TVs are getting bigger, and bigger… and bigger.

Hisense and TCL have been selling 116-inch and 115-inch TVs for quite some time now – and both of those look fairly modest compa red with Samsung’s behemoth 130-inch RGB Micro LED TV, which was unveiled at CES 2026.

The sensibly sized living rooms of many British homes are simply not built for a TV of that size – and many will find a proper surround sound package to be a squeeze as well. So does that mean you simply can’t fit a home cinema system into your house?

Of course it doesn’t!

We have tested plenty of smaller TVs and soundbars with modest footprints; and what they lack in size, they make up for in performance.

In fact, I have built a complete system, which includes a 42-inch OLED TV from LG, a superb scaled-down Hisense soundbar package (which even supports Dolby Atmos), and a five-star Amazon streamer that is no bigger than your average chocolate bar.

All of these products are Award-winners and, thanks to Amazon Prime Day, they are now all hugely discounted. At launch, this set-up would have cost you £1418; thanks to some pretty astonishing Prime Day discounts, it can now be yours for just £862.

This trio of petite home-cinema gadgets strikes the three core pillars of any good home cinema setup: picture, sound, and content.

And if you are happy to use LG’s webOS software platform and don’t mind a slight decrease in picture and sound performance, you could ditch the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max entirely, saving you a further £40.

The 42-inch LG C5, a compact OLED TV, is the definition of small yet mighty. Sporting a panel that delivers inky blacks and perfect contrast with ease, the C5 is a superb choice for movies – it’s and our pick for the best gaming TV, too.

We applauded its sharp, warm and rich picture, which we felt was hugely cinematic despite the comparatively small screen size from the 55- and 65-inch sets we usually test.

Furthermore, its gaming features are second to none. With a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz – ideal for PC gamers and more than enough for console gamers – and four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets. The smaller display also makes this a solid choice for dedicated gaming rooms, and it can even be used as an oversized desktop monitor.

The only area that the C5 stumbles in is sound. OLED TVs, in our experience, often disappoint when it comes to their built-in sound systems, and it’s no surprise that a TV this small doesn’t break the mould.

That’s where the Hisense AX5125H comes in. Tongue twister of a name aside, this soundbar system delivers proper surround sound at a price as modest as its footprint. The package includes a soundbar, subwoofer and two surround speakers, all of which pair wirelessly and with very little fuss out of the box.

We were surprised by its weight, scale, and spaciousness, which (much like the C5) far exceed its size. Dolby Atmos is supported with two dedicated upward-firing drivers on the main soundbar unit, and there’s even an HDMI 2.0 passthrough socket. (Maybe Sonos could learn a thing or two.)

The LG and Hisense make a great cinematic space-saving duo – and, in truth, you could leave it there. But by adding the heavily discounted, Award-winning Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, you get a pretty big streaming upgrade.

Amazon’s top-tier Fire TV Stick delivers 4K streams with oodles of detail and natural colours, and with an extremely comprehensive selection of apps, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to content.

If you’re looking longingly at our best TV deals and best soundbar deals pages, but think that you can’t get involved with the Prime Day sales due to a lack of space, then hopefully this petite (and massively discounted) home cinema setup has changed your mind.

MORE:

Check out the best Amazon Prime Day AV deals live

As well as the best Amazon Prime Day hi-fi deals

And find the best OLED TV deals here

If you’re looking to upgrade your lounge AV setup holistically during Prime Day, then we have two bits of advice.

First, don’t go for the new stuff, especially when shopping for an OLED TV or Dolby Atmos soundbar. Most of the new hardware has just arrived and is still full price, or at best has had a tiny amount shaved off its RRP.

Second, ignore Amazon, at least for now, as the best deal combination we've found for a new setup is actually at Richer Sounds.

The deal requires you to use a combination of discount codes to get the best result, but once done, it nabs you a 55-inch Samsung S95F QD-OLED TV with the firm’s Award-winning Q990F Dolby Atmos soundbar system for £1836.50 – pretty impressive considering the two products would have cost £4198 mere months ago.

All you have to do is add the 55-inch S95H and Q990F to your basket at Richer Sounds and apply the “599Q990F”, “SAMS10PERCENT” and ”RSTV200” discount codes at checkout.

As an added perk, you will even get a Samsung SP-LFF3C projector thrown in for free with the deal. We haven't reviewed that specific model, so we can't comment on performance, but free is free, right?

What about the brand new Samsung S99H and Q990H? Yes, they have also both been discounted. Richer Sounds is currently offering the 55-inch Samsung S99H for £2149 (or an even better £1899 if you apply for cashback with Samsung after purchase), which is a decent saving on its £2499 regular price.

We’ve also spotted the Q990H retailing for £1299 (save £100) on Amazon. But that still adds up to a combined cost of £3198 for the two together.

While the newer models do offer noticeable performance gains according to our testing, they still don’t quite justify an extra £1371.50 investment, in our mind.

Especially as the S95F and Q990F are still very competent performers and among the best you will find at their current, discounted price.

As we said in our Samsung S95F review: “Sound aside, the Samsung S95F is every bit the five-star stunner. Vibrant, punchy and more crisp than a lifetime’s supply of Walkers Max, it’s a thrilling TV to live with and use, yet it also continues Samsung’s trajectory in producing more balanced and cinematically authentic TVs.”

And on the topic of sound, here’s our verdict on the Q990F: “The Samsung HW-Q990F nails it with a crisp and engaging sound and a whole new level of bass performance.”

So, all in all, a match made in heaven – perfect for watching the World Cup, then.

MORE:

These are the best OLED TVs we’ve reviewed

We rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Check out our Prime Day 2026 home cinema deals live hub

"Why can't I hear the dialogue on my TV speakers?"

It's a question we're asked all of the time, and while we're seeing TV manufacturers attempt to fix the issue with built-in dialogue enhancement features, we think there's a clear answer to this problem.

An external sound device, namely a soundbar, is one of the most crucial – and easy – TV upgrades that you can make.

Not only will you get clearer dialogue, but many soundbars also offer deeper bass, improved dynamics, and, if you opt for one that supports it, Dolby Atmos.

With Amazon Prime Day officially less than 24 hours away, we expect to see plenty of discounts on several models featured in our best soundbars list.

However, if you're simply looking for a quick, easy, and reliable recommendation, then you've come to the right place.

I've selected three soundbars – an affordable option, a mid-range choice, and a premium soundbar package – all of which have been thoroughly tested to solve your sonic woes by our expert team of reviewers.

Just be warned, it's early days, so prices may drop further during the Prime Day sales as the week progresses, but these are the top savings I've spotted in the initial round of discounts.

So, if you're tired of muffled voices or you're sick of rewinding to catch a crucial missed line of dialogue, then look no further.

Affordable: Creative Stage Pro

This sub-£100 marvel of a soundbar is also the most versatile option on this list.

Designed to be used with smaller TVs or on a desk with a computer monitor, the Creative Stage Pro is a charming, super-affordable, and effective soundbar.

It ditches a fancy feature set and instead opts for a straightforward approach to improving sound, and we think that was a clever move from Creative.

That simplicity extends to the setup process; a single cable links the soundbar to the included subwoofer, and there are options to connect the soundbar to your TV via an HDMI ARC or optical connection.

We think it's especially talented when it comes to voices, as our full review notes that it outputs "crisp, detailed and emotive dialogue", which is the ideal solution to stave off muffled TV sound.

We reviewed it at £130, but Overclockers UK has it down to just £95.

Mid-range: Sony HT-S2000

Sony's entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar is my choice at the more affordable end of the market.

This compact, fuss-free soundbar sports an easy plug-and-play setup, and it produces a sound that is guaranteed to be leagues ahead of your TV's built-in speakers. Not only that, but the inclusion of Bluetooth 5.2 ensures that streaming music to the unit is a breeze.

Generally speaking, the HT-S2000 ticks a lot of boxes, especially for the money. It serves up punchy dynamics, impressive directionality, and superb clarity, which results in an impressively cinematic sound despite the soundbar's modest footprint.

When it comes to voices, we stated that the HT-S2000 delivers "crisp and clear dialogue" and praised its ability to dig up an impressive amount of sonic subtleties. This means that voices not only sound clearer, but also more textured, tonally varied, and realistic.

We reviewed it at £349, but it can be found for just £299 at Amazon right now; that's a tidy £50 saving on a five-star soundbar.

Premium: Samsung HW-Q990F

This Award-winning soundbar package has been discounted so deeply that we think it makes a compelling mid-range option for those scouting out a new 'bar to sit below their TV.

This package includes a soundbar, two surround speakers, and a subwoofer, making it a full surround sound package. The trick here is that all components connect wirelessly, making it a neater solution compared to a traditional wired surround sound package.

The system produces a hugely spacious and detailed sound, with the included subwoofer being a particular highlight. It produces a rich, powerful, and tonally varied bass that blows many competitors out of the water.

On top of this, the HW-Q990F is no slouch when it comes to dialogue. We found it presents "natural and detailed voices" in our review, and if you want even more clarity, then Samsung's Active Voice Amplifier Pro feature is on board to grant your wishes.

We reviewed it at a hefty £1699, but it can currently be found on Amazon for just £749 (a staggering £950 saving).

MORE:

Find the best soundbar deals here

As well as our picks for the best budget soundbars

As well as the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

The sun may be out in full force here in the UK, but that hasn't stopped us from burying ourselves in our dark test room to see how the latest TV and AV kit performs.

We have been testing out a range of products, from Dolby Atmos soundbar systems to QLED TVs. And all of those models need to be tested by the best test discs out there. There are steadfast classics that we turn to time and time again. If you regularly read our reviews, for instance, you will have spotted Blade Runner 2049, Civil War and Dune: Part Two making frequent appearances.

But we have to keep our eyes peeled for new movies and TV shows that will keep home cinema products on their toes. There are some on this list that have only just hit the cinemas and cannot wait to get into the test room, and others that we already regularly use.

Without further ado, let's get into it.

One Battle After Another (2025)

Words by Daniel Furn

After sweeping several award ceremonies over the winter, including this year’s Oscars, you probably don’t need to be told how good One Battle After Another is.

As long as you can stomach the 2-hour 42-minute runtime, Leonardo DiCaprio’s long-awaited collaboration with auteur director Paul Thomas Anderson doesn’t disappoint, following a washed up revolutionary who scrambles to find his daughter who scrambles to find his kidnapped daughter.

DiCaprio plays against type as the wide-eyed, stoned and super-paranoid Bob, and his lengthy phone calls to his former revolutionaries are the film’s comedic highlight, but the real standouts here are Sean Penn and relative newcomer Chase Infiniti as Bob’s military nemesis and spirited daughter, respectively.

I had the pleasure of watching the film in KEF’s Ultimate Experience Room and their 9.14.4 audio configuration, but whatever setup you have at home, the film will shine.

Anderson’s first foray into action means there are several scenes to test your sound system, including an opening raid on an immigration detention centre that sees gunshots and flares fired in all directions and bombings that will give the low end a workout. But the real benefit is to the score – Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood brings in skittery jazz and driving synths that ratchet up the tension more than any bullets, particularly during a lengthy climactic chase scene.

Legends (2026)

Words by Joe Svetlik

Legends refers to the secret identities assumed by undercover agents during an operation. But these are no ordinary agents – these are customs officers (i.e. airport bag checkers), who, incredibly, were enlisted by the Thatcher government in the war against heroin with minimal training. It’s quite a story, and it’s based on real events.

The biggest name is Steve Coogan, but the main character is played by Tom Burke, looking like a grizzled Charlie Brooker. He plays Guy, a bored customs officer who goes deep undercover with London heroin importers. But it’s really an ensemble piece, with Hayley Squires, Aml Ameen and Jasmine Blackborrow all putting in fine performances as the rest of the customs crew. Special mention goes to Charlotte Ritchie as Burke’s wife Sophie, encouraging him to finish the job while also struggling seeing him trying to reconcile his legend with his life as a family man.

Liverpool and London look their grimy best in the dying days of the Thatcher government – the gritty industrial wastelands are reminiscent of Newcastle in Get Carter (one of the main villains is also named Carter, possibly in reference to Mike Hodges’ landmark British thriller). And the soundtrack is A1 – The Stone Roses, Depeche Mode, The Cure, N-Trance, Happy Mondays… It gives a nostalgic wrapper to a show that demonstrates that the old days, like today, were something of a mixed bag.

Backrooms (2026)

Words by Alastair Stevenson

A horror about an empty, well-lit office doesn’t sound like nightmare fuel. But, Kane Parsons’ Backrooms somehow manages to make it exactly that and one of the most interesting horror movies I’ve watched this year, as a result.

That’s a particularly impressive accomplishment given the strength of 2026’s lineup, which also includes Hokum – a film I’ve already heaped praise on for its stellar use of audio. Based on internet folklore and Parsons’ previous YouTube series, the film sees furniture salesman, Clark, accidentally discover an endless network of interconnected rooms (most of which look like yellow offices) in the basement of his store.

Rather than jump scares or overt gore, the film gives a subtle nod to the classic psychological horrors of old, showing Clark slowly descend into madness as he delves deeper into the labyrinth.

I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but I can say the film then takes the terror level up to 11, offering viewers a gradual stream of reveals that hint at, but never fully explain what it is he’s stumbled upon.

Add to this solid use of audio and compelling found-footage segments, and the film manages to create a chilling, slow-burning experience that keeps you guessing and glued to the screen for its entire runtime – so much so that I’ve found myself watching the old YouTube videos, which expand on the film’s lore in my spare time.

It's still only available to watch in cinemas, but we can't wait to get it into the test room once it is released on streaming and 4K Blu-ray.

Limitless With Chris Hemsworth (2022 - 2025)

Words by Harry McKerrell

Everyone knows that proper documentaries make great test room fodder. Anything fronted by the mighty Sir David Attenborough tends to set the standard in terms of the quality of the cameras and equipment used, with nature’s diverse array of weird and wonderful beings helping to give our testers a pretty firm idea of what any given screen can do.

Limitless with Chris Hemsworth isn’t a nature documentary per se, but it’s made in partnership with National Geographic and produced by Darren Aronofsky, so the budget is colossal and the production values are exquisite. Hemsworth is no Attenborough when it comes to pointing out the intricacies of the natural world, but he does have a much nicer torso.

That’s also not the point of the series. Big Chris’ job isn’t to explain nature, but to throw himself into it, all in a bid to fight the ravages of ageing with some surprisingly in-depth scientific backing. Fasting, exercising, brain training; he does the lot.

Theoretically, this could all have been performed in a drab science lab, but instead, Thor treks from exquisite location to exquisite location – the icy Arctic Fjords, the Australian Outback, the Swiss Alps – to take part in a series of challenges that will boost his longevity and, more importantly, look really cool on camera.

And most importantly of all, give him plenty of reasons to take his shirt off.

1917 (2019)

Words by Robyn Quick

I'm not usually the biggest fan of war movies, but the excellent sound and picture quality displayed in Sam Mendes' 1917 makes it an essential test disc.

Starring George McKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, the film follows two young British privates who are tasked to deliver a message across no-mans-land to prevent another battalion meeting a grisly death. Suffice to say, 1917 is certainly not a cheery watch.

It was filmed in a single-shot style (although it actually uses cleverly hidden cuts throughout). That creates a plethora of motion-heavy scenes, challenging your TV or projector to make movement look realistic without judder or excessive smoothness.

With the most iconic sequence of the film, you can also challenge your Dolby Atmos system. As McKay's Private Schofield sprints across the top of a trench while soldiers charge across his path, the layers of sound wrap around the listener to bring the battlefield to your living room. Shell explosions, gunfire and raining debris are heard from all directions as Schofield powers on, and your system should place them around the soundfield with startling accuracy.

MORE:

Check out the best soundbars we have tested

Here are the best OLED TVs

And these are the best streaming devices

You know how fancy restaurants have this tendency to deconstruct classic recipes? Well, Sony’s done the same thing to the soundbar, but unlike that deconstructed lasagne, which you rather wish was just a perfectly delicious, fully constructed lasagne, the Bravia Theatre Trio is an almost flawlessly tasty treat.

Sony’s thinking behind the Theatre Trio is that as TVs get ever bigger, soundbars will struggle to create audio on a scale to match the visuals. The obvious solution is to switch to having speakers on either side of the screen, which is what the company’s done previously with the HT-A9 and Bravia Theatre Quad, but that creates its own issue: a lack of central focus, which is particularly important for dialogue.

The solution to the solution, then, is to break the soundbar down into three parts: a centre, a front left and a front right.

In a way, this is the antithesis of the soundbar, which was created, of course, to reduce all of the speakers needed for satisfying home cinema into one, slender unit. What’s next: the return of full home cinema in a box systems?

Let’s not get bogged down in the circular nature of home theatre fashion right now, though. Let’s just enjoy the Sony Bravia Theatre Trio for what it is: one of the finest lifestyle Dolby Atmos systems you can currently buy.

Price

The Sony Bravia Theatre Trio has launched at £1999 / $2000 / AU$2999, making it a very premium proposition indeed.

It’s a highly unusual proposition in today’s market, too, which makes direct comparison rather tricky. Someone considering the Bravia Theatre Trio might also have on their shortlist solo soundbars such as the KEF XIO, Sonos Arc Ultra and Bravia Theatre Bar 9; full soundbar systems such as the Samsung HW-Q990H; and bar-less set-ups such as the Bravia Theatre Quad.

It’s a good job, then, that we have all of these on hand for comparison with the Trio.

Almost inevitably, the Trio system can be expanded through the addition of wireless surround speakers and up to two wireless subwoofers. The new Rear 8, Rear 9, Sub 7, Sub 8 and Sub 9 are all compatible with the Bravia Theatre Trio, and if you buy everything together, the prices of the surrounds and sub(s) are halved.

Several legacy accessories – the SA-SW5 and SA-SW3 subwoofers, and the SA-RS5 and SA-RS3S surrounds – are also compatible with the Trio, should you already own any of those.

We’ve tested the Trio with the Rear 9 surrounds and Sub 8, as well as solo, and you can read our thoughts on the value of expanding the system in the sound quality section.

Design

The Bravia Theatre Trio is a slightly odd thing to behold, especially if you're coming from a soundbar.

The left and right speakers will look familiar to anyone who remembers Sony's HT-A9 system. They share a similar cylindrical shape and fairly substantial dimensions, though the Trio's versions are considerably more stylish, with a black fabric (rather than grey plastic) finish that helps them look modern and discreet despite their size.

They're attractive speakers, too. A metallic ring around the top of each cabinet adds a touch of class, while perforations in the top reveal the up-firing drivers responsible for the system's height effects. Build quality feels reassuringly solid throughout, too.

The centre speaker is a little more divisive.

Essentially a very narrow soundbar that sits beneath the TV, the centre isn’t unattractive exactly, but there is something slightly awkward about its proportions, particularly when it’s positioned beneath the sort of super-sized TV that the Trio is primarily designed to partner.

Thankfully, its low-profile design means it won't obstruct the screen, and Sony includes spacer feet in the box should you need it to straddle your TV’s pedestal stand.

Sony has also done an excellent job of making the Trio as installation-friendly as possible.

The rear of each speaker is flat, allowing for neat wall-mounting, and the left and right speakers require little more than suitably positioned screws. A dedicated wall bracket for the centre speaker is included in the box, too, alongside an HDMI cable and usefully long power leads.

Sony has gone out of its way to ensure that the system isn't overly fussy about speaker placement. It's still worth positioning the speakers as symmetrically as possible, but if real-world constraints mean one speaker ends up slightly higher or further away than another, the calibration system is designed to compensate.

There are compromises to the minimalist approach, though.

Like many modern soundbars, the Trio has no traditional display. Each speaker instead features a small status light that indicates power and connection information. Anyone wanting more detailed feedback will generally need to open the Bravia Connect app, which isn’t always ideal, despite the quality of the app itself.

This is a non-issue for owners of compatible Bravia TVs, at least, as the Trio’s settings and status information appear directly within the television's interface.

Sony also supplies a small but useful remote control that provides quick access to the essentials, including volume, bass level, sound modes, voice enhancement and input selection.

Features

While the Bravia Theatre Trio's three-piece design is its most obvious distinguishing feature, the real cleverness lies in how Sony attempts to make those three speakers sound cohesive, like a soundbar, yet also much bigger, like a more traditional home cinema set-up.

Officially, the Trio is a 3.0.2-channel system comprising dedicated left, centre and right speakers. The centre houses two front-firing woofers and a tweeter, while the left and right speakers each feature a front-firing woofer and tweeter, plus an up-firing driver. Together, Sony claims the three speakers deliver a total power output of 405W.

The system supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks. It’s IMAX Enhanced certified, too, but only once compatible rear speakers and a subwoofer have been added.

Key to the way the Trio handles these 3D audio formats is Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology. Using the physical speakers as a foundation, 360SSM then creates up to 24 'phantom' speakers around the room. These virtual speakers are designed to bolster the real ones and create a larger, more immersive soundstage than would otherwise be possible.

One area in which Sony has clearly put particular effort is set-up and calibration.

Installation is handled via the excellent Bravia Connect app, which guides you through the entire process with clear, well-illustrated instructions. Despite the sophistication of the system, getting everything connected, positioned and configured is refreshingly straightforward.

As part of the set-up process, you're asked to specify the locations of the speakers relative to one another, either approximately or by entering precise measurements. You can also specify their height, allowing the system to compensate for the sort of less-than-perfect real-world placement that often comes with living-room-friendly home cinema set-ups.

The calibration itself is unusually thorough, too. As well as using microphones built into the speakers, the Trio comes supplied with a dedicated USB-C calibration microphone that you plug into your phone before measurements are taken from the listening position. The result should be a level of consistency and accuracy that's difficult to achieve with systems that rely solely on onboard microphones or a smartphone.

Despite that thoroughness, the process is remarkably quick and painless, and, once complete, Sony's Sound Field Optimisation technology adapts the system’s performance to both your room and speaker placement.

There are plenty of further adjustments available within the app should you wish to experiment. You can choose between Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping processing, Dolby Speaker Virtualiser and DTS Neural:X, adjust the height of the soundfield, create a temporary listening position and access the usual assortment of voice enhancement, bass and night mode settings.

Happily, Sony's default settings are generally spot on, and most users will never feel the need to delve into the Trio’s advanced sound settings.

Connectivity is solid, too. The centre speaker houses an HDMI eARC connection for your TV, plus a dedicated HDMI input with support for 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM passthrough.

Wireless support includes Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect, while Sony's DSEE Ultimate processing can be used to upscale compressed music files.

Owners of compatible Bravia TVs get a few extra perks, including Voice Zoom 3 dialogue enhancement and, as mentioned, the ability to control many of the Trio's functions directly through the television's interface.

Sound quality

The whole point of splitting a soundbar into three separate speakers is to create a larger and more spacious soundstage, and that's exactly what Sony has achieved.

Compared with even the best conventional soundbars, the Trio sounds huge. Effects stretch much further to the left and right, dialogue remains firmly anchored to the screen, and there's a greater sense of sound being projected out into the room rather than simply originating from beneath the TV.

Blade Runner 2049 demonstrates these strengths particularly well. The sounds of the city as K walks towards his apartment spread far beyond the physical locations of the speakers, filling our large listening room with impressive width and scale. More importantly, the system doesn't just sound wider than a soundbar; it sounds taller, too.

In fact, the Trio's Dolby Atmos performance is one of its most impressive achievements. The sounds of passing vehicles, overhead announcements and environmental effects frequently extend above the listening position, creating a genuinely convincing sense of height. Given the size of our test room and the almost three-metre distance between the seating position and speakers, that's no small feat.

The system proves equally adept with the chaotic battle sequences of Civil War and the aerial action of Top Gun: Maverick, maintaining an impressively large and immersive soundfield without losing track of the finer details.

Perhaps even more impressive than the scale, though, is the cohesion. Despite the fact that you're listening to three physically separate speakers, the Trio rarely sounds like three separate speakers. Instead, it creates a single, unified wall of sound that stretches right across the front of the room.

That sense of integration is particularly important because it allows the system to retain one of the key advantages of a traditional soundbar: you never find yourself consciously thinking about which speaker is producing which effect.

Much of the credit for this appears to belong to Sony's Movie Theatre Acoustics processing. Switch it off, and the soundstage immediately shrinks, while the illusion of a single coherent soundfield begins to weaken. Leave it enabled, however, and the Trio sounds significantly larger, more immersive and more convincing.

There is a small trade-off. The processing can occasionally exaggerate echo that's already present within a soundtrack. The interviewer's voice during K's baseline test in Blade Runner 2049 is one example, while Nandez's dialogue during the early autopsy sequence gains a touch more resonance than is strictly correct.

These moments are relatively rare, though, and the benefits broadly outweigh the drawbacks. Some people might prefer the cleaner delivery when Movie Theatre Acoustics is disabled, but most will want to leave it enabled (as it is by default) for the additional scale, weight and cohesion it brings.

In some respects, the Trio highlights the limitations of conventional soundbars.

Using the excellent Sonos Arc Ultra as a reference point, Sony's system delivers substantially greater scale, bass weight and Atmos immersion. This isn't really a criticism of the Sonos, which remains one of the most capable soundbars at its price, but it does neatly demonstrate what can be achieved when you physically separate the front channels: the Trio simply fills the room more effectively.

One small issue to note regarding movie sound is that the centre speaker can buzz slightly when pushed by super-deep bass, such as that at the start of the second chapter of Blade Runner 2049. It's not something that crops up often enough to become a significant issue, but it is one of the few occasions on which the centre speaker draws attention to itself.

For music, meanwhile, the Trio offers something that most soundbars simply cannot: genuine stereo reproduction.

Switch Sound Field processing off and the centre speaker drops out, leaving dedicated left and right channels handled by dedicated left and right speakers. Give those speakers a small amount of toe-in, and the resulting stereo image is impressively focused, while still benefiting from proper separation.

My Curse by Killswitch Engage is delivered with excellent punch, dynamics and drive, while Rosalía's Divinize demonstrates the system's ability to produce serious low-frequency heft. The dense instrumentation of Karnivool's Salva remains composed and controlled, and Alone On A Hill by Silversun Pickups is rendered with convincing scale and strong stereo focus.

Sony's hi-fi heritage shines through here. The Trio sounds weighty, energetic and engaging in a way that most soundbars simply don't.

