‘Almost sure to be an upgrade on basic TV sound’: this super-cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar system impressed me with its impactful bass — I just wish it sounded more expansive

Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos review

At a glance, the Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos almost seems too good to be true. It’s a 5.1 channel system with a dedicated sub, rear speakers, and even Dolby Atmos support. And at just £169 (about $230 / AU$320), this system seems like an incredible value-for-money pick. But is it just a high-potential value proposition on paper? Or can it realize that potential in reality?

Well, in a number of ways, I’d argue the Bowfell Halo Atmos punches well above its weight. For instance, the included sub supplies genuinely hard-hitting, impactful bass that can really take movies to the next level.

When watching Top Gun: Maverick, the roar of the jet engine was so much more full-sounding using the Halo Atmos rather than basic TV audio, and it didn’t sound ‘boomy’ or muddy, but instead genuinely clean and sophisticated. I was generally impressed with the might of the Halo Atmos’ subwoofer, especially considering its limited confines — something that helps this model to compete with some of the best cheap soundbars.

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So, if you want deeper audio to make ambient movie scores and action sequences feel that bit more involving, then this sub should serve you well.

That’s not to say you’re getting perfect audio from this mini surround system, though. For instance, music playback isn’t amazing. Despite having its own EQ mode, music often sounded a little thin, and lacked the detail I’ve experienced from other cheap soundbars. Having said that, some stereo mixes could sound pretty punchy in the low end, which made some deeper tracks sound solid — just don’t expect an expansive soundstage or impeccable balance across the frequency range.

Perhaps more importantly, the Dolby Atmos effects on this soundbar are pretty underwhelming. A lot of this comes down to the main bar — it has no upfiring drivers, meaning you only get virtualized height elements, and with its narrow form and limited power, you’re hardly getting wonderful width or expansiveness.

Going back to Maverick, a movie with a lot of sudden upward movement, the Halo Atmos struggled to conjure up much of a sense of verticality, even when Tom Cruise flies a jet up and straight over the viewer.

Moving over to The Mask, in the scenes where Jim Carrey’s character spins around the screen in a cartoonish manner, the width and depth of his movement wasn’t exactly tracked with pin-point precision. This is understandable given the Halo Atmos’ physical and technical limitations, but it’s worth noting for those hoping for an immersive Atmos experience.

But that’s not to say this soundbar is poor-sounding. For example, dialogue is pretty clear overall, and will be a step-up over the obscured, unclear tinniness produced by some smaller TVs. When Stanley and Tina had a conversation at the bank in The Mask, I never felt the need to flick subtitles on or crank the volume up — their speech was clear and concise.

In larger, echoey spaces, dialogue can sometimes sound a little artificial, and I found that speech could get a little harsh at high volumes. But overall, voices are fairly well handled on the Bowfell Halo Atmos.

And all in all, you get pretty cinematic sound from this system. The sub offers impressive depth, and the small rear speakers give some multi-dimensionality to action sequences and busier scenes.

At times, it did feel like the cohesion between the main bar and rears could’ve been better, with some high-octane segments sounding a tad disjointed as audio moved from the front to the back — but I was still happy with the surround speakers overall, and you can adjust their volume if needed, depending on how far away they are from you.

Beyond sound, this system is packed with just about all the features you’d want at this price. You can alter channel level, EQ modes, and adjust playback with the included remote, and also cycle through various connectivity modes. There’s the obvious HDMI eARC, but you’re also getting digital optical, 3.5mm, Bluetooth 5.3m, and USB — the latter of which only works if you have a compatible flash drive.

There’s no Wi-Fi streaming, which provides the most seamless and highest-quality way to consume wireless audio, but that’s certainly to be expected from a system under £169 (about $230 / AU$320).

One omission worth flagging is DTS. So, if you’re watching a 4K Blu-ray with only this format, your player or TV will need to do the decoding. Having said that, the Dolby Atmos onboard hardly impressed me, so it’s not as if adding DTS:X spatial sound seems like it would be a game changer.

Before I wrap this up, let’s talk a little about design. It’s really impressive how Majority crammed a competent surround sound system into such a small package, and that small footprint makes it ideal for limited spaces, or small TVs. It feels as if it was made with people who live in small apartments, or want to enhance audio for a spare room TV, say.

However, the build quality of the Bowfell Halo Atmos is not very good. It feels really plasticky, giving it an almost toy-like appearance. Similarly, the remote feels low-quality, and I preferred to use the main TV remote wherever possible. The LED display, though functional, should communicate things more clearly; I’m not sure why Majority decided to call the movie EQ ‘EQ2’ rather than, you know, ’movie’ or something.

At least setup was easy. The rears need to be connected together with a cable, and the master unit is then plugged into the power. Some may not like the amount of cable involved here, but for the price, it’s a solid solution.

You don’t have to plug the rears into the main soundbar or anything too, so technically they’re ‘semi-wireless’. The sub and main bar can go right into the power, and then you can use an HDMI cord to get started right away — there’s no awkward pairing or anything required.

And from there, the soundbar was very easy to use. I did experience an occasional issue where dialogue cut out when watching movies, but this always resolved with a simple restart, and I was unable to confirm if it was the fault of the soundbar, the TV or the cable.

So, here we are at the end of it all. Is the Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos worth its asking price? I think it is, all things considered. You get solid surround sound with impressive bass and clear — albeit imperfect — dialogue, a neat lineup of connectivity options, and a simple setup process.

There are some glaring issues — such as the underwhelming Dolby Atmos, limited musicality, and no DTS support — but all in all, you’re getting a mini soundbar system that feels worth the investment, and one that’s almost sure to be an upgrade on basic TV sound.

Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos review: price & release date

• £169 (about $230 / AU$320)
• Released February 2026

The Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos is part of the wider Bowfell range, and released in February 2026. It comes in at £169 (about $230 /AU$320), and is yet to launch in US and Australian markets as of June 2026.

Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos review: specs

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Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos review: also consider

How I tested the Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos

• Tested for a week period
• Connected to an LG B6 TV
• Mainly used HDMI eARC connectivity

I tested the Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos within a one week period, and used it while watching movies, streaming video, and listening to music. For the vast majority of my time with the soundbar system, I had it connected to the LG B6 OLED TV via HDMI eARC.

During critical listening sessions, I made sure to use a range of 4K Blu-rays, which I played using the Panasonic DP-UB820. When listening to music, I connected over Bluetooth and steamed tunes via Tidal — ensuring to try out a range of Dolby Atmos and stereo format tracks.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio-visual gear here at TechRadar, and have reviewed everything from budget-friendly models like the Hisense HS214 to premium Dolby Atmos systems like the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: June 2026