Yahoo Finance 7 best soundbars for cinematic TV audio in your home
Chances are your TV won’t have audio that matches the sound from your hi-fi. This is where a soundbar comes in. A flatscreen looks great because it’s so thin, but that’s also exactly what prevents it from sounding as meaty and powerful as a regular speaker.
So, a wide speaker like a soundbar can spread the audio wider, and make it sound strong because of multiple woofers and tweeters inside, angled to the best effect.
Some soundbars are even designed with features such as Dolby Atmos which bounce some of the audio off the ceiling, giving a more powerful surround-sound effect (though you’ll probably still get the best sound from rear speakers in the mix as well). The main purpose of something like this is to be able to place effects in a three-dimensional space.
This may mean you have to place a Dolby Atmos soundbar so there’s nothing above it – the effect would be lessened if it were buried in the middle of the TV stand, for instance.
That’s not a concern when it comes to bass which is non-directional. If you choose a soundbar with a sub-woofer, or add one later, you can place it anywhere, especially if it’s connected to the main unit wirelessly.
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Some soundbars are really great at improving TV sound but not so good at general music playback. The best ones sound so good you can do without a separate hi-fi.
We tested, above all, for audio quality, though ease of set up, responsiveness and added features were also important. For instance, some soundbars can boost the voice track so the dialogue is always clear, or lower the volume of whizzbang special effects in a night mode to avoid disturbing the neighbours.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
The best soundbars for 2021 are:
Best overall – Sonos arc: £799, Very.co.uk
Best for audio quality – Panasonic SC-HTB900: £594, Johnlewis.com
Best wireless soundbar – Sony HT-G700: £299, Amazon.co.uk
Best for movies – Bang & Olufsen beosound stage: £1,349, Amazon.co.uk
Best for music – Sonos beam: £399, Sonos.com
Best for under £500 – Denon DHT-S516H: £463.49, Amazon.co.uk
Best for dialogue clarity – Polk signa S3: £279, Amazon.co.uk
Sonos arc
Best: Overall
Sub-woofer? Sold separately
Dimensions: W 114cm x H 34cm x D 11.5cm
Connections: Optical, ethernet, wifi, HDMI ARC
The latest soundbar from Sonos is fantastic. First of all, it complies with all the rules associated with Sonos: easy to set up, intuitive to use and with outstanding sound. It also has a neat feature called trueplay which tunes the audio for your individual room.
The difference between before and after can be remarkable. The only drawback is you need an iPhone or iPad to do the Trueplay tuning. You only need to do it once, so maybe you can borrow one if you’re an Android fan, say. This Sonos uses the company’s brand-new Series 2 app which has more features than the previous one, such as regular groups, where the system can remember that you like to play music in your living room and kitchen together, for instance.
Not only does the audio sound good across the board, with spectacularly well-judged audio – everything sounds right, with a faithful adherence to the original and crisp precision – but it’s TV soundtracks that really shine, with plenty of punch and effectiveness. The surround effects from Dolby Atmos are stunning. It’s a pretty big speaker, about the same width as a 55in TV.
Buy now £799.00, Very.co.uk
Panasonic SC-HTB900
Best: For audio quality
Sub-woofer? Wireless, included
Dimensions: W 105cm x H 12.9cm x D 7.8 cm
Connections: Optical, ethernet, wifi
Panasonic’s premium soundbar is solidly built and beautifully designed. And it sounds awesome, with a wide soundstage that is clear and detailed. It feels like the dialogue track is locked to the screen and sound modes add to the effect: “news” is great for dialogue, while “stadium” is good for sports.
The wireless subwoofer ensures there’s plenty of bass. It uses something called psychoacoustic processing. Don’t be frightened, it just means it tricks the brain into thinking sounds are coming from places where there’s no physical speaker. It works really well, though real speakers will always have the edge.
Buy now £594.00, Johnlewis.com
Sony HT-G700
Best: Wireless soundbar
Sub-woofer? Wireless, included
Dimensions: W 98cm x H 6.4cm x D 10.8 cm
Connections: HDMI ARC
Sony’s latest soundbar is capable of Dolby Atmos for impressive audio that seems to come from every direction. As well as Atmos, it’s widely compatible with other audio formats such as DTS and Dolby Digital.
