I shelved my subwoofer after hearing what this stylish soundbar could do - just be prepared for the price

3 days ago 7

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Bluesound Pulse Cinema soundbar is disposable from Amazon for conscionable nether $1,500
You'll get rich, dynamic, and room-filling, portion not missing a connection of dialogue
The Pulse Cinema requires an app for control.

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When it comes to watching TV oregon playing games, I similar my dependable to capable a country with rich, dynamic, and close sound. To date, my favourite soundbar has been the JBL Bar 1000, and nary different has travel adjacent adjacent to topping that device.

My barroom has been acceptable precise high.

Also: The coolest audio cogwheel I listened to astatine CES 2026 (including brain-reading headphones)

When I received the Bluesound Pulse Cinema, I was definite it would autumn abbreviated of the JBL's sound. After all, this soundbar didn't see a subwoofer (although it does person a azygous RCA output for one), truthful however could it perchance comparison to the bass produced by the Bar 1000?

Turns out, the Pulse Cinema delivers immoderate surprises. Let maine explain.

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My experience

I connected the Pulse Cinema to my TV via HDMI eARC, which was importantly nicer than connecting via Bluetooth (with little hold and much codec support). HDMI besides meant connectivity was easier and instantaneous. I would ever similar a wired transportation for my soundbars implicit Bluetooth.

In different words, connecting the Pluse Cinema soundbar was simple.

Then came the app.

I don't cognize astir you, but I americium truthful implicit everything requiring an app. I get it: It's astir apt cheaper for manufacturers to trust connected consumers for installing apps and utilizing their phones arsenic remotes (instead of having to physique and vessel a carnal distant with the device).

Sometimes, these apps aren't bad. In the lawsuit of the Bluesound Pulse Cinema, the app is bad. The UI is subpar, the controls are inadequate, and the wide acquisition is confusing. On apical of that, the quality to change the dependable is, well, not there.

There's nary EQ, which would beryllium highly beneficial for this speaker. Additionally, you should beryllium capable to link the soundbar to services similar Spotify. Try arsenic I might, the transportation could not beryllium made (even with my telephone connected to my Spotify account).

Also: I changed these 5 soundbar settings for a amended TV viewing (and audio) experience

The app besides has a spot of a learning curve, which truly shouldn't beryllium the case.

But however does it sound? After all, that's the azygous astir important facet of a soundbar.

Fortunately, the dependable produced by the Bluesound Pulse Cinema makes up for the issues with the app. Yes, it would greatly payment from having a subwoofer connected, but adjacent without a sub, the dependable is affluent and dynamic.

There's besides thing Bluesound calls Surround Upmixer, which turns channel-based audio into a virtualized situation sound.

My JBL Bar 1000 includes 2 outer speakers, which bash a large occupation of filling a country with beauteous dependable from each corner. That being said, the Pulse Cinema does a singular occupation of simulating surround. This diagnostic is enabled by default, and you would expect to find outer speakers conveniently placed astir the room.

It's truly impressive.

Also: The champion soundbars: Expert tested and recommended

Also, adjacent without a sub, you get a astonishing magnitude of rumble and thump from the speaker. The mean receptor volition not miss the subwoofer. I would speculate that the mean receptor mightiness deliberation a sub connected to the Pulse Cinema would beryllium overkill.

The crushed wherefore this soundbar is capable to present specified astonishing dependable is owed to its 16 drivers, including dedicated upfiring and halfway channels. The talker statement creates a amazingly wide 3.2.2 Dolby Atmos soundstage, and you'll ne'er miss a connection of dialogue, a enactment of music, oregon a azygous detail.

Even listening to the latest occurrence of Fallout, with each the ambient sound, I had nary contented proceeding dialogue. To my surprise, the dialog didn't dependable astatine each tinny (which is simply a favored peeve of mine). Voices sounded dimensional and lifelike.

The look

Although I'm partial to the look of the JBL Bar 1000, the Pulse Cinema is simply a beauteous portion of tech. It's a agelong pill-shaped talker with a plan strategy that isn't interrupted by LED displays, lights, oregon thing else. It's cleanable and elegant. And with the quality to usage it either placed level connected a array (or TV stand) oregon mounted to a wall, this soundbar should acceptable successful with astir immoderate aesthetic.

Also: I compared the champion soundbars from Samsung and Sonos, and here's my preference

But again, I spell backmost to the sound, and the Bluesound Pulse Cinema delivers. I spent a fewer hours listening to the Pulse Cinema and erstwhile I yet went backmost to the JBL, I didn't find myself thinking, "Whew, I'm gladsome I'm backmost to this."

In fact, aft going backmost to the JBL, I was amazed that the dependable seemed a spot little dimensional than the Pulse Cinema -- and that's saying a lot.

ZDNET's buying advice

The Bluesound Pulse Cinema isn't cheap. At conscionable astir $1,500, you could surely bargain cheaper soundbars. Given that the JBL Bar 1000 tin present beryllium had for astir fractional the terms of the Pulse Cinema, it's a hard sell.

However, with the Pulse Cinema, you get much for less, arsenic good arsenic a higher level of flexibility. Having a soundbar that gives you the feeling of a subwoofer, without really needing 1 (and taking up space), is simply a important advantage.

Also: I was struggling to perceive TV dialogue, until this soundbar fixed everything for cheap

I emotion a bully subwoofer, but I've been successful situations wherever having 1 conscionable isn't practical. In those cases, I've ever felt a deficiency of low-end diminished the experience. You don't person to interest astir that with the Pulse Cinema, and that unsocial could marque it worthy the price.

I'd person a pugnacious clip choosing betwixt the Pulse Cinema and the JBL Bar 1000. The Pulse Cinema delivers astonishing depth, creaseless mids, and superb highs -- each from a azygous bar. So, if you're pressed for abstraction but inactive privation booming, clear, dynamic sound, the Pulse Cinema is hard to beat.