TVs are now so thin that they don’t have space for big, beefy drive units to produce good sound.
That means you’re not getting the best audio experience, and as should all know by now, audio is 50% of the experience. To give yourself the best chance of having the best home cinema sound, you should consider investing in a soundbar.
We’ve put together this list of the best soundbars for different budgets, sizes and uses. Whether it’s a compact soundbar for a small room, a soundbar for gaming, or a soundbar system with speakers and subwoofers, you can have a look at the options below.
When we test a soundbar we look at its design how flexible it is to fit in a space. How easy is it to use is another consideration, the number of inputs (and outputs) it has, and its feature set too. We’ll also take a close look at any smarts and wireless connectivity.
Sound quality is, of course, the main reason to buy a soundbar and our reviewers watch a range of movies, play games and listen music to determine how well the soundbar performs across a range of activities.
If you’re looking for something more specific, we’ve got our guides for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, the best small soundbars and the best cheap soundbars. Those who want to fill their room with sound should consider our guide to the best surround sound systems.
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Update
We’ve replaced the Marshall Heston 120 with the Bose Lifesytle Ultra Soundbar for the bass entry, and we’ve added the Samsung HW-QS90H as the best wall-mounting option.
Best soundbar at a glance
- Best overall soundbar: Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max
- Best soundbar system: Samsung HW-Q990F
- Best premium all-in-one: KEF XIO
- Best for wall-mounting: Samsung HW-QS90H
- Best mid-range soundbar: Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus
- Best for music: Sonos Arc Ultra
- Best for bass: Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar
- Best compact soundbar: Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
- Best gaming soundbar: Razer Leviathan V2
- Best budget surround sound: Sharp HT-SBW5512
- Best premium: Bang & Olufsen Beosound Premiere
- Best budget soundbar: Majority Bowfell Plus
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Learn more about how we test soundbars
Soundbars were created to boost TV sound quality – which means we end up watching a lot of TV. We play everything – news reports for voices, movies for scale and effects steering – to ensure that the soundbars that come through the doors at Trusted Reviews are given a proper challenge. We’ll play different genres of music, too, since a good soundbar should be capable of doubling-up as a great music system.
More complex soundbars feature network functionality for hooking up to other speakers and playing music around the home, so we test for connectivity issues and ease of use. We cover the spectrum of models available, everything from cheap soundbars costing less than £100 to those over £1000, to ensure our reviews benefit from our extensive market knowledge. Every product is compared to similarly priced rivals, too.
Best overall soundbar
Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max
Best soundbar system
Samsung HW-Q990F
Best premium all-in-one
KEF XIO
Best for wall-mounting
Samsung HW-QS90H
Best mid-range soundbar
Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus
Best for music
Sonos Arc Ultra
Best for bass
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar
Best compact soundbar
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Best gaming soundbar
Razer Leviathan V2
Best budget surround sound
Sharp HT-SBW55121
Best no expense soundbar
Bang & Olufsen Beosound Premiere
Best budget soundbar
Majority Bowfell Plus
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FAQs
What’s the best soundbar without a subwoofer?
If you’re short on space or prefer not to have a subwoofer as part of the package, then the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is an excellent choice with its wide soundstage and detailed performance with voices. If you have room for a bigger bar, either the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Mini or Sony HT-A7000 would be fine options.
The post Best Soundbar: Options to suit your home cinema needs appeared first on Trusted Reviews.