Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 Soundbar Review: A Great Value Dolby Atmos Surround Sound System

Setting up a home theater surround sound system can be an arduous process, particularly if you’re using a traditional audio-video reciever (AVR) which requires running speaker wire around the room. Even many multi-channel soundbars feature rear speakers tethered to the subwoofer. Enter the Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4, a truly wireless soundbar with Dolby Atmos support that lets you enjoy immersive movies, TV shows, and music without a hassle. With eARC or enhanced Audio Return Channel and Dolby Atmos spatial audio compatibility, the Milan makes movie nights feel more realistic. Unfortunately, there’s no DTS decoding, although PCM still works fine for enjoying uncompressed soundtracks. But is this the right audio solution for your home? Learn why (or why not) in my hands-on Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 soundbar review!

Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 soundbar review verdict: An terrific value wireless Dobly Atmos home theatre

Platin Audio Milan’s 5.1.4 is an exceptional truly wireless surround sound home cinema. It relies on WiSA, a wire-free spatial sound standard, to connect its various speakers. WiSA devices typically require a hub that transmits an audio signal to speakers peppered around the room — Platin Audio’s Milan 5.1 and Monaco 5.1.2 utilize the SoundSend dongle. But the Milan 5.1.4 comes with a WiSA transmitter baked into the soundbar. Unlike many multi-channel soundbars such as my Vizio SB36512-F6, you don’t need to hook up any speakers together using wires. Instead, the Milan 5.1.4 operates like my Sonos system where the soundbar, rears, and sub all “talk” to one another wirelessly, only requiring a power cable.

Setup is a breeze: Just plug in your rear speakers and subwoofer, then connect the soundbar to the ARC or eARC port on your TV/projector, plug in the power cable, and tap the sync button on the soundbar. In my testing, the sub and rear surrounds paired flawlessly. Because of its completely wireless configuration — each speaker only needs to be plugged into the wall with a power cable — the Milan 5.1.4 boasts flexible installation.

With eARC onboard, any audio playing on your TV or projector gets piped to your soundbar. Whether you’re using your smart television’s built-in apps or an external media player like an Android TV box, Roku, Fire TV, or Blu-ray player, it gets routed to the Milan. Moreover, eARC means that, so long as your TV or projector also sports eARC, you can enjoy uncompressed audio tracks. While most streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus broadcast compressed Dolby Atmos, you’ll enjoy the highest-quality sound possible when watching 4K or standard Blu-rays.

On my LG C2 OLED and Xgimi Horizon Ultra — both equipped with eARC — I was able to enjoy uncompressed audio. But with only an ARC connection, you’ll be limited to compressed tracks. Dolby Atmos proves incredibly immersive on the Milan 5.1.4. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” sounded incredible, with character voices panning around my living room matching the movements of their on-screen counterparts. “Fall of the House of Usher” sounded mind-blowing: A door slammed in an eerily-realistic manner, and a character’s voice floated convincingly into the frame with them.

Standard 5.1 tracks still sound great. Whether I was watching a movie with Dolby Atmos spatial audio surround sound, a 5.1 film, or a two-channel TV show, the Milan 5.1.4 handled whatever I threw at it with aplomb. There’s nice delineation of effects, crisp vocals, and solid bass that isn’t overpowering. When compared with my Sonos Arc, the Milan 5.1.4 doesn’t quite sound as full — but the Arc alone without rears and a sub costs more than the entire Platin Audio system put together. Juxtaposing the Milan 5.1.4 with my Vizio SB36512-F6, a 5.1.2 soundbar, the Milan bested the Vizio thanks to its two additional upfiring speakers.

I’d have liked DTS support: While you’ll find Dolby Audio, including Atmos, compatibility, the Milan 5.1.4 lacks DTS decoding. Thankfully, you can use PCM to circumvent this shortcoming and still enjoy lossless audio, since converting DTS to PCM maintains the same quality as the original DTS source material, for the most part. The notable exception being the spatial audio DTS:X which, when converted to PCM, gives you the equivalent of DTS-HD Master Audio, a slight step down from X.

While lack of DTS was a moot point on my LG C2 OLED which can’t passthrough DTS over ARC or eARC, on my Xgimi Horizon Ultra which does decode DTS, I was limited to PCM. Although that’s a minor quibble for most folks who mainly stream from Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, and other services, hardcore home cinema enthusiasts with large 4K Blu-ray and standard high-definition Blu-ray collections may be disappointed.

I’d have liked an HDMI input on the Milan; it wasn’t an issue with my C2 which packs four HDMI ports, but on my Xgimi Horizon Ultra with a measly two HDMI inputs, the soundbar left just one free. Sure, you can snag an HDMI switcher, and this is more an issue of not enough inputs on projectors or TVs, but an HDMI passthrough port would still be handy, particularly for home entertainment enthusiasts seeking to hook up streaming boxes, 4K Blu-ray players, and game consoles. There’s an accompanying app that lets you pick presets and set the levels of different audio channels, but no remote. Still, eARC/ARC means you can control the volume with your TV or projector remote.

