ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar Review: The Budget Audio Upgrade Your TV is Crying Out For?

I remember the day we brought home our new 4K television. The picture was glorious—vibrant, sharp, and immersive. But when we fired up our favourite blockbuster, the illusion shattered. The epic spaceship battles sounded like a fizzle, the whispered dialogue was lost in the background hum, and the soaring musical score felt thin and lifeless. It’s the great irony of modern technology: as our screens get thinner and more beautiful, the space for decent speakers vanishes. We were stuck with anaemic, tinny audio that did a complete disservice to the stunning visuals. This experience isn’t unique; it’s the default for most built-in TV speakers. The search for a solution leads many down a rabbit hole of complex, expensive home theatre systems. But what if there was a simpler, more elegant, and, crucially, more affordable way to unlock the sound your TV deserves?

What to Consider Before Buying a Soundbar

A soundbar is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for transforming your everyday television viewing into a more immersive and enjoyable experience. It’s designed to solve the problem of poor-quality audio from flat-screen TVs without the cost, complexity, and clutter of a full multi-speaker surround sound setup. The main benefits are profound: dialogue becomes clearer, action sequences have more impact, and music sounds richer and more detailed. It’s the single biggest upgrade you can make to your home entertainment setup, providing a bridge between basic TV sound and a true cinematic feel, all from a single, streamlined unit.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone living in a small to medium-sized space—an apartment, a bedroom, or a moderately sized living room—who wants a significant audio upgrade without breaking the bank or running wires all over the room. They value simplicity, versatility, and modern features like Bluetooth streaming and app control. Conversely, a high-end soundbar might not be suitable for dedicated audiophiles who demand the pristine separation and power of a component-based Hi-Fi system with floor-standing speakers and a dedicated receiver. It’s also not for those seeking to fill a vast, open-plan living area with thunderous, chest-thumping bass, as most integrated units have physical limitations. For them, a system with a large, dedicated subwoofer or separate bookshelf speakers might be a better investment.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Measure the width of your TV and the space on your media console. Will the soundbar block the TV’s IR sensor? Do you want the option to wall-mount it? The ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar offers a unique detachable design, allowing it to function as a single 81cm bar or as two separate vertical speakers, providing incredible flexibility for different room layouts and aesthetic preferences.
• Performance & Channels: Soundbars come in various channel configurations (2.0, 2.1, 5.1, etc.). A 2.2 channel system, like this Ultimea model, includes two main channels (left and right), each with its own dedicated tweeter for high frequencies and woofer for mid-range and bass. This provides a fuller sound than a basic 2.0 system. Look for peak power output (here, 100W) as a general guide to its volume potential.
• Connectivity & Features: How will you connect it to your TV? HDMI ARC is the modern standard, allowing you to control the soundbar’s volume with your TV remote. Optical is a reliable digital alternative. Also, consider wireless options; Bluetooth 5.3, as featured here, offers a stable, high-quality connection for streaming music from your phone or tablet.
• Ease of Use & Customisation: A good soundbar should be plug-and-play, but also offer sound customisation. Simple remote controls with preset EQ modes (Movie, Music, Game) are common. However, advanced models now offer app control with multi-band equalizers, giving you granular control over the sound profile to perfectly match your taste and room acoustics.

Keeping these factors in mind, the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar stands out in several areas, particularly its design flexibility and advanced app control. You can explore its detailed specifications here.

While the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

Unboxing the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro: First Impressions and Key Features

Pulling the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar from its packaging, the first thing we noticed was its thoughtful and secure packing. Everything needed for a complete setup is included, which is a huge plus at this price point. You get the soundbar itself (in two interlocking halves), a remote control, two sturdy bases for vertical orientation, and a full suite of cables: HDMI, Optical, AUX, and even the short proprietary cable to link the two halves. This immediate out-of-the-box readiness is something many competitors neglect.

The unit itself has a reassuring heft and a solid, dense plastic construction that feels durable. Assembled as a single bar, it presents a sleek, low-profile design that sits unobtrusively under most TVs. But the magic happens when you twist and pull the two halves apart. The connection mechanism is firm and satisfyingly clicks into place. Placing the two segments into their vertical stands transforms the setup into a classic stereo speaker system, flanking the TV for a wider soundstage. This 2-in-1 design isn’t a gimmick; it’s a genuinely practical feature that adapts to your space, a rarity in the budget soundbar market. It feels like getting two distinct products for the price of one.

