Bluesound Pulse Cinema delivers room‑filling sound and may eliminate need for a subwoofer

ZDNET's review of the Bluesound Pulse Cinema soundbar found it delivers rich, dynamic, room‑filling audio and clear dialogue, often making an external subwoofer unnecessary. The review notes the bar is available on Amazon for about $1,499.

The reviewer said connecting the Pulse Cinema via HDMI eARC was preferable to Bluetooth for lower latency and broader codec support. The soundbar uses 16 drivers, including upfiring and center channels, to create a 3.2.2 Dolby Atmos presentation and a built‑in feature called Surround Upmixer that virtualizes surround sound. ZDNET reported surprising low‑end rumble without a sub and praised dialogue clarity, while also saying the reviewer’s long‑favored JBL Bar 1000 sounded less dimensional after listening to the Pulse Cinema.

The review criticized the required control app, calling its UI confusing, lacking EQ controls, and reporting a failed attempt to connect to Spotify. The Pulse Cinema is described as a clean, pill‑shaped design that can sit on a stand or be wall‑mounted and includes a subwoofer output if bass extension is desired. ZDNET’s buying advice notes the $1,499 price makes it a tougher sell against cheaper options, but says the Pulse Cinema’s space‑saving performance and flexibility could justify the cost for some buyers.

Key Topics

Tech, Bluesound Pulse Cinema, Dolby Atmos, Bluos, Hdmi Earc, Spotify