Philips' gamer Dolby Atmos bar
Philips launched a Dolby Atmos soundbar aimed squarely at gamers and home‑theater setups, packing 4K/120Hz HDMI passthrough and gamer‑friendly pricing in a recent review. (whathifi.com) Reviewers flagged it as a strong budget upgrade for older gaming TVs that lack modern passthrough features. (techradar.com)
The B8301 is billed as a 3.1.2‑channel system with dedicated left/centre/right channels and two up‑firing drivers. (whathifi.com) Philips specifies a total system output of 190W RMS while the bundled wireless subwoofer uses a twin‑driver layout rated at 100W and can be mounted vertically or horizontally. (whathifi.com) The bar includes an HDMI eARC connection with 4K/120Hz passthrough (HDMI 2.1) and explicit support for Dolby Atmos plus DTS:X + Virtual X. (techradar.com) An AI “Intellisound Engine” automatically selects between Movie, Music and Voice Boost profiles, and the range uses Philips’ EasyLink 3.0 so a Philips TV and the bar can be controlled with a single remote. (whathifi.com) European pricing for the B8301 has been announced at €329 (reported conversions roughly $379 / £284). (whathifi.com) Philips’ launch schedule lists the new models going on sale in June 2026. (techradar.com) What Hi‑Fi singled out the B8301’s price and spec sheet as putting it directly up against the award‑winning Hisense AX5125H in the budget Atmos segment. (whathifi.com) TechRadar pointed out the practical benefit: the B8301’s 4K/120Hz passthrough lets owners of TVs with only two HDMI 2.1 ports keep full‑bandwidth gaming feeds while still routing audio through the soundbar. (techradar.com)
