This full surround sound speaker connects to other devices wirelessly, making the sound system flexible to place and easy to use.

The absence of an in-built voice assistant and the decision not to include a remote sting a little, particularly given how much the Dione costs, but in terms of style and performance, few standalone soundbars get close to the Dione. While genuine overhead sounds are perhaps a stretch too far for this petite performer, based on experience using it, its virtual delivery of the Atmos format outstrips any similarly priced soundbar and even a few that are more expensive. The Beam Gen 2 offers an enveloping, spatial soundscape with rich, detailed audio as well as tangible motion and depth. EQ options and different audio modes are also worth keeping an eye out for. A lot of soundbars will let you tweak the bass and treble, while others offer audio presets tuned for watching specific types of content such as music, films or sports. If you watch a lot of TV in the evening and don’t want to disturb the neighbours, a Night mode designed for low-volume viewing is particularly handy. The high-definition and clear sound give the pleasure of listening to songs, dialogue-sensitive content, documentaries, or even Ebooks with much concentration. Fortunately, most soundbars have speech enhancement feature settings that will typically raise the volume of the centre channel and crispen up the EQ to help improve dialogue audibility. Not every brand implements this with sophistication, and sometimes these modes can sound thin and harsh, but once again, it's always worth experimenting to find what works for you and your space. How we test soundbars How we test soundbars

SpaceFit Sound Pro has been enhanced to automatically optimise the audio in your room to correct dialogue, surround effects and bass. Adaptive Sound 2.0 uses AI-enhanced processing to give content an added boost and has been upgraded to provide clearer sound at lower volumes. In addition to Adaptive Sound 2.0, there are other sound modes that include Standard, Surround Sound and Game Pro 2.0. There’s also a Night mode if you need to flatten the dynamic range so you don’t disturb others, and a Voice Enhancement mode to boost hard-to-hear dialogue.

This is because as TVs have become slimmer, their in-built speakers have shrunk and are often positioned at the rear or underneath the screen – hardly the ideal position as large speakers that face forward will always be clearer and louder than tiny speakers pointing in another direction. As our homes get smarter and we become more reliant on voice assistants to manage the minutiae of our lives, it’s crucial our audio devices keep up. As a result, we’re seeing an increasing number of soundbars incorporating smart functionality in some form, with the Polk React a case in point. The integrated sub, while not up there with the very best subwoofers you can buy, is very impressive for one bundled with a soundbar, with a taut, controlled and powerful performance, "even when we push it to the extremes with the pulsating synths of Blade Runner 2049..." Delivering Dolby Atmos from a small chassis is no mean feat and the Sonos Beam Gen 2 achieves a convincing, immersive performance without so much as a vertical speaker in sight. Instead, when watching Atmos content, two of the soundbar's five front-facing arrays are dedicated to reproducing overhead and surround sounds. With its hefty processing power, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 uses psychoacoustic HRTF (head-related transfer function) technology to give the impression of height without needing to get vertical. No, it doesn’t have the out-and-out bass wallop of some of the other soundbars in this list. But it has a fair bit more subtlety, insight and straightforward musicality than most of them - especially when you take the ‘considerable but not outrageous’ price into account. So if you want your new soundbar to be a bit more than just a new soundbar, have a long, hard listen to the DALI Katch One.Instead, when watching Atmos content, two of the soundbar's five front-facing arrays are dedicated to reproducing overhead and surround sounds. With its hefty processing power, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 uses psychoacoustic HRTF (head-related transfer function) technology to give the impression of height without needing to get vertical. Asmart TV soundbaris the easiest way of improving the sound on your TV. They take up very little space and are really easy to set up. Sound wise, they are much better than TV speakers.The best part is that these devices come with inbuilt Smart Assistants that perform actions based on your voice commands. Smart assistant support extends to both Alexa and Google Assistant and works effectively, negating the need for a remote, though you can use the Sonos app to control the bar if necessary. The wireless subwoofer also performs decent low-frequency extension, resulting in a well-balanced rumble and rich bass. First, we have added a top-notch product from the famous and trustworthy brand Samsung. Samsung has been in the electronics market, and we all trust their product for innovation, price, and quality.