That doesn't mean it's a replacement for a properly sorted pair of powered hi-fi speakers, of course, but it comes closer than most lifestyle home cinema products.

One similarly priced alternative to the Trio that we’ve not yet mentioned is the excellent KEF XIO.

With both movies and music, the KEF sounds cleaner, crisper and more detailed than the Sony, with excellent organisation and precision. The Trio counters with greater weight, larger scale and the sort of genuine stereo separation that only physically separated speakers can provide.

Neither approach is inherently better than the other, and preferences will inevitably vary, but the comparison reinforces the fact that Sony has created something genuinely distinct rather than simply another premium soundbar.

And, while the Bravia Theatre Trio is a complete and highly capable package on its own, adding Sony's optional speakers and subwoofer takes things to another level.

Testing with the Rear 9 surrounds and Sub 8 dramatically increases immersion, creating a seamless bubble of sound that extends around the entire listening position. Atmos effects become even more precisely placed, and the busy cityscape of Blade Runner 2049 becomes extraordinarily convincing.

Just as importantly, the minor shortcomings of the standalone system largely disappear. The slight buzz from the centre speaker vanishes once deep bass duties are handed over to the subwoofer, while the occasional over-emphasis of echo through Movie Theatre Acoustics is also cured.

There remains a very slight amount of distortion from the Sub 8 itself during the deepest bass moments, and we'd be fascinated to hear whether the larger Sub 9 can eliminate this final remaining niggle. That's a discussion for another review, though.

Judged as an initial package, the Bravia Theatre Trio is a hugely impressive performer that successfully combines the scale and spaciousness of a separate-speaker home cinema system with much of the convenience and cohesion that make soundbars so appealing.

Verdict

Sony's Bravia Theatre Trio could easily have ended up feeling like an awkward compromise: neither as neat as a soundbar nor as capable as a traditional speaker system. Instead, it succeeds in taking many of the strengths of both approaches while avoiding most of their weaknesses.

It's not quite perfect – the centre speaker isn’t quite as capable as the larger speakers flanking it, there's no display, and some rivals can sound a touch cleaner and more detailed – but those shortcomings are minor in the context of what the Trio achieves overall.

Ultimately, Sony's deconstructed soundbar concept proves brilliantly effective. If you're looking for a premium lifestyle Dolby Atmos system and have the budget to stretch this far, the Bravia Theatre Trio is one of the most compelling options in years.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Design 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the KEF XIO

Also consider the Samsung HW-Q990H

Read our Sonos Arc Ultra review

Best Dolby Atmos soundbars: our reviewers' five recommendations

I’ve reviewed a whole range of soundbars in my time at What Hi-Fi?, ranging from five-star wonders to less-than-satisfactory models.

But it is not every day that a product like the Focal Mu-so Hekla enters the test room. This all-in-one sound system comes in at a whopping £3000 / $3600 (around AU$5625), placing it firmly in the high-end soundbar category.

The system supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, plus you get the full complement of streaming-service support, including Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify.

While it is branded as Focal, it is a collaboration between the French manufacturer and its sister company Naim Audio. Both brands hold a strong pedigree, so we had high hopes when we got the system into our test room.

And (spoiler alert) we were not disappointed. My colleagues and I spent days testing the Mu-so Hekla, so here are three things that impressed us the most about the model, and one thing that gave us some trouble.

Immersive, detailed sound with music and movies

First off, the Hekla sounds amazing with whatever we throw at it, whether that is a tense action thriller or a delicate piece of classical music. During testing we felt like we were immersed in everything we listened to, thanks to the system’s enveloping soundstage that wrapped around the listening position.

This experience was heightened by the system’s excellent precision, as you can hear effects placed around the soundfield with startling accuracy. When watching Dune: Part Two, we found in our review: “The levels of detail are breathtaking, as we can hear the grains of sand falling with an impressive exactness.”

Turning to music, this same show-stopping performance continued. Vocals sounded natural and expressive, and each frequency remained well-balanced.

We tested the Hekla against one of its closest competitors – the Award-winning KEF XIO. This five-star model launched at £1999 / $2500 / AU$3600, and holds the crown as the top premium soundbar in our best soundbars guide.

While the XIO is still an excellent performer, the Hekla justifies its higher price tag with better dynamics, detail resolution and refinement.

Clean, agile bass

Another sonic standout is Hekla’s bass. The low frequencies are meaty yet agile, lending its performance an extra sense of impact.

We felt the tight punch of initial bass in the soles of our feet during Dune: Part Two as our central character slips the thumper into the sand to call the worm.

Later as the worm bursts out from the depths, the roar of sand was forceful but not overwhelming, as you still hear Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides slinging his metal hooks and shouting in his efforts. It never stood out from the rest of the sound despite its low-end heft, and remained balanced even during busy action scenes.

We said in our review that it “reaches the lowest we have heard for an all-in-one system”, making it a class-leader in the soundbar category.

Stylish design

Aside from its audio performance, the Mu-so Hekla has a stylish design that feels worthy of its premium price tag. It is made from anodised aluminium with sandblasted finishes, which gives the system a sturdy and smooth feel.

Under the hood, it is equally impressive. There are 15 drivers in total, including seven on the front (three woofers, two midrange and two tweeters), two full-range drivers each on either side of the unit, and four upward-firing drivers at the top.

The Hekla is available only in an all-black finish – the idea is for the unit to disappear in a dark room (you can also turn off the LED illumination surrounding the control dial) for ultimate immersion in what you are watching or listening to.

There is also a tactile dial on the top of the bar that also acts as a touch screen, and adds to its sleek appearance. You can control volume with a twist to the side, and the dial acts as a touch screen to adjust input and power.

No display and bulky design

As much as we like this stylish touch dial, it makes navigation a little difficult when it is being used as a soundbar. As the display is on the top of the bar, it is not as intuitive as other designs we have seen such as the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max where the change in volume or output is clear.

In our test room, the light from the dial also reflected off the screen from certain angles. This won't be a problem if you're using the Hekla as a hi-fi system away from your TV, though.

The bar is also pretty hefty, weighing 15.5kg and measuring one metre long and almost 30cm deep. That means it’s less easy to accommodate than other premium soundbar rivals, as it needs a relatively large piece of furniture to support it.

This design makes sense from an engineering perspective, as Focal says it had to be this large to fit the required drivers, electronics and acoustic technology into the box to deliver the high-quality sound and immersion it wanted. Still, it is certainly worth considering how it will fit into your space.

Despite this design quirk, the Focal Mu-so Hekla is an incredibly strong sonic performer that more than justifies its high price tag.

MORE:

Here is our full review of the Focal Mu-so Hekla

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The Focal Mu-so Hekla is not your average soundbar. It claims to be an “immersive all-in-one system” that “combines Dolby Atmos technology, outstanding sound performance, and ease of use to transform your everyday listening”.

Its name alone shows off its strong pedigree. While it is branded as Focal, it is a collaboration between the French manufacturer and its sister company Naim Audio. This isn’t the first time the two brands have worked together on a product: that was the high-end Diva Utopia active wireless stereo speaker system (£29,999 / $39,999 / AU$59,999) which came out back in 2024.

The Naim link is also apparent with the inclusion of the Mu-so branding, which audio fans may recognise as the company’s well-regarded line of wireless speakers that launched in 2014. The range boasts such products as the five-star and What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Naim Mu-so 2 (2019) and Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen models, which wowed us with their punchy, detailed and dynamic sound.

And where does Hekla come from? It’s the name of one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes. If that evokes an explosive and powerful performance, then you would be correct.

Price

The Focal Mu-so Hekla has its sights set on the high-end market, and is only sold in authorised Focal Powered By Naim retailers. This exclusive nature is also reflected in its price tag, which is a whopping £3000 / $3600 (around AU$5625).

That’s higher than the all-in-one music systems we have encountered from Ruark Audio and Cambridge Audio, as well as premium Dolby Atmos soundbars such as the KEF XIO (£1999 / $2500 / AU$3600) which snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award last year. We praised this KEF soundbar for its agile bass and detailed overall sound.

Design

The Mu-so Hekla is quite a bulky beast. It is one metre long and almost 30cm deep. On top of that, it weighs 15.5kg. This makes it less easy to accommodate than other premium soundbar rivals, as it needs a relatively large piece of furniture to support it.

On the top of the bar, you will find a stylish white illuminated dial that is the same as that featured on Naim’s Mu-so products. You can control volume with a twist to the side, and the dial acts as a touch screen to adjust input and power. It makes for a sleek design that rotates smoothly and adds to the premium feel.

As much as we like it, this design creates some issues when the Hekla is used as a soundbar. In our test room, it only just fits under our TV screen and the light from the dial is reflected off the screen from certain angles. This is not a problem when using the Hekla as a hi-fi system away from your TV.

Given the system’s bulkiness it’s fair to ask, why not make it more soundbar-y in shape? The Hekla’s shape is dictated by the engineering team’s insistence on prioritising acoustics. It simply had to be this large to fit the required drivers, electronics and acoustic technology into the box in order to deliver the high-quality sound and immersion they wanted.

“When we created this product, yes, we wanted a home cinema experience; but above all, we wanted to keep our hi-fi signature, specifically for music,” a Focal representative told our Hi-Fi and Audio Editor Kashfia Kabir at the product’s launch showcase last year.

The Hekla is available only in an all-black finish – the idea is for the unit to disappear in a dark room (you can also turn off the LED illumination surrounding the control dial) for ultimate immersion in what you are watching or listening to.

Although it is large, the Hekla has a premium-feeling design that matches its price tag.

Features

There are 15 drivers in total, with each powered by its own Class D amplifier. That includes seven drivers on the front (three woofers, two midrange and two tweeters), two full-range drivers each on either side of the unit, and four upward-firing drivers at the top of the unit.

All together, it outputs a claimed 660 watts of power (60W each to the front three drivers, 40W each to the remaining 12 drivers). The electronics (streaming and amplification) are all designed by Naim. Steve Sells, the engineer behind the original Mu-so and the flagship Naim Statement amplifier, was also involved in the development of this Mu-so Hekla.

In terms of physical connectivity, you will find an HDMI port with eARC support. There is also an optical input, a wired Ethernet port (alongside wi-fi capability), and a pair of RCA outputs to add a subwoofer.

You can connect your TV, CD player, Blu-ray or games console; but unlike other do-it-all modern systems, there is no built-in phono stage.

As you would expect, you get the full complement of streaming-service support and high-resolution file compatibility. Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify – and their Connect versions – are present, as are AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Bluetooth (standard AAC and SBC codecs only) for easy streaming from your devices. UPnP streaming is also on board, meaning you can play stored files from connected hard drives.

Hekla supports hi-res audio up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD128 files, and it can also connect with other compatible Focal/Naim streaming products that use the same Focal & Naim app and streaming platform to create a multi-room system.

In terms of sound modes, there are a range of options to choose from: Dolby Music, Dolby Movie, Sphere Music and Sphere Movie. There is also a Night Mode, which reduces dynamics and bass so you do not disturb others in the house.

You can switch between these modes via the app, which lets you easily fine-tune the bar’s settings and change the output. You can also go into the EQ settings, and calibrate the soundbar to your space with Focal’s ADAPT (Adaptative Acoustic Personal Tuning) technology. Get your tape measure handy for that one, as you will be asked to calculate a range of different measurements.

With ADAPT on, the scale of the sound is wider, which adds an extra bit of immersion to our listening experience.

Sound

As soon as we boot up the Focal Mu-so Hekla with movies, we are greeted with a spacious yet precise sound that elevates every scene.

We kick off with Sinners in Dolby Atmos as our protagonist Sammie summons spirits from the past, present, and future to a small barn in Mississippi. When Sammie sings his heartfelt tune, accompanied by just his guitar, his slightly tentative vocals sound emotive and grow stronger as he gains confidence with a sense of authenticity.

As the spirits join in and more instruments are added to the mix, the Hekla does a brilliant job of expanding the soundfield to create a sense of spaciousness without losing its composure. Each instrument and voice is still placed exactly around the space, which adds a sense of precision that is rare for an all-in-one system. There is not a trace of harshness either, as we are instead treated to a solid and full-bodied approach that adds an extra weightiness.

The Hekla maintains this composed yet impactful performance with its bass. With Dune: Part Two in Atmos, we watch as Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides rides his first sandworm. When he slips the thumper into the sand to call the worm, the initial click is tight and clean with a precision that can be felt in the soles of our feet. The levels of detail are breathtaking, as we can hear the grains of sand falling with an impressive exactness.

Later as the worm bursts out from the depths, the roar of sand is forceful but not overwhelming, as you can hear Atreides slinging his metal hooks and shouting in his efforts. The bass also packs an authoritative low-end punch that reaches the lowest we have heard for an all-in-one system, adding to the scene’s impact.

The gradual build from Atreides quietly skulking across the sand to the exhilarating flurry of sound as the worm emerges is expertly handled by the Hekla, and shows off its superb dynamics.

When switching between the sound modes, each offers a slightly different experience. Dolby Movie offers the most precise sound, but this results in a slightly less three-dimensional feel. Sphere Mode, on the other hand, offers a more spacious sound with a more muscular bass but sacrifices a degree of precision. Both sound great, but it is down to personal preference.

The same can be said for the modes when we switch between Dolby Music and Sphere Music when playing some tunes.

The Hekla continues its show-stopping performance with music, and deals excellently with whatever we throw at it. Listening to 500 Miles by Peter, Paul and Mary via Qobuz Connect, the system shows off its softer side. As the vocals get louder near the end of the piece then grow quieter to almost a whisper, it handles this change in dynamics with subtlety to compound the emotive finale.

It can go punchy and loud, too. With Liar’s Tale by Kneecap, the initial visceral electric zing is portrayed with enthusiasm and clarity. When the bass comes in full throttle, it is delivered with authority and immediately gets our toes tapping.

With Yosi Horikawa’s Bubbles, the sound of bouncing ping pong balls cascades all around our listening position with incredible levels of detail and spaciousness.

We put the Hekla up against the less pricey KEF XIO. While the cheaper XIO is still great for the money, the Hekla justifies its higher price tag with better dynamics, detail resolution and refinement.

Verdict

As far as all-in-one systems go, the Focal Mu-so Hekla offers the best of both worlds. It delivers all the drama you could want from a soundbar when watching movies, with controlled bass and authoritative overall sound that elevates each scene.

But you can also feed it a delicate piece of music and be treated to a finessed performance that makes you feel the emotion of each note.

It might come at a high price but, if you have the funds, its performance more than justifies the cost.

Review published: 15th June 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Design 5

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Best soundbars: options for every need, recommended by our experts

If you are looking for a way to upgrade from your TV’s subpar audio without taking up space in your home, then a soundbar is a great way to go.

There are a range of options on the market, from budget bars to more premium models. The Sonos Arc Ultra is an example of the latter, and it has snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award for its excellent performance.

Since its release in 2024, the Arc Ultra has been relatively unchallenged. But the new Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S has stepped into the ring with its eye on the prize.

Boasting both a subwoofer and a soundbar as opposed to the Arc Ultra’s all-in-one design, they are two different beasts. But who will come out on top when it comes to audio performance? We have put both soundbars head-to-head in our test room, so we can tell you from experience which model is most worth your money.

Sonos Arc Ultra vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S: price

So how much will each soundbar set you back? The Sonos Arc Ultra launched at £999 / $999 / AU$1799 but, since its release, you can get it cheaper. In the UK, the Sonos model has dropped to £799 at most retailers, although we have seen it fluctuate.

The Sony system launched at £799 / $1100 (around AU$1320), and has remained at that price since its release. This combo has not been out as long as the Arc Ultra, so there is still an opportunity for the price to drop as time goes on.

There is the option to buy the Bravia 7 without the subwoofer but, for reasons that will become clear, we recommend spending the extra cash.

Right now, though, it is a tie between the two bars when it comes to cost.

**Winner: draw**

Sonos Arc Ultra vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S: design

The two soundbars offer opposing designs that cater to different sides of the market.

The Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S consists of a soundbar and subwoofer, so there is one extra bit of kit to consider compared to Sonos’ single all-in-one bar.

Offering a versatile design, the accompanying subwoofer is easy to place in our test room and connects to the soundbar quickly. You can use it in two different positions, either with the grille facing the listener or the side of the room.

The Arc Ultra is longer than the Bar 7 soundbar, coming in at 8 x 118 x 11cm (hwd) versus Sony’s 6 x 95 x 13cm (hwd). The Sonos model is also heavier, weighing 5.9kg compared to 4.6kg.

With the Sony bar, you will find a small remote control that puts functionality over style. From here, you can control the power, input, bass levels, volume and turn on Night mode. There’s no such addition with the Sonos, however.

You can find the Sonos bar in either a black or white finish, whereas the Sony system is only available in black. Neither of the bars has a display, and the Sony has no buttons on the top of the bar. The Arc Ultra features touch-sensitive buttons, though these are situated on a ledge at the back. A display with both models would make navigating the settings without relying on the accompanying apps feel more straightforward.

Both designs offer their own benefits. The Sonos offers a slightly simpler set-up with its all-in-one build, but the Sony’s soundbar is more compact and offers versatility with the subwoofer’s placement.

That all depends on what you need from your soundbar, so it’s a draw this time round.

**Winner: draw**

Sonos Arc Ultra vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S: features

In terms of physical connectivity, both bars have an HDMI that supports eARC, but the Sony model has an extra HDMI port.

Dolby Atmos is available with both systems, but the Bravia 7 also offers DTS:X, which provides more options for surround sound.

The Sony bar offers a 5.1.2-channel configuration. Under the hood of the main bar, you will find nine drive units, split between side, centre, up-firing and bass channels. That differs from the Sonos, which is packing a 9.1.4-channel configuration. This is made up of seven tweeters, six midrange woofers, and a 'Sound Motion' woofer.

They both use their company's respective apps. The Bravia Connect and Sonos apps let you fine-tune the settings of the bars. With the Sony’s app, you can also pair the subwoofer (and the surrounds if you have them) from the app, where they recognise the product almost immediately, which makes for an easy set-up.

Both apps are easy to use, but Sony’s user interface is more intuitive and this results in a smoother overall experience.

From both apps, you can calibrate the soundbar to your space (the Arc Ultra employs Sonos Trueplay). Once we have calibrated the bars to our space, we are offered a wider soundstage with both systems. It’s worth noting that the subwoofer is not included in this process with the Sony system, so it must be adjusted by ear using the bass settings with the app or the remote.

There is also the option to expand your set-up with both systems. With the Sony soundbar and subwoofer, you can also add in the Sony Theatre Rear 8 speakers, costing £449 / $500 / AU$599 on their own.

Sonos’ offerings here are more comprehensive, as you can connect other products from the brand, such as the Sonos Sub 4 or the Era 300 speakers. These can be arranged in a multi-room set-up or in one room.

For its more comprehensive HDMI support and better app experience, the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 takes it.

**Winner: Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S**

Sonos Arc Ultra vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S: sound

Sony and Sonos take different approaches when it comes to audio performance here. But both are five-star systems that provide a massive upgrade from the majority of TV speakers.

When we start up the Bravia Theatre Bar 7, we are greeted with a punchy, cohesive sound that is immediately likeable. It offers an immersive experience, which is put to the test with Top Gun: Maverick as Maverick attempts to reach hypersonic speed in a jet, and the soundbar stretches the height effects above the TV screen.

The Arc Ultra also impresses, matching the Sony’s sense of scale and punch. Effects sound like they're coming from all around you, and are placed with precision, while certain sounds (like rain) stretch far beyond the confines of the TV to which the soundbar is connected.

Bass performance is strong with both soundbars, but the Sony’s added subwoofer gives it the edge in terms of agility and precision. We also find that the bass is well-integrated with the main soundbar and performs with the same precision as the rest of the system. That’s not to dismiss the Sonos performance with lower frequencies, as the bass it delivers is "tight, tuneful and expressive in a way that is rare in the soundbar world".

We listen to the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 without the subwoofer, and it still delivers clear vocals and convincing height effects. But the sound is thinner and lacks the sense of scale and authority that we get when the subwoofer is added.

Both soundbars produce clear vocals, but the Sonos model produces richer voices that lend a more emotive and warm feel to the sound.

When playing music, this warm approach carries foward with the Sonos to make it a more emotive performer than the Sony. The soft vocals of Aurora’s Churchyard start with the appropriate low-level dynamics and build to the punchy chorus as the bass kicks in. As with the Sony’s performance with movies, the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S delivers a more precise and energetic bass than the Arc Ultra.

Both soundbars are excellent sonic performers, but the Sonos bar inches past the Sony system for its warmer overall sound.

**Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra**

Sonos Arc Ultra vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S: verdict

If you are looking to upgrade your TV’s audio and get a more immersive audio experience, then either of these soundbars will deliver. Where the Sonos Arc Ultra offers a warm, spacious sound, the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S counters with a more agile and well-integrated bass.

One of their designs might suit you more, but the Sonos Arc Ultra just takes the crown for its richer sonic performance.

**Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra**

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Here's our full review of the Sonos Arc Ultra

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Sony has added Direct Connect support to more of its TVs, including multiple Award-winning OLED sets.

The Japanese AV brand originally launched its Direct Connect feature with its duo of new True RGB TVs, the Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II.

The feature lets users connect a pair of the brand's latest Rear 9 or Rear 8 surround speakers and a compatible subwoofer directly to their TV. Compatible subwoofer models include the Sub 7, Sub 8 or Sub 9

The feature uses the TV's speakers as the centre, left and right channels, with the connected speakers providing surround sound and low-end support.

While it launched as an exclusive feature for the 2026 range, Sony has updated a selection of TVs from 2023, 2024 and 2025 to support the wireless surround sound feature. The list of included models is as follows:

• A95L (2023)
• Bravia 9 (2024)
• Bravia 8 II (2025)
• Bravia 8 (2024)
• Bravia 7 (2024)
• Bravia 5 (2025)

We're especially pleased to see the A95L featured here, as while we praised its built-in sound system in our review, we also reported: "we rather wish Sony gave you the option to add a subwoofer directly to the A95L, as that would make it even more formidable".

Job done, thanks to this update. Unfortunately, the Award-winning A80L misses the cut, as do other premium Sony sets from 2023, including the X95L and X90L.

While it may sound similar to LG's new Dolby Atmos Sound Suite range, Sony's system works slightly differently. Direct Connect does not use Dolby Atmos Flex Connect, and a maximum of two speakers and one subwoofer can be connected. LG's system allows for multiple sets of speakers to be paired directly with the TV.

Furthermore, Sony intends for users to place the speakers behind or adjacent to the listening position to create a surround sound effect, rather than using them as dedicated front left and right channels.

The update is rolling out now in Europe and the US, and it brings Sony's My Cinema interface, which collects the picture and sound features into a new-looking user interface, to the models mentioned above.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best Sony soundbars

As well as the best OLED TVs

And read our full LG Sound Suite System review here

Can you believe that there was a time when Samsung didn’t feature a single OLED TV in its range? That all changed in 2022, when it put its spin on OLED by adding a layer of Quantum Dots and launched the excellent S95B QD-OLED TV.

Five years later, the brand is now reaping the benefits of the self-emissive panel technology. It now makes some of the finest OLED TVs around – take the five-star S95F and S90F duo from last year – and its 2026 lineup features more OLED TVs than ever before.

Of course, Samsung was never going to celebrate half a decade of OLED success without taking things up a notch, which is why it has introduced a new, rather unusual flagship model that takes inspiration from one of the brand's other most successful models.

That new flagship OLED is the S99H, a premium QD-OLED TV that oozes style and sophistication, thanks at least in part to its aesthetic similarities to the wildly successful, design-led The Frame LCD range.

Here, though, those smart good looks have been blended with the core abilities of the excellent S95F – with a generous helping of performance upgrades for good measure.

The result? A showstopping OLED TV that blends style and substance, and one that we think could dethrone the current reigning champion of our best OLED TV list: the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Price

We have the 55-inch Samsung S99H before us today, and it’s officially priced at £2499, though in true Samsung fashion, that launch pricing hasn’t stuck around for long. We’re already seeing a £100 decrease across all sizes, which puts the 65-inch version at £3199, the 77-inch model at £4199, and the 83-inch size at £5999.

Now, we need to clear something up regarding model numbers for different regions.

In the US and Australia, Samsung is calling this model the S95H. Despite the different name, it is an identical TV. In these regions, you’ll find the 55-inch S95H for $2500 / AU$3999, the 65-inch S95H for $3400 / AU$5299, the 77-inch S95H for $4500 / AU$7999, and the 83-inch S95H for $6500 / AU$9995.

That's not the end of the story, though. To confuse things even more, Samsung is selling a model under the S95H name here in the UK, too, but it’s a different TV. From what we gather, it is the same TV as the S99H, but without the metal frame-style design. In fact, it looks identical to last year’s S95F.

So, to reiterate, the S99H we're testing here is known as the S95H in the US and Australia, but that is not the same as the UK's S95H TV. Yes, we have given some constructive feedback to Samsung on all of this.

Got all that? Then let's consider the S99H's competition, which primarily comes in the form of Sony’s awesome, Award-winning Bravia 8 II, the 55-inch version of which, after around a year on sale, now costs around £1799 / $2600 / AU$3995. That makes it significantly cheaper than the S99H in the UK, but there's rough pricing parity between the two TVs in the US and Australia.

There’s also the 55-inch LG G6 to consider, which appears to be widely discounted to £1840 here in the UK, but is so far sticking to its $2500 / AU$3995 launch price in the US and Australia, respectively.

Design

We’re confident in saying that this is one of the most unusual-looking TVs to enter our AV testing room.

Samsung clearly took inspiration from its hugely popular The Frame TV when it came to designing the S99H, and while this television’s looks won’t be to everyone’s taste, we’re just pleased to see a TV company that’s willing to push the boat out when it comes to design.

The S99H features a two-layer design, with an OLED screen section mounted onto a slightly larger metal backplate, with a roughly 2cm gap between. Samsung calls this its “FloatLayer” design.

It’s hard to describe, but the effect it gives is essentially a floating OLED panel surrounded by a premium metal frame. Much like LG’s G-series, this TV is designed to be wall-mounted, and while we can’t do that in our testing room, we have seen it wall-mounted at various hands-on events leading up to launch.

In short, the S99H looks like a work of art when it's fixed to a wall, as the floating design becomes really quite striking and effective. Despite the two-layer design, the overall depth is just 2.8cm, which also helps to sell the futuristic look that Samsung is going for.

