Let's face it: if you've bought one of the best OLED TVs you're someone who doesn't mind paying a little bit more to get the best possible experience. And that means you're probably willing to do the same when it comes to the best soundbars. So we can take it as a given that B&W's latest soundbar, the B&W Panorama 3, is quite expensive, but if you can afford it the spec suggests it'll be worth every penny of its £899 price.
As B&W puts it, this wireless Dolby Atmos soundbar is a "Dolby Atmos-enabled, Amazon Alexa-compatible, home theatre powerhouse". And the specs show that that isn't an empty marketing claim.
More drivers than the M25 at rush hour
Where most soundbars settle for a handful of drivers, the Panorama 3 has 13 individual drivers in a 3.1.2 setup with 400W of amplification backing them up. They're positioned to deliver an extraordinarily wide sound, and because they've been made for Dolby Atmos they deliver a tall soundstage too by bouncing audio off your ceiling. I've got Dolby Atmos kit at home and I'm still surprised by how good it is: when a show or movie is mixed with Atmos in mind it's an incredibly immersive experience that often makes me laugh in delight.
Connectivity here is really impressive: Bluetooth aptX Adaptive and AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Alexa and Dolby True HD are all supported, and there's an HDMI eARC, TOSLink digital in and Ethernet; there's also a USB-C port but that's purely for service connections. At just 2.5 inches high it looks a lot smaller than it is.
I'm not going to pretend that I can afford this, or an OLED TV, just yet. But I've heard enough B&W kit to know that if I were in the market for a top-line OLED TV and soundbar setup, this would be very high on my list: as someone for whom music is as important as movie soundtracks, B&W's audio pedigree is a huge selling point for this soundbar.
Fancy an OLED TV upgrade to partner with the B&W Panorama 3? The LG C1 OLED is a 5-star set and today's best prices on it can be viewed below.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
When is Black Friday 2024 – this Friday or next? Here's the official answer
Black Friday is on 29 November in 2024 – a week later than the year previous. But that's not stopped retailers putting on their sales...
By Mike Lowe Published
-
Forget Black Friday, F1 24 is completely free for a limited time
This top racing game has a free weekend
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
The Sonos app gets another free upgrade that reintroduces fan-requested features
Sonos adds some old favourites to get its app back up to speed
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Audio-Technica's new wooden headphones are stunning, high-end and extremely rare
Gorgeous but only 300 have been made
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Soundcore Aerofit Pro review: open-ear workout buds with long battery life
Soundcore's first open-ear buds aren't the best workout headphones, but they have a few things going for them
By Matt Kollat Published
-
This outdoor speaker delivers powerful audio and looks like a stone!
Get great audio outside in your garden with this stone-like outdoor speaker
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Forget AirPods, new Technics best Apple's earbuds in one key way
The AirPods are lacking in this department
By Andy Sansom Published
-
Best soundbar for small TVs 2024: clearer, deeper TV sound in any space
The best soundbars for small TVs 2024 can bring you big sound from a compact unit
By Simon Lucas Last updated
-
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review
Depending on the kind of phone you have, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro might be the perfect earbuds for you
By James Holland Published
-
Jabra Elite 7 Pro review: a great pair of budget-friendly earbuds
The Jabra Elite 7 Pro has a lot going for it. But, can it set itself apart from the rest of the TWS earbuds out there?
By James Holland Published