects. Paired with an impressively expansive soundstage, the Beam (Gen 2) is a small but effective solution for superior sound – and you can always add a Sub if you want more whump. The size of the soundbar is primarily down to the larger-than-enough drivers Sennheiser has managed to fit in, and the result is a sound big enough not to need its own subwoofer, with clear, direct dialogue and detail and subtlety in spades. The way it stretches the sound around you creates a great atmosphere and really draws you into the action.As we note in our review: "While some soundbars with external subwoofers go deeper, the bass here is delivered with weighty gusto and seamless integration. This is what helps the Sennheiser achieve the sort of effortless, natural tonality and texture that most rivals can’t begin to match." But the best thing about the Ambeo Max's sound? How little attention it draws; "there's none of the beamy, nasal harshness found in many other soundbars and on the whole, the processing is natural and convincing."