Unfortunately, the TV doesn’t look quite as suave when it’s set up in its tabletop configuration. Samsung includes two quite cheap-feeling plastic feet with the TV that feel somewhat at odds with the rest of the premium design, and the metal bezel and floating design look less convincing when it's not attached to a wall.

Samsung also includes two remotes in the box: a “traditional” button-heavy number, and a sleeker “smart” remote. The latter includes both a USB-C socket and a small solar panel on the back for easy recharging, though it’s frustratingly not backlit. Then again, neither are the remotes included with the aforementioned Sony or LG TVs, so we can’t knock Samsung too much here.

Features

Samsung’s penchant for cramming (almost) every imaginable feature into its TVs is, once again, evident with the S99H.

We’ll start with the QD-OLED display, which Samsung has managed to squeeze even more brightness out of since we last saw it on the S95F. It can now reportedly reach a whopping 2700 nits in the Movie picture mode, and as you’ll come to find out in the picture section of this review, there are plenty of instances in which we find ourselves being taken aback by how bright this TV can get.

Samsung has also improved its Glare Free coating this year, making it more effective at combating reflections and glare from ambient light. The matte display also makes artwork from Samsung’s Art Mode feature look more realistic for those who want a TV that blends into its surroundings.

In usual Samsung fashion, HDR support comes in the form of HDR10+ (including the Adaptive and Gaming versions), HDR10 and HLG, but not Dolby Vision.

Samsung's answer to Dolby Vision 2, HDR10+ Advanced, is also supported by the S99H. Unfortunately, no content is available in the new format yet, and we don't have a date for its arrival. Amazon is said to be working on adding it to Prime Video in the not too distant future, though.

Hardcore PC gamers will be pleased to learn that the S99H can handle signals right up to 4K/165Hz, as well as the console-friendly 4K/120Hz format, across all four of its HDMI 2.1 sockets. VRR, ALLM and HDR10+ Gaming are also all supported.

All of the connections are built into a side-facing nook in the rear of the TV, which is a departure from the One Connect box that has come with Samsung’s previous flagship OLED TVs.

One Connect does live on, though, and in a quite remarkable way: Samsung is offering an optional Wireless One Connect accessory, which is set to launch in July for £299 / $350 (AU price TBC).

This features four HDMI sockets, and because it connects to the S99H wirelessly, it takes the total HDMI 2.1 socket count to a staggering eight. That’s enough to support all three of the current-generation consoles, a gaming PC, a 4K Blu-ray player, a soundbar or AVR, and a streaming device, and you’d still have one spare.

The S99H also supports Dolby Atmos, both via HDMI eARC and through its built-in 4.2.2-channel 70W sound system.

Samsung offers two simplistic sound modes, Standard and Amplify, but there is also a range of Samsung-specific sound processing features based on its Vision AI platform, including Object Tracking Sound Plus, Active Voice Amplifier Pro, Adaptive Sound Pro, and AI Sound Controller Pro; all of which are fairly self-explanatory.

Q Symphony also returns. This allows you to use the TV’s speakers in unison with those of a connected Samsung soundbar, but it should be approached with caution – we generally find that a good soundbar performs best when the less capable speakers of a TV don't get involved.

AI also steps in to help with picture processing, as Samsung has implemented its 4K AI Upscaling Pro, AI Motion Enhancer Pro and Auto HDR Remastering Pro features, alongside a Real Depth Enhancer contrast enhancement system and Colour Booster Pro.

On the subject of AI, Samsung has applied its “AI for All” mantra in swathes here, as the S99H is positively dripping in artificial intelligence, right down to the AI button on the remote.

A click of this button brings up Samsung’s Vision AI interface, which can recognise on-screen content and provide extra contextual information. This includes related content, cast information and prompts to find out more detailed information about the show or movie.

Scrolling from this page brings us to a more generalised AI interface, from which Samsung allows you to pick your preferred system. Here you can ask for recipes, generate AI wallpapers, or ask general questions. The sky is, hypothetically, the limit.

This is all made possible by the same NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor found in last year’s S95F, as well as Samsung’s Tizen OS platform. The operating system has had a fairly comprehensive refresh for 2026, with a new content bar at the top that splits your apps into categories including entertainment, gaming and art, and the operation feels generally slicker.

App coverage is mostly excellent, with a wide range of international and domestic streaming applications. Currently, the only missing app is BBC iPlayer; we’ve reached out to Samsung, which says that it expects to add iPlayer support soon.

Samsung TV Plus, which features hundreds of free over-the-internet streaming channels, is also included, and gamers are well looked after thanks to the presence of apps for services such as Xbox, Amazon Luna, and Nvidia GeForce Now.

Picture quality

It’s clear that Samsung has been working to tweak and adjust its picture processing over the years in the pursuit of achieving that final pinch of picture quality excellence, and the S99H is evidence that its work has paid off. This is Samsung’s most mature TV yet, and it’s all the better for that.

We opt for Filmmaker Mode as our preferred picture preset, albeit with a couple of tweaks to get the best performance possible: we switch Colour Temperature from its Warm 2 default to Warm 1, and turn the judder and blur reduction settings up to 1.

The resulting picture is extraordinary, and it makes any content we throw at it – from Blade Runner 2049, Civil War, Pan and Drive, to No Time To Die and The Batman – shine. We have the S99F set up next to the Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II, and despite the tough competition, the Samsung delivers an unflinching visual feast.

Starting with the opening scene of Blade Runner 2049, we find that the S99H serves up oodles of contrast, which results in a deeply three-dimensional picture with superb highlights.

The overhead shot of the solar farm instantly draws us in, thanks to the superb detail levels mixed with the excellent sense of depth. We also approve of how the S99H handles the gloomy, bluish-grey sky, as well as the skin tones of Officer K and Sapper Morton.

In fact, the S99H makes the Sony Bravia 8 II look a bit green in our head-to-head comparison, and skin tones start to look a bit pasty, too. Sony TVs have traditionally leaned towards the cooler side when it comes to colour reproduction, even in Filmmaker Mode, but it’s interesting to see these TVs take a different approach, particularly as they use the same panel technology.

This is most evident in the scene from Pan in which the floating pirate ship enters a cavern; the Samsung runs rings around the Sony when it comes to maintaining low-light colour volume. Skin tones are noticeably warmer and more vibrant on the Samsung in this instance. That being said, the Sony is evidently better at maintaining shadow detail.

In fact, some shadow detail is lost entirely on the S99H, especially during dark sequences in moodier flicks such as Drive and The Batman. In both films, we find facial features and clothing textures occasionally succumb to darkness, while the Sony has no trouble keeping them visible.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Samsung takes the crown when it comes to delivering dazzlingly bright highlights; in fact, we’re adding the S99H to the list of TVs that we’ve had to shield our eyes from physically.

Reverting to the exceptionally bright (and critically dismal) Pan, we find the mix of punchy, concentrated highlights and rich colours stealing our attention away from the Sony entirely.

However, the more conventional-looking Civil War is the perfect test disc to highlight exactly what this TV does well. Everything from the night-time forest fire sequence to a helicopter gliding over a lake and the Charlottesville military camp looks fantastic.

There’s a real sense of nuance here that previous Samsung TVs haven’t always been able to capture. Foliage, for example, is wonderfully textured and detailed without looking over-etched, and while the colours do seem a smidge over-saturated compared with those from the Bravia 8 II, it's not to an extent that looks instinctively wrong.

The sequence that shows the journalists driving through a forest fire seals the deal here. The mix of detail, depth and contrast served up by the S99H is remarkable – the striking, bright flames contrast wonderfully with the dark background, and there is a real sense of intensity and warmth derived from how Samsung's OLED handles highlights.

We fire up the standard Blu-ray of Logan to assess the S99H’s upscaling capabilities, and it's a similar story here, too. Detail levels are superb, and if we weren’t so eagle-eyed, the S99H could almost have fooled us into thinking we were watching a 4K disc.

Colours are also nicely balanced, and motion remains solid, too. This TV excels regardless of what you throw at it.

Sound

It’s not just the picture performance that Samsung has improved. Sound has also been upgraded, which is a good sign after the S95F’s middling delivery.

We stick with Civil War, which highlights everything from dialogue to explosions, and even Dolby Atmos height effects. The rhythmic swooping of helicopter blades is delivered with a strong leading edge, underpinned by a pleasingly controlled dose of bass.

Moving on to the scene in which Lee and Jessie have a heart-to-heart conversation in a wooded area, we approve of how the S99H captures the subtle characteristics of their voices well, and overall, the dialogue is crisp and well-defined. The atmospheric effects, including birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind, sound pleasingly spacious, too.

There is plenty of height and width to the sound, which is also evident in Blade Runner 2049. The sequence in which Officer K returns to his home from the police precinct is another example of how the S99H captures atmospheric sounds to great effect.

The booming audio adverts are placed with impressive precision and plenty of height, while the S99H somehow manages to beam the sound of the bustling street in a way that creates a fairly convincing sense of immersion.

While we’re on the subject of Blade Runner, we put the S99H through our usual chapter two stress test and find that Samsung has changed its approach. Where many of the brand's previous models have been quite bassy but a little prone to distortion, the S99H digs less deep but proves to be almost entirely distortion-free.

Sony takes a similar approach with the Bravia 8 II (and many other of its TVs), and we ultimately find it to be a sensible compromise. We would of course like more bass weight, but if that has to be sacrificed somewhat to reduce distracting distortion, then so be it.

It’s not all good news on the sonic front, though: like the S95F, the S99H simply doesn't go very loud. Even close to its maximum volume levels, this is an easy TV to talk over. The Amplify setting helps to negate this somewhat, but it does result in some dynamic compression.

The Sony Bravia 8 II also does a better job of organising the sound during scenes with lots of competing effects. The ending battle of Civil War is a perfect example, as the Sony balances dialogue, explosions, and vehicle sounds with care to create a more impactful and immersive soundscape.

With all that said, the S99H is still a big improvement over the S95F where sound is concerned, and it's ultimately a very usable (and even enjoyable) built-in sound system.

Verdict

There’s no other way of putting it; Samsung has knocked it out of the park with the S99H.

With a refined approach to picture tuning, a feature set that (with one key caveat) many TVs can only dream of, and a greatly improved sound system compared with last year’s model, the company’s latest flagship OLED TV takes the title from the S95F as the best TV the company has made to date.

The bold new design might not suit all tastes, and die-hard Dolby Vision fans may be disappointed, but we’re struggling to find reasons not to recommend the Samsung S99H to anyone considering splashing some serious cash on a flagship OLED TV.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony Bravia 8 II

Also consider the LG G6

Read our Philips OLED910 review

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

There’s a war going on for your living room. The premium TV technology of choice of the last few years – OLED – is under attack from a new, stunningly bright and vibrant foe – RGB Mini LED.

Every major brand has either launched its first RGB Mini LED TVs or is about to. Hisense launched its first RGB Mini LED models last year, in fact, but those were gigantic, 100+ inch sets, so a long way from a serious proposition for most people.

Hisense is also the first brand to submit to us a proper, mainstream RGB Mini LED TV to review, though – the UR9.

RGB Mini LED TVs are pitched at different levels by different brands, but Hisense is absolutely pitching the UR9 as a rival to flagship OLEDs. The price confirms as much.

So, what better way to benchmark it than against our current favourite flagship OLED, the Sony Bravia 8 II.

That, then, is what we’ve done. Over several days, we’ve tested the Hisense UR9 and Sony Bravia 8 II side by side, feeding all of our favourite discs and streams into both simultaneously, and judging them on picture quality, sound quality, features, usability, design and price.

This might not be a full RGB Mini LED vs OLED battle – the Hisense UR9 doesn’t represent all RGB Mini LED TVs, after all – but it is the opening skirmish in the broader TV tech war. And it's an eye-opening one at that.

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: price

The Hisense UR9’s pricing is interesting to say the least. In the UK, the 65-inch model we tested is priced at £2999, which places it in the same price category as brand-new flagship OLEDs.

In Australia, meanwhile, the UR9’s price of AU$3999 makes it slightly more affordable by local standards.

In the US, though, the pre-launch price of $3500 had dropped vastly to just $2000 by the time the TV actually hit stores.

Things are much more straightforward with the Sony Bravia 8 II, the 65-inch version of which launched at £2999 / $4000 / AU$5295, but can now be bought for £2299 / $2798 / AU$4995.

The inconsistent international pricing of the Hisense UR9 makes it a little tricky to judge this round, but seeing as we’re a primarily UK publication, and that we reviewed a UK sample, we’re going to prioritise the UK pricing and call this it in favour of the Bravia 8 II.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: design

The Sony Bravia 8 II and Hisense UR9 are both smart-looking TVs, but they take rather different approaches to design.

Sony has essentially carried over the styling of the A95L, resulting in a TV that looks purposeful, premium and monolithic. While it lacks the ultra-thin glamour of some rival OLEDs, the Bravia 8 II still feels like a flagship product, with its clean lines and understated aesthetic giving it a suitably high-end appearance.

The feet can be installed in either a low-profile position that leaves the bottom edge of the screen sitting just millimetres above your furniture, or a raised position that creates space for a soundbar. The downside is that those feet can only be positioned at the furthest extremes of the chassis, meaning you'll need furniture that's at least as wide as the TV itself.

The Hisense UR9 is a more practical proposition. At 4.5cm thick, it's chunkier than the Sony and doesn't have quite the same premium flair, but it is solidly built and neatly finished, with slim bezels and a restrained dark metallic finish.

Hisense has also made a couple of sensible usability-focused decisions. The centrally mounted pedestal stand occupies a footprint of only around 42cm, making the TV much easier to place on narrower furniture, and it too offers two height positions so that a soundbar can be accommodated beneath the screen.

The UR9's integrated Devialet sound system is more visually obvious than Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup, with perforations running down the sides of the chassis and across the top edge to house the side- and up-firing speakers. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does contribute to the TV's more functional, engineering-led appearance.

Ultimately, neither of these TVs is likely to be bought primarily for its styling, but the Bravia 8 II's cleaner, more premium design gives it the edge. The UR9 is practical and perfectly attractive in its own right, but it lacks the sense of sophistication that Sony's flagship delivers.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: features

The biggest difference between these two TVs is, of course, their panel technologies.

The Sony Bravia 8 II uses Samsung Display's latest QD-OLED panel, paired with Sony's XR processor and a custom heatsink. Because OLED technology is self-emissive, every pixel can be controlled independently, with no need for local dimming zones.

Sony doesn't publish specific brightness figures for its TVs, but the Bravia 8 II is estimated to hit around 1900 nits in small highlights, making it one of the brightest OLED TVs currently available.

The Hisense UR9, meanwhile, uses an RGB Mini LED backlight with 980 local dimming zones. Rather than relying on a conventional white backlight shining through colour filters, it uses separate red, green and blue Mini LEDs to generate colour directly. Hisense claims a peak brightness of up to 3500 nits for the 65-inch model we tested.

On paper, then, these TVs take radically different approaches to creating their images. We're not going to award points for one technology over the other here, though, because what ultimately matters is how those technologies perform in practice. We'll get to that in the picture quality section.

There are other differences in the feature sets of the two TVs worth highlighting, though.

Hardcore gamers are generally better served by the Hisense. All three of its HDMI sockets are full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, with support for 4K/170Hz, 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. It also features a DisplayPort connection, which remains extremely rare on TVs and could prove useful for committed PC gamers.

The Sony supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, too, but still offers only two HDMI 2.1 sockets, one of which doubles as the eARC connection. That limitation remains one of our biggest frustrations with Sony's flagship TVs.

That said, we'd probably take the Sony's two HDMI 2.1 sockets and two additional standard HDMI inputs over the Hisense's three HDMI sockets and DisplayPort arrangement. The latter will be useful to a niche audience, but many buyers are more likely to benefit from having an extra ‘standard’ HDMI connection available.

HDR support favours the Hisense, though. The UR9 supports every major HDR format currently in use, including HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The Bravia 8 II supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but, as is customary for Sony TVs, HDR10+ is absent.

The Bravia 8 II fights back with Google TV, which remains one of the stronger smart TV platforms available and features excellent app support. The UR9's VIDAA operating system is fast and responsive, but there are some notable omissions.

Most significantly, while the Apple TV app is present, it lacks access to the Apple TV Store and users' purchased libraries. That's a genuine disappointment, as Apple's movie store remains the best pay-as-you-go film streaming service available, particularly for 4K HDR movies.

Sony also offers IMAX Enhanced certification, its Studio Calibrated Modes for services such as Netflix and Prime Video, and Sony Pictures Core integration.

Ultimately, neither TV completely dominates on features, but the Hisense's broader HDR support, extra HDMI 2.1 socket and more advanced gaming specification give it the edge overall.

WINNER: Hisense UR9

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: picture quality

This is, of course, the section that really matters.

The Hisense UR9 makes an immediately strong impression. Once switched into either Filmmaker Mode or IMAX Cinema, it produces a rich, vibrant and remarkably composed image that rarely behaves like a traditional backlit TV.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the UR9 is how well controlled its RGB Mini LED backlight is. Throughout our testing, blooming is kept impressively in check, black levels are consistently strong and the TV almost entirely avoids the brightness pumping, flickering and shifting backlight behaviour that often gives Mini LED technology away.

Extra-bright HDR content is a particular strength. Movies such as Pan look spectacular on the UR9, with dazzling highlights and bold colours that comfortably outgun the Bravia 8 II for outright brightness. Sunlight bursting through clouds and glinting off fantasy scenery is delivered with real punch and intensity.

The UR9 is also a very accomplished motion performer, and it combines its brightness with rich colours, excellent shadow detail and a pleasingly cinematic warmth that stops the image from ever becoming gaudy or overblown.

In isolation, it's one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested.

Direct comparison with the Bravia 8 II reveals why OLED remains the reference technology, though – at least for now.

Despite its impressive brightness and excellent local dimming, the Hisense simply can't match the Sony's pixel-level contrast control. Counterintuitively, some of the brightest highlights against the darkest backgrounds actually appear more impactful on the Bravia 8 II than on the much brighter Hisense, because the OLED can render them without any concern about blooming.

More significantly, the Sony produces a more solid and perceptually three-dimensional image. Objects and characters stand out from their surroundings with greater depth and dynamism, while subtle gradations within shadows, clouds and highlights appear more convincing and refined.

We've observed this extra solidity from OLED many times before, but the side-by-side comparison between these two TVs demonstrates it particularly clearly. Next to the Bravia 8 II, the UR9 simply looks a little flatter and less immersive.

The Sony also has the advantage when it comes to viewing angles. While the Hisense holds up better than many LCD-based rivals, the sweet spot in which it performs at its very best is still relatively narrow. Thanks to its OLED panel, the Bravia 8 II performs consistently from almost any angle.

And while blooming is rare on the UR9, it isn't entirely absent. Difficult scenes such as the bomb-test sequence in Oppenheimer or the opening starfield of Alien: Romulus reveal imperfections that even this highly accomplished RGB Mini LED set cannot completely escape.

The Bravia 8 II, meanwhile, is simply sensational. Its combination of dazzling brightness by OLED standards, vibrant colours, exceptional shadow detail and razor-sharp definition creates an image of astonishing depth and realism.

What impresses most isn't any single strength, but how naturally all of its strengths come together. The Bravia 8 II consistently delivers a picture that feels balanced, authentic and effortlessly cinematic, whether you're watching a pristine 4K Dolby Vision disc or a much more humble SDR stream.

The Hisense UR9 proves that RGB Mini LED can get surprisingly close to flagship OLED performance, and many viewers will adore its combination of brightness, richness and stability. But when viewed side by side, the Bravia 8 II remains the more complete and convincing picture performer.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: sound quality

Both the Sony Bravia 8 II and Hisense UR9 are unusually sonically accomplished by modern TV standards.

That's important, because while we always recommend pairing a premium TV with a dedicated sound system, for many buyers that’s either impractical or unpalatable.

The Hisense UR9 certainly doesn't disappoint. Its Devialet-tuned 4.1.2-channel sound system delivers a presentation that is impressively spacious and full-bodied, with particularly convincing width and height effects.

Dolby Atmos soundtracks benefit from a strong sense of scale, while bass is deeper and more substantial than most flatscreen TVs can manage. The overall character is smooth, rich and easy to listen to over extended viewing sessions.

The UR9's audio system isn't flawless, though. Dynamics can feel a little restrained during big action sequences, and dialogue doesn't always have the clarity and expressiveness we'd ideally like.

We also found ourselves preferring the Standard sound mode over the more expansive Theatre setting. While Theatre mode undoubtedly sounds bigger, it can introduce a slightly diffuse and faintly echoey quality to voices that makes dialogue seem less natural than it should.

The Sony Bravia 8 II takes a very different approach. Rather than relying on conventional speaker placement, its Acoustic Surface Audio+ system uses actuators to vibrate the screen itself, effectively turning the display into a speaker.

The result is one of the most cohesive and convincing audio performances we've heard from a TV.

Dialogue and effects are tied directly to the action on screen in a way that traditional TV speaker systems struggle to replicate, creating a stronger sense that sound is genuinely coming from the people and objects you're watching.

Like the Hisense, the Sony also sounds surprisingly spacious, with effects extending well beyond the edges of the screen. Detail levels are excellent, too, and the Bravia 8 II combines subtle dynamic nuance with enough punch to make action scenes engaging and exciting.

Bass depth isn't as generous as it is from the Hisense, but it's impressively controlled, and the overall tonal balance is exceptionally well judged.

Ultimately, these are two of the best-sounding TVs you can currently buy. The Hisense delivers scale, warmth and impressive Atmos effects, but the Sony's superior detail, greater dynamic expression and uniquely direct delivery give it the edge.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: verdict

The Hisense UR9 is a hugely important TV.

Not only is it the first mainstream RGB Mini LED TV we've fully reviewed, it's also the first serious attempt to take on flagship OLEDs with a fundamentally different display technology.

And the good news for RGB Mini LED fans is that, in some ways at least, it succeeds.

The UR9 is bright, vibrant and impressively refined. More importantly, it avoids many of the traditional pitfalls of backlit TVs, with excellent black levels, impressively restrained blooming and a consistency that often feels surprisingly OLED-like.

In several respects, it's one of the best backlit TVs we've ever tested.

But while the UR9 proves that RGB Mini LED is a genuinely exciting technology with enormous potential, it also demonstrates just how high the bar currently is at the top end of the OLED market.

Ultimately, picture quality remains the most important factor in any TV buying decision, and it's here that the Sony Bravia 8 II retains a clear advantage. The Hisense has the stronger gaming specification, broader HDR support and spectacular brightness, but the Sony's superior contrast control, greater three-dimensionality and more natural, cinematic image make it the more accomplished performer overall.

This isn't a verdict on RGB Mini LED versus OLED as technologies, and it certainly isn't the last battle in what is shaping up to be one of the most interesting periods in TV tech for years.

Instead, it’s the verdict on the very best OLED TV currently available versus the first mainstream RGB Mini LED model. And while the Hisense UR9 proves that RGB Mini LED is ready to compete with the very best, the Sony Bravia 8 II remains the TV to beat.

OVERALL WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

If you search online for a soundbar, you will be flooded with oodles of options. From budget bars to premium models with Dolby Atmos for immersive surround sound, there is a soundbar out there for everyone.

When done right, they will upgrade the sound from your TV’s built-in speakers to deliver a more enveloping audio experience without the need for multiple extra speakers and reams of wires.

But we were not always this spoilt for choice. The only alternative to making do with your TV’s audio was investing in a multi-speaker sound system that took up a lot more space and cost a lot more money.

It was Yamaha that changed all that with the YSP-1, a "digital sound projector" that acts as the forefather of the soundbar category we know today.

The Yamaha YSP-1 came out more than 20 years ago, and the What Hi-Fi? team reviewed it back in April 2005.

This revolutionary product crammed 40 small driver units – each backed by an individual amplifier – and two bass drivers in to one long speaker bar.

These drivers were paired with a clever processing system that beamed sound around your room, bouncing off the walls to create a convincing surround sound experience.

We loved the idea of Yamaha’s YSP-1 from the moment we heard it, and the bar received a four-star verdict for delivering a “sizeable dose of energy and drive”.

Some issues held it back from five-star greatness. For one, properly configuring the soundbar to your space wasn't easy. As we noted: “Set aside an evening and work through the expert menu, adjusting beam angles, focal lengths and levels, and the sound will be significantly better.”

That set-up process is a far cry from soundbars now, with the majority of brands offering a much easier calibration process where the system can gauge the dimensions of your room using built-in microphones or even a dedicated set-up app.

Despite its fussiness we were still ultimately enthusiastic: “The Yamaha isn’t perfect, but the concept is spot on. It’s an alternative to a sub/sat system, and it could be a signpost to the future of surround”.

And call us fortune tellers, because the YSP-1 was indeed a catalyst for more brands to produce their own takes on the all-in-one soundbar.

Yamaha also continued to build upon its inaugural product in the category. Take the Yamaha True X Surround 90A (pictured, above), which includes a main soundbar, subwoofer and two surround speakers.

We were impressed by its well-controlled subwoofer and powerful audio from the soundbar, even if the speakers felt a little disconnected from the rest of the system.

While the soundbar category has evolved, not least with premium options offering serious surround sound powered by Dolby Atmos, the YSP concept remains surprisingly unchanged. Yamaha, and the YSP-1, we salute you.

MORE:

Here's our review of the Yamaha True X Surround 90A

Check out the best soundbars

And these are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

High End Vienna concluded on Sunday, with the event offering a whole bunch of exciting upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get into our test rooms.

From Bowers & Wilkins' new flagship 800 Series Diamond speakers to Audio-Technica’s high-end flagship cartridge, there is a range of hi-fi products coming soon.

We have gathered some of the most exciting announcements from High End below, as well as the biggest news from the world of hi-fi and home cinema you might have missed in the past week. Let’s get into it!

WiiM launches its first-ever Dolby Atmos soundbar

WiiM, a company best known for its music streamers and streaming amplifiers, has announced its first venture into the soundbar category at High End Vienna 2026. It is, rather predictably, called the WiiM Bar and boasts a 3.0.2-channel configuration. That is powered by an eight-driver array, including front mid-woofers, front tweeters, and full-range height drivers. The bar offers Dolby Atmos capability.

