Sony has excellent form with soundbars, and the 2021 What Hi-Fi? Award-wining HT-A7000 soundbar is no different. No VRR or ALLM at launch -EQ controls would be nice -Slightly confused styling For a complete overview, check out our guide on how to choose and set up a soundbar.

But if you're streaming the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in 4K HDR, you'll want to squeeze out the best possible audio quality to make sure your content sounds as good as it looks. If you are just watching Freeview, a lot of these technologies will be redundant. Have a think about the content you'll be viewing and the sources you'll be plugging in. Many modern soundbars boast wireless subwoofers, Bluetooth connectivity, 4K-friendly HDMI inputs for a games console or 4K Blu-ray player, ARC and eARC-enabled HDMI outputs and even support Dolby Atmos audio with up-firing speakers. Also, check the height – if you need to place the soundbar in front of your TV, you don't want it obscuring half the picture. Look up the dimensions and compare the bar's width with that of your TV. You don't want it to be dwarfed by the screen, but then again, it could look strange partnering a huge bar with a small TV – like a tiny head perched atop overly broad shoulders. Consider the dimensions of your TV to work out just how big your new soundbar needs to be.

There are no separate surround speakers to crowd out the room and no snaking cables to act as trip hazards.īefore you buy, there are some things to bear in mind. The best soundbars pack impressive audio into a self-contained package small enough to sit in front of or below your TV. But fortunately, just adding a soundbar to your set-up is an easy way to get a more engaging and enjoyable viewing experience. That's because almost all modern sets, regardless of size, have subpar speakers hidden away in increasingly scant frames. You've probably noticed that despite flat-screen displays becoming continually getting brighter, sharper and more vivid, the difference between the stunning quality of new a TV's picture and its poor sound performance is becoming ever more apparent.

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