Performance In-Depth: Putting the Apollo S40 Pro to the Test

A soundbar can have all the features in the world, but it lives or dies on its audio performance. We put the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar through its paces for several weeks, testing it with action movies, dialogue-heavy dramas, a wide range of music genres, and competitive gaming. Our goal was to see if this budget-friendly contender could truly deliver on its promise of an elevated audio experience.

A Chameleon in Your Living Room: The 2-in-1 Detachable Design

The standout feature of the Apollo S40 Pro is undoubtedly its physical versatility. In our main testing area, a 55-inch TV sits on a relatively narrow media console. As a single horizontal bar, the Ultimea fit perfectly underneath, its low profile ensuring it didn’t obstruct the screen or the TV’s remote sensor. The assembly is dead simple: you align the two halves, push, and twist. The connection feels robust, with no wobble or looseness. The power and input cable that connects the two halves is cleverly designed to be just the right length, tucking away neatly.

To test the split configuration, we moved it to a bedroom setup where the TV is wall-mounted with no console beneath it. Here, the detachable design proved its worth. We separated the two pieces, mounted them on the included stands, and placed them on either side of the TV on a dresser. This created a much wider stereo soundstage, making the audio feel more expansive and directional. Several users echoed this sentiment, with one noting they “only use it each side of the tv” and found it to be an “excellent soundbar system.” This flexibility is a game-changer for those with awkward room layouts or specific aesthetic preferences. It allows the user to tailor the physical setup to their environment, a level of customisation usually reserved for more expensive component systems.

The Audio Experience: From Movie Explosions to Whispered Dialogue

Let’s talk sound. Out of the box, the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar is an immediate and dramatic improvement over any TV’s built-in speakers. The 2.2 channel configuration, with its dedicated tweeters and woofers, delivers a fullness and clarity that flat-panel TVs simply cannot replicate. Watching an action sequence, the sound has genuine presence and weight. The high frequencies from the tweeters are crisp, rendering the sound of shattering glass or bullet casings with satisfying detail.

Where the Apollo S40 Pro truly shines for its category is in dialogue clarity. We enabled the proprietary VoiceMX mode and found it to be exceptionally effective. In dramas and documentaries where dialogue is paramount, voices cut through the mix with precision and warmth, eliminating the need to constantly adjust the volume or switch on subtitles. This was a consistent point of praise, with one user noting its “clear and full” performance and the ability to “hear audio details that were never noticed before.”

The bass performance, however, is where we encountered the most subjectivity, mirroring the mixed feedback from user reviews. The built-in woofers, enhanced by the BassMX technology, provide a decent amount of low-end punch for a compact unit. It adds rumble to explosions and warmth to musical basslines. However, it lacks the deep, sub-bass frequencies that a dedicated subwoofer can produce. This led to a split in user opinions. One reviewer found the presets to be a “muddy and over bassy” mess, suggesting the onboard processing was boosting the mid-bass too aggressively. Conversely, another felt it “lacks a lot of bass.” Our testing found the truth lies in the middle and depends heavily on the source material and user customisation. Using the app’s 10-band EQ, we could easily tame the “boominess” some experienced or boost the low-end to a more satisfying level. It won’t shake your room, but it provides a solid foundation that can be fine-tuned to your liking, a capability that elevates it above competitors that rely solely on basic presets.

Total Control at Your Fingertips: The Ultimea App and Connectivity

While the included remote is functional, offering quick access to inputs and the three main EQ modes (Movie, Music, Game), the true power of the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar is unlocked through the Ultimea mobile app. The connectivity via Bluetooth was instantaneous and stable throughout our testing. Once paired, the app presents a clean interface that puts you in complete control of the audio.

The six tailored EQ modes are a great starting point, but the 10-band manual equalizer is the star of the show. This feature allows for granular adjustments across the entire frequency spectrum. We found this essential for calibrating the sound to our room’s acoustics and personal taste. We could dial back the mid-bass that one user found “muddy” while slightly boosting the higher frequencies for extra sparkle in music. This level of control is simply unheard of at this price point and is the perfect answer to the divided opinions on sound quality—it empowers the user to fix what they don’t like.

On the physical side, the inclusion of HDMI ARC is a modern necessity. It worked flawlessly with our LG test TV, allowing the TV remote to control the soundbar’s power and volume seamlessly (CEC synchronization). This simplifies the user experience significantly. We did note one user’s report of incompatibility with their Samsung TV, a reminder that ARC can sometimes be finicky between brands. Thankfully, the optical input provides a rock-solid digital alternative that works universally. The addition of AUX and Bluetooth 5.3 makes this a versatile audio hub for TVs, record players, and mobile devices alike. After dialling in our perfect EQ settings via the app, we were deeply impressed by what this soundbar could achieve; it’s a testament to how smart software can maximise hardware performance. You can see the full feature list and check availability here.

