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Sennheiser will now rename the existing soundbar the Ambeo Max.

Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.

Sennheiser has unveiled two new additions to its Dolby Atmos soundbar line: the Ambeo Soundbar Plus and the Ambeo Sub.

The new Soundbar Plus is smaller than the existing soundbar -- now renamed the Ambeo Max -- and Sennheiser says the baby is the "world's first 7.1.4 standalone soundbar." The Plus uses the proprietary Ambeo system to create a surround sound field from a single bar, and based on my previous experiences it has been the best phantom surround on the market.

With its dedicated height drivers and surround sound engine the Soundbar Plus is capable of playing back Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Sony's 360 Reality Audio content. The soundbar also features Wi-Fi connectivity with compatibility with Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, as well control via Google Assistant with built-in Chromecast and Alexa.

The Sennheiser Plus (top) and Max (bottom) and Sub (right)

Meanwhile the new Ambeo Sub is designed to accompany either of the two soundbars. It features a "8-inch high-end proprietary woofer," paired with a 350-watt Class-D amplifier, and is capable of reaching down to a claimed 27Hz.

The existing Sennheiser Ambeo is CNET's favorite Dolby Atmos soundbar, if cost is not an issue, and it offers a great solution for people who can't fill their space with speakers. At a $1k discount on the older model I am looking forward to testing this new bar against models such as the Sonos Arc and the Vizio Elevate.

The $1,500 Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus and $700 Ambeo Sub are available for preorder now and will go on sale Sept. 22. Meanwhile, the newly renamed Sennheiser Max is available for the discounted price of $2,000 (down from $2,500).