Panasonic SC-HTB01 SoundSlayer Gaming Speaker with Built-in Subwoofer (Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, Bluetooth, High-Resolution Audio, HDMI) - Black [Exclusive to Amazon]

The sound quality is great (using bluetooth). It's a shame that it doesn't actually work with my setup. According to Panasonic support, it's optimized for "a direct connection when using a PC" and for "the use of an ARC-capable TV in the case of consoles". Effectively, it doesn't extract the audio itself, but instead relies on the TV sending it back to it. This means it likely won't work if you're using a 4k monitor like I am. Which would be "fine", except that I'd expect in that case just to not get audio. However, it instead does something to the signal causing the console to not get a picture at all, and a chromecast ultra to downgrade to 1080p, so it's certainly not passing the signal through unadulterated.

Bought the Final Fantasy XIV branded version of this product as am a huge fan of the game. Moving from cheaper standalone speakers to the soundbar has been incredible - the 3D audio capabilities despite all sound only coming from in front of you is incredible, so long as the game itself has good sign design. For Call of Duty I found it better to turn 3D audio off, but the Battlefield titles make full use of it, as does Final Fantasy XIV and XV. Am hearing things I never heard before, was easy to setup, and works perfectly with my PlayStation 5. The branded one is more expensive, but for a huge fan and collector it has definitely been a very worthwhile purchase.

The sound quality and size of this sound bar is perfect for my computer and PS5. I was really thrilled to be able to get the FFXIV version - though the price was a little steep. However, after setting it up and making sure my computer and PS5 audio settings were configured I was really impressed with the sound. The 3D surround is really impressive, and having the setting adjusted to Dolby (or dts) blew my other cheap speakers out of the water. Unfortunately my monitor doesn’t have a HDMI (ARC) port. As a result, I could only plug in one device to the sound bar, though this was easily fixed as I have a 3 port HDMI switch; which allows me to change between my PC, Nintendo Switch, and PS5, which solved the issue. I would just be mindful of that if you plan to use it with a computer monitor instead of a TV. All in all, even though the price is steep, I am happy with my purchase. It’s the first sound bar I have owned an I’m happy I took the plunge.