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Soundbars are slim, often rectangular, speaker systems with drivers positioned side by side that are designed to slot underneath your TV or to be fitted neatly to the wall. With front-facing drivers, even basic, budget soundbars typically offer more direct and clear audio than a TV. Physical buttons, a remote, a companion app and voice assistant support mean you’re spoilt for choice in terms of control, while Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect provide wireless streaming options to complement the numerous physical ports. Sennheiser’s Ambeo feature is the Plus’ only real weakness, with its more spacious presentation detracting from the bar’s otherwise laser-focused and detailed delivery. But even with this shortcoming, there’s no price-comparable alternative that performs as well as the Ambeo Soundbar Plus.
The Sonos Arc draws on Dolby’s latest TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus sound codecs to deliver the best quality lossless audio found on cutting-edge Blu-ray discs and some of the leading streaming services. Crucially, that also includes Dolby Atmos support, and while the reflected height and side channels aren't as pronounced as some of the soundbars here can manage, they're still impressive, and the range of precision of the Arc is superb.
Minimalist Aesthetics
The Stage V2 has connection options aplenty, too. Optical, HDMI ARC and AUX connections are all supported, while a USB-C port allows you to hook the bar up to your PC and use it as a desktop soundbar. Wireless connectivity via Bluetooth is also available for those wanting to stream content from external devices. Unfortunately, ARC/eARC can sometimes introduce a slight audio lag resulting in lipsynching issues that can vary depending on your TV-soundbar combo. However, many brands include controls to adjust the delay on a soundbar's app, and sometimes there's also an option to modify it on a TV's settings.
If your soundbar doesn't include a subwoofer, you might still have options. Some models have subwoofer outputs, which means you can add one after the fact. You have to consider cables with this method, though. You also need to make sure your subwoofer is powered (has a built-in amp) or connect a preamp between your unpowered subwoofer and the soundbar. Just like it takes a lot of space to move that much air, it also takes a lot of power. While genuine overhead sounds are perhaps a stretch too far for this petite performer, 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. As we found when reviewing the latest Beam, "the soundstage is expansive and we try pairing the new Beam both with larger 55-inch and 65-inch screens, as well as a more modest 43-incher, and it enhances the cinematic scale and viewing experience for all three". Many of the high-end soundbars in this list also have Dolby Atmos built-in. Again, this isn't technically surround sound, but the audio tech is advanced and creates the illusion of immersive sound by bouncing sounds off the walls and ceiling around you. Are Dolby Atmos soundbars really worth it? All of the speakers on this list can wirelessly stream music from your smartphone or tablet. Most of them use Bluetooth, and some use Wi-Fi-based wireless audio systems like Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, or Sonos. Bluetooth is easy to use and lets you connect your phone to your soundbar just like a pair of headphones. This setup won't offer the best audio quality, though, especially if the soundbar doesn't support high-res Bluetooth codecs.
The best soundbars you can buy in 2023
You generally have two options when it comes to soundbar placement: wall-mounting it, or placing in below your TV on your TV cabinet. If your soundbar is quite tall, wall-mounting may be the best option, as it could obscure the IR receiver on your TV, rendering your remote control useless. There’s more to think about, but getting the size, audio features and connectivity nailed down early on should make finding the best soundbar for you much easier. What connection do I need for a soundbar? 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
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