Philips has announced its soundbar range for 2024, which includes a new flagship Dolby Atmos model called the TAB6309 and two other compact bars, the TAB5309 and TAB5109. There has been no official pricing or release date confirmed as of yet, but we’ll be sure to update you when we get it.
In the meantime, though, we do have some info about the specs of each soundbar. Starting with the flagship mode, the TAB6309 is a Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X compatible soundbar with a 2.1 system offering 320W of power.
One of the key design features of all three soundbars is their compact build, and the TAB6309 is particularly small being only a mere 37mm tall, meaning it shouldn’t block any of the best TVs with low stands. In fact, the TAB6309 is touted as the "perfect companion for an Ambilight TV", which comes in time for Philips’ unveiling of its 2024 TV lineup. The flagship model also comes with a wireless subwoofer that can be positioned vertically or horizontally if you’re looking to place it somewhere more discrete.
In terms of connections, the TAB6309 comes equipped with HDMI eARC, USB playback, optical and Aux-in, which will let you connect, say, one of the best turntables if you wanted (as long as it has a phono stage and relevant cable). It also has wireless connectivity in the form of Bluetooth 5.3 and LE audio so it’s ready for the next-generation of Bluetooth.
How do the other two new Philips soundbars compare to the flagship TAB6309 model?
The second soundbar model is the slightly more stripped back TAB5309, which is also compatible with DTS Virtual:X but instead of Atmos, it has support for Dolby Digital Plus. It’s a mid-sized soundbar, measuring 766mm in width, meaning it’s only slightly wider than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), one of the best soundbars for music around. Like the flagship model, it also has a 2.1 system, with a wireless subwoofer, but offers slightly less power at 40W – but that’s still plenty of power.
Connectivity for the TAB5309 is similar to the TAB6309, with optical, Aux-in and USB playback, although the TAB5309 only comes with HDMI Arc as opposed to the TAB6309’s HDMi eARC connection. Wirelessly, it also has 5.3 Bluetooth and LE audio support.
Finally, the TAB5109 is a 2.0 soundbar, so there’s no included subwoofer. Like the mid-range model, it is also compatible with DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Digital Plus but has slightly less power again at 120W. It measures the same as the TAB5309 at 766mm wide and has the same connectivity options, including HDMI Arc and Bluetooth 5.3.
Although these aren’t the most mind-blowing soundbars we’ve seen on paper, if the Philips TAB6309 can deliver Dolby Atmos in an effective manner, while also providing room-filling power in a more discrete size, it could find its way onto our best soundbars guide.
Could it displace the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 as our top compact Atmos soundbar pick? Well, the TAB6309 does have the advantage of having a wireless subwoofer for potentially more bass, but the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 comes with upfiring speakers so its Dolby Atmos may be more effective than the TAB6309’s. We’ll have to find out just how the Philips TAB6309 fares in our tests when we can get our hands on it.
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