At the front of the ’bar, you will find a stylish glass-covered 2.1-inch round touch display. You can choose to show off album art, or use it to access playback controls, input, or EQ settings.

The WiiM Bar has got some tough competition, with its price tag (£449 / $479) putting it directly against the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

Read the full story: WiiM launches its first ever Dolby Atmos soundbar – and its sights are set on Sonos

Yamaha launches its new wireless speaker system to challenge KEF

Yamaha hadn’t launched a wireless speaker in a decade; the NX-70A has changed all that.

It uses some of the same technology and materials as Yamaha’s renowned grand piano soundboards, though sadly it doesn’t use anything from its motorbikes. The Yamaha NX-70A aims to make high-quality sound more accessible, whether it’s playing back one of the best music streaming services or a movie soundtrack straight from your TV.

The Yamaha model is out in July for £2587 (around $3500 / AU$4799), so it will be a rival for the KEF LS50 Wireless II. We can’t wait to compare the two in our test room soon.

Read the full story: The Yamaha NX-70A wireless speaker system arrives to take on the KEF LS50 Wireless II

We reviewed Esoteric’s high-end streaming preamplifier

Last week, our testers finished reviewing the Esoteric N-05XE, which costs a whopping £13,000 / $13,000 / AU$17,000. This beautifully made unit combines network streaming, digital-to-analogue conversion and a preamplifier in one neat, albeit chunky box.

And, while its price tag is pretty jaw-dropping, we can confirm that it is a hugely capable product that compromises very little compared with more purist options. We conclude in our review: “If you are looking for a top-class sound and don’t want the clutter of conventional high-end separates, this Esoteric is a great place to start.”

Read the full Esoteric N-05XE review

We saw an unfortunate trend continue from TVs to cars

What Hi-Fi?’s deputy editor Andy Madden has been out and about testing an in-car sound system: the Bose Surround Sound System for the electric Porsche Macan. While his full comparison against the step-up Burmester option is still in the works, Andy spotted an ‘Eco’ mode setting that had been seen only with TVs before.

Having such a mode in this car does make sense. EV ownership centres around power consumption, efficiency and squeezing the most mileage possible from the car’s battery.

Unfortunately, the mode apes the pattern of performance we see in the majority of TVs. It results in a “shrinking of scale, diminished dynamics and a more laid-back and less expressive sound.”

Read the full story: I used an Eco setting on a car audio system for the first time — and my worst fears were confirmed

A selection of World Cup tracks to test your sound system

To celebrate the football event of the year, which kicks off on 11 June, we have hand-picked some of the best World Cup songs to listen to on a decent system. There are some absolute bangers to choose from, including releases from Giorgio Moroder and Pavarotti.

A highlight is New Order’s only UK number one single, World in Motion. The 1990 track is still a banger nearly 40 years on. Those euphoric strings – so ’90s! – will test your system’s midrange, while that drum machine beat is a workout for the low end.

Read the full story: The best World Cup songs to test your system

MORE:

These are the best TVs right now

Check out the best soundbars on the market

Ready for the World Cup? These are the three projectors you should consider

We have seen several feature-packed all-in-one hi-fi systems enter the market from traditional manufacturers in recent times. Cambridge Audio, KEF, Sonus Faber, Naim and Ruark Audio, to name but a few, all offer one-box solutions which include source(s), input and speakers built-in. And now we can add Danish speaker manufacturer Dali to that list.

At High End Vienna 2026, it launched Vega, a hi-fi system with a twist, and one that the company has actually been working on for four years. Obviously, we couldn’t resist dropping by the Dali stand for a closer look to see the system in action.

Price

The Dali Vega costs £2599 / $4500 / AU$4499 and launches in October. This makes it more expensive than the Ruark Audio R410 (£1299 / $1699 / AU$2599) or Cambridge Audio Evo One (£1299 / $1499 / AU$2499.

However, it does sit below the £2999 / $3600 / €3300 asking price of the Focal Mu-so Hekla, which will be one of its key rivals.

Design and build

Dali claims Vega has been designed to be “the most versatile and user-friendly audio source in the home”. And it definitely delivers the kind of flexibility and thoughtfulness we haven’t seen in this arena before.

Besides placing Vega horizontally on a tabletop, you can also wall-mount it. Not only that, but you can flip it through ninety degrees so it hangs upright.

It’s a clever idea and offers users an extra solution when room space might be tight, and attaching it to a wall is an option.

Although it does offer HDMI connectivity, Dali is at pains to say this is a wireless sound system and not a soundbar – there’s no Dolby Atmos or upfiring drivers.

What it does have is a 400W digital amp running 8 channels of audio. Under the woven fabric speaker grilles are two 25mm soft dome tweeters and two 4.5in wood-fibre/paper mid/bass cones on the front, and you'll find the same driver configuration on the rear.

At either end of the unit is an anodised aluminium passive radiator, which matches the finish of the speaker. They’re black on the dark oak finish and silver on the light oak silver finish.

You can’t miss the large circular control on the top of Vega. Dail has spent a lot of time trying to make it tactile and nice to use, and when we try it out, it seems smooth to operate.

It uses a military-grade ball-bearing, while the housing of the wheel is metal with a glass top. Tap the glass, and it brings up Vega’s menus, which are located on a small OLED screen positioned next to it.

The writing on the screen switches to match the unit's portrait or landscape orientation, which is a neat touch. Dali explained that this functionality would have been difficult to achieve with a more traditional dot-matrix LCD display.

It does seem a little small, especially when trying to read the speaker’s settings from a distance, but once the speaker is set up, you’ll mainly be interacting with the BluOS app on your smartphone or tablet.

To the left of the control dial is a row of buttons which includes power, mute and input switching. You also get five customisable preset buttons, which you could assign to a radio station or streaming service – you can even map one to a particular input.

Features

As we’ve mentioned, Vega is powered by BluOS, which we've found to be a stable and well-featured streaming platform. Everything else for Vega has been designed in-house by Dali.

This includes a patent-pending Adaptive Stereo Enhancement (ASE) DSP processing that monitors the incoming stereo signal in real-time and adapts it to fill your room in a spacious and immersive manner.

Out of the box, Vega is set up for use on a shelf or tabletop and has three settings to choose from depending on its placement: free space, medium, and close.

Each one of these affects the sound output from the rear of the speaker, which is at its maximum when in free space mode.

You also have not one but two wall mounting options (it comes with a bracket in the box). It can be positioned horizontally or vertically and uses an internal accelerometer to work out its orientation, and it will automatically switch the output of the speakers to match.

So, when it’s mounted vertically, instead of still having left and right channels firing out of the front and rear, the whole left side of Vega becomes the left channel, and the right side becomes the right channel. Very clever.

To accommodate wall mounting, all connections are underneath the system as opposed to on the rear – Vega offers HDMI ARC, an RCA analogue input, an optical digital connection and a USB input for an external drive. There’s also a subwoofer output, should you want to up the bass at a later date.

In addition to the BluOS streaming smarts, Vega’s wireless connectivity also includes Bluetooth aptX HD, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect and AirPlay 2.

Sound

During our demo with Vega, we were shown the effect of having the ASE processing on and off, and although it was tricky to hear too much, thanks to the noise coming from other areas of the exhibition space, you could still hear the sound shrink and become smaller scale when it was turned off.

Turned back on, you could hear the sound open up again and become larger and fuller.

We’ll obviously need to get it into our test rooms for a full sound quality evaluation, but we heard a few seconds of Ray Charles and Natalie Cole’s version of Fever and the double bass and finger clicks seemed to be nicely defined and have decent snap to them.

Vega seems to serve up an open and dynamic sound, although it was difficult to really evaluate the detail and definition that managed to cut through the noise on the stand.

We switched up the pace with the Stereo MC’s Step It Up, and the Dali seemed to have a skip in its step with seemingly decent punch and power. We couldn’t really hear anything stick out of the frequency range, but it was competing with a lot of environmental noise.

Initial verdict

Obviously, we won’t know how the Dali Vega truly fares until we’ve had a chance to put it through its paces in our test rooms, but it’s an eye-catching offering from the brand in the category of all-in-one hi-fi systems.

Not only does it boast interesting tech developed in-house, Dali’s managed to package its wireless sound system with an attractive amount of versatility.

Some might see the wall-mounting as a bit of a gimmick, but we think the extra flexibility has legs and is a novel approach where space in many living rooms is at a premium. If Vega manages to execute it successfully, Dali could be onto something, and we can’t wait to find out.

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It's one thing to make a film sound good in the cinema, but it is a whole other task to take that experience to your home.

Much of that process relies on sound editors and engineers, who have their work cut out adapting the sound to home cinema products.

During the launch of Sony’s latest soundbar system, the Sony Bravia Theatre Trio, we heard Academy Award-nominated sound editor Andrew De Cristofaro speak about the different ways sound must be engineered.

He has worked on films such as The Housemaid, Green Book and Venom: The Last Dance, and collaborated with Sony during the development of the new Bravia Dolby Atmos sound system.

De Cristofaro says: “Sound is doing way more than you think. You can close your eyes and still follow the story but if you mute it, the experience falls apart.” He adds that instead of purely making a film sound good, his job is about making “sound tell the story”.

We watch a scene from Venom: The Last Dance to demonstrate, in which Eddie and Venom come face to face with the monstrous Xenophage. First, we listen with the raw audio that comes to the sound department after filming. As you would expect, it feels far less exciting than the final cut. Footsteps sound more like shuffling, the cracking flame of a lit car has no impact, and the reveal of the Xenophage is as casual as someone getting on the bus.

Venom’s voice is not audible either, as Tom Hardy (who plays both Eddie and the aforementioned alien symbiote) records his lines offset right before he shoots. The crew then pitch the vocals down and feed them back to him so that he can interact with the character live.

Next, De Cristofaro demonstrates how sound effects start to make the scene feel more dramatic. Layer upon layer of crackling, humming and spitting is added to create the sound of the fire. The footsteps of Hardy’s character as he walks the street become precise, which creates more of a three-dimensional sound, and vocals are brought to the fore.

The stomps of the Xenophage are also given a low squelching sound that immediately makes you feel the weight and monstrous nature of the character. The final touch comes with some dramatic bass stabs, and the end result is a tense and atmospheric scene.

But how do you adapt that sound to home cinema kit? De Cristofaro admits that it is a different kettle of fish compared to the cinema audio. The impact can disappear, vocals get lost and the sense of space collapses.

De Cristofaro says that “you have to rebuild a three-dimensional soundfield” adding that “sound isn’t tied to the speakers necessarily; it is mapped into a 360 space”.

He uses the Bravia Trio as an example of this, as the sound engineers at Sony are employing the brand’s proprietary 360 Spatial Tone Mapping which “analyses your room and reconstructs that environment so you maintain the scale”. As its name suggests, the Trio system comprises three speakers: a tiny central channel soundbar and two left and right channels.

We are yet to hear the Trio soundbar system in our test room to confirm whether this is the case, but we have heard other soundbars such as the KEF XIO and the Samsung HW-Q990F come very close to the desired full dome of sound.

De Cristofaro adds: “When everything is working right, when the dialogue is clear, when the space feels real, when the dynamics land the way they should, you don’t hear the system. You feel the film.”

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Chinese brand Haier is launching its latest range of affordable TVs, all boasting 4K resolution.

The new release is being led by the flagship S90 series, which the brand claims will combine “dynamic visuals, immersive audio with ultra-reactive gaming experience”.

This “immersive audio” comes in the form of Dolby Atmos support, delivering “three-dimensional and cinematic audio quality”. The two 10W speakers are employing technology from British hi-fi brand KEF as well.

The S90 uses QLED panel technology with AI picture optimisation, with Haier saying this results in “rich tones and smooth colour transitions”.

In terms of physical connectivity, you will find four HDMI ports, with one supporting eARC. We assume that means the TV can handle 4K/120Hz signals, given its 240Hz DLG feature, but when we asked a Haier representative for confirmation, they couldn’t provide a clear answer.

Haier is also launching the entry-level K85 and the mid-range S80 models. These step-down TVs do not have Dolby Atmos, but they do offer Dolby Audio for “clearer voices and more balanced sound”. The S80 features a QLED panel, like the S90, while the K85 uses a 4K LED backlight.

All of the TVs come with Freely built-in. That gives you access to streaming services such as BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITVX in the UK. Fire TV acts as the smart platform for all the models, offering access to Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Each range offers slightly different sizing options. The S90 goes from 55- to 85-inches, with the latter being the biggest screen size across all the models. The K85 is available in 43- to 65-inch sizes, and the S80 from 43- to 75-inches.

If you want to get your hands on the 65-inch S90, it will set you back £580. That is certainly aiming at the affordable end of the market, so Haier has TCL firmly in its sights. The S90 is up against the likes of the TCL Q6C, which launched at £649 for the 65-inch model. When we had the TCL set in our test room earlier this year, we praised its excellent picture quality and gaming performance which meant we awarded it a five-star rating.

We are yet to see how the flagship Haier model compares, but its affordable price tag and comprehensive smart platform could spell trouble for the current market leaders.

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I have tested a fair amount of soundbars in my time, from budget bars to premium multi-speaker systems. Most of those models fit fairly neatly into the soundbar category, serving as a way to upgrade your TV’s speakers without having to fill your living room with a load of extra kit.

But the most recent product to enter our test room has not sat perfectly in that mould. Enter the Focal Mu-so Hekla, dubbed on the brand’s website an “immersive home cinema system [that] combines Dolby Atmos technology, outstanding sound performance, and ease of use.” This is a joint release coming from Naim as well as Focal, as the brands merged in 2011.

The Hekla is coming for the premium end of the market, with a serious price tag of £3000 / $3600.

Now, I’m hesitant to call it a soundbar for a few reasons.

The Focal Mu-so Hekla takes its name from Naim’s well-regarded line of wireless speakers. That includes such products as the five-star and What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Naim Mu-so, Mu-so 2 (2019) and Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen models. And the name reveals its close ties to hi-fi as well as home cinema.

Then there is its design. The Hekla makes much more sense as a hi-fi system than a soundbar when it comes to where you can actually place it. Measuring 30cm deep and 100cm wide, the Mu-so Hekla does not offer the same pick-up-and-play build, especially compared with premium soundbars such as the KEF XIO. Its size also means it can be difficult to place in front of the TV unless you have dedicated furniture to house it.

On top of the system is a light-up dial (see above) which acts as a touch screen to control volume, power and input. That placement is not ideal for being below your TV, as you can’t easily see what is being displayed. Also, the light from the display can reflect off your TV screen at certain angles, which makes viewing a little distracting.

All of that means it would look more at home on a side table, much like a hi-fi system rather than a soundbar.

Its performance also stops us from calling it purely a hi-fi or soundbar system. Our full review is in the works but, spoiler alert, it sounds excellent with both music and movies. With both, we are met with an immersive, detailed and full-bodied sound that elevates whatever we throw at it.

There have been soundbars that have performed well with music and movies, but the Mu-so Hekla’s ability to handle both brilliantly certainly threatens to set new standards for the category. And that ability to do it all has made me question whether the soundbar label is becoming outdated.

Ultimately, it’s not clear which category the Hekla fits into. We had been debating what to call it within the What Hi-Fi? team even before it entered our test room. But its show-stopping performance could move the goalposts for what we should call a soundbar – and I’m excited to see that the label will keep evolving.

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Sony has just unveiled its new flagship home theatre system, and it’s a bit of an odd one.

Neither a soundbar nor a four-speaker surround system in the vein of the Bravia Theatre Quad, the Bravia Theatre Trio is, as the name suggests, a system comprising three speakers: a centre, a left, and a right.

The centre looks like a particularly stumpy soundbar and is designed to sit in front of or below your TV, while the other two speakers are tall, spherical towers intended to go to the left and right of your TV.

The Trio’s raison d’être is the growing popularity of super-sized TVs. Sony has itself just announced the Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II TVs, both of which are available in sizes larger than 85 inches.

Sony says that most soundbars can’t create a wide enough soundstage to match the scale of the imagery, and that while a system such as the Bravia Theatre Quad can supply the width, the lack of a dedicated centre speaker can compromise focus and dialogue solidity.

Now that the company is (thankfully) doing away with Acoustic Centre Sync, in which the TV serves as the centre speaker, another solution was required – hence the Bravia Theatre Trio.

As you would expect of a modern home cinema system, the Bravia Theatre Trio supports Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X), with the left and right speakers each featuring an up-firing driver for genuine height effects.

A new version of Sony’s Spatial Sound Mapping is also on hand to create an aural bubble featuring phantom speakers for an authentic 3D audio experience.

On top of that, Sony Electronics says it has worked with its colleagues at Sony Pictures on the tuning of the Bravia Theatre Trio, with the intention of delivering a sound that’s as true to the cinema experience as possible.

And, in order to ensure consistency in living rooms of all shapes and sizes, Sony has even developed a bespoke USB-C microphone that you plug into your phone for use during the calibration process.

In other words, this feels like a real belt-and-braces approach to home cinema and, when I heard the Bravia Theatre Trio in Tokyo in March, it absolutely knocked my socks off.

There is, though, a massive caveat that explains why I was so impressed.

You see, the Bravia Theatre Trio’s three speakers can be enhanced through the addition of surround speakers and up to two subwoofers, and that’s how I heard it.

In fact, I heard it with a pair of Rear 8 speakers as surrounds and two of the awesomely monolithic new Sub 9 subwoofers on bass duties.

Seeing how the Bravia Theatre Trio is £2000, a pair of Surround 8s is £449, and a single Sub 9 is £900, that means what I listened to was a £4249 home theatre system, so you’d flipping well hope it sounded good.

Honestly, though, even within that pricey context, the expanded Theatre Trio system really rocked me.

Sony started by playing the spice harvester scene from Dune, and the first thing that struck me was the bass. The quantity and depth of it was close to breathtaking, but it was also brilliantly integrated with the rest of the tonal range.

Dialogue clarity was deeply impressive, too, especially during the heavy action and compared with the Bravia Theatre Bar 9 system that was used as a comparison.

There’s a fair amount of sparkly treble in the Dune soundtrack, and the Trio system delivered this without drifting into brightness or sibilance in a way that’s rare for a ‘lifestyle’ product. Detail levels across all frequencies were sky high, too.

Sony then played me the opening of Top Gun: Maverick, which brilliantly illustrated the dynamic range of the system. The shifts from quiet, subtle dialogue to bombastic, thumping effects – the launch of the hypersonic jet, for example – were handled with the sort of energy and flexibility I would usually associate with a traditional AVR and speaker package.

The weight provided by those subs was striking, too, underpinning the whole presentation with deep, tight and tuneful bass that integrated seamlessly with the midrange delivery of the main speakers.

Despite the very different form factors of the centre and left/right speakers, I found the sound to be seamless across the front of the soundfield, and the connection between the fronts and the surrounds was perfectly natural, too – though that’s less surprising given the hardware similarities between the Trio’s left and right speakers and the Surround 8s.

In short, the Dolby Atmos presentation was exemplary, with the 24 phantom speakers of the extended package assisting in passing effects around the room in a brilliantly natural, immersive way.

I hope you can understand, though, that while the system I heard sounded utterly brilliant, I can’t even begin to deliver a verdict on the Bravia Theatre Trio.

A couple of clips is never enough for firm conclusions to be drawn, and I heard the Trio with accessories that, combined, cost more than the core system itself.

My instinct is that the Bravia Theatre Trio will be very good on its own, but I worry slightly that it could sound a little feeble without at least one sub thrown into the mix.

We’ll be testing that theory just as soon as we can get the core system – and its accessories – into our dedicated test rooms for a comprehensive review.

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After months of teasers and snippets of information, Sony’s first line of RGB Mini LED TVs is finally here.

The Sony Bravia 9 II and the step-down Sony Bravia 7 II use ‘True RGB’ technology, which the company claims can offer “up to four times the colour volume of OLED” – and outdo the brightness of Mini LED.

Sony follows a host of other brands that have thrown their hat into the RGB Mini LED ring, with Hisense, Samsung and TCL all delivering their own take on the technology.

Some brands use two-diode LEDs for their RGB models. These employ green and blue diodes that shine light through a phosphor layer to generate colours.

But Sony is using independently controlled red, green and blue diodes, which the brand claims will deliver a more accurate image.

The TVs are also powered by Sony’s proprietary RGB Backlight Master Drive Pro, which the company says, “drives each LED with high precision, improving brightness, reducing blooming, and producing purer colour than conventional Mini LED displays”.

The Sony Bravia 9 II is the brand’s flagship ‘True RGB’ model.

It claims to reach the same peak brightness levels as the BVM-HX3110 mastering monitor, which goes up to 4000 nits. No official figure has been given for either new TV model, but if it goes as high as the monitor, we could be in for a very bright picture.

The flagship model is also powered by "RGB Triluminos Max and Luminance Booster Pro", which Sony claims delivers "smoother gradation, and accurate hues at higher brightness levels".

You can see the pricing of both the Bravia 7 II and Bravia 9 II below.

The TVs should launch in late spring with pre-orders available now. And we should have US and Australian pricing soon.

Both TVs offer Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, which gives a comprehensive set of surround sound options.

While Sony says both models offer a three-dimensional audio experience, the Bravia 9 II has the edge with the inclusion of up-firing beam tweeters. The company says this delivers more cinematic surround sound with "powerful depth and true immersion".

You will find Dolby Vision support with both models but, like all Sony TVs, there is no HDR10+ on the cards.

They both also employ X-Wide Angle Pro technology, which Sony says means “colours stay consistent even at wide viewing angles”.

Only available with the Bravia 9 II is the Immersive Black Screen Pro feature, which aims to reduce screen reflections.

Both TVs have a central ‘mirage stand’ which uses a layer of clever transparent material to conceal wires under the base of your screen. This isn't available with the biggest screen sizes, however.

RGB LED TVs have already been dubbed as a possible “OLED killer” by many because of the higher colour volume and brightness claims.

We’ll have to wait until we get both models into our test room to see if the proof is in the pudding – but you can read our first impressions in our Bravia 7 II and Bravia 9 II hands-on reviews.

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Soundbars, particularly those designed to deliver immersive 3D audio formats such as Dolby Atmos, live and die by calibration.

Their effectiveness depends heavily on being able to bounce sound around your room in a way that properly matches your seating position, while also taking into account the shape of the space, the placement of furniture and the amount of soft furnishing that might absorb or diffuse sound.

Without effective calibration, even an excellent soundbar can sound surprisingly underwhelming.

In the early days of soundbars, most notably with Yamaha’s pioneering YSP range, calibration was handled using a dedicated wired microphone included in the box. You would plug the microphone into the soundbar, position it where you normally sit, activate the test tones and let the system do the rest.

Manufacturers eventually concluded that this process was too cumbersome for mainstream buyers, though, so more advanced and convenient systems were developed.

The best-known of those is probably Sonos Trueplay, which uses the microphones built into your iPhone. Generally, you first take a measurement while sitting in your listening position, before walking around the room slowly wafting your phone through the air in a manner vaguely akin to vacuuming your walls.

It feels faintly ridiculous going through the process, but Trueplay is genuinely effective.

The problem is that its accuracy depends heavily on the quality and consistency of your phone’s microphones. That’s why Trueplay is still limited to iOS devices. Android owners either have to borrow an iPhone from a friend to calibrate their system properly or simply live with an uncalibrated soundbar.

Sony’s own Sound Field Optimisation system has historically been far more open, supporting both iOS and Android devices, but has it always produced entirely consistent results? The company’s latest solution rather suggests otherwise.

Said solution is simple: a bespoke USB-C microphone designed specifically for calibrating its new Bravia Theatre Trio home theatre system.

The microphone plugs directly into your smartphone during setup, allowing the Bravia Connect app to handle all of the clever room-analysis processing while ensuring that the recordings themselves are captured using consistent, purpose-built hardware rather than the wildly variable microphones built into phones.

In other words, Sony has effectively separated the software processing from the recording hardware.

That strikes me as a genuinely smart solution to a longstanding problem.

Yes, it means keeping track of an extra accessory, but that feels like a very small price to pay for more reliable and consistent calibration results – particularly for a premium Dolby Atmos system that is designed to create convincing spatial audio effects.

Accurate calibration alone doesn’t guarantee great sound, of course, but it does provide the foundation on which great spatial audio depends.

And, based on my brief hands-on experience with the Bravia Theatre Trio, Sony’s approach appears to work remarkably well. It’s one of the smartest soundbar innovations I have seen in quite some time – and one that rivals such as Sonos should probably be paying close attention to.

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Sony has unveiled a new Bravia Theatre Trio Dolby Atmos system, promising that the premium unit will let movie fans hear films the way their directors “meant [them] to be experienced”.

The new system was unveiled today, alongside Sony’s latest Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II TVs. It targets the upper end of the market currently dominated by the five-star Samsung HW-Q990H soundbar system, which we reviewed recently.

As its name suggests, the Trio system comprises three speakers: a tiny central channel soundbar and two left and right channels.

Unlike most other wireless Dolby Atmos systems however, including the Q990H, the satellites are not rear-channel speakers. Instead, they are front-facing and aim to deliver a wider, clearer and generally more accurate soundstage. This, then, is more like a soundbar chopped into three parts than a traditional wireless system.

Sony is marketing the package as a top choice for people looking for an “authentic” home cinema experience.

It claims to have achieved this by designing the Trio “in close collaboration” with Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE).

“When we design sound for film, every choice is about guiding what the audience feels in a moment,” said Andrew DeCristofaro, sound designer at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“The Bravia Theatre Trio brings that same intention into the home, letting people hear the detail, movement and balance the way we meant it to be experienced.”

The unit comes with a USB-C microphone, which Sony claims will let the Trio offer significantly more accurate room-calibration than most rivals.

Most soundbar calibration solutions, including Sonos Trueplay, use a connected smartphone’s mics. This, though, based on our experience, can produce varying results, which are heavily informed by the phone you’re using.

Under the hood, the system’s 3.0.2 Atmos configuration combines a total of nine speaker units. There are two cone woofers and a soft-dome tweeter in the central bar. Backing them up, each satellite has an upfiring Atmos height channel, soft-dome tweeter and bass-reflex unit.

Each part offers 135W of muscle, adding up to a 405W total power output for the combined package.

Despite the driver count, Sony claims that thanks to the inclusion of its 360 Spatial Sound Mapping (360SSM) tech, the Trio can generate a “24 phantom speaker” (we’re guessing that means virtual) surround sound experience.