Ultimately, the Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 is an excellent, wallet-friendly wireless soundbar for Dolby Atmos. It provides an easy-to-install home theater that eschews wires, sounds superb, and doesn’t break the bank.

You should buy the Milan 5.1.4 if…

• You’re renting an apartment or house and don’t want to mess with a complicated home theatre install
• You want to enjoy Dolby Atmos multi-channel spatial surround sound
• You’re looking for a wallet-friendly home cinema

You should look elsewhere if…

• You need DTS decoding
• You require HDMI passthrough

How does the Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 soundbar work?

The Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 is a multi-channel soundbar. It features 10 separate channels: Five on the soundbar itself (left/right front, center, left/right upfiring), four on the rear surround speakers (left/right, upfiring left/right), and the low-frequency effects (LFE) which emanates from the subwoofer.

Upfiring speakers broadcast audio upwards at an angle, then bounce it off of your ceiling and into your ears, creating the illusion that sounds are coming at you from above. Traditionally, to achieve this effect, you’d need to install in-wall or ceiling speakers. Instead, with soundbars and speakers like the Milan 5.1.4, you can simply rely on upfiring speaker drivers to encase you in a wall of sound.

So what does 5.1.4 mean on a soundbar? It stands for various channels. The first number indicates the traditional five channels you’d find that point towards you: Front left, center, front right, rear left, rear right. Then, the second number is the LFE channel or the subwoofer. Finally, the last number signifies the upfiring speakers, in this case four.

Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 Design and Build

The Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 features four different pieces: A soundbar that goes at the front of your room by the television or projector screen, a subwoofer, and a pair of rear surround speakers. I liked that the soundbar was fairly compact and low-profile. Plopped on my entertainment console in front of my LG C2 OLED, which sits notoriously low, the Milan 5.1.4 didn’t block the bottom of the screen, unlike my hulking Sonos Arc.

While there’s no remote control, the soundbar features basic onboard controls including a power button, source button to switch between HDMI ARC/optical TOSLink/AUX/coax/stereo in, Bluetooth switch, and volume controls.

Whereas many subwoofers are hulking boxes, the Milan 5.1.4 instead features a compact square. With its smaller stature, the Milan’s sub fits under end tables or slides under couches and other furniture.

Both rear speakers are labeled with LS or RS (left surround or right surround) so placing them in the proper locations is a breeze. You’ll even find threaded holes so you can mount them on stands if you don’t want to sacrifice valuable side table real estate.

The soundbar even sports an array of inputs/outputs. There’s an HDMI eARC, optical TOSLink left and right analog audio RCA jacks, a 3.5mm analog input, and coax jack.

The Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 is easy to install

Setting up the Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 is incredibly intuitive:

1. First, place your speakers where you want them. The soundbar should be in front of you under the television or projector screen, your rear left and right speakers flanking you, and the subwoofer in front of you in the corner for the best bass response.
2. Plug in the soundbar to your TV or projector using an HDMI cable to the HDMI ARC or eARC input.
3. Connect the power cord on your soundbar, speaker side first then the wall side.
4. Plug in the power cables on your rear speakers and the subwoofer, and make sure the sub is powered on with the switch underneath.
5. Once everything is properly hooked up, double tap (press twice) the Link button on the back of your soundbar. To confirm that all speakers are properly connected, check that the red LED on the speakers, soundbar, and sub is solid not blinking.

For audio, you’ll want to pick Bitstream or Pass-through on your TV/projector, but if that setting isn’t available, try Auto.

The Platin Audio app experience

In lieu of a remote control, the Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 relies on an app. It’s uncomplicated to navigate, letting you set the master volume, speaker channel volumes, and pick different presets like Movie or Music modes. I’d have liked the ability to see what audio codec is playing, similar to what’s in the Sonos app. For example, you can fire up the Sonos app during a movie and view information on what’s playing, like Dolby Atmos or PCM 5.1 channel. With the Platin, you’re in the dark. Furthermore, it would be nice to at least use a third-party app. Whereas the Sonos app works with my entire arsenal of speakers, from the Arc, Sub Mini, and Symfonisk IKEA lamps to my Move and Sonos One, the Platin Audio app only works with Platin devices. Chances are, unless you’re me and “need” multiple soundbar surround sound systems, you’ll only have one home theatre setup.

Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 Review: Final Thoughts

Overall, the Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 is a wonderful choice for most folks. It’s a great value, takes mere minutes to set up, and offers excellent sound quality. Some home entertainment enthusiasts may be disappointed at its lack of DTS decoding, although PCM and Bitstream still maintain good quality when handling DTS tracks. The app could be better, but it’s perfectly usable for the basics. In the end, if you want to enjoy immersive Dolby Atmos surround sound without having to fuss with complicated wiring, the Milan 5.1.4 is a wonderful option.