There are various settings designed to give a proper surround-sound effect. Although, as ever, an actual speaker behind you will do an even better job, the effect here is compelling. You can turn these settings off when you’re listening to music. The music button on the remote quells the centre speaker for better stereo separation. Overall, this is a class act.
Buy now £299.00, Amazon.co.uk
Bang & Olufsen beosound stage
Best: For movies
Sub-woofer? Sold separately
Dimensions: W 110cm x H 17cm x D 7.7cm
Connections: HDMI ARC, ethernet, wifi
As you’d expect for this brand and price, the beosound stage is a real head-turner and comes in a variety of dazzling colours. Like the Sonos arc, it’s a Dolby Atmos speaker for immersive sound, and the 11 speaker drivers help with the impressive audio.
This is the first soundbar from B&O and it’s a highly accomplished debut. The sound is big, managing to spread wide while maintaining detail and accuracy. There’s a decent amount of bass, even though it doesn’t come with a separate sub-woofer. If there’s a downside it’s that there’s no remote control, meaning you need to use the free smartphone app, or your TV remote if the stage is connected by HDMI ARC.
Buy now £1349.00, Amazon.co.uk
Sonos beam
Best: For music
Sub-woofer? Sold separately
Dimensions: W 65.1cm x H 6.85cm x D 10cm
Connections: Optical, ethernet, HDMI ARC, wifi
If you want a soundbar for a smaller room, then the Sonos beam is ideal, though it still sounds good in bigger rooms – the audio is much bigger than the product’s looks suggest. Like the Sonos arc, the sound is good enough to serve as a fully-fledged hi-fi for music playback.
The tone is bright without distorting the source and the voice track is clear. Because it lacks Dolby Atmos, it can’t quite compete with the arc, but, on the other hand, it’s quite a bit cheaper. It’s a smart soundbar, so you can control it by talking to it, using your choice of voice-activated personal assistant.
Buy now £399.00, Sonos.com
Denon DHT-S516H
Best: Under £500
Sub-woofer? Wireless, included
Dimensions: W 102cm x H 7.3cm x D 10.4 cm
Connections: HDMI ARC, optical, ethernet, wifi
The Denon is strikingly designed with angular features and a unique style, while still being understated – it needn’t dominate your living room. There’s no central speaker here, unlike many, but it doesn’t seem to dilute the effectiveness of the dialogue which comes right from the centre. Denon’s history as an audio brand means it’s no surprise that music playback is strong here, too.
There’s no remote, so the smartphone app is the way to control this soundbar unless you’ve connected your TV via HDMI ARC, in which case the TV remote will do the trick. It’s compatible with several other Denon speakers, so it also works as part of a multi-room setup.
Buy now £463.49, Amazon.co.uk
Polk signa S3
Best: For dialogue clarity
Sub-woofer? Wireless, included
Dimensions: W 90cm x H 5.6cm x D 8.3cm
Connections: HDMI ARC, optical, wifi
Polk’s audio products are sensational value and excellent quality. The Signa S3 includes a wireless subwoofer to go with the sleek, stylish soundbar – it’s only a little over two inches tall so it won’t block the TV remote from working. Polk has its own voice technology to make sure the dialogue track is super clear.
There are also sound settings for movies, music and night mode for quieter, nocturnal viewing. It is compatible with Google chromecast, making it easy to use chromecast apps like Spotify and Amazon Music HD to stream music to the soundbar.
Buy now £279.00, Amazon.co.uk
Soundbar FAQs
Are soundbars better than speakers?
Soundbars can offer higher quality audio than speakers while being more compact and neat as there are fewer, if any, wires and cables, especially with those designed to connect to your TV or mobile devices via Bluetooth. They can also often be cheaper than a home cinema speaker system.
Can you mount a soundbar vertically?
To get the best sound quality from your soundbar, it’s recommended to only mount them horizontally, to ensure the sound is spread wider, and make it sound strong because of multiple woofers and tweeters inside. Mounting it vertically can be harder to install and can make it less stable.
Are soundbars good for karaoke?
You can use your soundbar for karaoke, however, most don’t have a mic-in option, so you may need a Bluetooth microphone in order to have the full sing-along experience.
The verdict: Soundbars
The Sonos arc is the real standout here, but the Sony HT-G700 is another worthy Dolby Atmos soundbar. Panasonic’s SC-HTB900 is the standout among the soundbars that lack Dolby Atmos.
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