Now that TVs have grown thinner, speakers have suffered, meaning those of us who value high-fidelity audio have turned to soundbars to create a true cinematic experience at home.
But the best soundbars can take up a considerable amount of space, particularly for those of us living in small homes and apartments. Not every home can justify having a huge, 45-inch-wide speaker taking up precious living space.
So, I spoke to home designers and tech experts who revealed that the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the compact soundbar to elevate your home entertainment without being the most prominent item in the room.
A Compact Soundbar Creates a Cinematic Experience That Blends into Small Spaces
'Compact soundbars can turn everyday entertainment into a cinematic experience and allow your overall interior design to shine without being overwhelmed by large speakers,' shares Russell Goldman, owner and principal designer at More Wow.
A compact soundbar won't protrude on either side of the TV, and aesthetically it's beneficial to go for a soundbar that's around the same size as your TV. Whatever the size of your TV stand, a slimmer soundbar will blend in with what you've got going on.
Plus, it's an easy way to make a massive difference to the quality of the sound of whatever you're watching.
'Compared to the speakers on a normal TV, which usually come from the back of the TV and bounce off of your walls, compact soundbars are designed to have an unobstructed distribution of sound,' Russell emphasizes.
I can attest to this as, since I've started testing soundbars for Homes & Gardens, the TV shows, movies, and music that I've been obsessed with for years sound richer, detailed, and more expansive than I've ever heard from a home speaker. The Sonos Arc Ultra is our favorite so far.
Russell explains this, 'They use technology to improve the directivity of sound waves and contain subwoofers to emit low-frequency vibrations that can feel incredibly immersive.'
Thanks to their stripped-back size, packing punchy and sophisticated hardware into a slim machine, it isn't difficult to fit a compact soundbar into a small space, even if you're working with a small media room.
'The great thing is, if you have room for a TV in your space, you have room for a compact soundbar,' Russell explains, adding, 'The most common position is slightly below or flush with the TV, but I've also designed custom millwork for clients where the bar appears built-in to a console or cabinet.'
What to Shop
Russell recommends the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). Victor Zhang, chief technology officer of PCBAIR, agrees and has recommended two more options.
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
'I'd recommend the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). It carries excellent sound in a small package that will dramatically improve the audio on any TV. It's also sleek and simple in its design, and won't stick out like a design afterthought,' says Russell Goldman. Victor Zhang agrees, praising how compact but surprisingly powerful it is with a 'sleek, low-profile design that fits perfectly under most TVs without blocking screens.' It measures just 26 inches wide. We're still in the process of testing the Sonos Beam, but judging from how much we loved testing the Sonos Arc Ultra, we're expecting good things.
'The Bose Smart Soundbar joins style with excellent sound, providing rich dialogue clarity – the kind apartment dwellers need since they cannot turn up the volume,' Victor Zhang explains. It's only 27 inches wide, compared to the 41-inch width of the more advanced model that I'm currently testing, the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar.
'The Samsung HW-S60B is cheaper but stylish and punchy, and Samsung TV-compatible,' shares Victor. It has Samsung's unique Q-Symphony feature – if you have a Samsung TV or any Samsung speakers, they can sync the audio together to create a more immersive soundscape.
Next, learn how to make a small living room look bigger, and the storage lessons we've learned from small space living.
