Samsung HW-S801D vs Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini Soundbar Comparison

Samsung HW-S801D vs Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini

Samsung HW-S801D

3.1.2-channel | $898

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Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini

4.1-channel | $950

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Samsung HW-S801D vs Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini: the short answer

Across 11 features we can compare from the published specs, the Samsung HW-S801D comes out ahead on 4 and the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini on 3. The biggest difference for movies is height: the Samsung HW-S801D has 2 ceiling-firing channels and the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini has none. Only the Samsung HW-S801D comes with a subwoofer, which matters when comparing the prices.

Reasons to choose Samsung HW-S801D over Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini

Channel layout: 3.1.2 vs 4.1
Height channels: 2 vs 0
Subwoofer: Included vs Optional
Height: 1.38 in vs 2.63 in

Reasons to choose Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini over Samsung HW-S801D

DTS:X: Yes vs No
HDMI to the TV: eARC vs ARC
HDMI inputs: 1 vs 0

Side-by-Side Comparison

	Samsung HW-S801D	Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini
Channel layout Counts speaker channels the bar actually has. More ear-level and height channels means a wider, taller sound field.	3.1.2	4.1
Height channels Drivers aimed at the ceiling, which is what makes Dolby Atmos sound overhead rather than just wide.	2	0
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes
DTS:X	No	Yes
HDMI to the TV eARC carries lossless Dolby TrueHD and Atmos from the TV; plain ARC compresses them.	ARC	eARC
HDMI inputs A spare HDMI port for a games console or disc player.	0	1
Subwoofer Included beats optional beats none: a separate subwoofer is where deep bass comes from.	Included	Optional
Rear speakers Real rear speakers put effects behind you; without them surround is simulated from the front.	Optional	—
Room correction	—	Yes
Streaming	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect
Voice assistant Built in, rather than through a separate smart speaker.	Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional	Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	Yes
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	1.38 in	2.63 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	45.69 in / 55-inch	27.5 in / 32-inch
Drivers in the bar	8	4
Power (total, as published) Makers rate soundbar power differently, so the totals are not a like-for-like comparison.	—	250 W
Weight	3.1 lbs	7.85 lbs
List price	$898	$950

Green marks the better figure where one is better. Dashes are specs the maker does not publish.

Size: Both Soundbars in Front of a TV

Drawn to scale. The solid bar is the Samsung HW-S801D, the dashed outline the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini. Pick your TV size and how it stands to see whether either would cover the picture.

Full Specifications

Samsung HW-S801D Specifications

Sound
Channels	3.1.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	No
Drivers	Tweeters: Dome (3); Woofers: Cone (5); Subwoofer: 5.5" Cone (2); Enclosure: Sealed
Subwoofer	Included
Rear speakers	Optional
Virtual surround	3D Surround
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	ARC
HDMI inputs	0
Optical inputs	No
Analogue input	No
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn, YouTube Music
Voice control	Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	Yes
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	45.69 x 1.38 x 1.56 in / 1161 x 35 x 40 mm
Weight	3.1 lbs / 1.41 kg
Subwoofer size	9.38 x 9.44 x 9.88 in (W x H x D), 14.1 lbs
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket included)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$898

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini Specifications

Sound
Channels	4.1
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	Yes
Drivers	Midrange: 1.625" Cone (2); Woofers: 4" Cone (2); Enclosure: Sealed
Power (bar, total)	250 watts
Frequency response	43-20k Hz
Subwoofer	Optional
Virtual surround	AMBEO 3D Virtualization
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	1
HDMI version	2.1
Optical inputs	No
Analogue input	No
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ax
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn, YouTube Music
Voice control	Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	No
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	27.5 x 2.63 x 4.06 in / 699 x 67 x 103 mm
Weight	7.85 lbs / 3.56 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket sold separately)
Warranty	2 Years parts, 2 Years labour
List price	$950

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

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