You can use this soundbar to listen to voice-oriented content like podcasts, audiobooks, or TV shows. It takes an eternity for the sound bar to be switched on/replace the TV speakers and the connection can sometimes easily be lost. However, even though the HT-S200F can't get as loud, it has fewer thumping and compression artifacts at max volume. I realised eventually that I needed to change the sound source on my Toshiba TV which isn’t mentioned in the included instructions. While it doesn't reproduce a more extended low-bass than some more premium models we've tested, it does have a more extended bass than the Sony.

I have a Quad hifi set up in my main home, and whilst that is obviously better, the SF200 does not sound horrible in comparison (as I expected it to). See our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best budget soundbars, and the best soundbars with a subwoofer.

However, the low-frequency extension is fairly high, meaning that it lacks bass and will have trouble reproducing the deep thump and rumble of movies and music. For a start, I have a Sony SMART TV but when I place the sound bar in front of the set , it covers up the sensor receiving instructions from the TV remote! It does not require any setup or programming, so you can pop in the batteries and continue using your Sony HT-SF200.

New style TV has very poor sound quality and this soundbar certainly provides much better sound quality, both for speech and for music. The Sony can also get a bit louder and performs well at max volume, while the Bose compresses a bit in the bass range. Just 1 tip before you disregard it's own remote and that is to deselect power saving modes else it will switch itself off if you haven't adjusted the volume for a while, but other than that it's perfect. On the upside, it has an integrated subwoofer, which helps a bit with its bass performance, especially with the low-frequency extension. The Roku gives you access to Roku's media streamer, a platform that organizes all your channels in one place.

Like most modern flat screen TV,s the sound quality from my new smart TV from the same manufacturer was somewhat disappointing and seriously need some help. However, the Sony has less compression at max volume, so it's better-suited for use in loud parties. It work's a treat, I have changed the settings in my TV to tell it that it has the sound bar, so use the active sound from there.