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Best soundbars: Samsung, LG, Sony and the best TV soundbars

Televisions have certainly gotten better to watch. Their reproduction of images has grown clearer, their colours brighter and their footprint smaller. But they don’t necessarily sound as good as their predecessors.

As TVs have grown thinner, designers have struggled to keep reducing the size of TV speakers, without compromising on performance. The size, shape and complexity of components required – especially the speaker cones – just isn’t a good fit for a wafer-thin screen.

Soundbars are arguably the best solution we have for bringing TV audio up to a standard befitting of the spectacular viewing experiences now available on today’s tellies. They are a dedicated vessel for quality audio components, built to plug into your TV and reproduce its sound with power and clarity.

As we’ll see, some soundbars come packaged with additional components such as surround sound speakers and subwoofers. Such systems are not ideal from a space-efficiency standpoint – but they do provide a cinematic quality of sound that you won’t get with a soundbar alone.

Q Acoustics – M3 Bluetooth NFC All-in-one Soundbar

Best for: all-round performance and convenience

  • 80 W

  • Built-in subwoofer

  • Bluetooth / NFC

  • HDMI / Optical

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With a neat, all-in-one design and plenty of input options including HDMI, 3.5mm wired, Bluetooth and NFC, the M3 provides great sound without taking up too much space or setup time. That makes it a bit of a rare beast.

We had seamless experiences connecting it to a TV via HDMI, and to a smartphone via 3.5mm wired and Bluetooth inputs. Switching between audio sources on the M3 is simple: just tap the power button or use the remote to toggle the input.

One potential downside is that the M3 can’t complete with more complex, high-end systems like the Damson Audio S-Series and the Edifier S70DB when it comes to providing an earth-shaking, cinema-style audio experience. However, for the average user who needs all-round performance and convenience at a decent price, it’s our pick of the bunch.

£229 | Currys | Buy it now

Sony HT-XF9000 2.1 Wireless Cinematic Soundbar with Atmos

Best for: beautiful sound

  • Dolby Atmos: 3D sound from 2 speakers

  • Supports High-Resolution Audio with 4K pass-through

  • Wireless subwoofer

  • Bluetooth

  • HDMI

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Here’s a typically excellent audio product from Sony. The HT-XF9000 sounds tremendously clear, highlighting the detail in the audio it plays. When we say that, we’re not just talking picking apart instruments in a song: it goes as far as revealing the nuance in a narrator’s intonation. The bass punches rather than thumps – which in our opinion is just the way it should be.

The one arguable downside to the HT-XF9000 is the size of its subwoofer – a far bulkier object than the soundbar itself. If you can find a place to stow it, your reward will be one of the best TV sound setups money can buy. We didn’t want to stop testing it.

£339 | Currys | Buy it now

Damson Audio – S-Series Soundbar

Best for: a high-end home-cinema experience

  • Wireless 5.1 Dolby True HD

  • Supports 4K ultra high audio and video definition

  • Built in AV receiver

  • Soundbar and subwoofer

  • Connect up to 16 speakers

  • 2 x HDMI, analog audio, Bluetooth

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The first thing we need to point out about the S-Series is that this is not a soundbar, strictly speaking. Rather, it’s a modular home audio system with a small-but-mighty soundbar, the S-Bar, at its core.

Oddly, that might turn out to be a good thing, from a de-cluttering perspective. The system features a soundbar, subwoofer, Atmos surround sound unit, and two wireless speakers which can be packed away when not in use. The soundbar, subwoofer and Atmos alone take up less room than many competing soundbars do, and can produce a good quality sound, even without the additional wireless speakers connected.

Speaking of which, the S-System sounds exceptionally good – especially when used to play the blockbuster content it deserves. It sent us scurrying straight for our Lord of the Rings boxset.

If you’re looking to invest in an outstanding home cinema sound system, this would be a fine choice.

£899.99 | Damson Global | Buy it now

LOGIK – L32SBT17 2.0 Soundbar

Best for: an affordable audio upgrade

  • 16 W RMS

  • Bluetooth

  • Wall mounting kit included

  • Compatible with TVs from 22” and over

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Here’s a soundbar that can beef up a TV’s audio, without breaking the bank. Currys’ affordably-priced exclusive range, LOGIK, has a habit of producing good results at exceptional value-for-money – and the L32SBT17 is no exception. For roughly the price of dinner for two at Nando’s, it gives you a 16W audio output, with options to connect to your TV or another media device via Bluetooth or 3.5mm wired input.

