DALI Katch One soundbar, Iron Black

Product Information

Instead, when watching Atmos content, two of the soundbar's five front-facing arrays are dedicated to reproducing overhead and surround sounds. With its hefty processing power, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 uses psychoacoustic HRTF (head-related transfer function) technology to give the impression of height without needing to get vertical. TV screens are getting thinner and thinner, and unfortunately that also counts for their sound performance. So adding an external soundbar is a common solution to improve the TV audio. However, finding a soundbar that offers superb sound as well as excellent design is not quite as common.

Generally, soundbars are a single long speaker with several drivers inside but some come with external subwoofers for extra low-end extension and rear speakers for surround sound effects whereas others are compatible with other speakers from within the manufacturer's brand. If floor-shaking bass is high on your priority list then these are models you'll want to consider. Moving on to features and connectivity, Dolby Atmos soundbars will all boast either ARCor eARC-enabled HDMI ports necessary to handle multichannel audio formats and also allowing you to control the volume of your soundbar with your existing remote control. It's worth considering if having a separate physical remote for the soundbar is important to you or if you're comfortable with controlling settings from a smartphone app. READ NEXT: Samsung HW-N850 review – an excellent high-end soundbar that turns your living room into a home cinema Dali Kubik One review: Verdict The Dali KATCH one is, in our humble opinion, exactly what it should be, a soundbar that can be integrated as simply and easily as possible into any living environment, leaves a very elegant impression, guarantees easy operation and delivers impeccable TV sound, no more, no less. Dali Speaker A/S itself does not promise anything else, does not talk about a home cinema solution, does not lure with anything bombastically exaggerated, but simply presents what the Dali KATCH one can actually deliver, TV sound, but in such a way that it sounds very appealing and flawless.ARC/eARC also allows your main TV remote to control the basic volume and power functions of your soundbar via HDMI CEC(Consumer Electronics Control). Some soundbars come with their own remotes and/or have app control, but if your connection to your TV uses an optical cable, you may still be able to use your regular controller. Certain models, such as the Sonos Ray and B&W Panorama 3, can 'learn' to recognise the commands of both IR and RF remotes, but the set-up will depend on your TV manufacturer. The 21 mm ultra-light weight soft dome tweeter is extremely compact, but retains a large membrane area, which ensures that it will reach deep down into the mid-range frequency areas without any break up or drop off’s. The strong neodymium magnet delivers high power handling and a high sensitivity to the soft dome tweeter, thereby bringing detail, accuracy and speed to the high frequencies.

The SF150 also features Sony's S-Force Front Surround technology, which applies processing to give the acoustic impression of a more encompassing sound stage. While there is no replacement for surround sound,it adds a dramatic sense of weight and separation.It’s safe to say Katch One isn’t one of those ‘grab you by the lapels’ speakers. Some soundbars like to pummel you with bass to try and impress, some manage to sound loud even when they’re playing quietly. Compared to one of these blustering devices, the DALI is – initially, at least – quite understated. Undemonstrative, even. Although soundbars are typically designed with film and TV in mind, we also put them through their paces with music too, testing out a range of streaming options with a variety of genres, both classic and modern, enduring that we listen in the highest quality that the soundbar is capable of. So we go out as we came in, by asking ‘what do you want a soundbar for?’. If you’re trying to combine performance, style and ease of use without getting carried away in a financial sense, you should hear (and see) the DALI Katch One. You should buy the DALI Katch One if… Next, features and connectivity. Many modern TV soundbars boast ARC and eARC-enabled HDMI ports, which can handle high bandwidth multichannel audio formats as well as optical inputs for older TVs. If your TV has ARC/eARC, you'll be able to control the volume of your soundbar with your existing remote control. It's worth considering if having a separate physical remote for the soundbar is important to you or if you're comfortable with controlling settings from a smartphone app.

KATCH ONE offers Bluetooth AAC and aptX - allowing for easy music streaming from your phone, tablet or even your TV, creating a completely wireless solution. It is clear that a soundbar must be designed in such a way that it can be integrated into the living space and connected to the TV as harmoniously as possible with the least amount of effort and expense. Speaker specialists in particular sometimes overshoot the mark here and subordinate some things to the best possible sound. Dali Speaker A/S claims to combine excellent sound with elegant appearance, and to do this in the most compact dimensions possible. We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London, Reading and Bath, where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that passes through our door and allow for plenty of listening time as well as running them in before we begin reviewing. Drivers 4x 50W Class-D amplifiers, 4x 11.5cm passive drivers, 4x 9cm low-frequency drivers, 2x 21mm tweetersHowever, this is a speaker with practicality and affordability in mind. Its ultra-compact dimensions, tapered build and forward-facing speakers mean it takes up little space and removes any need for a clear line of sight for upward- and side-firing drivers, making it a practical choice for small rooms and even desktops. In most cases you will probably control the Dali KATCH one quite simply with the remote control of the TV, we have already mentioned this. However, the Dali KATCH one is also supplied with a remote control which can also be used to control the volume, but also allows you to select the input and call up the two sound presets.