- Philips launches new soundbars: one full size and two compact
- A choice of 3.1.2, 2.1 or 2.0 models
- The top model has 4K 120Hz passthrough
Philips has unveiled three new soundbars, and one of them could be a particularly tempting upgrade if you've got an older gaming TV with a limited number of HDMI 2.1 ports.
The Philips B8301 could be the perfect cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar for gamers, because it's a full-sized soundbar featuring HDMI eARC with 4K 120Hz passthrough. That means you can get full-quality audio and video from a single HDMI connection on your TV.
Tons of people out there have a TV with two HDMI 2.1 ports, and one of these ports is the HDMI eARC port — so if you have one of the best soundbars connected to one of them, that leaves only one port with 4K 120Hz support, and you might have more than one 4K 120Hz device you want to connect.
There are soundbars out there with 4K 120Hz, such as the Samsung HW-Q990F and the Marshall Heston 120, but they tend to be expensive. The Philips B8301 is shockingly cheap at €329 (about $379 / £284 / AU$535).
There are three new soundbars in the range in total: the full-sized, 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos B8301; the more compact 2.1-channel B5601; and the simple, 2.0-channel B5201. Pricing for the even more affordable models hasn't been confirmed just yet. All three models will go on sale in June 2026.
Philips 2026 soundbars: key features and pricing
The B8310 is 82.6cm wide and offers a 3.1.2-channel setup with dedicated left, centre and right channels, plus two up-firing drivers, and a separate twin-driver subwoofer. The total system power is 190W RMS.
In addition to the aforementioned eARC with 4K 120Hz passthrough, it supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X + Virtual X. It also has Bluetooth 6.0 with LE Audio compatibility.
The B8310 also features an "AI powered Intellisound Engine" which Philips says automatically optimises the sound profile for movies, music and games. It also offers voice boost and vocal expansion adjustments as well as custom Spatial Audio settings.
The B5601 is smaller at 76.6cm wide, and Philips suggests pairing it with 48- to 55-inch TVs. It's a 2.1 setup with 145RMS of power, split between 80W for the main soundbar and 65W for the subwoofer. Once again there's AI sound adjustment, Dolby Atmos and DTS: Virtual X. Bluetooth is 5.4 with LE Audio compatibility.
The baby of the range is the B5201, which again is 76.6cm wide but delivers 80W of power and doesn't include a subwoofer. It has AI optimisation and DTS: Virtual X compatibility but the Dolby here is Dolby Digital rather than Atmos. Bluetooth is 5.3 and once again it supports LE Audio.
