Today's super-thin televisions look seriously slick with amazing image quality (see: Best TVs you can buy in 2015) but, unfortunately, those thin designs make for some rather thin-sounding speakers, too. While everyone's racing to pack more pixels into your television (hello 4K), audio fidelity often falls to the wayside in the list of priorities. Simply put, with such a thin cabinet for the speakers, it's difficult to deliver impactful, rich sound meaning you're often left with tinny, thin and disappointing audio delivery.
Improving your audio experience should, therefore, be a logical step if you value your television-viewing experience. Home cinema surround sound kits are a popular choice to upgrade your home entertainment experience but not everyone has the room (or budget) for a full 5.1 setup. That's why soundbars have risen in popularity the past few years. They provide a far superior audio experience than a television's built-in speakers and their often slim, low-profile designs are a nice compliment to a television's thin design.
Soundbars and Soundbases
Soundbars can be standalone or come with a separate subwoofer to help give some presence to the lower frequencies. Perfect for anyone that wants to feel the explosions in their core. Some soundbars also come with multiple speakers that look to try and emulate a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound experience. Simple physics means these are often a pale imitation of true surround, however. There are also soundbases, too. Rather than just being a bar-shaped speaker that sits in front of your television or gets mounted to a wall, soundbases act as a platform your television can sit on top. These often mean larger drivers can be installed inside.
Connections
Having a wide array of connection options is always a bonus as you'll never know what you might want to connect in the future. At a minimum, most soundbars will have at least RCA jacks, as well as a digital optical connection. The latter will be your preferred choice. More premium soundbars will often also have something called HDMI ARC.
If your television has an HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) connection (these are just regular HDMI ports but will be labelled as HDMI ARC), you can get the soundbar over an HDMI cable. By then using a standard called HDMI CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) you can then control the volume of the soundbar through your television remote. The soundbar is essentially directly replacing your television's lackluster speakers. That way, anything connected to the television, such as a set-top box or games console, has its audio routed through the soundbar.
As well as wired connections, some soundbars will also have Bluetooth for wirelessly connecting devices. That way, the soundbar can also act as a traditional set of speakers in your living room for listening to music, helping cut down on clutter. In the case of the Sonos Playbar, it's also an internet-connected multiroom speaker that integrates into a wider multiroom system so you can have music playing everywhere in the home.
Below we've listed some of our favourite soundbars and soundbases, spanning a range of budgets and uses, to help you get the best audio experience in your living room.
Best Soundbars
Philips Fidelio XS1 Soundstage - glorious soundbase
The Philips Fidelio XS1 Soundstage has got to be one of our favourite soundbases when it comes to sheer looks. With its glossy piano black glass top and low-profile design, it looks incredibly classy. Not only does it look great, however, but its sound quality matches its stunning design. Whether it's movies or music, it delivers across the board.
The XS1 comes with a wireless subwoofer that can stand vertically or be laid flat to hide out of the way under a sofa and it really provides some controlled aggression to the lower frequencies. There are bountiful connection options, too, with optical, HDMI ARC and Bluetooth. It's incredibly good value, too.
Price when reviewed: £400. Read our full Philips Fidelio XS1 Soundstage review.
Speakers: 3, RMS power output: 60W, Dimensions: 730x331x40mm, Weight: 5.3kg, Dock connector: None, Networking: Bluetooth (SBC, aptX, AAC)
Sonos Playbar - multiroom soundbar
![Sonos Playbar]( "Sonos Playbar")
Sonos is a market-leader when it comes to multiroom audio, helped by strong streaming service support and ease of use. This being Sonos, the Playbar integrates into Sonos' multiroom system allowing you to treat it like any other of its internet-connected speakers. Out of the box, the Playbar is a 3.0 system but it works with Sonos' other speakers such as the Sub and Play:1 to turn it into a 3.1 or 5.1 surround sound system. Such flexibility is useful but bare in mind upgrading will become rather costly.
Luckily, even alone the Playbar delivers excellent sound quality along with a fantastic design. While you can get music to the Playbar through Sonos' multiroom system, there's only an optical input for connecting your television. You'll, therefore, need to make sure your television has an optical output, but nearly anything bought in the past few years should.
Price when reviewed: £599. Read our Sonos Playbar review.
Speakers: 9, RMS power output: Not disclosed, Dimensions: 900x140x85mm, Weight: 5.4kg, Dock connector: None, Networking: 802.11n Wi-Fi
Samsung HW-J7500 - curved soundbar
If you've got a curved television, perhaps you want a curved soundbar to match. At least that's the thinking behind Samsung's HW-J7500's distinctive design. It follows the same 4,200mm curvature radius as Samsung's UHD televisions and is best suited to the 55in and 65in models. The HW-J7500 also delivers where it comes to crystal clear dialogue, making movie watching a much more pleasurable experience as you're not struggling to follow along.
A wireless subwoofer is also included to give some earth shattering bass. In terms of connections you're well covered, too. If you've got a curved television, it's a great choice, just don't expect to wall-mount it.
Price when reviewed: £750. Read our Samsung HW-J7500 review.
Speakers: 8, RMS power output: 320W, Dimensions: 1,230x170x42mm, Weight: 4kg, Dock connector: N/A, Networking: Bluetooth 3.0
Razer Leviathan - PC choice
The Leviathan is a small soundbar (50cm in length) and is designed to sit comfortably under most desktop monitors. It's meant to be an alternative to desktop stereo speakers. A wired subwoofer connects to the soundbar to give more bass presence and helpfully it doesn't need a separate power source.
There's a 3.5mm auxiliary and optical connection on the soundbar for connecting your PC, but there's also Bluetooth for connecting a wireless device. Handy NFC quick pairing is included, too. The Leviathan delivers impressive clarity for the money and it's particularly great for playing games.
Price when reviewed: £165. Read our Razer Leviathan review.
Speakers: 4, RMS power output: 30W, Dimensions: 500x72x72, Weight: 2kg, Dock connector: N/A, Networking: Bluetooth (SBC, aptX)
