See the complete review of the BlueSound PULSE Soundbar & Subwoofer

Bluesound, a division of the Lenbrook Group (who also own NAD and PSB), released their PULSE Soundbar last year, and recently announced a subwoofer designed to go with it.

Their products all run wirelessly in conjunction with smartphone app called BluOS. Bluesound recently sent me both the PULSE soundbar and the matching sub for review.

Bluesound PULSE Soundbar

I’ve always had a wired speaker system for my main home theater setup, but I have several friends who bought Sonos systems in recent years. So for rooms other than the main HT, I’ve been more and more interested to try a wireless streaming setup. Obviously the PULSE Soundbar is designed to complement the look of a flat panel display better than traditional cabinet speakers. But it’s not just a soundbar; it also is a wireless streaming speaker, just like every other speaker in the Bluesound lineup.

Bluesound PULSE Soundbar Installed

Packaging quality is impressive for the PULSE Soundbar, and documentation is of high quality. Being a self-contained unit, it contains its own amplification and power supply. Additionally, the body is all-metal giving it a nice heft. That said, it fits perfectly on the mantle under my 60” plasma HDTV. Bluesound also offers a nice-looking table-top stand which supports your screen and the PULSE Soundbar.

Bluesound PULSE Soundbar Inputs

Connectivity is ample and includes LAN, Wi-Fi, USB, optical, and RCA inputs, plus an RCA output for the sub, along with AC power. A nice touch is that the connectors all face upwards. Given the likely arrangement with the TV just above and/or behind the soundbar, this shows thoughtful design.

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My initial impression of its music chops are good. The BluOS phone app allows access to my entire media library, which I can stream directly to the BlueSound PULSE Soundbar. If I had more BlueSound speaker products around the house, I could stream different music to each one. The system is also capable of playing every popular format, from MP3 to high-resolution lossless FLAC. I’ll be playing with the system more over the next couple weeks and really dig in to what it can do. I’ll also push the sub (which I have yet to hook up) to its limits, and compare everything to a comparably priced wired satellite+sub system.

See the complete review of the BlueSound PULSE Soundbar & Subwoofer