The unit supports Dolby Atmos, DTS: X, and IMAX Enhanced formats and comes with Bluetooth and wi-fi connectivity baked in. Chromecast is not supported, but there's good news for Apple fans as AirPlay 2 is available.

For people looking to grow the system over time, Sony has confirmed the Trio is upgradable and can be expanded to include rear speakers and up to two wireless subwoofers. However, doing so will of course add to its already unashamedly premium price.

The base Sony Bravia Theatre Trio package will set you back £2000 (roughly $2700). Adding the Rear 9 satellites will then add £700 (roughly $950) to the bill.

There is a range of compatible subwoofer options: the Sub 7, Sub 8, Sub 9, SA-SW3, and SA-SW5. The top-end Sub 9 costs £900 (roughly $1215). The cheaper Sub 7 retails for £249 (roughly $335), and the Sub 8 comes in at £650 (around $875).

That makes it noticeably more expensive than the five-star Samsung Q990H, which cost £1599 ($2000) at launch. It also puts the Trio in direct competition with the Award-winning KEF XIO, which is the premium option we currently recommend in our best Dolby Atmos Soundbars guide.

We haven’t reviewed the Trio yet. But our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, has had an opening listen with it at Sony’s launch event in Japan. He walked away impressed, succinctly describing the experience as “awesome”.

We hope to get a review unit of the Trio in for testing soon, so watch this space. If you have any questions about the unit, drop them in the comments section below, and we’ll get you an answer as soon as possible.

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Frequent Adventures in AV readers will know that I spend a considerable amount of time scoping out the latest home cinema products in various locations around the globe.

My latest outing took me all the way to Mississauga, Canada (around 28km southwest of Toronto), where I was welcomed by Paradigm, Martin Logan and Anthem to check out their manufacturing plant, learn about their product ranges, and speak to various key members of their team, including the owner, Scott Bagby.

While I was exposed to a veritable feast of hi-fi and home cinema goodness (keep your eyes peeled for more Paradigm-related articles coming soon), I’m starting with an area which I’m fairly new to.

Custom-install home cinema speakers are, by their nature, hard for us to test. Drilling holes in our ceiling and slicing chunks out of the walls in our AV testing room isn't sustainable, which is why we stick with speaker packages composed of floorstanding and standmounting speakers.

Paradigm’s bread and butter, though, is custom install. The company also makes a wide variety of ‘traditional’ speakers, including the striking Persona range and recently upgraded Premier V2 series (expect a hands-on review of these speakers soon), but a big focus during my time in Canada was on the speakers that custom installers fit into walls and ceilings.

Speaking of, I was joined by a selection of custom installers from around the UK. This included members of the Pulse Cinemas team and dealers from its network, all of whom were very knowledgeable on the subject and provided me with some valuable insight.

Eager to brush up on my knowledge, I used this visit to Paradigm’s headquarters to take a crash course in custom installation setups, and I have walked away convinced that I need to cut some holes in my walls and ceilings.

Paradigm talked me through its Ci Elite V2, Ci Pro V2, and Ci Home V2 speaker ranges, which include everything from powerful speakers that are essentially floorstanders that fit into your walls, to in-ceiling speakers the size of dinner plates made to be deployed throughout your house for a whole-home multiroom music system.

Those height speakers are, of course, also perfect for delivering Dolby Atmos height effects, and the clean, minimal look of having in-wall speakers flanking a TV – Paradigm has this arrangement set up in its office – is rather appealing.

Not everyone wants bulky floorstanding speakers taking up space in their living room, which is totally understandable.

Stepping into Paradigm's custom home theatre room is what really sold me, though. The in-wall and ceiling speakers, and even discreet subwoofers, were concealed behind acoustically transparent material, and the room was finished with plush recliners and acoustic panelling to absorb unwanted sound.

Powering this room was a stack of Anthem AV amplifiers, and a Kaleidescape system handled the movies. I watched clips from The Greatest Showman, Midway and Yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed the big, enveloping and cinematic sound.

The encompassing low frequencies from the in-wall subwoofers placed within the walls around the room were particularly interesting. The bass produced from this system was spread evenly around the room, making for a more immersive and balanced experience.

While this is a much higher-specified room, of course, than anything in my house (especially my living room), it has inspired me to dig deeper into the world of custom home cinema and hi-fi installations.

I won't be cutting holes in my ceiling quite yet – I certainly don’t think my landlord would appreciate that – but it has given me some ideas for our home cinema testing room…

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High-end German AV brand Loewe is applying its premium touch to some pint-sized 4K TVs, launching two new models designed to offer a top-notch picture, without taking up too much space.

The We. SEE LCD dc (the dc stands for dual channel) comes in two sizes: 32- and 43-inches. As the name suggests, both sizes feature direct-lit LCD displays with full-array local dimming and 4K resolutions.

Loewe tells us that the 32-inch model features 260 dimming zones. Alongside it, the 43-inch version has 390 zones.

Small, 32-inch, 4K TVs are very rare. Loewe claims the atypically high-resolution panel will let the set deliver picture quality traditionally reserved for larger sets.

The We. SEE LCD is slated to deliver "deep blacks, vivid colours and finely tuned brightness control" according to Loewe. HDR support is also comprehensive, with HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision IQ listed as included formats.

Below the dinky displays, you'll find an integrated 60W soundbar, which also supports Dolby Atmos.

The We. SEE LCD is also compatible with Loewe's Klang wireless subwoofers for those seeking extra bass, or you can bypass the built-in speakers entirely by connecting an external audio device via HDMI eARC.

The TVs are also surprisingly well-equipped for gamers, with two HDMI 2.1 sockets (alongside two HDMI 2.0 ports), which both support VRR and ALLM. The 43-inch model specifically includes 4K/120Hz support. Sadly, the 32-inch model appears to be capped at 60Hz.

Streaming is handled by Loewe's os9 platform, which is underpinned by the VIDAA app store (as seen on Hisense TVs too). App support includes Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and more.

Loewe has also included its dual-channel technology, which takes advantage of the company's SL832 chassis and twin triple-tuner, to let users watch a show while recording another in the background.

You can also expect Loewe's usual combination of premium materials and craftsmanship. The We. SEE sports an aluminium chassis and a solid metal base for a high-quality and robust build throughout.

There are also various options to mount this TV, including tabletop, floor-standing and wall-mounted orientations. Loewe sells a range of stands to accommodate each setup option.

As these new models bear all of the expected markings of a Loewe TV, it should come as no surprise that they carry an equally Loewe-like price tag. At £1145 for the 32-inch model and £1335 for the 43-inch version, the prices put the range in the same ballpark as a 55-inch LG C6 OLED TV.

That price can be a tough pill to swallow for what is essentially a small backlit TV. Nevertheless, the We. SEE LCD dc is available now for any premium buyer who is short on space.

MORE:

Here are our picks for the best 43-inch TVs

Read our Loewe Stellar hands-on review

Here are our picks for the best OLED TVs

American brand Roku has launched its first range of projectors in the UK: the Sharp H272 and the Aurzen D1R.

As their names suggest, the models are launching with two respective hardware partners to “combine advanced projection technology with Roku’s intuitive operating system”.

Richard Halton, Country Manager at Roku UK, claims the projectors are, “bringing the seamless streaming experience Roku users know and love to an exciting new form factor – making big-screen entertainment more accessible than ever”.

The 1080p projectors include Roku’s full app library, including Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max. The two have also been designed to work when projecting the image onto a screen or wall (we highly recommend the former for the best picture quality).

The Sharp model claims to go up to 120 inches, while the Aurzen entry is a little smaller with a maximum screen size of 100 inches.

The Aurzen D1R is the brighter of the two, offering 280 ANSI lumens, compared to the Sharp H272’s 200 ANSI lumens. These are both on the lower end of the scale, so they will likely perform best in a dark room.

The D1R also has the on-paper edge when it comes to sound, offering two speakers driven by 5W of amplification, which beats the Sharp’s 3W offering. Both come with Dolby Audio, but, unsurprisingly for a budget model, there is no Dolby Atmos on the cards.

There are a few smart features included with both models, which should make setting them up a little easier. These include auto-keystone and auto-focus.

Bluetooth and HDMI connectivity are available, so you could pair wireless speakers, a soundbar, or a subwoofer for “an enhanced home theatre experience.”

You can also access Apple AirPlay support for streaming music, videos, photos, podcasts, and games from Apple devices.

Their designs look fairly similar, with both sporting a white rectangular body with rounded edges.

We don’t have pricing yet, but both will launch in June. With their brightness specifications and streaming offerings, Roku seem to have its sights set on the likes of the Xgimi Vibe One (£219 / $269 / AU$599) projector.

When we reviewed the Vibe One in our test room, we praised its compact design and natural-looking image, which ultimately earned it a solid four-star rating. We'll wait to see the projectors in our test room before giving a verdict, but they could be a strong entry in the budget projector market.

MORE:

Here are the best portable projectors

Check out the best projectors right now

These are the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos system

If you are looking for a soundbar to upgrade your home cinema's sound system, you may be surprised at the amount of variety when it comes to their design. From single all-in-one bars to entire soundbar packages with separate surrounds and subwoofers, there is a lot to consider.

But do you actually need to have a separate subwoofer to get the best home cinema performance with a soundbar? The short answer is: it depends. Before we get into that, though, let's take a look at what a subwoofer is actually for.

Sound has a huge range of frequencies, with the human hearing range typically going from 20Hz to 20KHz. Soundbars usually perform most convincingly from the midrange upwards, despite manufacturers' best efforts to extend the low-frequency reach. This is all down to physics; the smaller size of the drive units and the soundbar itself brings limitations in terms of how deep the bass can actually go.

And that is where subwoofers come in. They offer a larger driver in a bigger box with a dedicated amplifier, which results in more bass.

But is it worth investing in the extra bit of kit for your home cinema system? There’s the obvious increase in bass. But the knock-on effect is a greater scale of sound, stronger dynamics, and an increase in the sense of overall solidity, which adds to the immersive feel when watching movies.

Of course, that is dependent on whether the soundbar and subwoofer work well together, because if things don’t gel, there is the risk that the bass frequencies will overwhelm the rest of the sound. The bass does not need to be booming and room-shaking to make a punch, either.

One soundbar and subwoofer combo that delivers cohesive overall sound is the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S, which offers Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. We say in our review that the subwoofer gives each scene "an injection of energy with the added bass, but the lower frequencies never stand out as overzealous. Instead, the bass is well-integrated with the main soundbar and performs with the same precision as the rest of the system."

Like the Sony model, many soundbars come with a wireless subwoofer, which gives you added flexibility compared to one with cables snaking around your living room.

In theory, it seems like a no-brainer on whether you should invest in a soundbar with a subwoofer. But not all products are created equal. A soundbar paired with a badly integrated subwoofer can result in a worse overall sound when compared to an all-in-one bar. A buzzing, distorted subwoofer will detract from the immersive experience and create a worse overall sound compared to the soundbar on its own.

On top of that, you might not have the space for an extra bit of kit and would be better suited to an all-in-one soundbar such as the Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra, which still offers a tight yet punchy bass performance.

A subwoofer can take your home cinema system to the next level, but if you are thinking of adding one to your setup, make sure you choose wisely.

MORE:

These are the best subwoofers right now

Here are the best soundbars we have tested

Check out our review of the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S

It's been a busy start to the month for myself and my fellow TV & AV testers.

We've published reviews of the Hisense UR9 RGB Mini LED TV, the BenQ TK705i projector, and the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S soundbar system, and we've also been hands-on with the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar and Denon AVR-X2900H AV receiver.

But what movies and TV shows did we use during testing? And what content has really wowed our team of home cinema experts over the last month? Simply scroll down to find out.

And if you want more of this sort of thing, here are the 42 best Dolby Atmos movie scenes to test your home cinema surround sound system.

War Machine (2026)

Watch the trailer above, and you'll know exactly what you're going to get from War Machine.

That's right; this is a bunch of ooh rah marines, led by Jack Reacher's Alan Ritchson, doing bombastic battle with a massive robot. It's ridiculous, and the seriousness with which the filmmakers and actors have taken the whole thing only heightens that ridiculousness. I love it.

You could say that once you've watched the trailer, there's really no point in watching the full movie, and you wouldn't be denying yourself a great story by taking that approach. You would, though, be denying yourself some brilliantly breathless action with great special effects and a rollicking Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

This is an old-school sci-fi action adventure, and it demands to be played if you have a cherished home cinema system. Bring on the inevitable sequel!

Words by Tom Parsons

Watch War Machine on Netflix

Apex (2026)

If you’ve ever wanted to see Elton John take on the role of the Predator, Apex is for you.

Charlize Theron plays Sasha, a grieving kayaker and rock climber who goes exploring the fictional Wandarra National Park in Australia. Despite being warned repeatedly that she shouldn’t go it alone, she does just that, only to find herself being hunted by Ben (Taron Egerton), a psychopathic stranger with a penchant for The Chemical Brothers.

If you’ve seen Rocketman, it’s hard to see the character of Ben as anything but a creepy Elton John, which in some ways makes him even more terrifying. Egerton is intense, to say the least, which despite the lush, outdoors setting, lends the film a claustrophobic feel that fits the two-hander, cat-and-mouse nature of the plot.

Visually, it’s a treat, helped in no small part by Theron’s commanding performance and ability to do a lot of her own stunts. It’s full of sweeping vistas of stunning cliffs, treacherous gorges and perfect-for-falling-into rivers that will sort the sufficiently detailed TVs from the rest. Even the CGI is integrated pretty seamlessly.

It’s nothing deep, but it’s a very effective thriller with some excellent performances (Theron in particular). Given its visual flair, it’s a shame not to see it in cinemas, but dim the lights, fire up your big-screen TV, and enjoy.

Warning: you’ll never hear Go by The Chemical Brothers the same way again…

Words by Joe Svetlik

Watch Apex on Netflix

The Day of the Jackal (2024)

I’ll be the first to admit that I very rarely have my finger on the pulse of popular television, hence why I’m only now getting around to watching Sky’s highly acclaimed espionage action thriller The Day Of The Jackal.

I’d heard very good things about it when it premiered back in 2024, but it sat on the watchlist until this week; I needed something to watch after blitzing through the hilarious second season of Amandaland on BBC iPlayer, and who doesn’t like a breakneck tonal shift?

The Day Of The Jackal is a tense, high-octane thriller with twists, turns, and some fairly brutal violence. When bullets start flying, and tyres screech in pulse-pounding car chases, it becomes evident that this TV show is at its best when watched with a capable Dolby Atmos soundbar or speaker system.

The cat-and-mouse game played by the titular Jackal (Eddie Redmayne) and MI6’s Bianca Pullman (Lashana Lynch) spans a wide variety of countries, including Germany, Hungary, Spain, France and Estonia, and these locales are often framed with eye-catching establishing shots.

Paired with a handful of action sequences set under the cover of night, this series is best enjoyed on an OLED TV, or at least a set that excels with contrast. Be sure that your TV’s motion settings are also in order, as you’ll want to avoid judder when chase sequences break out, and especially during the sporadic action-packed shootouts.

If you’re a fan of Bond, or are just a thrillseeker looking for a show that also looks and sounds great on your home theatre set-up, then The Day Of The Jackal, available on Sky and Now (I recommend springing for the 4K upgrade if possible), is definitely worth a watch.

Words by Lewis Empson

Watch The Day Of The Jackal on Sky

Daredevil: Born Again (2025)

The original Daredevil series on Netflix quickly cemented itself as top-tier superhero television – and top-tier television in general – by combining thematic ponderings on vigilantism, violence and religion with brutal, well-choreographed, and often one-take fight sequences. So it was a crying shame when it was cancelled after season three as a victim of the streaming wars.

After a rocky road that included fan campaigns, surprise MCU cameos and a first season that was heavily restructured and reshot, we’re now two seasons deep into the Born Again revival on Disney+. And while it doesn’t quite reach the highs of the original series, it’s still easily one of the best Marvel projects in recent years, playing with a bigger budget, more MCU integration and a storyline that has more than a few things in common with the US political landscape right now.

For anyone sick of the multiverse, this gritty, street-level look at superheroism remains highly refreshing, bolstered by standout performances from Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, with the latter arguably providing Marvel’s most layered villain.

When Daredevil first premiered on Netflix in 2015, it was one of the first pieces of superhero media widely available in 4K HDR, and it was great for testing dark detail and motion handling thanks to the many dingy hallway fight scenes.

Daredevil: Born Again has a slightly different visual look, but the same still applies here, with a higher-budget, more cinematic production that is great for testing contrast and black levels. A really good lawyer such as Matt Murdock deserves to be seen on a really good TV.

Words by Daniel Furn

Watch Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen (2026)

Haley Z Boston’s latest horror series for Netflix, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, was a surprise hit for me earlier this month. Despite positive press, I went into the series blind, while mounting my usual hunt for anything with similar vibes to Mike Flanagan’s Haunting Of Hill House (which is one of my benchmarks for serial horror shows).

And, after years of disappointment, while I wouldn’t say it reaches the same heights as Flanagan's classic, it comes pretty darned close, offering a tour de force performance both technically and narratively.

The story focuses on soon-to-be bride Rachel (ably played by Camila Morrone) as she travels to a remote mansion in the woods in the run-up to her nuptials. Not to give any spoilers away, the film uses pretty much every tool in the haunted-house toolbox.

Dark, bloody lore that gets more disturbing with every door she opens? Check. Creepy secluded setting? Yep. Weirdo family that clearly isn't quite right, feeding her neurosis with their gaslighting? Present.

Every shot oozes oppressive, creepy terror, with the intentionally dim house and surrounding forest hiding creepy details you can’t un-see. But, like Hokum, which I also saw in the cinema this month, it’s the audio that really steals the show. The series aims to build a sense of dread through constant teasing and subtle, psychological ploys rather than outright jump scares or overt gore – and it’s all the better for it.

It’s a creepy whisper just out of shot, the sound of something menacing behind you, or emanating from the on-screen shadows, that constantly keeps you on edge, doing the heavy lifting. The result is a spine-tingling experience that will delight horror fans.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Watch Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen on Netflix

MORE:

Here are the best TVs, best projectors and best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now

Can you believe it’s been four years since Denon released the hugely talented AVR-X2800H? That model stormed our test room to deliver a superb cinematic sound at a reasonable price, earning a rightful spot on our best AV receivers list and a What Hi-Fi? Award.

But 2022 was a long time ago, and things have certainly changed. The Product of the Year-winning Sony TA-AN1000 emerged to dethrone the AVR-X2800H, and we’ve been waiting for Denon to bite back against its Japanese AV opponent since.

Our patience has, as you can probably tell by the headline of this hands-on review, paid off. The AVR-X2900H is a direct sequel to the beloved X2800H, and Denon has made a handful of key upgrades to make it the Kryptonite to Sony’s Superman.

As this is a hands-on review based on a brief introduction to the new amplifier we had at Denon’s offices in Tokyo, we won’t be attaching a star rating yet – that’ll have to wait until we get the new amplifier into our dedicated home cinema testing facility. As for now, here are our initial impressions of the X2900H.

Price

Denon has officially revealed pricing for the AVR-X2900H, and it’s surprisingly pleasant news.

Despite significant global economic instability since 2022, the same £899 price tag applies here in the UK, meaning we’ve avoided a dreaded price hike. While that is good news indeed, there’s still the competition to be mindful of.

Crucially, Denon is positioning this as a direct rival to the TA-AN1000, so the price needs to remain competitive with that amplifier; which in itself may be a big ask as the TA-AN1000 has been on the market for a few year and, as such, is now subject to nearly constant price decreases.

While Sony launched that AV amplifier at a higher £999 price, we’ve seen it widely available for £899, and it can drop to as low as £699 during major sales events.

Build

Consistency is key with Denon’s AVR range, and truth be told, the X2900H looks like it’s long lineage of predecessors.

The genes run strong with the X2900H; this is another angular black box with a brushed metal finish and a rectangular display placed atop a tidy line of on-device buttons.

Denon has made a couple of changes, though. These buttons are now angled slightly upwards, making them easier to press if you have this AVR placed at shin-height in a media unit, and the volume and source select knobs look slightly different.

Subtle upgrades aside, this AVR remains functional-looking rather than particularly eye-catching. Denon’s sister company, Marantz, wins the AVR beauty contest – just look at the Cinema 30 and tell us you disagree…

Features

But beauty is merely skin deep; it’s what the Denon offers in terms of features and sound that is more compelling to us.

Much like its predecessor, the AVR-X2900H offers seven channels of amplification, supporting up to a 5.1.2 or 7.1 surround sound system. Denon claims that this amp can output 95W per channel, though that’s with only two of the seven available channels driven.

The mention of 5.1.2 support might give away that this AVR supports Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X is also supported. Audyssey MultEQ XT also makes a return for straightforward room correction, including automated speaker level and distance settings.

On the subject of calibration, Denon has added the basic version of Dirac Live Room Correction this year, although it’s an optional extra that requires additional equipment to set up.

In terms of connectivity, the AVR-X2900H sports six HDMI inputs, three of which support signals up to 8K resolution, and Denon has added 1440p video pass-through and AMD FreeSync this year for better PC gaming support. There are also dual HDMI outputs, one of which is HDMI eARC, while the other supports Zone 2 functionality.

Denon has made direct reference to this AVR supporting HDR10+, but Dolby Vision hasn’t been mentioned yet. Considering the AVR-X2800H supported the dynamic HDR format, we’d be very surprised to see this missing in the new model.

Wireless connectivity is also solid, with streaming supported over wi-fi, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and Denon’s HEOs application, which also provides access to countless music streaming apps, including Tidal, Qobuz and more.

Internally, Denon says it’s made a few changes in pursuit of improved sound performance, too. It says that it’s implemented an upgraded 32-bit multi-channel DAC architecture for “improved imaging, clearer high-frequency detail and more confident low-frequency energy across every channel”.

Sound

So, have these improvements made a noticeable change to how this amplifier sounds? It’s far too early to say, but we did get a chance to listen to a very familiar test scene from Dune: Part One on both the existing AVR-2800H and new AVR-X2900H, to get a flavour of what the new model is capable of.

The AVR-X2900H was hooked up to a totally overkill speaker package comprising Bowers & Wilkins 801 Diamond speakers; far too high-end to match a mid-range AVR such as this, but fun to listen to nonetheless.

The scene in which the Atreides clan boards an Ornithopter to see the spice fields of Arrakis sounded noticeably richer and larger in scale on the new model, while also remaining agile and exciting in an impressive display of cinematic balance.

Everything felt more layered and detailed, with voices in particular carrying more character and tonality. This helped to convey more natural and emotive dialogue, aiding immersion and allowing us to get sucked into the tense conversation had within the cockpit of the Ornithopter.

Bass and dynamics, two areas that we appreciated on the Sony competitor, also appear to have improved on the X2900H. Bass goes deeper when the tribal drums of Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack burst into life, and it’s a snappier and punchier affair too.

It remains controlled, but it felt like the low end had more attack, resulting in a more engaging and exciting experience.

Early verdict

It’s taken a while, but our early impressions of the Denon AVR-X2900H lead us to believe that our patience has paid off.

After having its confidence knocked by Sony, we’d like to say that Denon is back with a vengeance, but in reality, it seems like the changes made here are both subtle and considered.

That seems like the right move to us, as the AVR-X2900H has made a strong first impression; now all it has to do is live up to expectations in our AV testing room…

MORE:

Read our full Denon AVR-X2800H review

As well as our Denon AVC-X3800H review

And check out our picks for the best AV receivers

It has been only a month since Denon announced the arrival of its new AVR-S980H AV receiver, but the Japanese audio giant has clearly earmarked 2026 as a big year for home cinema. It has just taken the wraps off a further two new models!

Designed and tuned at Denon’s Shirakawa Audio Works in Japan, the new AVRs seem to have sound quality high on the agenda, promising as they do “improved imaging, clearer high‑frequency detail and more confident low‑frequency energy across every channel”.

Key to the audio improvements are the inclusion of a new 32-bit, eight-channel DAC, plus upgraded components and mechanical improvements across both models, many of which are designed to reduce the effects of noise and vibrations.

The Denon AVR-X2900H (£899/€1000/$1349) is a 7.2-channel AVR with 95W per channel, while the step-up AVC-X3900H (£1299/€1499/$1849) is a 9.4-channel AVR with 11.4 channels of processing and 105W per channel.

Both AV receivers feature a refreshed front-panel design and include Denon HEOS multiroom audio and support for Bluetooth (including LE Audio), Apple AirPlay 2 and online streaming services including TuneIn Internet Radio, Spotify and Qobuz.

Movie fans can take advantage of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks through both amps, with the AVC-X3900H adding IMAX Enhanced, Auro 3D, and 360 Reality Audio to its specification sheet.

• Hands on: Denon AVR-X2900H review

HDMI connectivity is, as you would expect, high on the agenda. The AVR-X2900H features six inputs and two outputs, while its pricier sibling gets an extra output. Both amps offer 1440p passthrough and AMD FreeSync.

They will also be compatible with Denon’s Home 200, 400 and 600 wireless speakers via a future firmware update, should you want to use those models as surrounds in a speaker package.

Another promised future update will allow the amps to support Dolby Atmos music via AirPlay 2.

To help get the AVRs set up for your room layout, they each support Audyssey (you get a calibration mic in the box). Should you want to delve deeper into their settings, there is also optional Dirac Live Room Correction support, plus Bass Control and Active Room Treatment (ART) if you opt for the more premium model.

With Denon, Arcam and Yamaha all announcing new AVRs in recent months, 2026 looks set to be a strong year for home cinema enthusiasts. We can’t wait to get all of these new offerings into our test rooms for review.

MORE:

Denon is gunning for Sony’s Award-winning AVR with its latest release

Yamaha’s two new Dolby Atmos AV receivers borrow one feature from their high-end siblings

Arcam’s Radia AV line of home cinema amps promises serious movie magic

Our pick of the best AV receivers we have tested

With any luck, everyone knows by now that even the best-sounding TVs sound pretty rubbish by home cinema standards.

But we don't all have the space, budget or patience for a full system comprising an AV receiver, speaker package and the cables required to wire everything up.

In truth, even the super-popular soundbar systems that typically combine a bar, a wireless subwoofer and two wireless surrounds (the Samsung HW-Q990H, for example) are “too many boxes” for many people.

