On
the
face
of
it,
the
Majority
Elias
is
an
audio-visual
phenomenon.
Why?
Because
it
offers
upfiring
speakers
–
a
key
component
of
‘true’
Dolby
Atmos
–
at
less
than
£100.
When
coming
to
this
realization,
I
expected
the
soundbar
to
be
the
ultimate
budget
option
for
those
seeking
spatial
audio,
but
alas,
my
expectations
were
shattered.
Ok,
I
know
that
sounds
a
little
dramatic,
but
really,
this
thing
is
disappointing.
Don’t
get
me
wrong,
the
Majority
Elias
certainly
offers
an
upgrade
in
several
areas
over
typical
TV
audio,
but
there
are
serious
shortcomings
in
sound
quality
that
make
me
feel
Majority
may
have
bitten
off
more
than
it
can
chew.
Before
I
get
into
the
criticisms,
I’ll
prove
that
I
can
be
nice
from
time
to
time.
In
terms
of
setup,
it
doesn’t
get
any
easier
than
this.
You
can
hook
the
Majority
Elias
up
to
your
TV
via
HDMI
and
a
power
cable,
so
there’s
no
need
to
go
through
a
tricky
setup
process.
The
inclusion
of
HDMI
also
enables
you
to
use
your
normal
TV
remote
to
adjust
volume,
making
the
Elias
a
practical,
easy-to-use
soundbar.
Another
thing
I
really
liked
straight
off
the
bat
was
the
soundbar’s
design.
When
I
unboxed
it,
I
was
struck
by
its
classy
wraparound
speaker.
The
Elias
has
both
the
Majority
and
Dolby
Atmos
logos
included
on
the
body
in
silver,
which
makes
a
tidy
splash
of
detail.
All
in
all,
it
appears
well
made,
avoiding
the
overly
plasticky
look
that
a
lot
of
budget
soundbars
go
for.
This
helps
the
Elias
appear
as
if
it
costs
a
fair
bit
more
than
£100,
so
when
it
comes
to
style,
it
stacks
up
well
against
budget
competitors,
even
those
in
our
guide
to
the
best
soundbars.
(Image
credit:
Future)
It’s
at
this
point,
though,
that
I
feel
the
need
to
reveal
some
harsh
truths
about
the
Majority
Elias.
Sure,
it
can
score
well
in
usability
and
even
look
great
while
doing
it,
but
as
a
soundbar
these
things
are
subordinate
to,
well…sound.
Let’s
kick
things
off
in
the
audio
department
by
talking
about
Dolby
Atmos
–
the
key
selling
point
of
the
Majority
Elias.
The
inclusion
of
upfiring
speakers
gave
me
high
hopes,
despite
the
pretty
low
price
point.
In
the
end,
I
wasn’t
blown
away
by
what
I
heard,
but
the
added
expansiveness
and
verticality
were
certainly
noticeable.
To
test
Atmos,
I
first
streamed
some
video
content
on
Netflix
with
Top
Gun
Maverick.
During
one
scene,
Tom
Cruise’s
character
flies
his
aircraft
up
at
a
rapid
pace
and
the
directional
sense
was
more
true-to-life
than
my
TV’s
audio.
I
also
tested
Season
One
of
The
Boys
on
Amazon
Prime
Video.
In
one
episode,
two
of
the
main
characters
find
themselves
on
a
plane
during,
let’s
say,
a
turbulent
time.
In
this
scene,
I
was
listening
out
for
how
the
Elias
would
handle
sharp
movements,
loud
exclamations
and
the
chaos
of
a
distress-filled
action
sequence.
Again,
the
sense
of
positioning
was
solid,
although
I
wasn’t
getting
the
most
incredible,
room-filling
spatial
audio.
It’s
worth
keeping
in
mind,
though,
that
the
Elias
isn’t
a
particularly
large
soundbar
and
doesn’t
have
a
subwoofer
or
rear
speakers
to
help
deliver
full-on
surround
sound
so,
for
what
it
offers,
I
was
decently
pleased.