What Other Users Are Saying

Across the board, user feedback for the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar paints a picture of a product that delivers exceptional value, though not without some caveats. The overwhelming majority of praise centers on its ease of setup and the immediate, noticeable improvement over standard TV audio. One happy customer stated, “i did it less than 10 minutes. It is perfect for my small living room.” Another was “impressed with my purchases it was so easy to assembled and connect to the TV sounds amazing.” The detachable design is another frequently lauded feature, with users calling it “excellent” and appreciating how it “allows you to assemble it in a variety of styles to fit the layout and atmosphere of your room.”

However, the critique is just as important for a balanced view. The most common point of contention is the bass response. One detailed review described the sound from the presets as a “muddy mess,” finding it “over bassy” even after trying multiple inputs. This stands in stark contrast to another user who claimed it “lacks a lot of bass!” and found the sound “too sharp.” This divergence strongly supports our finding that achieving the best sound requires moving beyond the basic presets and utilizing the fantastic 10-band EQ in the companion app to tailor the audio profile.

How Does the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro Compare to the Competition?

The ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar carves out a unique niche with its blend of features, but it’s important to understand the alternatives. Depending on your priorities—be it pure audio fidelity, raw bass power, or integrated simplicity—other products might be a better fit.

1. Denon SCN10 2-Way HiFi Speakers

The Denon SCN10 speakers represent a more traditional, audiophile-centric approach. These are passive bookshelf speakers, meaning they require a separate amplifier or AV receiver to power them. For those who already own such equipment, the SCN10 will likely deliver superior stereo separation, detail, and overall musicality compared to the all-in-one Ultimea. They are built for critical listening. However, this path lacks the sheer convenience, built-in amplification, Bluetooth streaming, HDMI ARC control, and advanced app-based EQ of the Apollo S40 Pro. The Denon speakers are for the Hi-Fi enthusiast building a component system, not for someone seeking a simple, plug-and-play TV audio upgrade.

2. Edifier T5 8 Inch Powered Subwoofer

The Edifier T5 is not a direct competitor but rather a potential partner for the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar. One of the Ultimea’s most forward-thinking features is its dedicated auxiliary interface for an external active subwoofer. For users who purchase the S40 Pro and find themselves craving that deep, cinematic rumble that its internal woofers can’t quite produce, the Edifier T5 is the perfect solution. It is designed to do one thing: deliver powerful, low-frequency effects. Pairing these two products would create a formidable 2.2.1 system, addressing the S40 Pro’s main sonic limitation and providing a clear, cost-effective upgrade path.

3. AZATOM Studio Eclipse Soundbar with Subwoofer

The AZATOM Studio Eclipse is a more direct competitor, offering a powerful 180W single-bar solution with a built-in subwoofer. Its primary advantage is its integrated design, which promises stronger bass performance right out of the box without the need for an external sub. This makes it a compelling choice for those who prioritize bass above all else and prefer a traditional soundbar form factor. However, it sacrifices the Ultimea’s key strengths: the versatile 2-in-1 detachable design and the incredibly deep customisation offered by the Ultimea app’s 10-band equalizer. The choice comes down to integrated bass power (AZATOM) versus placement flexibility and granular audio control (ULTIMEA).

The Final Verdict: Is the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro the Right Choice for You?

After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar offers an astonishingly rich feature set for its price. It is the perfect audio solution for anyone feeling let down by their TV’s native speakers and seeking a major upgrade without major investment. Its genius lies in its flexibility—the 2-in-1 detachable design adapts to any space, and the powerful companion app allows you to sculpt the sound to your exact preference, mitigating the common “too much/too little bass” problem that plagues budget soundbars.

While it won’t satisfy the hardcore audiophile chasing pristine Hi-Fi sound or the bass-head looking to shake the foundations of their house, that isn’t its purpose. This soundbar is for the everyday user in an apartment, bedroom, or living room who wants clearer dialogue, more impactful movies, and a simple way to stream music wirelessly. For that audience, the combination of design, connectivity, customisation, and sheer value is almost impossible to beat.

If you’ve decided the ULTIMEA Apollo S40 Pro 100W 2.2ch Soundbar is the right fit, you can check its current price and purchase it here.