Besides announcing a bevvy of new OLED and Mini-LED TVs last week, Philips’ brand operator TP Vision also lifted the lid on its refreshed soundbar lineup.
Its top soundbar this year introduces support for key new features including HDMI 2.1 for 4K@120Hz passthrough and enhanced Audio Return Channel, plus Bluetooth 5.4.
The new Philips soundbars will go on sale between May and September, and include the Philips B8500, the Philips B8200 and the Philips B6100.
They’re designed to be paired with Philips’ next generation of televisions, such as the company’s new flagship model the Philips OLED+950, the almost-as-good Philips OLED+910 and the Philips MLED950 Mini-LED TV. Of course, they’ll also pair nicely with older Philips TVs.
All three of the new soundbars support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound to enhance immersion when watching TV, and their design makes them compatible with various different TV stands.
Top of the range is the new Philips B8500 soundbar, which is said to be a 5.1-channel setup with left, right and centre plus two side-firing speakers, adding up to a total output of 300-watts. It comes with an external subwoofer that can be placed vertically or horizontally, and adds 150-watts of sound output.
According to Philips, the B8500 is designed to fit nicely with the tabletop stand that comes with the new Philips OLED810 and MLED950, but of course it will work with any TV that has an HDMI port.
The B8500 supports eARC, which enables it to pull audio signals directly from the TV and any connected HDMI device that’s connected to the TV, through its dedicated eARC port. However, some users would rather connect their external devices directly to the soundbar, and with its new HDMI 2.1 input with passthrough support for 4K @120Hz, the B8500 supports this capability. So users will be able to connect a device like an PS5 or Xbox console directly to the soundbar, if they desire.
Users may also welcome the upgraded support for the latest wireless standard, Bluetooth 5.4 with LE Audio support, which brings enhancements to security and improvements in energy efficiency and stability.
The Philips B8500 soundbar will go on sale in September priced at around 350 euros, the company said.
As for the Philips B8200 (above) and B6100, these are more compact 2.1-channel soundbars that come with support for Bluetooth 5.3 and Bluetooth 5.4, respectively, with LE Audio support. There is no HDM1 2.1 passthrough feature, but they still support regular HDMI 2.1 eARC.
Philips said both models come with a dedicated subwoofer. The main difference lays in the design. The B8200 is longer and is said to be designed for TVs of any size featuring a centre stand, while the B6100 (below) is meant to be paired with 48-inch to 55-inch TVs that use two feet, as opposed to a centre stand.
The Philips B8200 is set to launch in August, while the B6100 will be available in May. The company has not yet confirmed pricing.
For more information about the new Philips TVs they're designed to be paired with, check out this video:
