INTRODUCTION

   Regardless of one’s budget building your very own home theater was never an easy task and that holds even truer today. For example, 15 years ago when the very first LCD TVs were making their appearance the main issue for most of us was what kind of audio/video amplifier to get and with what speakers to pair it with. Fast forward to today and even though TV selection has changed massively for the majority of consumers the appearance of soundbars a few years back solved that issue but only for a while since nowadays one can find models from a wide range of manufacturers and in virtually all price ranges. Low to mid-end models however are the ones that sell the most and today with me i have one of the most popular ones in the UK today, the Everest 5.1 Wireless Dolby Surround Sound System by Majority.

   Founded by two friends from Cambridge in 2012, Majority has gone on to become an Amazon best-selling brand with a device in over three million homes across the globe. From the very beginning, founders, Eddie Latham, and PJ Scott’s focus has been to use ground-breaking technology to deliver quality consumer electronics at an affordable price. “Our goal has always been inclusivity” Latham and Scott use their years of know-how to continue to build a brand that designs products for a variety of budgets.

   The Everest 5.1 surround system by Majority features Dolby Audio compatibility and consists by a long soundbar, two compact detachable wireless surround satellite speakers (rechargeable, 3600mAh rechargeable pack - up to 4 hours of playback at maximum volume) and a standalone wireless subwoofer (UHF connectivity between the soundbar and all 3 wireless speakers). In regards to drivers used inside the soundbar Majority has squeezed a total of six 52mm/2.25" drivers (2 full-range and 4 mid-range ones) with a total power output of 180W and as for the detachable wireless surround satellites each of them comes with a single 52mm/2.25" full range driver and an output of 20W (40W total for both). The wireless subwoofer on the other hand sports a larger 130mm/5.25" driver with a power output of 40W (thus adding to a combined output of 300W). As for available connectivity the Everest 5.1 surround system by Majority features Bluetooth v5.0, HDMI ARC, stereo RCA AUX input, USB port (MP3 playback supported), S/PDIF and a 3.5mm line in. Yes, the Everest 5.1 doesn't support Dolby Atmos like its Sierra sibling but in many ways, it does sound like a more complete solution so let's check it out.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Majority uses a weirdly shaped box to ship the Everest 5.1 in which typically has a large product picture at the front (the shape is obviously due to them trying to use less material for it which does make sense i guess).

As mentioned on the right side if you use this 2D barcode to register the product its limited warranty becomes 3-years.

Another product picture is located at the rear of the box right next to a few words about its main features.

Inside the box Majority has placed the soundbar with its power cord, wireless subwoofer with its power cord, two wireless satellite speakers with their power adapters (microSD) wall mounts and desk stands, RCA cable, remote control with two AAA batteries, warranty extension paper and the instructions guide.

THE EVEREST 5.1

Even though it's just 6.56cm thick and 9.83cm wide the Everest 5.1 soundbar is 90cm long in order to have more than enough room for the 6 drivers and VFW screen in the middle (and that's without the two detachable satellite speakers).

Just over the VFW screen Majority has placed 5 rubber buttons (on/off, source, previous/volume down, next/volume up).

On both ends we find plastic covers with a drawing just next to them showcasing how you can remove them.

Removing those reveals the mounting ports for the two satellite speakers.

Worth mentioning is that when attached onto the soundbar the satellite speakers get charged.

With both satellite speakers attached the soundbar length increases to 123.6cm.

Turning the soundbar around we find one wall mount on each end and the power, stereo RCA Aux, 3.5mm line in, SPDIF, HDMI ARC and USB ports.

The remote control bundled with the Everest 5.1 is not one that stands out but it does have all needed buttons.

Aside attaching them onto the soundbar the two satellite speakers can also either get mounted onto the wall or placed on a flat surface as seen above.

At the rear of the satellite speakers, we find wall mounts, on/off buttons and microSD charging ports.

The subwoofer of the Everest 5.1 system measures 31cm in height, 28cm in width and 17cm in thickness and as expected the 130mm driver is facing the right side.

At the rear of the enclosure, we find the on/off power switch and the power port.

CONCLUSION

   With all the projector models arriving in the lab i ended up testing the Everest 5.1 for way longer than expected (just shy of 2 months to be exact) and aside the lack for Dolby Atmos support i didn't have any serious issues with it. Audio performance (3D audio included) was good across the board both while watching movies and playing games (when listening to music highs didn't respond very well so I don’t recommend the Everest 5.1 purely for such use, at least not for demanding users), all three wireless speakers worked well (the surround satellite speakers however are not that powerful and never really made it to 4 hours at full volume, more like 3 and ½ hours, perhaps a little bit more than that) and as for bass levels they were surprisingly good (for a 40W subwoofer that is). Now I would had liked a USB port with support for more formats than MP3 and perhaps an eARC HDMI port, a 2nd HDMI in and why not even an HDMI out for passthrough purposes but for a budget-friendly model like the Everest 5.1 these would be too much. One thing that did become slightly annoying as time went by was the fact that both satellite speakers switch on themselves at times (not when you power the soundbar on) something which I didn’t expect (perhaps I got faulty speakers or it had something to do with the power grid, who knows).

   At the time of this review the Everest 5.1 Wireless Dolby Surround Sound System by Majority retails for around 305Euros inside the EU and for 224.95£ inside the UK (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is quite appealing for such a product. Needless to say, if you want a rather affordable soundbar with Dolby Atmos support or one that does exceptionally well with music the Sierra Plus is what you need to look for (review soon). For consumers however looking to get their hands on a good soundbar with detachable and rechargeable surround speakers the Everest 5.1 is a very good choice and for that it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Audio Quality/Accuracy
- Volume Levels (Soundbar)
- Good Bass Levels (Subwoofer)
- Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, Stereo RCA, 3.5mm, USB & S/PDIF Connectivity
- Detachable, Rechargeable & Wireless Satellite Speakers (Up To 8 Hours Of Playback)
- Wireless Subwoofer
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Music Playback (Highs)
- Satellite Speakers Volume Levels
- HDMI ARC (Uncompressed 5.1)