10 of the best soundbars – reviewed

Not everyone can fork out on a fully-fledged 5.1 speaker system to grace their living rooms. But as voracious consumers of TV shows and films, we all want something that sounds better than what’s oozing out of our slim new flatscreen TVs. Soundbars and soundbases are the answer. We’ve rounded up ten of the best to find one for every home.

Q ACOUSTICS MEDIA 4

The Media 4 is ridiculously good. The sheer musicality of its performance is incredible, combining subtle detail, powerful dynamics and precise surround effects with confidence and ease. It’s hard to find fault when you get such a great sound for such a reasonable price. You’ll need to make the right space for the Media 4 (or consider its more slender – if slightly less talented – M3 sibling), but you certainly won’t regret it.

CANTON DM55

Whether you’re watching a movie or listening to music, the DM55 easily fills up a room with its meaty sound. Punches and explosions have that satisfying thwack and rumble to them, while the top end has just enough bite to keep you on edge without making you wince. It’s not all brawn, either: soundtracks swoop, swell and soar with a nimble touch and there’s plenty of detail here to keep you hooked to the action on screen.

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO TV5 V2

The TV5 v2 manages every element of the frequency range with poise and consideration, giving each the space they require, while keeping it all nicely organised in the process. At the high-end, even the sound of glass shattering can’t unsteady it. It might not quite compete with the Canton DM55 for out-and-out detail in the mids, but it does provide a greater sense of scale and a more powerful low end in reply.

YAMAHA YSP-1600

There are enough streaming and multiroom features here to keep you busy for hours. Everything is really slick, too. Take the auto calibration, which tunes the YSP-1600’s eight 2.8cm speakers to your room at the press of a single button. It’s not as exciting as older generations of Yamaha’s soundbars, though: he dynamic shifts from quiet to loud could be more dramatic, and we want more punch and detail to really get us sucked in.

JBL BOOST TV

From a soundbar this size (and perhaps, this price), you can’t expect the sort of room-filling sound that you’ll get from others. It gives it a good go though, offering a bass performance that is far from lightweight. Though it might not be the airiest of listens, it works within its abilities to deliver the peaks and troughs of a soundtrack, with the drive and agility to keep things exciting.

DALI KUBIK ONE

Dali knows a thing or two about making great-looking, great-sounding loudspeakers, and that Danish heritage comes through in the Kubik One. It’s a riveting listen. The scale of sound is immense, with effects pinging around with punch and precision. There’s ample low-end heft, and plenty of nuance and texture to every ounce of detail.

PHILIPS FIDELIO B5

This isn’t just a soundbar: it’s a shape-shifting 4.1 system with detachable ends that can double up as surround or multi-room speakers. Its sound is solid, spacious and dynamic, with no gaps between the speakers when in surround mode. Detail levels are sky high, while the rumbling bass charges along with accuracy and power. If you want an all-in-one product that sounds as exciting as it looks, this Philips is your best bet.

SONOS PLAYBAR

There’s a great sense of atmosphere from the Playbar. The nine speakers inside (each with its own amplifier) fire sound upwards, so you get a decent spread of open and weighty sound. The only drawback is that you don’t get the full brunt of a movie’s impact – a more directional approach would make the performance that bit more engaging.

YAMAHA YSP-2700

If you’re looking for broad, expansive sound then look no further. The YSP-2700 offers a huge soundstage, creating a wide semi-circle of sound from our listening position. The sub helps to ensure there’s plenty of weight to action scenes, but it’s well controlled, keeping things punchy rather than clunky. This is a soundbar built for going large, so get your action movies ready.

SONOS PLAYBASE

The sheer size of sound that the Playbase produces is certainly impressive. It’s not as wide as that from the YSP-2700, but much bigger than what you’d expect – and just as weighty, without the need for a sub. There are issues at the other end of the frequency range though, with the treble proving to be quite a bit too zingy, sharp and sibilant for the big sound effects.