REVIEW—Home theater surround sound has been around since 1992, but I’ve been reluctant to put it in my living room. It’s not that I didn’t want it, but I didn’t want to route the speaker wires through the floor or attic. Ultimea solves that problem with a wirelessly connected subwoofer and surround speakers with its Dolby Atmos D80 7.1 soundbar. I was excited to have a look, um, listen!
What is it?
The Ultimea Poseidon D80 is a remote-controlled surround-sound audio system with a wirelessly connected subwoofer and rear speakers.
What’s included?
- Model: U2620
- Soundbar
- Subwoofer
- Four surround speakers
- Power adapter
- Subwoofer power cable
- Stereo 3.5mm to RCA audio cable
- Two three-meter RCA cables for front speakers
- Two six-meter RCA cables for rear speakers
- HDMI cable
- Digital optical cable
- Remote control
- Wall mounting brackets
- Wall mounting anchors and screws
- User manual
Tech specs
- Power: 100 to 240VAC, 50/60Hz
- Soundbar drivers: 2.25 x 3 (soundbar) 2.25 x 4 (surround speakers) 6.5” (subwoofer)
- Frequency response 53Hz to 18kHz
- Standby power: <0.5W
- Operating temperature: -10 to 45°C (14 to 113°F)
- Dimensions and Weight:
- Soundbar: 400 x 70 x 90mm (15.7 x 2.8 x 3.5 in)
- Subwoofer: 186 x 288 x 260mm (7.3 x 11.3 x 10.2 in)
- Surround speakers: 135 x 70 x 90mm (5.3 x 2.8 x 3.5 in)
- Packaging: 476 x 338 x 346mm (18.7 x 13.3 x 13.6 in)
- Net weight: 7.9kg (17.4 lbs)
- Gross weight: 10.4kg (22.9 lbs)
Design and features
I remember begging my parents to take me to a movie theater with surround sound in the ’70s. Dolby Digital didn’t arrive in homes until “Batman Returns” in 1992, and I became delightfully addicted. So can you with the easy-to-install Ultimea Poseidon D80 Dolby Atmos 7.1 soundbar system for about $300.
The system arrives well-padded and double-boxed.
I was surprised at the diminutive size of the speakers.
Wall brackets are included, providing enough room for the RCA connectors to attach to the back of the speakers. This is a simple but effective design.
The left and right channels attach to the center soundbar with RCA cables.
The D80 supports audio inputs through a 3.5mm audio jack, an optical port, an eARC HDMI, and Bluetooth. It also has a video HDMI port. Power to the center channel comes from a wall-wart adapter.
There are buttons on the top of the center speaker for local control.
The rear speakers are the same, except they plug into the subwoofer. I was happy to see this configuration because it saves a lot of aggravation in wiring. The subwoofer receives power through an IEC320-C7 cord and can independently turned off if you don’t want the bass and surround speakers (I know, that’s crazy talk).
The remote has functions to get you up and running. Backlighting would have been a nice touch, but since I’ll use it with a universal remote, it’s not a big deal. You’ll need to dig to find two AAAs to feed it.
The entire setup process took less than 10 minutes.
Behind the grid, a bright white LED display provides the status and volume level. It’s dimmable from the remote.
When I powered the D80 the first time and started a movie, the surround sound startled me. On several occasions, I thought the cat knocked something down the stairs, the 3D printer malfunctioned, or my wife closed a door down the hallway. Nope! It was just superb, immersive surround sound!
Without telling my wife, I asked her to sit down and listen. Her response was, “Wow! It sounds like the movie theater, with a lot more bass.”
I fiddled with the bass, midrange, treble, and surround sound levels in the remote and found levels to suit my tastes. The bass is surprisingly rich for the 6.5-inch subwoofer. The treble was crystal clear, and the midrange was excellent for such small speakers.
If you’re the type of Gadgeteer who likes to customize your sound, Ultimea’s app is just what the doctor ordered. It connects with Bluetooth effortlessly using a QR code on the back of the center speaker. It has all of the IR remote’s functions and adds access to an online user guide, updates, and a customizable equalizer. Nicely done!
What I like about the Ultimea Poseidon D80 speaker system
- Sets up in minutes
- Room-filling sound
- Great fidelity
- Reasonably priced
- Small-footprint speakers fit almost anywhere
- Ultimea’s app provides access to an equalizer
What needs to be improved?
- A backlit remote would be cool.
Final thoughts
Over the next few days, the D80’s surround sound continued to startle and amaze, with surprises in movies and music I probably would have missed with my previous soundbar. The full Dolby Atmos 7.1 audio, easy installation, and reasonable price are winners. Thank you, and great job, Ultimea!
Price: $299.99 from Amazon, $319.99 from Ultimea
Where to buy: Ultimea (Get $40.00 off with code ULTIMEAD80) and Amazon (Get 10% off with code ULTIMEAD80 valid until 1/15/2025)
Source: Ultimea provided a free sample for this review but did not provide input, guidance, or editing before it was published.
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Can you connect a different speaker to the front and rear left right speakers like the Sony SSCS5 or Micca MB42X?
The connectors are RCA and they are not amplified so I think other manufacturer’s speakers would work. The center channel is built into the amplifier/processor so you would need to stick with Ultimea though.