It’s not about to make you feel like you’re at the movies, but the L32SBT17 soundbar does have what it takes to make the average TV sound better.

£24 | Currys | Buy it now

Edifier – S70DB Soundbar

Best for: powerful bass and a polished finish

  • Wooden enclosure and separate low-latency 8-inch wireless subwoofer

  • Connect to TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray DVD players, game consoles.

  • Bluetooth V4.1 technology

  • Digital amplifiers with DSP technology

  • Swap between three different EQ modes: music,

  • 158 Watts RMS L/R (treble): 12W+12W RMS L/R (mid-range&bass): 32W+32W RMS

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This brand’s not called “Edifier” for nothing. The S70DB is a tremendously powerful system, comprising a soundbar and subwoofer.

Though we’d have to say the Sony HT-XF9000 sounds sweeter to our ears, Edifier’s system provides stand-out quality at high volumes – which is just what you need for a night at the movies, at home.

Another advantage of the S70DB is its lovely finish, with MDF wooden enclosures elevating the look of both soundbar and subwoofer.

Impressive in both sound and appearance, this would be our pick for those seeking a statement soundbar.

£449.99 | Amazon | Buy it now

Sonos Beam Compact Smart Soundbar with Alexa Voice Recognition & Control

Best for: voice command compatibility

  • 5 speakers with dialogue enhancement

  • Amazon Alexa built-in

  • Supports high-resolution audio

  • Compatible with SONOS multi-room

  • WiFi

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“Alexa, turn up the volume.” The Sonos Beam Compact Smart Sound Bar is one of the first soundbars we’ve encountered with smart assistant compatibility.

As has been true of just about every other voice-controlled audio device we’ve tested, we found it easier to enter commands at lower volumes. That said, the Beam does go a long way towards combatting this effect, using an impressive five microphones to pick up your voice among the noise.

And when we say noise, we really ought to say beautifully balanced sound. The Beam provides excellent clarity considering its relatively small size.

This soundbar also connects with other Sonos products to create a multi-room system.

£399 | John Lewis | Buy it now

LG – SK4D 2.1 Wireless Soundbar

Best for: more power for your money

  • 300 W

  • Adaptive / optimized audio

  • Wireless subwoofer

  • Bluetooth

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Don’t be fooled by its mid-range price-point: the LG SK4D is one powerful soundbar. Combining with a wireless subwoofer (bundled in), it drives a mighty 300W of power to its speakers.

A relatively high wattage usually means an audio device can go relatively loud, and that certainly seems to be true in this case. If you want to immerse yourself in audio without shelling out for a home cinema system, the SK4D could be a smart choice.

We hasten to add that this soundbar has plenty of brains to complement its brawn – notably including its Bluetooth connectivity and adaptive audio, which enables it to actively tailor its settings to whatever you’re listening to.

£129 | Currys | Buy it now

Samsung HW-MS650 All-in-one Smart Soundbar

Best for: BIG bass and wide range of connenctivity options

  • 9 speakers with dialogue enhancement

  • Supports High-Resolution

  • Audio Built-in subwoofer

  • Compatible with Samsung R Series

  • Bluetooth

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First released in 2017, the HW-MS650 remains one of the best performing soundbars ever made. And now — thanks to it being 2019 — it's finally offered at the somewhat less eye watering price of £299, compared to £550 when it first launched.

With a wide range of connectivity options (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, analogue 3.5mm inputs, optical, HDMI) this soundbar is exceptionally powerful and to our surprise didn't require an external subwoofer to really get the walls shaking, although it does allow for one if you really want to go for it.

Wired or wireless, switching between movies and music was easy and the connection flawless. The sound quality is rich and the bass robost — the especially sleek design is an added bonus.

£299 | Amazon | Buy it now

Verdict:

Brilliant to listen to, easy to use and with a sleek design to suit a minimalist living arrangement, the Q Acoustics M3 is our clear ES Best Top Pick. If you’re looking for more of a cinematic experience, you should look to top-tier options from the likes of Edifier and Damson Audio. The HW-MS650 all-in-one soundbar from Samsung is also an excellent purchase with a proven track record and great all around performance.