If
you
want
to
really
feel
the
action,
however,
it
may
be
worth
seeking
out
a
budget
5.1
channel
soundbar
system
alternative
–
more
on
this
in
the
Also
Consider
section.
(Image
credit:
Future)
Even
though
I
did
get
a
sense
of
relatively
competent
spatial
audio,
there’s
one
overriding
issue
holding
the
Elias
back
–
sound
quality.
The
overall
audio
experience
is
a
pretty
negative
one
out
of
the
box.
You
can
select
from
four
different
sound
modes:
3D;
Movie;
Music;
and
News.
Now,
each
of
these
settings
has
unique
sound
profiles
–
something
that
a
few
competitors
fall
flat
on
–
but
none
can
save
the
Elias
from
emitting
disappointing
audio.
I
started
by
testing
out
3D
Mode,
with
the
hope
that
it
would
enhance
the
Dolby
Atmos
effect.
It
did
add
more
than
the
other
EQ
modes
and
while
watching
The
Boys,
dialogue
sounded
palatable
–
at
least
more
than
it
did
in
Movie
Mode,
which
was
pretty
muddy.
Sound,
however,
still
felt
constrained
and
unnatural,
meaning
that
even
when
compared
to
standalone
TV
audio,
it
wasn’t
very
impressive.
During
Movie
Mode
testing,
I
watched
Episode
1
of
Cowboy
Bebop
on
Netflix.
One
high-octane
fight
scene
felt
more
impactful
with
the
Elias
than
it
did
with
TV
audio.
The
action
segment
contained
melee
combat,
gunshots,
screeching
cars,
flying
aircraft,
frantic
dialogue
–
you
name
it.
Thanks
to
the
Elias’
meatier
(albeit
still
lacking)
bass
for
low-frequency
sounds
like
explosions
and
more
expansive
soundstage,
it
was
able
to
capture
the
craziness
decently
well.
However,
once
again,
audio
still
sounded
muddied
and
lacked
definition
–
a
big
miss
for
scenes
with
a
vast
amount
of
sounds,
especially
when
some
are
in
the
same
frequency
range.
(Image
credit:
Future)
To
test
Music
Mode,
I
connected
the
Elias
to
my
Samsung
Galaxy
Z
Flip
4
using
Bluetooth
and
threw
on
some
tunes
via
Spotify.
The
first
track,
Black
Eye
by
Allie
X,
instantly
let
me
know
what
I
was
in
for,
with
the
intro’s
explosive,
pumping
bass
sounding
seriously
hampered
and
lacking
the
impact
I’d
expect.
I
also
listened
to
St
Thomas
by
Sonny
Rollins
–
a
less
bass-heavy
track
–
and
although
it
didn’t
sound
quite
as
bad,
the
sharpness
of
percussion
was
limited
and
slightly
tinny.
Songs
with
a
more
complex
mix
–
like
I
Want
You
by
Moloko
–
really
exposed
the
Elias’
shortcomings,
with
higher-pitched
vocals
lacking
clarity,
bass
missing
its
boom
and
densely
layered
instruments
devoid
of
definition
and
separation.
It’s
worth
noting,
though,
that
in
my
view,
music
isn’t
a
crucial
part
of
a
budget
soundbar.
Very
few
can
replicate
music
to
a
good
standard,
and
if
you’re
expecting
the
sort
of
quality
you’d
get
from
one
of
the
best
Bluetooth
speakers,
you’ll
likely
feel
let
down.
At
this
price
point,
I’m
more
concerned
with
performance
for
movies
and
TV
shows
–
especially
for
the
Elias
with
its
inclusion
of
upfiring
speakers
and
Dolby
Atmos
–
but
I’m
not
convinced
you
get
enough
in
this
area
either.
I
also
tested
gaming
performance
by
playing
a
rhythm
game,
Taiko
no
Tatsujin:
Drum
‘n’
Fun!
Usually,
I’d
stick
with
Movie
Mode
for
gaming,
but
for
this
title
–
which
is
focused
around
playing
to
the
beat
of
various
tracks
–
I
tried
Music
Mode
too.
Performance
here
was
mediocre
at
best.
