Bowers & Wilkins announces its first Dolby Atmos soundbar

Image: Bowers & Wilkins

The first Dolby Atmos soundbar is being announced today. The company's answer to the Sonos Arc and other high-end speakers is the Panorama 3, which is priced at $999.

There is no need for an external subwoofer or other added components with the Panorama 3. The soundbar has 13 drivers and can reach up to 400W of amplification. Sonos does not reveal the speaker's wattage. The speakers are also up-firing. The engineers at the Abbey Road Studios used the same team to tune the Panorama 3.

Image: Bowers & Wilkins

Similar to the Arc, the Panorama 3 has a single HDMI input. If need be, you have an optical jack to fall back on. Both the Arc and Panorama 3 have built-in voice assistants, but you're only getting them with the B&W.

Image: Bowers & Wilkins

The company's mobile app supports high-res audio streaming from services like Tidal, Qobuz, and more. Multi-room audio won't be available right away, and will have to wait for a firmware update after release. The wall brackets are included in the box with the Panorama 3.

The difference between the two is that the latter sells its own premium surround sound systems. The company says that while the Panorama 3 can best any one-box rival, it's referring to other manufacturers. The Panorama 3 is a top-end soundbar and will be on sale today.