Investing in a soundbar is a quick and easy way to take your home cinema system to the next level.
It saves you precious time positioning multiple speakers, instead offering a neat, one-box package that you can plug and play with relative ease.
There are countless soundbars on the market at various price points, which can make the search for the right model seem like an impossible task.
While you can spend a lot of money on a soundbar, we'd suggest your average home cinema fan need not spend thousands to get a worthwhile upgrade to their TV’s audio.
In fact, we've picked out two soundbars, out of all the products that we've reviewed, that we think will do the job for most people.
For those looking for a soundbar that provides a significant improvement to your TV's sound without breaking the bank, and beats out the budget competition, the five-star Sonos Beam Gen 2 is our top pick.
It launched at £449 / $449 / AU$649, but we have consistently spotted deals lopping hundreds off its original price.
While this Dolby Atmos soundbar is on the small side in terms of stature, it produces a sound that's much broader than its compact frame suggests.
We say in our review: "It sounds incredible, reaching deeper than the Beam Gen 1 with more refinement, a warmer treble, and wider dynamic range."
On top of that, the Beam Gen 2 offers eARC connectivity, which means it can handle the higher bandwidth Dolby True HD Atmos format. It also has Wi-Fi and network streaming onboard, plus compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant.
And, lest you forget, the Beam 2 gives you all the extra multi-room music functionality offered by Sonos speakers and soundbars.
There is of course the option to spend even more, and get better, bigger sound (the excellent Sonos Arc Ultra springs to mind) but for under £500, the Sonos Beam is very much worth your consideration.
Of course, £400 is still a chunk of change. So, if you want a truly affordable option, that will still improve on your TV's speakers, the Sony HT-SF150 is the way to go.
While it doesn't quite make it to a five-star rating, this ‘bar earned four stars for its impressive sense of space and premium feel.
We tested the soundbar at £90 / $100 / AU$199, but recently the price has crept up to £99.
The two-channel system does not support Dolby Atmos, but it still manages to produce a decent weightiness and scale.
When watching Baby Driver during testing, for example, we found that “the low-key sonic components that reverberate after each sound effect in the warehouse scene feel nicely separated and well presented, adding to the underlying tension”.
Alongside HDMI ARC, the SF150 has an optical input, and support for Dolby Digital.
While it is lacking the extra detail and musicality that we can hear in more premium products, it would be unfair to expect it for a soundbar at this bargain price.
Not convinced by either of these? Take a look at our longer list of the best soundbars for more choice.
MORE:
Here is our full review of the Sony HT-SF150
And check out what we thought of the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
These are the best budget soundbars we recommend right now