So, what’s the solution for those who’ve forked out for a gorgeous, premium TV and want equally gorgeous sound without all of the boxes and/or cables?

The premium solo soundbar, that’s what. In fact, that’s exactly the problem that the soundbar was originally designed to solve.

These days, a premium soundbar is a very sophisticated bit of kit that typically combines svelte styling with effective Dolby Atmos processing for movies and games, plus music streaming, simple operation, and the option to add additional speakers further down the line.

Here, we’re pitching four such soundbars against one another.

The benchmark is the Sonos Arc Ultra – the successor to the multi-Award-winning Arc and now an Award-winner in its own right.

This is a soundbar that really nails the confluence of simplicity and sound quality, and, being a Sonos product, the Arc Ultra also functions as a multi-room speaker for music.

The Sonos Arc Ultra and Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 have met before, albeit in slightly different circumstances, with the Sony priced much higher.

These days, you can usually get it for the same price as the Sonos, making the head-to-head far hotter, especially as the Bar 9 has features that the Arc Ultra does not, such as DTS:X support and HDMI passthrough.

This isn’t a head-to-head test, though: two newer soundbars are looking to disrupt the Sonos vs Sony scuffle.

The first of those is the very fancy LG Sound Suite H7. As the name suggests, this is a component in LG’s new Sound Suite family of speakers, but it’s also a Sonos Arc Ultra-rivalling soundbar in its own right.

Finally, but most unusually, we have the JBL Bar 1000MK2, which, as you may have spotted, isn’t really a solo soundbar.

However, we’ve decided to include it here as the ability to connect the surround speakers to the main bar means it can function as a solo bar – albeit one that also comes with a subwoofer.

Which of these premium soundbars deserves the spot beneath your lovely TV? Let Dolby Atmos battle commence!

Picking a winner

Each of these premium soundbars proves that you don’t need a stack of separates and a room full of speakers to get genuinely enjoyable cinematic sound from your TV.

Of course, they all tackle that challenge in slightly different ways.

The JBL leans into flexibility and sheer spectacle, the LG focuses on design and cutting-edge tech, the Sony majors on immersion and detail, and the Sonos aims to blend simplicity, sophistication and sonic excellence into one sleek package.

4. LG Sound Suite H7

All four are good products in their own right, but there is a clear hierarchy here, and in fourth place is the LG Sound Suite H7.

The H7 is certainly an interesting proposition. Its styling is refreshingly different from the norm, and those who own a compatible LG TV will appreciate the way it integrates visually and functionally with the screen. It’s also packed with features, including Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, which will be a real boon if you decide to expand your system in the future.

There’s no denying, either, that the H7 sounds impressive out of the blocks. It goes loud, delivers plenty of bass weight and throws effects around the room enthusiastically enough to create a decent sense of scale.

Ultimately, though, it lacks the refinement and subtlety of the best soundbars here. Dynamics are a little blunt, detail levels aren’t especially high, and there’s a hardness to its delivery that can become fatiguing over longer listening sessions. Dolby Atmos effects are present, but they don’t knit together cohesively enough to fully convince.

It’s a decent soundbar, then, but against this level of competition, decent simply isn’t enough.

Read the full LG Sound Suite H7 review

3. JBL Bar 1000MK2

Third place goes to the JBL Bar 1000MK2 – and this one is perhaps the trickiest to judge.

Strictly speaking, it’s not really a solo soundbar at all, thanks to the inclusion of a wireless subwoofer and detachable surround speakers. But because those surrounds can be physically attached to the main unit, we felt it deserved a place in this test – and we’re glad we included it.

There’s no question that the JBL delivers the biggest and most overtly cinematic presentation here. With the surrounds deployed, it creates an impressively expansive soundfield, and the dedicated subwoofer gives action scenes a level of low-end heft that the true solo bars simply can’t match.

It’s a hugely entertaining listen, too, with a bold, energetic character that makes blockbuster movies enormous fun.

The problem is that it’s not the most nuanced or controlled performer on test. Bass can occasionally become overbearing, subtle details are sometimes overshadowed by sheer bombast, and musicality isn’t really its strong suit. In stereo music playback, particularly, the Sonos and Sony sound noticeably more balanced, cohesive and sophisticated.

If your priority is maximum home cinema impact with minimum hassle, the JBL remains a very appealing option. But as an all-round premium soundbar package, it falls short of the class leaders.

Read the full JBL Bar 1000MK2 review

2. Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9

Which brings us to the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9.

When this soundbar first launched, its pricing made it difficult to recommend wholeheartedly, but now that it can regularly be found for around the same money as the Sonos Arc Ultra, it becomes a much stronger proposition.

And it really is an excellent soundbar. Sony has managed to produce an impressively spacious and immersive presentation from a single bar, with Dolby Atmos effects projected with remarkable precision. Its sense of verticality is particularly convincing, and it fills a room with sound more effectively than almost any rival.

It’s detailed and dynamic, too, with crisp dialogue, excellent placement of effects and plenty of punch when movie soundtracks demand it. The inclusion of HDMI passthrough and DTS:X support also gives it a useful edge in the features department.

Ultimately, though, while the Sony is deeply impressive, it doesn’t quite achieve the same all-round balance and naturalness as the Sonos. There are moments where its presentation becomes just a touch forward or forceful, and while it sounds spectacular with movies, it’s not quite as consistently musical or cohesive across all content types.

Read the full Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 review

1. Sonos Arc Ultra

The Sonos Arc Ultra nails the brief.

It delivers Dolby Atmos with scale, precision and convincing height effects, but it never loses sight of subtlety or cohesion in the pursuit of spectacle. Dialogue is crystal clear, effects are expertly placed, and there’s an openness and spaciousness to the presentation that makes movie soundtracks utterly engrossing.

Crucially, it’s also the most musical soundbar here. Whether you’re watching films, gaming or simply streaming music, the Sonos sounds balanced, expressive and refined in a way that its rivals can’t quite match.

The lack of HDMI passthrough will be an annoyance for some, and the Sonos app isn’t quite back to its slick best yet, but many buyers are unlikely to bother with the app after initial setup and the superb performance of the Arc Ultra far outweighs those relatively minor niggles.

The Sonos Arc Ultra will surely be beaten one day – but today isn’t that day.

Read the full Sonos Arc Ultra review

Google has just made a handful of announcements regarding the future of Android at its "Android Show I/O Edition 2026" event, and while the redesigned emojis and smarter AI news are fun, there was surprisingly little in the way of AV announcements.

Google TV, in fact, didn't get so much as a shoutout, but another offshoot of Google's software ecosystem did get some unexpected picture and sound upgrades.

Android Auto, Google's smart automotive software experience, will soon support a more immersive audio experience, and for the first time, video too.

Dolby Atmos is the big news here, as Android Auto will finally deliver the immersive audio format in a forthcoming update, though there are some stipulations to be aware of. This comes a couple of years after Apple CarPlay began rolling out Dolby Atmos support in 2024.

Google's current list of automotive manufacturers that will support Dolby Atmos includes BMW, Genesis, Mahindra, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Škoda, Tata and Volvo, so you'll need a supported vehicle from one of these brands to access the 3D audio format via the Android software system. We expect this list to expand in due course.

You'll also need a streaming app that supports Dolby Atmos playback, which currently rules out the likes of Spotify and YouTube Music. Ironically, Google highlights that these two apps in particular have been freshly redesigned for Android Auto to accommodate better ease of use.

Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited should all deliver Dolby Atmos playback, but we're clarifying with Google to confirm if all of these services are supported.

And it's not just audio that's getting souped up on Android Auto. For the first time, users will be able to watch videos in full HD up to 60fps on their car's infotainment display through "apps like YouTube".

We presume that this means other video apps will be supported when this feature launches later this year, but we've reached out to Google to confirm which streaming apps will and won't be supported.

Videos on Android Auto will be supported in vehicles from BMW, Ford, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Mahindra, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Škoda, Tata and Volvo.

Watching videos while driving is, of course, a no-go, but Google has thankfully thought ahead. Video apps that support background audio will seamlessly transition into a podcast-style audio experience when you begin driving, meaning you can continue listening to what you were watching while you were parked.

These updates are both expected to roll out later this year, alongside a more customisable user interface and improved Google Maps experience.

With more in-car audio systems now supporting Dolby Atmos – Dolby itself made a big push for immersive in-car audio at CES 2026 earlier this year – it's encouraging to see Google make the necessary steps to upgrade Android Auto to support the latest in-car entertainment features.

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Regular readers will know that horror is a genre that lends itself to a lot of our AV testing scenarios. That’s why if you jump over to our regular Now Showing column, or main best Dolby Atmos scenes to test your system guide, you’ll see a fair few entries from the genre.

Whether it’s monsters coming out of the shadows, offering an excellent gauge of your TV or projector’s black level, or its janky, unnatural movements, pushing the tech’s motion handling, there’s a lot about the genre that is taxing for even the best hardware.

But this week, after daring to see Damian McCarthy’s latest film, Hokum, at the cinema, I was reminded of an even more important, in my mind, aspect of the genre that doesn’t always get enough praise: sound.

Hokum is a gothic supernatural horror film written and directed by Damian McCarthy, with Severance star Adam Scott in the lead role as depressed novelist Ohm Bauman.

Bauman retreats to a remote, Irish hotel where his parents had their honeymoon to scatter their ashes. At which point the film introduces the story of a spooky witch trapped within, and supernatural shenanigans ensue.

Editor’s Note: I’ll try to avoid completely ruining the plot, but the rest of the article will include detailed passages describing specific scenes from the film.

From the get-go, the film is a stellar example of how to use darkness to instil a sense of dread. From the opening scene, where Bauman writes in the dark, the background is full of bump in the night scares, and subtle details hidden in the black.

There’s also an excellent moment where a bell boy at the hotel shines a lighter to try to find the source of scary noises coming out of a blocked off elevator. I can already see this being a go-to test for dark detail in our review rooms when the 4K Blu-ray comes out.

As the film continues, as I’ve observed numerous times before, it’s more about what you don’t see, but hear, that really makes it stand out. These start with subtle moments, the sound of something sinister lurking below you as Bauman enters the locked-off room, where the witch was supposedly caught and trapped.

The manager, creeping above, as Bauman and his new friend try to continue their investigation unhindered. In each, the sense of directionality of the out-of-shot movements is pinpoint and makes you feel as though you’re there with him.

There is one scene in particular that truly had me on edge. After Bauman flees the witch, drawing a protective circle around a four-poster bed, he leaps in to hide as it stalks around the area.

Shot from his perspective, behind a thin cloth sheet hung around the bed, you can hear every raspy movement as it creeps up the shaft, then through the suite, room to room, getting closer and closer. Then, as it enters the bedroom, around the thin sheet, every hiss, curse, step and rasp is audible – immersively conveying its movements in a way only Atmos, with its dome of sound effect, can.

Pure nightmare fuel – especially as my wife has now figured out how to replicate some of the witch’s noises and enjoys catching me off guard with them.

The last time I felt this enamoured of a horror film’s use of Dolby Atmos was with Annihilation, which has a similar scene, where a group are trapped in a basement, and you can hear a monster on the floor above slowly approaching.

Which is why I am convinced you’ll be reading about Hokum again, in the not-too-distant future, as an entry in Now Showing, where we detail the latest test discs we’re using for testing purposes.

It's also why I'd urge any horror fan to go to see it at a decent cinema, with a solid sound system. Or, if you plan to wait, endeavour to watch it on a decent home cinema setup, with Dolby Atmos. Honestly, it’s that good.

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Here it is, folks: our first full review of an RGB Mini LED TV.

We have previously run extensive hands-on tests of a couple of RGB Mini LED TVs – most notably the huge Hisense 116UX – but, due to their astonishing sizes and prices, we’ve had to do the testing outside our own facilities. In our world, that’s not a full review, so those TVs haven’t received star ratings.

The 65-inch Hisense UR9 we have before us today is designed to address the size and price issues that have until now prevented more people from hopping on the RGB Mini LED bandwagon.

This set, then, is leading the mainstream RGB Mini LED charge. And, while it’s a fair way short of perfect, particularly next to a flagship OLED TV, the UR9 is an impressive TV in its own right and a tantalising glimpse at the technology’s long-term potential.

Price

Price is always a hugely important factor whenever we test a product, but it’s particularly crucial to how the Hisense UR9 will be viewed.

In the UK, the launch price of £2999 places the 65-inch UR9 in the same category as flagship OLED TVs such as the new LG G6 and last year’s Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II.

In Australia, though, the AU$3999 price puts the Hisense UR9 up against step-down OLEDs such as the LG C6.

Most interestingly (and confusingly), while the announced launch price in the US was a super high-end $3500, when the TV actually arrived in shops, the tag was a vastly cheaper $2000, placing the UR9 in an entirely different category, below even step-down OLED models.

Essentially, then, this Hisense is a rather different proposition in each of those three regions. Seeing as we are UK-based and it’s a UK sample we’re reviewing, though, it’s the UK price that we are primarily working with here. And that means the UR9 is going to have to face off against the mighty Bravia 8 II QD-OLED.

Design

The Hisense UR9 is not one of those modern flagship TVs that disappears into your living room.

At 4.5cm thick, it’s decidedly chunky by current premium TV standards, particularly next to the impossibly slim OLED models with which it competes on price.

The rear panel is completely flat, though, which makes the UR9 fairly tidy for wall-mounting, and the overall build feels solid and substantial.

The TV’s general styling is perfectly pleasant, too, though it stops short of being genuinely luxurious. Bezels are slim enough, the dark metallic finish is smart, and the overall aesthetic is clean and restrained, but the UR9 lacks the slick elegance and premium flair of rivals such as the Sony Bravia 8 II and Samsung S99H/S95H.

Hisense has made some nice, practical decisions, though.

The centrally mounted pedestal stand has a relatively narrow footprint of around 42cm, making the UR9 easier to place on narrower furniture than many similarly sized rivals. It also offers two height positions, allowing you either to keep the screen sitting low and tidy or raise it slightly to create extra clearance for a soundbar.

Rows of tiny perforations run down both sides of the set, while larger openings line the top edge. These house the UR9’s side- and up-firing speakers, which form part of its integrated Devialet sound system.

Overall, then, the UR9 is more functional than fashionable – a practical, purposeful TV rather than a particularly glamorous one.

Features and specs

The headline feature here is, of course, the UR9’s RGB Mini LED backlight.

Unlike a conventional Mini LED TV, which uses a white backlight shining through a colour filter layer, the UR9 instead uses separate red, green and blue Mini LEDs to generate colour directly. In theory, this approach allows for both greater brightness and more precise colour reproduction.

Hisense claims peak brightness of up to 3500 nits for the 65-inch model we’re testing here, alongside 980 local dimming zones and a native 170Hz panel, all driven by the company’s Hi-View AI Engine RGB processor.

Gamers are generally very well served – with one unusual caveat. Unlike most premium TVs, which have four HDMI sockets, the UR9 has just three. These are accompanied by a PC-gaming-friendly DisplayPort connection – something that remains extremely rare on TVs.

Is a DisplayPort connection more valuable than a fourth HDMI socket? We have our doubts, but to a small number of very committed PC gamers, it may be very useful.

All three of the HDMI sockets are 2.1-specified, though, with support for 4K/170Hz (and the console-friendly 4K/120Hz), VRR and ALLM. Some brands, including Sony, still offer just two HDMI 2.1 sockets on their TVs.

The UR9’s input lag is decent rather than exceptional. We measured 32.5ms at 60Hz in the standard Game mode, though enabling the Refresh Rate setting reduces that figure to a more respectable, though far from groundbreaking, 24.6ms.

The UR9 supports every significant HDR format currently in use – HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision – plus the intelligent Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive variants that respond to ambient room lighting conditions.

It is also IMAX Enhanced certified, and the UK version of the TV features an anti-reflective, anti-glare screen coating that proves fairly effective at combating bright-room reflections.

Audio specifications are unusually ambitious by TV standards, too. The UR9 features a Devialet-tuned 4.1.2-channel speaker system with dedicated up-firing drivers, plus support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks.

In the UK and Australia, the UR9 runs Hisense’s own VIDAA smart platform, while the US version instead uses Google TV.

VIDAA still isn’t the prettiest smart system around, but it’s fast, responsive and logically laid out. App support is broadly very good, too, with all of the major streaming services and UK catch-up apps present and correctly supporting the relevant picture and sound formats.

There are, however, a few frustrating omissions. Most notably, the Apple TV app lacks access to the Apple TV store and users’ purchased libraries, so it can’t be used for movie purchases and rentals. That’s a real disappointment, as Apple’s pay-as-you-go store is the best around.

While far less important for a TV, it’s worth noting that music streaming support is sparse, too, with Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and Qobuz all absent. There are no cloud gaming apps, either.

The inclusion of Freely is welcome, though, as it allows live TV channels to be streamed over the internet without an aerial connection.

Picture quality

The Hisense UR9 makes a superb first impression. In fact, perhaps the most impressive thing about it is just how rarely it behaves like a traditional backlit TV.

Before getting into that, though, some setup advice is required, because the TV’s default HDR settings do it few favours.

When first fed HDR10 content, the UR9 automatically switches into its HDR Energy Saving mode which, despite its name, is surprisingly aggressive. Colours skew cool and bluish, motion processing is overly intrusive, and the overall image looks unnatural and overcooked.

HDR Standard and HDR Dynamic are similarly best avoided, both pushing sharpness, brightness and processing much too hard.

Thankfully, Filmmaker Mode proves far more successful. It delivers the most accurate and balanced picture of the available presets, and it quickly becomes our preferred overall option.

Interestingly, though, IMAX Cinema is also unusually compelling. While its underlying settings appear almost identical to those of Filmmaker Mode, it consistently produces a noticeably brighter and punchier image without obviously compromising balance or naturalism.

As a result, we would stick with Filmmaker Mode for dark-room and purist viewing, but happily switch to IMAX Cinema during the daytime or whenever we fancy a little extra visual intensity.

Once properly configured, the UR9 is an extremely accomplished performer.

Play 1917 on 4K Blu-ray, and the opening logos immediately demonstrate just how well controlled the TV’s backlight system is. Blooming around the bright white text is minimal, black depth is strong, and colours look rich, warm and nicely cinematic.

More importantly, the local-dimming system generally goes about its business without drawing attention to itself. Throughout our testing, the UR9 almost never exhibits the flickering, brightness pumping or visibly shifting backlight behaviour that can make many Mini LED TVs distracting.

That consistency quickly emerges as the UR9’s defining strength. While many bright Mini LED TVs constantly remind you that they are dynamically manipulating a backlight behind the scenes, the Hisense instead achieves a broadly very composed, stable and natural delivery that often feels surprisingly OLED-like.

Blade Runner 2049 showcases this particularly well. Black depth is consistently strong, shadow detail is excellent and subtle blooming is tightly controlled. There’s also impressive richness and stability to colours, especially reds, which look wonderfully pure and saturated without drifting into pink or magenta tones.

Extra-bright HDR material suits the UR9 especially well, too. Pan looks spectacular here, with dazzling highlights and bold, vibrant colours that comfortably outgun the Sony Bravia 8 II for outright brightness in many scenes. Sunlight bursting through clouds and glinting off the fantasy scenery of Neverland is delivered with real punch and intensity.

Crucially, though, the UR9 generally achieves this brightness without sacrificing balance. Skin tones remain natural, and there’s a pleasing cinematic warmth to the image – and it doesn’t drift into gaudiness.

Motion handling is strong, too. The default Film setting is decent enough, but switching Motion Enhancement to Clear results in noticeably smoother pans without introducing the distracting soap-opera effect or processing artefacts that such systems often create.

The notoriously difficult Matera cemetery and chase sequence from No Time To Die is handled particularly well, with impressively little judder to the panning shots and clean rendering of drifting smoke and rapid camera movement.

Dropping down to standard-def and SDR, our Kiss Kiss Bang Bang DVD is reproduced with pleasing warmth, strong detail and impressively clean upscaling. Colours are arguably pushed a touch too hard at times, but the overall presentation remains highly enjoyable and consistently cinematic.

For all of the UR9’s strengths, though, direct comparisons with a top-tier OLED TV still reveal the limitations of even this undeniably refined RGB Mini LED model. Despite its impressive local-dimming system, the Hisense simply cannot match the pixel-level contrast control of the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Extremely bright highlights against deep black backgrounds are sometimes handled slightly conservatively, presumably to avoid blooming. Perhaps counterintuitively, those bright white logos against pitch-black backgrounds appear more intense and impactful on the Sony OLED than on the much brighter, on paper, Hisense.

More significantly, the OLED TV produces a more solid and perceptually three-dimensional image across the board. Objects and characters stand out from their surroundings with greater depth and dynamism, while subtle gradations within clouds, shadows and highlights appear more convincing and refined, creating a more rounded look.

This isn’t a new phenomenon: we have documented that extra solidity you get from OLED plenty of times previously, most notably when we used the Sony Bravia 8 OLED as a comparison in our Bravia 9 Mini LED review. But it bears repeating for those who are choosing between an OLED and a backlit TV.

Viewing angles are another clear OLED advantage. While the UR9’s picture performance doesn’t entirely fall off a cliff when you move off-axis, the sweet spot in which it performs at its very best is surprisingly narrow.

And while the UR9 usually keeps blooming impressively well controlled, especially for a backlit TV, particularly torturous scenes can still expose its limitations.

The bomb-test sequence in Oppenheimer is a great example. From the UR9, there’s a slight general greying to the image, plus some visible glow around isolated spotlights in the darkness. The opening starfield of Alien: Romulus, meanwhile, reveals that the UR9 cannot simultaneously maintain truly inky blacks and perfectly intense star highlights in the way an OLED can.

To be clear, the Hisense performs well in these scenes by LCD standards, and many owners may never notice such shortcomings during normal viewing. But they do prevent the UR9 from truly matching the effortless contrast precision and dimensionality of the best OLED TVs.

Sound quality

Developed in partnership with Devialet, the UR9’s 4.1.2-channel speaker system delivers a surprisingly expansive and full-bodied presentation by TV standards, with particularly impressive width and height effects.

The Theatre sound mode is the most immediately striking of the available presets, producing a presentation that extends well beyond the physical boundaries of the TV and creating a convincing sense of spaciousness with Dolby Atmos soundtracks.

There’s decent bass depth, too, and the UR9 maintains good composure at high volumes, avoiding the harshness and distortion that can afflict many flatscreen TVs when pushed hard.

The overall presentation is smooth and rich in character, which makes the UR9 an easy and enjoyable listen over long viewing sessions.

It isn’t perfect, though. Dynamics are a little stunted, and action scenes lack some of the punch and excitement they deserve, while dialogue could be projected with greater clarity and emotional expression.

The Theatre mode also slightly overplays its hand at times. While its extra spaciousness is undeniably appealing, it introduces a faintly diffuse and echoey quality to voices, along with a slight sense of delay that makes speech sound less natural than it should.

As a result, we find ourselves preferring the Standard sound mode for most content. It still sounds pleasantly spacious and open, but delivers dialogue with greater focus and cohesion while maintaining good weight and scale.

Ultimately, while even a modest dedicated soundbar will comfortably outperform it, the UR9’s audio system is better than that of most TVs, even at this lofty level.

Verdict

In several ways, the Hisense UR9 is one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested.

Most of the time, you’re not even made aware that it is a backlit TV, so good are its black levels, its control of blooming and its consistent, flicker-free contrast.

While it is possible to trip up the backlight, it’s quite hard to do so, and many buyers may never see an unsightly bloom in their period of UR9 ownership.

But while this first mainstream RGB Mini LED TV is broadly mercifully free of the flaws that generally afflict backlit TVs, it still can’t match the overall picture quality of the best OLED models.

The pixel-level contrast control of OLED brings benefits in several areas. There are the notably brighter highlights on very dark backgrounds that even accomplished backlit sets, such as the UR9, are too cautious to go all guns blazing with for fear of blooming. There are the almost flawless viewing angles, too, which the UR9 is a long way from matching.

The biggest thing, though, is the generally more solid, more perceptually three-dimensional image that OLED provides. Next to the Bravia 8 II, the Hisense UR9 simply looks flatter, less dynamic and less impactful.

Ultimately, as enjoyable and technically impressive as the UR9 is, we can’t think of a good reason you would buy it over a flagship-grade OLED, and that’s the level at which Hisense is pitching it – at least in the UK.

Of course, if you are someone who has a flagship-level budget for their next TV and a general aversion to OLED, the Hisense UR9 should be right around the top of your list.

If you’re a UK buyer, it’s probably a good idea to wait and see if we get a massive US-style discount before placing an order, though.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 4

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Yamaha has announced two affordable new AV receivers, both featuring Dolby Atmos and an anti-resonance feature from the brand's high-end models.

The 7.2-channel RX500A and 5.2-channel RX300A should please gamers – while each model has just four HDMI inputs (a relatively small number by AVR standards), they all support 4K/120Hz (and 8K/60Hz), VRR and ALLM.

Passthrough of Dolby Vision and HDR10+ signals is also supported.

We're promised "exceptionally stable and reliable high-quality playback", garnered from Yamaha's years in AV receiver development.

You also get Yamaha's Anti-Resonance Technology (A.R.T.) Wedge, which is usually only found on Yamaha's high-end models.

This centre-mounted fifth foot works with the four outer feet to disperse vibrations – Yamaha says this creates "exceptional stability, with focused, accurate sound."

Room correction comes as standard, so you can get decent sound no matter how oddly shaped your room is. There are also buttons for Quick Guide (which walks you through setup) and Scene (i.e. custom presets).

The RX500A is network compatible, giving you access to all the big streaming services – Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect – as well as AirPlay 2 and Google Cast wireless tech. It can also unlock digital music stored locally within your home.

The Atmos delivery will be interesting to test, particularly in the case of the 5.2-channel RX300A, which can be switched to a 3.1.2-channel configuration to deliver the 3D audio format. In other words, the surround channels are sacrificed in the name of height channels.

The RX500A can be configured in a 5.1.2-channel arrangement, which is much more common for entry-level Atmos setups.

A heatsink above the HDMI circuitry keeps the heat under control, and HDMI eARC functionality brings audio and video from your TV to the receiver in one cable.

There are Sound Modes to tailor the sound to what you're listening to. Musical purist? You'll want Pure Direct and Stereo modes. Cinephile? Movie mode is for you, as it gives you "maximum cinematic impact". Watching at night? Night mode reduces volume while maintaining the balance, so it won't wake the kids or ruin your enjoyment.