The Creative Stage V2 delivers everything you could want from a budget soundbar. The bar is sleek and compact, making it a great fit for most medium-sized TVs, while the discrete subwoofer adds welcome weight and richness to bass reproduction. It powers up the entertainment of watching your favorite content with advanced DSP processing, Dolby Digital, and ARC to connect with a smart TV.Unlike most of the options on this list, the Groov-e Soundbar 75 doesn’t have an HDMI port, so you’ll be hooking it up to your TV using the optical cable that comes in the box. Bluetooth is supported too, allowing you to stream audio to the bar from your phone, while RCA, USB-A, and 3.5mm ports provide further connectivity options. The built-in 9 speakers with dedicated amplifiers deliver room-filling and spacious sound that eliminates the need for external subwoofer and satellite speakers. Polk’s proprietary Voice Adjust technology provides an effective way to boost dialogue clarity regardless of which mode you’re in. It can be increased or decreased by up to four notches; +2 proved the sweet spot for me, ensuring I could hear every word no matter what I was watching. The only other audio adjustment option available is a bass equaliser, which can be accessed via the Alexa app or on the included infrared remote. Some soundbars will also have RCA connectors, which provide basic stereo sound. You might use these on a cheap soundbar, and this connection will do the job just fine for replacing TV speakers. But an RCA is unable to transmit top-quality digital signals as it’s an analogue connector. Do soundbars have surround sound? The bar is small but perfectly formed and a big step up from your TV’s audio output when it comes to detail, mid-range positivity and crisp articulation of higher frequencies. The accompanying subwoofer, which can be positioned vertically or horizontally, delivers a hearty low-end punch while remaining controlled and rhythmically astute. Dialogue is particularly well-handled, with voices proving characterful and nuanced even during the most hectic on-screen action. Connectivity is decent too, with Bluetooth support in addition to a pleasing number of physical options, including HDMI (ARC).

Close attention is paid to sound reproduction across the frequency spectrum, with a focus on the three cornerstones of soundbar performance: bass response, dialogue clarity and crispness of treble. If there are different EQ presets available, we’ll try these out with appropriate content and all tests are run at a variety of volume levels, including maximum volume to push the product to its limits. Sonically the inclusion of the woofer is a nice touch, and while you shouldn’t expect cinematic low-end, the enhanced depth that the bass unit brings to the table isn’t superfluous either, giving this tiny soundbar more solidity and musicality than you would expect. The grille covering conceals dual subwoofers, two 3-inch built-in subwoofers, and four tweeters. All the drivers reproduce quality sound, and the 9 LEDs at the top give you a lead of functions working on the soundbar. A soundbar should be able to understand your commands irrespective of the accent and communicate in clear enough voices. When the device tends to deliver clear dialogues with Alexa, it will perform better with audio quality, even without a center channel integration. Channel Configuration Not every expensive thing guarantees to perform beyond the extraordinary. You can easily find budget-friendly soundbars that can deliver outstanding audio quality, and the expensive ones may not meet your expectations.

They deliver rich and deep bass without the need for a separate sub. There is the Clear Voice mode that allows you to hear dialogues better by enhancing the conversations. The DTS VirtualX gives you real-life surround sounds that envelop your theatre room. With WiFi and Bluetooth access, you can control the soundbar through the Soundbar Control app. With its wide range of supported audio formats, the A7000 excels itself and includesDolby Atmos(in both the Digital+ and TrueHD formats),DTS:X, LPCM, hi-res wireless audio and Sony 360 Reality Audio. If you’re part of the Alexa smart home ecosystem and want an affordable soundbar to slot neatly into it, the Polk React is the best choice around. If you’ve got a bit more cash to play with and want superior audio quality, we recommend you take a look at the Sonos Beam 2. A soundbar usually sits below or in front of your TV. A soundable sits underneath it. The soundbase came about to give manufacturers a bit more room to play with. This allows for larger speaker cabinets and bigger bass drivers, often removing the need for a separate subwoofer.