The
main
issue
was,
of
course,
that
for
a
game
centered
around
its
excellent
soundtrack,
the
poor
audio
quality
worsened
the
experience
substantially.
Also,
the
Elias
wasn’t
perfectly
responsive,
meaning
there
was
a
little
bit
of
latency
with
sound
versus
the
appearance
of
notes
on
the
screen,
which
was
an
issue
for
this
game
specifically,
as
it
made
me
get
the
timing
wrong
on
more
notes
than
with
standalone
TV
audio.
If
you’re
a
gamer
who
needs
highly
responsive,
precise
audio,
the
Majority
Elias
is
probably
not
for
you.
The
final
sound
setting,
News
Mode
served
its
purpose
decently
well.
I
tuned
into
BBC
News
to
test
this
and
felt
that
while
voices
sometimes
had
a
slight
hiss
or
lacked
crispness,
they
were
still
relatively
forward
and
clear.
So,
overall
audio
quality
is
mediocre
with
the
Majority
Elias,
but
even
though
none
of
the
EQ
modes
can
save
it
from
its
sonic
shortcomings,
they
all
have
a
unique
sound
signature.
(Image
credit:
Future)
Apart
from
Dolby
Atmos
and
the
four
sound
modes,
there
aren’t
many
features
to
speak
of
with
the
Majority
Elias.
The
included
remote
allows
you
to
adjust
bass
and
treble
levels,
switch
between
EQ
modes,
toggle
3D
audio
on
and
off,
and
adjust
the
volume.
When
switching
between
modes,
the
soundbar
conveniently
shows
which
mode
you’re
in
using
LED
lighting
–
it
also
uses
this
to
indicate
when
Dolby
Atmos
is
active.
That’s
all
really,
but,
for
a
budget
soundbar,
you
wouldn’t
expect
much
more
feature-wise.
Before
I
sum
up,
I
have
one
more
minor
complaint
about
the
Majority
Elias
–
its
lack
of
clarity
around
HDMI
eARC.
HDMI
eARC
is
key
for
many
soundbars,
given
that
it
can
enable
lossless
audio.
However,
even
when
using
an
HDMI
cable
capable
of
eARC
connectivity,
the
soundbar
simply
displayed
ARC.
The
user
manual
also
specifies
that
the
included
HDMI
cable
is
for
ARC
connectivity.
All
in
all,
I’m
not
convinced
the
benefits
of
HDMI
eARC
are
truly
realized
regardless,
but
this
did
leave
me
confused
for
a
while.
The
Majority
Elias
is
a
device
that
dares
to
pack
incredibly
high-quality
performance
at
an
incredibly
low
price
point.
Ultimately,
it
cuts
corners
on
sound
quality,
leaving
a
bit
of
a
sour
taste.
Despite
this,
it
isn’t
a
terrible
soundbar.
You
still
get
more
powerful
audio
than
from
a
typical
TV
and
more
immersive,
expansive
sound
thanks
to
Dolby
Atmos.
On
top
of
that,
it
has
an
attractive
design
and
a
solid
set
of
connectivity
options.
If
you’re
looking
to
add
bolder
sound
to
your
TV
setup,
the
Majority
Elias
isn’t
the
worst
choice
but
it’s
outclassed
by
a
number
of
competitors.
As
a
result,
I’d
suggest
checking
out
our
guide
to
the
best
Dolby
Atmos
soundbars
and
speakers
to
find
a
stronger
alternative.
(Image
credit:
Future)
Majority
Elias
review:
Price
and
release
date
£99.95
(about
$130
/
AU$190)
Launched
on
March
2024
The
Majority
Elias
is
still
pretty
fresh,
having
only
been
released
a
few
months
back.
Thankfully,
this
means
you
get
modern
features
like
Bluetooth
5.3
connectivity
and
HDMI
eARC.
At
£99.95
(about
$130
/
AU$190),
you’re
looking
at
a
super-cheap
soundbar.
Sure,
there
are
lower-priced
alternatives
out
there,
like
the
Saiyin
DS6305
for
instance,
but
for
a
soundbar
with
Dolby
Atmos
and
upfiring
speakers,
this
is
still
a
low
price
point.
