First off, let’s address the elephant in the room: no, this isn’t a $3,000 home theater setup. But for under $500? The Poseidon D60 delivers shockingly good Dolby Atmos immersion. After a month of testing, here’s why it’s my new favorite budget audio upgrade.

The subwoofer surprised me most – that 10-inch wireless beast rattled my apartment walls during Godzilla vs. Kong’s final battle. Bassheads will love the BASSMX tech, though I kept it at -1 to avoid neighbor complaints. Pro tip: angle the rear satellites toward your seating area – those 20ft cables let me tuck them behind my couch for proper surround effects.

Setup was stupid easy. The eARC connection auto-synced with my LG TV, and the app’s 121 EQ presets saved me from tweaking forever. Movie mode + surround +1 made dialogue in Tenet actually understandable (a miracle for Nolan films). The plastic build feels cheap, but honestly? At this price, I’d rather have that budget go toward sound quality.

Gaming is where this shines. Playing Hellblade 2, I could pinpoint enemy footsteps circling behind me – the Atmos height effects aren’t ceiling-bouncing magic, but the vertical separation still impressed. Just don’t expect DTS:X support; stick to Dolby content.

For under $500, this is the best ‘gateway drug’ to Atmos I’ve tested. It won’t replace a dedicated theater, but makes movie nights 10x more cinematic than TV speakers. Worth every penny for renters or casual viewers wanting big sound without complex setups.