Bluesound Pulse Cinema Review: Sonos Alternative
- If you're looking for a top-notch Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Sonos Arc Ultra remains a strong contender.
- Bluesound offers a range of speakers, subwoofers, and music streamers similar to Sonos.
- Bluesound has traditionally lagged in home theater audio, especially with Dolby Atmos height-channel support.
If you’re looking for a top-notch Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Sonos Arc Ultra remains a strong contender. But Sonos is still recovering from its 2024 software issues, and many customers have turned to competitors. Bluesound, a wireless, multiroom audio ecosystem, is a leading alternative.
Bluesound offers a range of speakers, subwoofers, and music streamers similar to Sonos. its especially popular with audiophiles who appreciate its support for lossless,hi-res audio formats,and are willing to pay a premium – Bluesound devices typically cost 30 to 50 percent more than Sonos.
Bluesound has traditionally lagged in home theater audio, especially with Dolby Atmos height-channel support. that changes with the $1,499 Pulse Cinema, the company’s first Dolby Atmos soundbar featuring dedicated up-firing drivers and a center channel.
A Sonos-Like Footprint
Photograph: Chris Haslam
The Pulse Cinema includes a single HDMI-ARC/eARC port, an analog input, a digital input, a USB port for external storage, two-way Bluetooth with aptX Adaptive, and Ethernet/Wi-Fi options. It also features a wired subwoofer output, uncommon for most soundbars.