Soundbar Reviews

Sennheiser shrinks its Ambeo soundbar formula down to a size and price that at least a few more people can deal with…  

As the most expensive soundbar in Samsung’s 2023 range to not ship with included rear speakers, the HW-Q800C has a potentially tricky job on its hands winning over hearts, minds and ears as successfully as the brand’s full surround sound options. Can it pull a rabbit out of the audio hat?  

ZVOX wants you to think of the AV157 speaker as a hearing device, rather than a soundbar per se. With headphones and other gadgets flooding the market to assist the hearing impaired, ZVOX’s timing might be fortuitous. But can the embedded tech really push those voices out into the open?  

Philips was once one of the AV industry’s behemoths and now focuses on other sectors. But the company retains its audio engineering prowess, not least that which is found in its soundbar offerings. The FB1 is big and made even more so by the addition of the FW1 subwoofer to pair with it. But does bigger necessarily mean better?  

Sony's A-series of soundbars starts with the HT-A3000 and we put it through its paces both with and without optional wireless rears and subwoofer to see whether the additional uplift in performance offered is worth the hefty additional cost.  

Groov-e is yet another market entrant touting super-cheap audio gizmos. The compact Soundbar75 is no exception and promises to lift TV sound to the next level. But does the soundbar’s rock-bottom price mean better than rock-bottom performance?  

The sub-£300 soundbar market is a crowded one. Each manufacturer has its own take on how best to get your TV to sound fab. And there are some respectable solutions out there. Is Yamaha ready to join the fight?  

Forget Dolby Atmos, 40 built-in drivers and all the other fuss. Many people just want clean dialogue from their TVs and a bit of audio heft on the occasions they dip into their MCU movie catalogue. Can Creative Labs achieve all this with a soundbar for under £100?  

Having been impressed with the flagship HT-A7000's performance and credentials, we take a look at the HT-A5000 which sheds a few channels down to 5.1.2 but still champions the expandable single soundbar solution. Can it carry the A7000's impressive banner into midrange territory?  

The massive Sony Corporation knows a thing or two about movies and entertainment technology. After all, they bought a Hollywood studio and were one of the first companies to introduce digital surround sound in cinemas. But can they extend that prowess to the sub-£300 sound bar category?  

We take a look at the lower-cost HW-Q800B, which drops the wireless rear speakers but retains many of the same features as its more expensive stablemates. Can the resulting front-heavy system make its mark in what’s arguably become the most fiercely competitive segment of the soundbar market?  

Sennheiser downsizes its Ambeo soundbar but does it still gets 'plus' points for its 7.1.4 virtual channels, streaming capabilities and connectivity? We check out the Ambeo Plus here.  

Bang & Olufsen's Beosound Theatre is big and bold and bloody expensive, but is it brilliant too?  

An ambitious Cambridge audio company is shaking things up with a hefty roster of sometimes seriously cheap home entertainment devices. Majority’s Sierra Plus Dolby Atmos soundbar package shouldn’t damage your credit rating either, but squaring up performance with affordability is, as we all know, a tall order at the best of times.  

Even with all the audio expertise at its beck and call, Harman Kardon takes it time releasing soundbars; so when one drops, it's definitely worth a look. How does the Citation MultiBeam 1100 stack up in a hotly contested sector of the home audio market?  

The LG S80QR second-rung-from-the-top soundbar breaks from LG's usual tradition and bundles in physical rear speakers with the main bar and wireless subwoofer. While it loses a few channels against the flagship S95QR, it keeps plenty of other features - so does it deliver better all round value?  

When you bring together products from an audio range called 'Home', to be used in the home as home cinema speakers... your review is going to feature the word 'Home'. A lot. Thus it is with this 4.1 channel sound system drawn from Denon's Home series.  

The Samsung HW-S800B is an ultra slim 3.1.2 channel soundbar and wireless subwoofer duo featuring Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual: X support. Lets's see if its dietary dimensions also conceal a full fat audio performance.