The Yamaha RX300A is out in August for £349 (around $475 / AU$650), and the RX500A is out in September, price TBC.

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When I first saw the trailer for Pixar's Hoppers, I can't say I had the highest hopes. Animated movie releases have been somewhat oversaturated with talking animals in the last year, from GOAT to Zootopia 2, so I was worried it would go by the numbers and fail to make much of a punch.

But I was wrong, and I've never been happier to say that. Hoppers is a surprising delight, offering laugh-out-loud moments but also that trademark emotional core that we have come to expect from Pixar.

The film follows young activist Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda), who is fighting the destruction of her local woodland by the town's seemingly heartless mayor. When she comes across a technology to transfer her mind into the body of a robotic beaver, Mabel must team up with the forest inhabitants to save their home.

If you are looking to add the disc to your collection or want to watch it with the best picture and sound quality, then there is good news. There is a limited edition 4K Blu-ray release of Hoppers coming in June, complete with Dolby Atmos audio.

We have yet to use the film as a test disc, but judging from its performance in the cinema, it should be a great film to show off your screen's capabilities. The rich, bright colours of the forest, with the right system, should look vibrant but still balanced. Plus, there is a lot of detail in each scene, from long shots featuring countless woodland critters in the background to close-ups that require each strand of fur to appear textured but not over-etched.

There are also plenty of action scenes that should give your audio system a chance to shine. When Mabel sneakily boosts her consciousness into the beaver bot, for instance, she evades the grasp of scientists by leaping around the lab. That shows your TV's Dolby Atmos offerings, as the clattering of equipment and frantic voices move all around the soundfield.

You can pre-order the 4K Blu-ray from HMV or Amazon now. The film will also be released on Disney+, but there is no specific release date just yet.

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If you are looking for a soundbar system, one of the names you will keep seeing in your search is Samsung. And that's for good reason, as it has delivered plenty of strong contenders to our test room over the years.

And one of the top-performing models comes in the form of the Samsung HW-Q990F, which holds a place on our best soundbars guide. The soundbar system consists of a main soundbar, wireless subwoofer and two surround speakers.

But the newest version of the bar, the Samsung HW-Q990H has now leaped onto the scene. We put the two systems head to head in our test room, so we know how they compare. Let's see which model is the overall winner…

Samsung HW-Q990F vs HW-Q990H: price

The Samsung Q990H launched at £1599 / $2000 / AU$1999, placing it in the high-end soundbar category. It’s still a new addition to the market so we don’t expect any notable discounts just yet, but these are likely to come later down the line.

We can say that with a reasonable certainty, as that’s what happened with the Samsung Q990F. It launched at £1699 / $1999 / AU$1999, which is slightly more pricey in the UK and the US than its successor.

Since its release, the system has seen significant discounts and is regularly available for around £999 in the UK.

That means that, although the Q990H launched at a lower price initially, the Q990F’s cheaper price tag now makes it the winner in this category.

**Winner: Samsung HW-Q990F**

Samsung HW-Q990F vs HW-Q990H: design

Side by side, you would be hard-pressed to tell the two soundbar systems apart. Both of the main soundbars measure 7 x 123 x 14cm (hwd) and weigh in at 7.3kg.

You’ll find a selection of buttons on top to change source, mute the onboard microphones and adjust the volume, with a dot-matrix display on the front displaying corresponding information.

The subwoofer with both models is a cube measuring 25 x 25 x 25cm and weighing 8.3kg. Finally, the surround speakers are also the same, featuring a boxy, angular design that includes a handy cable channel on the bottom edge. They also carry identical dimensions, measuring 20 x 13 x 14cm.

Both are well-built and feel premium with everything constructed from aluminium or a sturdy, high-quality plastic. But overall the design is starting to get a little tired, especially considering the previous Q990D and Q990C models look practically identical.

The brand bundles a remote with functions to change the input, sound mode and EQ for the system, as well as adjusting the subwoofer level.

There’s not much to compare here as they are basically twins, so it has to be a tie.

**Winner: draw**

Samsung HW-Q990F vs HW-Q990H: features

It’s a familiar story when it comes to the features. Both Samsung systems offer an 11.1.4 channel configuration, with an impressive total of 23 individual drivers on board. This includes 15 drivers in the main soundbar, three in each of the wireless surround speakers, and two 8-inch woofers (in a push/pull configuration) in the wireless subwoofer.

Both the soundbars and surround speakers feature upward-firing drivers, which brings us neatly onto the immersive sound formats that the systems support.

They both support three immersive-audio formats: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Samsung’s Eclipsa Audio. The last of those hasn’t been adopted by any other services aside from YouTube so far, but it’s nice to be future-proofed in case that changes.

To adjust settings for both systems, the Samsung SmartThings app is on hand to help. With both bars, we find this is the preferred way of interacting with the settings menus, thanks to the snappy connection and easy-to-understand menus.

You can also control your source from this app, including music streamed wirelessly to the system. Both the Q990F and Q990H support Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Tidal Connect and Bluetooth; they are even Roon-compatible.

But what about physical connectivity? The soundbar has three HDMI sockets in total. This includes an HDMI eARC for connecting to your TV, alongside two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 passthrough sockets, which support up to 4K/120Hz signals with VRR and ALLM, as well as HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision (a nice touch, as Samsung TVs don't support Dolby Vision).

Samsung’s SpaceFit Sound Pro feature, which is essentially this soundbar’s calibration system, is also present in both bars. The optional feature utilises the built-in microphones to constantly monitor and adjust the soundbar and subwoofer to accommodate your viewing space.

There are four sound modes with each bar: Standard, Surround, Game and AI Adaptive. With both soundbars, Surround mode is the best for movies and TV shows, as the wider sound field means all components hang together in a more sonically cohesive way. Standard is our preferred preset for music, as it features minimal processing and a more focused sound.

One of the few differences here between the two bars is the Q990H’s inclusion of Samsung’s new Sound Elevation feature. This is designed to raise the audio upwards to match the position of your screen.

Samsung hasn’t given a clear indication of how it determines where to place the audio, and for us it seems to overshoot slightly, placing the sound towards the top edge of our reference TV. This setting may appeal more to those who wall-mount their TV and leave a gap between it and their soundbar.

On top of that, Q Symphony – in which your Samsung TV’s speakers work in tandem with the system – is also supported.

Although the Q990H offers the new Sound Elevation feature, it is not impactful enough to sway the result, so we are once again looking at a tie.

**Winner: draw**

Samsung HW-Q990F vs HW-Q990H: sound

Both soundbar systems are five-star performers, delivering a rich and engaging sound that is a huge improvement on the vast majority of TV speakers.

Vocals sound natural and detailed while carrying plenty of subtle inflexion. With the Samsung Q990H, this system manages to unearth subtler sonic nuances, which results in a slightly more natural sound than the Q990F. It’s not a night-and-day difference, but the newest model is the slightly better performer in this area.

The Q990H continues just to get the edge on its predecessor when it comes to height effects. When watching Chapter 2 of Blade Runner 2049 with the two models, both place the sound of the holographic announcements near Officer K’s apartment with excellent precision. But the newer model takes this even further than the Q990F, offering a greater sense of accuracy and spaciousness.

Continuing with Bladerunner 2049, both soundbars show off their excellent bass performance. With the famously tricky chapter two sequence, both systems deliver rich and powerful bass sounds that are controlled and dynamic, as we gain a sense of mounting tension as K approaches the police precinct.

But how do the two bars perform with music? With both systems, most, if not all, of the positive attributes from our movie testing are present and correct for music. We play a range of tracks, and the Q990F and Q990H both offer a clear-cut sense of timing and rhythmic drive. Vocals continue to sound clear and emotive, while instruments have depth and texture.

While they are both excellent-sounding systems, Samsung’s subtle upgrades to the HW-Q990H make it the better of the two soundbars.

**Winner: Samsung HW-Q990H**

Samsung HW-Q990F vs HW-Q990H: verdict

Each Samsung system is very well matched in design and features, offering ample surround sound options and a sturdy build.

The Samsung Q990F is a top-performing system when it comes to audio, but the Q990H takes everything we love about the previous generation and delivers it with even more nuance, detail and scale.

The Q990H is the more expensive option right now, but we expect the price to drop soon, as we have seen with its predecessor. If your budget cannot stretch to the newest model, however, the Q990F is still an excellent-sounding alternative.

**Overall winner: Samsung HW-Q990H**

MORE:

Check out our full review of the Samsung HW-Q990H

And here is our Samsung HW-Q990F review

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Over the years, tech giant Sony has delivered its fair share of five-star soundbars. From the wallet-friendly Sony HT-SF150 to the more premium Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 (which holds a spot in our best soundbars guide), the brand has plenty to offer.

So it was with high hopes that we came to review one of its latest offerings: the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S. This is a soundbar and subwoofer combo that comes in at £799 / $1100 (around AU$1510).

While you can buy the soundbar on its own, we recommend spending a little extra for the combined package (for reasons you will understand soon).

The two products deliver a 5.1.2-channel configuration, and offer both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support.

But what did we learn from our hours of listening to the soundbar package in our dedicated test room? Well, spoiler alert, but it’s an absolute delight that spices up our listening experience for both music and movies. Let’s take a look at what makes it so great and the two challenges it faces.

Convincing Dolby Atmos presentation

The least we expect from a soundbar is that it outperforms the majority of TV speakers in terms of dialogue clarity and immersion. The Sony system delivers on this and then some.

Vocals are clear yet emotive, and should be a welcome addition for those struggling to catch every word of dialogue.

But one of the most impressive aspects of the Sony package is its immersive and convincing Dolby Atmos effects. This is prevalent when watching Top Gun Maverick where the soundbar stretches the height effects above the TV screen as a jet soars into the atmosphere.

There’s a good level of precision with the plane, as you can pinpoint its position from the audio alone as it moves through the sky.

This impressive display continues with the width of the soundstage, as Tom Cruise whizzes across the desert from the right side of the screen to the left on his trusty motorcycle. We say in the review: “You can hear the bike move across the space in a way that matches the movement on the screen.”

That all creates an immersive experience that makes for fun viewing. It doesn’t create the full dome of Atmos sound, but that is a near-impossible task for a soundbar at this price.

Tight, precise bass

Another aspect that adds to the sense of energy is the well-handled bass from the subwoofer.

When we first plug in the package without any adjustments, we find, in our test room, that the bass is slightly lacking. So we crank it up from the default 0 to 2 via the Bravia Connect app; and we are now treated to a balanced but punchy bass.

The lower frequencies never stand out as abrupt or overzealous, however, and everything is kept in check with the rest of the sound.

We listen to the soundbar on its own and, although it still offers clear vocals and convincing surround sound, it is missing the extra zap of energy that makes the combination such a winner. The sub and soundbar sound as though they are tuned to work together, which is why we dub the overall system a “match made in heaven” in our review.

Neat design

While the sound quality is of course our main concern, it would be naive to think that looks do not play a part. After all, this set-up needs to blend into your viewing space with enough room to fit just under your TV screen.

The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S ticks both of these boxes in our test room, offering a sleek design that is hard to fault. The front of the bar is covered with a cloth grille that gives it a stylish look.

On top of that, the soundbar measures 95cm wide and just 6cm high, so it fits neatly under our 55-inch TV screen.

The subwoofer measures 36 x 35 x 13cm (hwd) so can neatly and fairly discreetly be tucked next to your TV stand.

There is also an extra element of flexibility that comes with the subwoofer. You can use it in two different positions, with the grille facing either the listener or the side of the room. We try it in each configuration, but there is not much of a difference in presentation. It ultimately depends on what arrangement works for you.

No display

Despite the practical design, there is a key aspect missing that we are a little disappointed not to see.

You will not find a display on the soundbar, and there are no physical buttons either. That makes it tricky to navigate the settings without the accompanying Bravia Connect app.

There is still a small remote control, which lets you control the power, input, bass levels, volume and turn on Night mode. But that lack of display makes it hard to decipher whether it has registered your adjustments via the app or the remote control.

Up against a big competitor

The Sony soundbar manages to deliver a five-star performance, but it is up against tough competition. This comes in the form of the indomitable Sonos Arc Ultra, a single bar that scored a What Hi-Fi? Award last year and holds the title of the best soundbar overall in our guide.

It is more expensive than the Sony system, costing £999 / $999 / AU$1799, but it is still a top challenger to the new entrant.

The Sonos Arc Ultra blew us away when we had it in our test room, delivering spacious and three-dimensional sound as well as a deep, tuneful bass.

We put the two soundbars head to head and find in our review: “The Sonos offers a richer overall sound with warmer vocals that have more character than the Sony. But the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 and subwoofer combo delivers a more precise sound that feels more agile in comparison.”

Their different designs are also worth taking into account. The Sonos model is considerably larger than its rival (7.5 x 118 x 11cm versus the Sony’s 6.4 x 95 x 13cm). That means the Bar 7 might well be a better fit for smaller living spaces.

Both bars are top performers, but the Arc Ultra just manages to edge its rival, thanks to its more characterful audio. If your budget cannot stretch to the Arc Ultra, though, the Sony subwoofer and soundbar combo is a great option for less money.

MORE:

Read our full review of the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Here is our Sonos Arc Ultra review

Bose has just taken the wraps off its new Lifestyle Collection, a three-strong line-up of multi-room-friendly audio products, which it hopes will give a certain brand – cough, Sonos, cough – a serious run for its money.

The focal point is the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Dolby Atmos soundbar.

Bose claims it represents the biggest change to its soundbar design in a decade and boasts a whole new architecture, designed to deliver improved immersion, detail and clarity.

It uses nine drivers in total, including six full-range drivers, which are split into four front-facing units and two upfiring for handling Dolby Atmos soundtracks (no DTS decoding is built into the ’bar). When you’re not watching Atmos, Bose’s TrueSpatial technology takes over the processing to create a similar effect.

These drivers work with a pair of Bose’s proprietary PhaseGuide drivers, which help spread sound in specific directions to give a wide, all-encompassing soundstage.

• Hands on: Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar review

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra soundbar features a textured-knit fabric that wraps around the unit with a glass top which stretches across the soundbar and includes a touch-sensitive control panel for playback, volume and Bluetooth pairing.

Struggle to understand conversations in modern movies and TV shows? Bose’s new SpeechClarity technology uses an AI algorithm to boost dialogue but not the effects around it. There’s also CleanBass technology, which works with Bose’s QuietPort design (there are two ports on the rear of the bar) to deliver quality bass without any unwanted distortion.

To help with set-up, you can use Bose CustomTune (which used to be called Bose ADAPTiQ). This is a technology that analyses your room dimensions, surfaces and furniture placement to deliver the best audio experience for your particular room layout. It’s all done through the microphone in your Android or iOS device.

No remote control is provided in the box, although one is sold separately (as is an optional wall mount. Bose has revamped its own app, which you use to control and set-up the soundbar, connect a subwoofer and/or surrounds and alter audio settings.

You do get an HDMI cable, though, which you can use with the soundbar’s eARC-supporting HDMI socket.

There’s an ethernet port on the rear of the bar for a wired connection, or you can use the built-in wi-fi. Music streaming is enabled via Bluetooth 5.3, Google Cast, Apple AirPlay or Spotify Connect. Surprisingly, there’s no Tidal Connect at launch, but Bose guarantees us that it is working on bringing it to the Lifestyle Collection as soon as possible post-launch.

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is available in black or white smoke and costs £1000 / €1000 / $1099 / AU$1800, which puts it right up against the all-conquering Sonos Arc Ultra.

Want to add more oomph to the soundbar? This is where the matching Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer comes in. Priced at £900 / €900 / $899 / AU$1300 and available in the same black or white smoke finishes, the sub is ported underneath and features a 10-inch upfiring woofer.

If you want to add a couple of surrounds to the system or simply want a wireless speaker for another room in your house, Bose has also unveiled the Sonos Era 100-rivalling Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. Priced at £300 / €350 / $299 / AU$550, it uses a three-driver array (two front-facing and one up-firing) to disperse sound, although unlike the soundbar, it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos when used by itself.

It is available in the same black or white smoke finishes, but there is also a rather fetching ‘Driftwood Sand’ option, which features a solid white oak base. At £349 / €369 / $349, it does set you back a little bit more.

Like the rest of the products in the range, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker includes Bose’s CleanBass technology, which combines the speaker’s QuietPort on the rear of the speaker with clever DSP (digital signal processing) to deliver deep, tight bass.

The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker can be used on its own or in a pair for stereo playback. Alternatively, you can add them as surround channels for the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar. The speakers aren’t backwards compatible with any of Bose’s older soundbars, though.

Like the soundbar, the wireless speaker features Alexa support, wi-fi connectivity, Bluetooth 5.3, Google Cast, Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect. It adds an auxiliary 3.5mm input should you want to connect an external source. You also get touch-sensitive controls on top of the device, including the ability to mute the built-in microphone.

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer will ship from the 15th of May and can be preordered today through the Bose website.

MORE:

Read our Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar hands-on review

And our Sonos Arc Ultra review

Our pick of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now

Is the crown starting to slip on Bose, the king of noise-cancelling headphones?

So far this year, we have had a range of soundbars passing through our test room. From the cheap and cheerful Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos system to the meaty LG Sound Suite package, and everything in between.

The most recent competitor to come through our door is the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S, a Dolby Atmos soundbar and subwoofer. You can also get the soundbar on its own, for £699 / $870, but when you add the Bravia Theatre Sub 7 into the mix, the price goes up to £799 / $1100.

The system offers a 5.1.2-channel configuration. Under the hood of the main bar, you will find 9 drive units, split between side, centre, up-firing and bass channels. As the up-firing drivers indicate, the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 supports 3D Audio, in both the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats. Inside the subwoofer there is a 13cm driver with a total power output of 100W.

When we put the soundbar package through its paces in our dedicated test room, we were blown away by its punchy, balanced sound, which delivers a huge improvement on the majority of TV speakers.

Voices are much clearer, cleaner and more expressive from the soundbar. Watching Top Gun: Maverick, as Tom Cruise's protagonist delivers a speech to his new pilot cohort, the balance between dynamic subtlety and clarity is well navigated.

Later in the film as Maverick attempts to reach hypersonic speed in a jet, the Sony bar delivers height effects above the TV screen as the vehicle soars into the atmosphere with an excellent level of precision, by soundbar standards.

On top of that, the agile bass gives action scenes an extra punch, but never dominates the rest of the frequencies.

However, when we remove the Bravia Theatre Sub 7 from the mix, it's a different story.

As we say in our review: "While it still delivers clear vocals and convincing height effects, the sound is thinner and lacking the sense of scale and authority that we get when the subwoofer is added."

To put it simply, the soundbar on its own no longer sounded quite worth the price. The sub and soundbar feel like they are tuned to work together, which is why we dubbed the overall system a "match made in heaven" in our review.

We must admit that we were not expecting this dramatic of a difference considering the size and cost of the subwoofer.

Let's not forget that subwoofers, especially on the more affordable side of the market, are hard to get right and can often be the weakest link in a system.

This means that many of the soundbars without subwoofers that come through our test room often fall short on bass, so Sony offering a bundle at a reasonable price that directly addresses this issue is certainly a promising step.

And this has certainly got me thinking: should more manufacturers be adding cheap, compact subwoofers to take their soundbar system's performance to the next level? On this evidence, I really think so.

MORE:

Here is our full review of the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S

Check out the best Sony soundbars

And these are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Spatial audio can be a divisive issue for hi-fi and audio fans.

The burgeoning technology has gained huge traction over the past few years, with various forms of surround tech – Dolby Atmos being perhaps the most prominent – seeking to redefine the listening experience by going beyond traditional two-channel stereo and placing musical elements more precisely across an immersive, three-dimensional space.

Sometimes the effect is thrilling. Sometimes it leaves your music feeling pulled apart and strained; or else simply lacking the intended effect of giving songs or movies that truly cinematic, all-surrounding feel.

Multiple factors, such as the quality of the product you’re using and the signal processing tech used to render that spatial experience, naturally have a profound effect on how much you’re going to get from the experience. A pair of cheap wireless headphones is going to struggle to replicate the full effect of a multi-channel surround system, for instance.

Speaking of which. As part of JBL's 80-year anniversary celebrations, I recently went on a tour of the famous Larrabee Sound Studios in Los Angeles. The site has played host to the likes of Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac, with multiple recording studios helping to birth hit after heady hit.

It’s a fantastic facility for lovers of musical history, but one room in particular grabbed me by the ears. Studio 4 is Larrabee’s dedicated Dolby studio, designed to mix songs specifically in Dolby Atmos by placing sounds, or ‘objects’, across a three-dimensional spatial field rather than simply rendering them across left and right stereo channels.

This is a properly dedicated facility, a specialist space designed to make spatial audio shine. If you’re not going to become a prostrated convert here, in all likelihood you’re not going to become one at all.

The setup in this room includes Augspurger cabinets as the main monitor system, as well as Meyer Sound Ultra X20 surrounds and Meyer Sound Ultra X23 overheads. If you want the full equipment list, you can find it on Larrabee's official website.

The demonstration I receive is brief, but it’s enough to leave a lasting impression. Breezy indie-funk hit Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man pumps out through the multi-speaker system, with the monitors at the front handling the bulk of the cargo as those sprinkled musical elements – bass guitars, backing vocals, the occasional one-off musical effect – bounce and fly behind and above me courtesy of the on-wall monitors dotted around the room.

The rendition is one of the most impressive implementation of Dolby Atmos I have heard. Forget soundbars and wireless headphones – this is the technology being used as the engineers intended. And that really shows in how precisely each sonic element is placed within its particular location.

Feel It Still doesn’t sound simply like a spatialised or processed rendition, but rather a wholesale reinvention of a familiar track that shines anew and grants the tune an entirely new aspect. Not only does everything sound distinct, but the spatial effect seems to transform the listener’s perspective. For perhaps the first time, I am hearing music not as an observer but, it feels, like an active participant.

It’s a strange sensation, but a thrilling one. As musical strands fly and float around their various locations across the soundstage, the boundary between music and listener seems far more permeable than when listening from a fixed source.

Perhaps it’s the nature of being in the middle of the storm, perhaps it’s the multi-thousand dollar equipment in play, but this feels like Dolby Atmos doing what it's supposed to do – dropping you into the heart of the music itself.

Spatial performances can often sound confused, muddled or simply incapable of producing the intended ‘immersive’ effect, but Larrabee’s facility seems capable of genuinely fooling the ear into believing that sounds are emanating from their intended location.

Sometimes, the effect is even exaggerated, so that distant echoes appear to be emanating from a space far beyond the confines of what is still a modestly sized listening space. For instance, when an instrument is supposed to sound ‘distant’, it really does appear as though it could be coming from another room entirely.

Okay, not everyone can afford to rent out one of the most renowned recording studios in the United States, but what Studio 4 at Larrabee does demonstrate is just what this controversial tech is capable of when it’s really firing.

So many renderings of spatial audio tech are aiming for something they don't really achieve, like a sketch artist trying to remember a painting from scratch. At Studio 4, however, this is a canvas being drawn exactly as the artist intended, with all of those particular elements appearing exactly where they are supposed to.

Spatial audio isn’t going anywhere, with many manufacturers (and quite a few sound engineers) doubling down on the technology. JBL’s SVP of Global Engineering, Sharon Peng, seems to think so, describing spatial audio as “more than surround sound”, and as something which is “dynamic, adaptive and emotional”.

The phrase “future of audio” was even uttered during our guided tour – though not by Sharon herself, we should point out.

The lesson here is that spatial audio can, in the right hands, be genuinely transformative. It’s still got a way to go if the tech is to trickle down into mind blowing headphones implantation, but the idea of immersive sound elevating music beyond the gains wrought by strides in audio resolution does seem to have some credibility.

Before, I wasn’t entirely convinced that that could be the case; now, I’m in danger of becoming a genuine convert. I just need to move to LA…

MORE:

Read our recent JBL Summit Ama review

14 of the best spatial audio tracks in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music

Check out the best wireless headphones we've reviewed

TCL has announced its latest answer to the art TV craze, and it's packing an upgrade that could see it produce a better quality picture than most of its rivals.

The A4000 Pro NXTVISION blends style and substance, with a frame-like chassis that challenges Samsung's super popular The Frame and Hisense's Canvas TV.

It's designed to blend seamlessly into your living room environment, and when paired with the Art Gallery mode (which features curated artwork and AI-generated content) and included walnut woodgrain frame, it doubles as a versatile piece of wall art when not in use.

Sounds familiar so far, right? Well, TCL hopes to set its offering apart by bringing the picture quality up to standard, as some of the frame TVs on the market sacrifice panel tech for the sake of design.

Not TCL, though, as it has included its precise QD-Mini LED backlight on this TV, and paired it with a matte HVA panel, which should improve viewing angles. That's quite a step up over Hisense's edge-lit QLED Canvas TV.

TCL claims to have included up to 488 dimming zones (presumably this refers to the largest 75-inch screen size), and the A4000 Pro also supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

Furthermore, this TV can support gaming signals up to 4K/144Hz over HDMI 2.1, with VRR and ALLM supported, making this a solid choice for gamers and home decor aficionados alike.

TCL has also included the Google TV smart platform and an Onkyo-tuned 2.0 channel sound system, which supports Dolby Atmos and DTS Audio. It says that "dialogue is clear and immersive without requiring an external audio set-up" on the A4000 Pro NXTVISION, which will appeal to minimalists who don't want trailing cables.

This TV comes in four sizes, starting at 43 inches, and it undercuts both of the rivals we've mentioned above. The 55-inch model starts at £899, which seems like a bargain compared to the equivalent Hisense, which we reviewed at £1099.

Samsung's 2026 Frame Pro (which is also billed as a Mini LED art TV), comes in at a staggering £1699 for the 55-inch model, which makes the TCL also look like a steal by comparison.

The TCL A4000 Pro NXTVISION is set to launch later this year, and you can see pricing for all sizes below:

• 75A400 PRO-UK – £1,399
• 65A400 PRO-UK – £1,099
• 55A400 PRO-UK – £899
• 43A400 PRO-UK – £599
  

MORE:

Read our full Hisense Canvas review

Check out our picks for the best Mini LED TVs

And read our full TCL C7K review

Dolby Atmos support has been rolling out to various automotive brands over the past few years, with Polestar, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz all offering compatibility one way or another.

