Canvas HiFi soundbar gains wireless Dolby Atmos surround; ASUS ROG Gjallar gaming bar hits US
Canvas HiFi is expanding its audiophile soundbar with wireless Dolby Atmos rear channels, debuting at IFA 2026. ASUS's first gaming soundbar, the ROG Gjallar, is now listed in the US for $600.
In the new setup, the Canvas soundbar handles the front soundstage using BACCH 3D for audio positioning, while the extra speakers handle the surround, rear and height channels with Dolby Surround or Dolby Atmos. Canvas says BACCH 3D is “fundamentally different” from conventional virtual surround because it controls the acoustic interaction between the listener’s left and right ears, making left, right, center and bass channels appear to come from physical speaker positions.
The system is built around a new control box developed with German electronics specialist Almando. It performs surround decoding and distributes signals to the soundbar and the extra speakers, and also adds inputs and outputs for integration with larger AV systems. Canvas has left the system open, so owners can choose non-Canvas speakers for the rear and height channels, although the company collaborated with Danish speaker maker System Audio to adapt its Silverback active speakers to match Canvas’s design and deliver a visually coherent setup.
Separately, ASUS’s first gaming soundbar, the ROG Gjallar, is now listed in the US at $600, Engadget reported. The product, first introduced in early July, is designed for multiplayer gaming: its audio control hub includes integrated microphones, and ASUS says the soundbar can filter teammates’ voices and in-game audio while suppressing background noise for “headset-free communication without sacrificing voice clarity.”
The Gjallar has a 5.1.2-channel configuration with Dolby Atmos support, plus a wireless 6.5-inch, 65W subwoofer that uses a dedicated 5GHz connection to avoid lag. The control hub has an LCD display for volume, playback, input selection and EQ profiles. Connections include USB-C, HDMI 2.1 with eARC, optical, 3.5mm AUX, Bluetooth 5.3 and two USB-A ports. It works with PCs, Macs, mobile devices, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and TVs. The soundbar is listed on Best Buy and ASUS’s US website, but appears to be sold out or not yet in stock; ASUS is offering a “Notify Me” option.