Sennheiser Ambeo Max soundbar gets big software update with better audio and new features

The Sennheiser Ambeo Max (from $1,999 on Amazon) may be over six years old by now, but it remains the German manufacturer's most expensive soundbar. Sennheiser has now released a free update to Ambeo OS 2, which can be downloaded and installed via the accompanying Sennheiser Smart Control smartphone app.

This update is designed to improve sound quality in several ways. The most significant change is the ability to manually adjust the volume balance between the soundbar's top, front, and side speakers. This allows for better sound customization for certain rooms, which is beneficial for 3D audio in spaces with unusual shapes or acoustics, especially since the soundbar has a total of 13 speakers. The update also introduces support for higher-quality spatial Dolby Atmos music streaming via Tidal, with a maximum of 24-bit at 192 kHz via Tidal Connect, or at least 24-bit at 96 kHz via Google Cast.

Moreover, a new enhancement mode makes dialogue louder, ensuring it remains clearly audible even with loud background music or low overall volume. This is useful for watching TV series at a lower volume at night, for example. Although nothing else has changed, an update of this size after more than six years is rather unusual in the soundbar segment. Despite its age, the Sennheiser Ambeo Max supports HDMI 2.1 for 4K content at 60Hz and features a total of 13 Class D amplifiers with a power output of 500 watts, along with WiFi 5 for its various streaming features.