However,
the
low
price
comes
with
a
significant
degree
of
sacrifice
–
mostly
in
the
audio
quality
department.
There
are
some
clear
upsides,
such
as
its
tidy
design,
but
I’d
recommend
checking
out
some
higher-quality
budget
options
–
see
the
Also
Consider
section
for
this.
Majority
Elias
review:
Specs
Swipe
to
scroll
horizontally
Dimensions
24
x
3.9
x
2.7
inches
/
610
x
99
x
69mm
Speaker
channels
2.1.2
Connections
HDMI
(e)ARC,
digital
optical,
AUX,
USB,
Bluetooth
5.3
Dolby
Atmos
/
DTS:X
Yes
/
No
Sub
included
No
Rear
speakers
included
No
Other
features
4x
sound
modes
(Image
credit:
Future)
Should
you
buy
the
Majority
Elias?
Swipe
to
scroll
horizontally
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
Not
lots
to
play
with,
but
sound
modes
are
solid,
as
are
bass/surround
controls.
3.5/5
Audio
performance
Sound
isn’t
high
quality
nor
super
clear,
but
it’s
rarely
grating
and
pretty
powerful.
3/5
Design
A
little
cheap-looking,
but
quite
well
sized.
4/5
Setup
and
usability
Wiring
to
rear
speakers
may
frustrate
some,
but
setup
is
simple.
4/5
Value
Issues
with
quality
are
easily
made
up
for
by
an
incredibly
low
price.
3/5
Buy
it
if…
Don’t
buy
it
if…
Majority
Elias:
Also
consider
Swipe
to
scroll
horizontally
Header
Cell
–
Column
0
Majority
Elias
Amazon
Fire
TV
Soundbar
Ultimea
Poseidon
D50
Price
£99.95
(about
$130
/
AU$190)
$119.99
/
£119.99
(about
AU$180)
$119.99
/
£149.99
(about
AU$180)
Dimensions
24
x
3.9
x
2.7
inches
/
610
x
99
x
69mm
24
x
3.5
x
2.6
inches
/
610
x
90
x
65mm
Soundbar:
15.7
x
2.8
x
3.5
inches
/
400
x
70
x
90mm;
Subwoofer:
6.1
x
9.6
x
8.5
inches
/
155
x
244
x
215mm;
Rear
speakers:
5.3
x
2.8
x
3.5
inches
/
135
x
70
x
90mm
Speaker
channels
2.1.2
2.0
5.1
Connections
HDMI
(e)ARC,
digital
optical,
AUX,
USB,
Bluetooth
5.3
HDMI
ARC,
digital
optical,
Bluetooth
HDMI
ARC,
digital
optical,
AUX,
USB,
Bluetooth
5.3
Dolby
Atmos
/
DTS:X
Yes
/
No
No
/
No
No
/
No
Sub
included
No
No
Yes
Rear
speakers
included
No
No
Yes
Other
features
4x
sound
modes
3x
sound
modes,
DTS:Virtual
X
processing
Ultimea
BassMax,
3x
sound
modes,
surround
sound
controls
Majority
Elias
review:
How
I
tested
Tested
for
two
weeks
Connected
to
my
Hisense
U7K
TV
at
home
Predominantly
used
the
HDMI
ARC
connectivity
option
I
tested
the
Majority
Elias
at
home
over
the
course
of
two
weeks.
I
mainly
used
HDMI
ARC
when
connecting
the
soundbar
to
my
Hisense
U7K
TV.
I
put
the
Majority
Elias
to
the
test
watching
a
variety
of
TV
shows,
videos
and
movies
across
streaming
services,
including
Netflix
and
YouTube.
I
also
played
multiple
video
games
on
the
PlayStation
5
and
Nintendo
Switch
consoles
and
listened
to
music
from
the
TechRadar
testing
playlist
on
Spotify
by
pairing
my
Samsung
Galaxy
Z
Flip
4
with
the
Majority
Elias
via
Bluetooth.
First
reviewed:
August
2024
Read
more
about
how
we
test
