I use both a pair of OG HomePods and an Ambeo Plus with my Apple TV 4K. I used HomePods alone for years, but minor hearing loss required something that better surfaced dialogue. The Ambeo excels at this, better than the recent HomePod update that enhances dialogue too. However, I find the HomePods have a more expansive soundstage, probably due to greater physical separation and being sublimely over-engineered. The HomePods crush the Ambeo playing music. I now use one, or the other, or all three, depending on the content I’m watching.
Still, for $999 on sale, I’m satisfied with the value of the Ambeo Plus, and I definitely don’t need a subwoofer, though they are available. The Ambeo Plus does work with the Apple Remote and supports HDMI-CEC, but with a caveat connected to my Sony Bravia. The handshake process on startup results in the screen blanking a couple of times. Sennheiser support was unhelpful in fixing this. It may the Bravia too, as the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar I tried had no problem negotiating with other devices, but it didn’t sound as good as the Ambeo to me.
My advice is to try a pair of large HomePods, especially if you can get them on sale, something very likely over the Black Friday weekend. If that isn’t enough, there is now an Ambeo Mini, though I would not pay $799, maybe $599 on sale?
I use both a pair of OG HomePods and an Ambeo Plus with my Apple TV 4K. I used HomePods alone for years, but minor hearing loss required something that better surfaced dialogue. The Ambeo excels at this, better than the recent HomePod update that enhances dialogue too. However, I find the HomePods have a more expansive soundstage, probably due to greater physical separation and being sublimely over-engineered. The HomePods crush the Ambeo playing music. I now use one, or the other, or all three, depending on the content I’m watching.
Still, for $999 on sale, I’m satisfied with the value of the Ambeo Plus, and I definitely don’t need a subwoofer, though they are available. The Ambeo Plus does work with the Apple Remote and supports HDMI-CEC, but with a caveat connected to my Sony Bravia. The handshake process on startup results in the screen blanking a couple of times. Sennheiser support was unhelpful in fixing this. It may the Bravia too, as the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar I tried had no problem negotiating with other devices, but it didn’t sound as good as the Ambeo to me.
My advice is to try a pair of large HomePods, especially if you can get them on sale, something very likely over the Black Friday weekend. If that isn’t enough, there is now an Ambeo Mini, though I would not pay $799, maybe $599 on sale?