And now you can add BMW to that list, following the recent unveiling of its latest generation of 7 Series luxury saloon.

It looks like a music and movie fan’s dream, especially if you’re lucky enough to be driven around in one, rather than doing the driving.

You could sit back, relax and listen to the Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System as standard, which includes a seven-band equaliser, up to 18 speakers with metal covers and a maximum power output of 655 watts.

Tick the relevant option box, though, and you can upgrade to the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System with Dolby Atmos (£TBC), which has up to 36 speakers and a total power output of 1965 watts. It also boasts a seven-band equaliser plus seven preset sound modes.

This is the first BMW to support Dolby Atmos – the second will be the iX3 Long Wheelbase.

With the top-of-the-range system, you’ll find 3D audio channels in the roof of the 7 Series, and extra surround speakers in its front and rear headrests. The system’s ‘4D audio mode’ engages ‘exciters’ in the front and rear seat backrests to increase your perception of how intense bass frequencies are by vibrating in time with your music.

Combine this with the optional 31.3-inch 8K Theatre Screen touchscreen (£TBC), and you’ve got the potential for movie night wherever you go, and at any time of day.

The BMW 7 Series sets the mood by automatically closing the car’s sunblinds (covering the side windows, rear window and panoramic glass roof) and dimming the rear ambient lights, then you can adjust its positioning and angle of the TV using the touch controls built into the rear doors.

As with any listening space, the quieter the better, so BMW has also gone to great lengths to improve the car’s interior acoustics and isolate you from the outside world.

Measures include sealing the side windows flush to the body of the car, adding acoustic glazing, using an elastic steering gear mounting on the front axle subframe, and an additional model-specific motor mount for the electric BMW i7.

BMW claims to have improved door isolation and improved the “aeroacoustic optimisation” of the caps that cover the exterior door mirrors. Even the tyres are fitted with “internal foam absorbers” to help with soundproofing.

We tested the Diamond Surround Sound System in the previous generation 7 Series, and thought it was a detailed, sophisticated performer, so it will be interesting to hear if the new tweaks make a big difference to sound quality.

MORE:

Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System (BMW 7 Series 2024) review

7 things I’ve learned testing in-car hi-fi for a decade

Reference rooms, golden ears and subwoofer solutions: Huawei’s tuning expert discusses all things in-car audio

Porsche is bringing Dolby Atmos audio to its in-car hi-fis, but there is a catch

Ryan Gosling is really in his element right now. Following the success of the sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary, every other piece of content on my social media is a slickly edited video of the handsome devil.

Much of his back catalogue regularly appears in our AV test room. Barbie and Drive, for instance, are both excellent test discs, and the eagle-eyed among you will have spotted us using them in our reviews.

But there's another film featuring Gosling that is a brilliant way to test your home cinema hardware, and it is celebrating its 10th birthday. Damien Chazelle's La La Land leapt onto the screen back in 2017, and blew critics and audiences away with its show-stopping score and captivating performances from Gosling and Emma Stone in the leading roles.

If you have somehow never seen the modern classic, let us fill you in. It follows Sebastian, a struggling pianist, and Mia, an aspiring actress, who fall in love. When their careers start to take off, they find themselves having to make some tough decisions.

It's a film that we see used time and time again in demos for a range of AV kit, but over the years we have not used it in our own test room as much as we would like to. So this anniversary seems like the best time to revisit the best scenes to challenge your home cinema system, and also to bring it back to the top of our shelf where it belongs.

Opening sequence

From the off, La La Land really starts all guns blazing. On a hot summer's day, a seemingly endless queue of cars stretches to the Los Angeles horizon during rush hour. And what would any of us do in this scenario? That's right, open up your car door and break into a synchronised song and dance number.

The six-minute scene is dynamic and energetic with near constant movement that challenges a TV or projector's motion handling. With the crowd weaving around the cars and dancing in every direction, keep your eyes peeled for motion blur or juddering.

On top of that, the scene puts your audio system to the test. As dancers clamber about on the roof of the cars and horns blare around the soundfield, the precision of your audio set-up will be challenged. With a convincing Dolby Atmos system, you should hear the various sounds all around the space with a sense of accuracy and immersion.

"A Lovely Night"

Even if you haven't seen the film, you will almost certainly recognise the classic iconography of this scene. After running into each other at a party, Sebastian and Mia find themselves at the top of a beautiful hill but, despite obviously having feelings, lament that they are wasting this romantic view by spending it with each other.

As the pair move from the shade under a tree to a colourful night sky, it is a good test of how your screen handles the subtle detail in the crinkles of Sebastian's white shirt and the darker areas of Mia's yellow dress.

This beautiful sky also delivers a great test on its own. It starts at the top of the screen with a bright violet, before merging to pink and then ending in a darker red. On many screens, this may reveal an issue with colour banding, which is where smooth colour gradients are instead divided into stark lines.

A dance under the stars

After admitting their feelings for each other, Sebastian and Mia take a romantic trip to the Griffith Observatory which makes for another excellent test scene.

As the scene takes a magical realist turn and the pair floats into the night sky, note the contrast between the bright twinkle of the stars and the dark of the sky. There is a danger of the deep black looking more like a dark grey, or the stars not standing out against the more cavernous black backdrop.

On top of that, the twinkling stars can go the other way to create an unwanted "halo effect" where light spills out too much. That is particularly prevalent with Mini LED TVs because they rely on a backlight with local dimming zones. This all means it is particularly useful if you want to challenge your own Mini LED screen.

What's your favourite scene in La La Land? Drop it in the comments below.

MORE:

These are the best Dolby Atmos scenes to test your system

Check out the best OLED TVs

Here are the best TVs we recommend

IMAX has long been the ruling standard when it comes to premium big-screen viewing experiences, but Disney is about to shake up the scene with its own answer, and it's calling in The Avengers to help launch it.

It's called Infinity Vision – like Avengers: Infinity War or Buzz Lightyear's famous catchphrase "To infinity, and beyond!" – and it basically works as a certification for premium large format (PLF) theatres to ensure audiences are getting the "biggest, brightest, and most immersive cinematic experiences".

Disney has provided three fairly vague credentials for what a cinema needs to provide to qualify as an Infinity Vision theatre: "The largest screens for maximum scale"; "laser projection for superior brightness and clarity", and "premium audio formats for fully immersive sound".

While there has been no mention of any specific screen sizes, HDR formats or even Dolby Atmos audio, we presume that these will play a role somewhere, considering that superior brightness and immersive sound formats are distinctly mentioned.

There are also questions as to whether or not this will translate into Disney's home entertainment releases; will we see Infinity Vision support for Disney+ in the future?

While Disney's certification is new, it turns out that hundreds of theatres worldwide already possess the necessary equipment to show supported titles in Infinity Vision. The House of Mouse claims that there are around 375 PLF theatres around the world that, in theory, can already support Infinity Vision.

That might not sound like a lot, but it's a solid foundation for Disney to build upon, although it has some catching up to do with the roughly 1700 IMAX-capable auditoriums worldwide.

As such, Disney is calling in the big guns to help launch its new cinematic format. The 2019 blockbuster Avengers: Endgame will be re-released in cinemas this September in Infinity Vision, as will the latest entry in the franchise, Avengers: Doomsday, when it premieres this December.

Interestingly, this announcement comes after Disney lost out on securing IMAX screens to Warner Bros' Dune: Part Three, which releases on the same day as Avengers: Doomsday.

Regardless, a new premium cinema format coming from the biggest film studio in the world is cause for excitement, especially if you're a Marvel fan.

MORE:

Read our full Disney+ review

And check out the best Marvel movie scenes to test your home cinema

Here are our picks for the best projectors

When reviewing the latest TV and AV kit in our dedicated test room, we use a huge range of different content to challenge each system. From blockbusters to indie flicks, there has to be a fair bit of variety to put each system to the test properly.

There is an elite selection of discs that we find ourselves reaching for regularly, such as Blade Runner 2049, Civil War and Alien: Romulus. But, as much as we would love to watch these great movies on repeat, new films and TV shows must be welcomed with open arms.

In our monthly Now Showing column, we take a look at the discs that we can't stop watching, and explore new movies that we cannot wait to get in our test room. Without further ado, let's dive in...

Ghost Elephants (2025)

Words by Alastair Stevenson

I’ve always been a big fan of nature documentaries. First, because they’re fascinating when done well. Second, because they are frequently fantastic test discs for reviewing home cinema hardware. Over the years, we’ve used numerous BBC series, including David Attenborough’s Planet Earth and Our Planet, because of their use of forward-thinking technologies and incredible production.

But this month, it was director Werner Herzog’s Ghost Elephants, that scratched my wildlife documentary itch. The documentary sees veteran filmmaker Herzog follow South African naturalist Dr Steve Boyes in his near obsessive search for a new species of elephant.

It may not be a technical marvel, the way previous documentaries we used for testing are, currently only being available in HD and capped at 5.1 surround sound. But it’s still a majestic and thought-provoking watch; one that’s full of the small, wonderfully insightful details Herzog is famous for capturing, and often pointing out with his instantly recognisable, rasping voice.

The result is an engrossing journey that will keep you glued to your screen for the entirety of its two-hour-twenty-minute run time – one I’d thoroughly recommend to any nature documentary fan.

Stream Ghost Elephants on Disney Plus

Project Hail Mary (2026)

Words by Robyn Quick

Like many cinema goers earlier this month, I was absolutely blown away when I saw Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Project Hail Mary. It’s hard not to fall in love with a rock that is best friends with Ryan Gosling, after all.

If you have no idea what I’m on about, let me fill you in. The film follows Gosling’s Ryland Grace, a science teacher who finds himself at the helm of trying to save the earth from an interstellar parasite dimming the sun. Alone in space, he stumbles upon an alien he nicknames Rocky, who has the same mission.

Apart from the adorable friendship between these two unlikely pals, there was another reason I was so taken by the sci-fi release: it looks and sounds bloody brilliant.

Unlike an increasing number of blockbusters, Project Hail Mary ditches the green screen and relies primarily on practical effects to portray Grace’s spaceship and the vast expanse of space. That all adds to the film’s sense of realism, especially with Rocky, who was controlled by a team of puppeteers for much of the movie.

Daniel Pemberton, best known for his work on the Spider-Verse films, also knocks it out the park with his composition for Project Hail Mary. It ranges from ethereal, eerie vocals to convey the isolation of space to energetic tracks that pop up during moments of tension, all of which sounded incredibly immersive with my cinema’s Dolby Atmos set-up.

I have only seen it once in the cinema, but I can’t wait to get the 4K Blu-ray into our test room to watch it again and again. There's no release date for streaming or a physical edition yet.

Mickey 17

Words by Joe Svetlik

Robert Pattinson plays the eponymous Mickey, an “Expendable” worker tasked with dangerous jobs but who is cloned – and his memory restored – every time he dies. But when, in his 17th iteration, he’s assumed dead but returns to his spaceship crew on their mission to colonise an ice planet, he meets the 18th version of himself, who has already taken his place.

Instead of all clones being eliminated – par for the course when more than one exists – the two agree to stand in for each other, like a kind of sci-fi horror version of the end of Back To The Future mixed with the repeated deaths of Groundhog Day.

Like those films, this is a comedy, and overtly so. Parasite director Bong Joon Ho brings a knockabout energy to the slightly confusing premise, along with his usual visual flair – it never looks anything but stunning, whether it’s the Hoth-like snowy tundra of the ice planet or the equally cold utilitarian interiors of the spaceships.

The two-hours-plus run time is a little long, and the villainous turns by Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette are scenery-chewingly over the top, but you can’t accuse it of taking itself too seriously, which isn’t something you can say of a lot of dystopian sci-fi flicks.

Watch Mickey 17 on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon

Stream Mickey 17 on HBO Max

The Pitt (2025 – present)

Words by Lewis Empson

This recommendation comes with a huge content warning: if you can’t handle very in-depth, scientifically accurate medical gore, skip this show. For those with stronger stomachs, HBO’s The Pitt is a superb medical drama that has entertained, educated and, in many cases, made me feel a little bit queasy.

It centres around the emergency department of a hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, following the daily trials of a team of overworked doctors as they navigate complex procedures and ethical dilemmas. While that may sound similar to countless other procedural medical dramas, what sets The Pitt apart is its episode structure.

Each season follows a single day in the emergency ward, with every episode covering an hour – the first episode, for example, is titled 7:00 A.M. This results in a throughline plot that’s woven in between the stories of individual patients, often with heightened drama that adds to the frantic, anxiety-inducing pacing of the show. Think The Bear, but set in a hospital rather than a restaurant.

As I’ve previously mentioned, this show features some pretty unflinching depictions of medical procedures, with incisions and organs frequently on show. That being said, these gruesome surgeries look glorious in 4K and Dolby Vision on HBO Max (providing you have the premium tier), and Dolby Atmos heightens the bustle of the ward and waiting room.

With HBO Max being the latest streaming service to launch here in the UK, it's already bringing some heavy hitters with it, and with season two of The Pitt rolling out as we speak and a third season ordered, I’m already planning on keeping my subscription going for quite some time.

Stream The Pitt on HBO Max

Bullet Train (2022)

Words by Harry McKerrell

You’ve seen plenty of movies like Bullet Train before.

Based on Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka’s zippy novel Maria Beetle, the narrative follows the sort of formula best described as ‘putting a load of ants in a jar and then vigorously shaking said jar’. Lots of characters in one place, all with their own motivations for wanting the mysterious macguffin at the centre of it all. See Smokin’ Aces, The Raid, The Running Man, Lucky Number Slevin, The Man With the Iron Fists, Bad Times At The El Royale, etc., etc.

Derivative and throwaway it may be, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had at Bullet Train’s expense if you are, excuse the lame pun, willing to sit back and just enjoy the ride. There’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s turn as dapper psychopath Tangerine, Brian Tyree Henry’s appalling London accent, plus lots of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameos to watch out for.

If you get bored of all the mindless action and kooky characters trading wisecracks, just know that you can turn on your adult brain and use Bullet Train for its testing credentials. Going big on vibrant, colourful designs, from flashes of Tokyo-inspired neon to Joey King’s all-pink getup and Brad Pitt’s flowing blond locks, subtlety is very much not the aim of the game here.

There are some rather nice needle-drops to be enjoyed, too, including Avu-chan’s Japanese rendition of Stayin’ Alive and Tamio Okuda’s foot-stomping anthem Kill Me Pretty. Great, pun intended, test tracks.

Watch Bullet Train on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon

Stream Bullet Train on Amazon Prime Video

Malcolm in the Middle – Life's Still Unfair (2026)

Words by Alastair Stevenson

There are a lot of retro revivals going on in the world of TV right now. Especially ones that tug at ageing millennials’ heartstrings. But of all of them, my favourite right now is Malcolm in the Middle – Life's Still Unfair.

It picks up after a time skip from the original show’s ending. Exploring what the characters in everyone’s favourite dysfunctional, occasionally outright sociopathic show are up to as adults, and it does not disappoint.

Though the series is only four short episodes long, it’s a masterpiece from start to finish that manages to reunite nearly all the original cast and miraculously re-captures the magic that made the original series so great.

The plot’s simple. Malcolm, the titular boy genius, tries to reconnect with his family as a grown man with a teenage daughter after years of avoiding them. With that premise established, within minutes it goes from nought to 60. Fart jokes, hilarious family feuds and a woeful disregard for Bryan Cranston’s safety; it’s all there.

Frankie Muniz deserves credit for absolutely smashing his character’s neurotic breakdowns, turning red as he screams at his parents, delivering an S-tier performance, despite quitting acting to become a race car driver shortly after the original series ended over 20 years ago.

But once again, it’s Hal, ably played by Bryan Cranston in all his goofy, adorable glory, that steals the show, giving a body comedy performance that’s sure to be taught at Juilliard one day.

If you’re after a good laugh this weekend, and old enough to remember the original show, I’d strongly recommend giving it a watch. Or, if you’re yet to experience Malcolm In The Middle, use it as an excuse to start watching the original – which has stood the test of time remarkably well.

Stream Malcolm In The Middle – Life's Still Unfair on Disney Plus

There’s a new AV receiver on the block: meet the Denon AVR-S980H, which is set to go toe-to-toe with one of our current Award-winners.

The new unit is being pitched as a scalable option that can run everything from basic stereo setups, all the way up to a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos or 7.2-channel system with 90 watts of muscle per channel.

Lyle Smith, president of Sound United at Harman, added: “With the AVR-S980H, we’re giving families an easy way to make every day experiences feel more engaging and far more enjoyable.”

Audyssey room calibration is onboard, adding to its "no hassle" setup and usage chops.

For people looking to cut the cord, the receiver supports Denon's Home speakers as rears, namely the new 200, 400 and 600 models.

The company says this is ideal for those wanting to create a “fuller home theatre experience in spaces where running wires isn’t practical.”

For music fans, the system supports Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and HEOS (Denon’s multi-room music streaming technology).

In terms of gaming, Denon has included support for 1440p pass-through and AMD FreeSync, which it says delivers “smoother visuals and more responsive gameplay.”

To tinker with the settings of the AVR, you can use the TV’s on-screen menu, the remote app, or a web-based interface from your smartphone or PC.

It's available now on Amazon for £799, although the retailer states it will ship "within three to seven months".

At that price, it has tough competition against our current best overall AVR – the Sony TA-AN1000. Although the Sony model launched at a higher price, it is now regularly available for around £699.

In our review, we praised the TA-AN1000 for its precise sound and impressive dynamics, ultimately earning it a What Hi-Fi? Award.

We will have to wait until we get the Denon model into our test room to deliver a verdict, but its impressive specifications have caught our eye. Hopefully, we'll get one in for review soon.

MORE:

Here is our review of the Sony TA-AN1000

These are the best AVRs we have tested

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Horror fans, rejoice! Nia DeCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple just got a 4K Blu-ray release.

If you were not aware, the post-apocalyptic film is the second instalment in a planned 28 Years Later trilogy. The films portray the collapse of humanity following the outbreak of a virus that causes victims to enter a state of murderous rage.

This instalment received an impressive 92 per cent on the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as 88 per cent on the Popcornmeter.

For cinephiles looking to build their disc collection with something extra special, there's also a limited edition steelbook.

Both the steelbook and the 4K Blu-ray include a selection of bonus material, including a commentary from DeCosta and three behind-the-scenes featurettes.

There isn't much more detail on what those featurettes entail but we do know that they're called New Blood, The Doctor and the Devil, and Beneath the Rage.

In terms of surround sound, Dolby Atmos is available with both versions, which is welcome news for those wanting a more immersive audio experience.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a great watch (the first 20 minutes had us hiding behind our hands) and a great way to test out your home cinema system.

In fact, What Hi-Fi? editor-in-chief, Alastair Stevenson, has a particular scene to recommend.

Before you read any further, allow me to issue a big old spoiler warning for those of you who have yet to watch the film.

Still here? OK, you have been warned...

The scene in question sees Ralph Fiennes' Dr Ian Kelson emerge from a skull-filled cave to greet a gang of Satan worshippers. He blasts Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast and fills the space with extravagant pyrotechnics to convince them he is the devil. You know, your average Tuesday evening.

This makes for an incredibly striking visual performance, with the vibrant oranges and reds standing out against the dark interior of the bone temple.

It's easy to produce an image that looks either over-baked or too murky, but a top-notch picture should balance the dark detail and vibrant colours.

Your system's audio will also be put to the test, as the heavy metal track swirls around room, and Kelson screams along.

If you are tempted to snag the 4K Blu-ray or steelbook release to experience these jaw-dropping visuals from the comfort of your home, you can pre-order via HMV or Amazon, with the discs being released on 20th April.

MORE:

These are the best scenes to challenge your Dolby Atmos system

Here are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

And check out the best TVs

We have been eagerly awaiting the UK pricing of LG’s latest stream of OLEDs, and the day has finally arrived. The price tags of the C6, G6, B6, and W6 OLEDs have been unveiled, and it’s great news.

All of the models are cheaper than last year’s OLED entries across all sizes. The most premium TVs will still set you back a fair bit if you are looking to upgrade your home cinema system, but it is a welcome addition to see a slight price drop.

For the LG G6, the pricing is as follows:

As you can see, the latest G6 model is coming in at a lower price than the previous LG G5 models across all sizes. That is especially prevalent with the larger screen sizes, as the eye-bogglingly big 97-inch screen is a whole £9000 cheaper than the G5.

But how does the G6 actually perform? Well, lucky for you, we recently published our comprehensive review of the new OLED.

The 65-inch model scored a solid four-star review after being rigorously put through its paces in our test room. We praised its punchy picture quality and excellent gaming specifications, but colours do look slightly overcooked in a way that could leave cinephile purists feeling disappointed.

We will have to see how the other sizes perform, but its colourful performance with the 65-inch model bodes well.

Next up, here is the pricing for the LG C6:

Once again, the step-down OLEDs' prices are lower than last year's entries.

The 77- and 83-inch versions of the C6 feature Primary RGB Tandem OLED technology for the first time, which could be the biggest C-series upgrade in years. We are yet to get these models in our test room, but we have reviewed the 65-inch entry.

It scored a glowing five-star rating, dazzling with brighter, richer and more refined picture quality. The G6 also improves upon the C5's audio performance, as voices sound a little warmer and Dolby Atmos effects are projected further away from the screen when required to create a greater sense of scale.

But what about the pricing of the LG W6, the brand's newest Wallpaper TV?

• 77-inch LG W6: £4700
• 83-inch LG W6: £6800

LG's art TV provides a store of more than 5000 regularly updated digital artworks that users can use as screensavers. It offers wireless connectivity and integrated speakers, and measures an impressive 9mm in thickness so it can sit mostly flush on your wall.

This is not LG's first Wallpaper TV, with the last iteration coming out back in 2017 in the form of the W7. It launched at a high-end price point, which made it simply unattainable for many, so it makes sense that LG has dropped the price tag for its latest art model.

We got a chance to see the W6 in action at the start of the year at CES, and although we will need to wait until we have thoroughly tested the model to deliver our verdict, we find:

"Black levels look just as deep, rich and neutral, for starters, with no obvious signs under the CES show lights of any green or magenta tinting, even if viewed from the side."

Finally, LG has also released the pricing for its B6 series:

These prices mean the B6 series can offer a genuinely affordable range of OLED TVs from the brand, which will be welcome news for those who cannot stretch to the above models.

The reason LG has been able to drop the pricing so much on an already budget range is thanks to the development of a new SE OLED panel. The majority of the cost saving has been made by removing the pricey polariser.

Without this, the B6 will likely be more reflective than current OLED models, but they should also be brighter than current budget sets, hitting something in the region of 1000 nits rather than the 600-700 nits of models such as the LG B5.

We have yet to test any of the B6 sizes, but keep your eyes peeled for our review of the budget range.

MORE:

Here is our review of the LG C6

And these are our thoughts on the LG G6

Check out the best OLED TVs we recommend

Soundbars and soundbar systems with subwoofers and surround speakers are pretty great home cinema sound solutions. But, however well they perform, they aren’t the real deal.

To get serious home cinema sound, in a dedicated space, it is still very much the case that a full separates system has to be the way to go.

By that, we mean a (necessarily) expensive true 4K projector, backed up by a top Blu-ray player and video streamer, and a sound system comprising a hefty AV amplifier and separate loudspeakers.

Which – who would have thought it? – is what we have for you here. This is a premium home cinema system intended for the serious enthusiast and housed as a permanent fixture in a dedicated screening room.

The one we have all been secretly yearning for, in other words.

The system

• Projector: Sony Bravia Projector 8 (£15,999)
• Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB9000 (£999)
• Streaming box: Apple TV 4K (£149)
• AV amplifier: Marantz Cinema 30 (£3499)
• Speaker system: KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 (£2549)
• Total system price: £23,995

The projector

We lead things off with the magnificent Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES). This native 4K laser projector is a worthy successor to the Award-winning XW7000ES.

Sony’s strength with its projectors has always been contrast, and the Bravia 8 is exceptional in this regard.

It delivers stunning black depth – a rarity in the projector world – and ensures that dark scenes, such as the night sky of Gotham in The Batman, are deep and imposing, and refrain from straying into the murky grey seen on many rivals – even some at this price.

The new XR Processor, a version modified from Sony’s high-end OLED TVs, brings features such as XR Dynamic Tone Mapping and XR Deep Black to further enhance light control and detail.

Detail levels are a standout, presenting complex patterns and textures with remarkable fidelity. Colour rendition, too, is superb.

As we say in our review: “skin tones are balanced and well-judged, resulting in a lively yet not overcooked presentation across a range of pigments.

"They’re exceptionally balanced and realistic, too, while also having the necessary punch to draw the eye.

"Speaking of which, the eye at the beginning of Blade Runner 2049 features a stunning array of blues and greens, with a rich presentation that blends the colours in a smooth gradient.”

This projector is great for gamers too, with an improved 2.1 specification on both HDMI sockets. It supports 4K/120Hz signals with Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), and it has an impressively low input lag of 12ms.

This is truly a projector that delivers on the promise of a premium, large-screen experience.

The AV amplifier

At the heart of any great home cinema is an AV receiver capable of both refinement and brute force, and the Marantz Cinema 30 delivers in spades. This is a premium unit that justifies its price with an equally premium performance.

The amp’s ability to place sounds precisely in three-dimensional space combines with a knack for producing an absolutely huge and enveloping soundscape.

Detailed sound effects – crumbling plaster, dripping water, an electrical short and a high-pitched alarm – appear from all around you and together fill the room. Importantly, you hear the sounds, not the speakers.

Marantz has tuned this 11-channel amplifier to work beautifully with music as well as movies. A switch to Pure Direct means we can listen to just the front stereo channels, and the delivery is far superior to most AV amplifiers.

It’s quite likely that in a set-up such as this, the amplifier will be hidden away, to do its thing out of sight. If it does find itself out on display, however, this is a rather attractive unit by AV amp standards, with its small ‘porthole’ display.

More importantly, it is very well specified, with a whopping seven HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K/120Hz. It would be nigh-on impossible for even the most ardent enthusiast to run out of sockets to plug things into.

The speaker system

And making the most of the Marantz amplifier’s impressive abilities, we have the Award-winning KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 Speaker System.

This stylish package is headlined by a pair of five-star Q Concerto Meta standmounts, with support from the Q1 Meta surrounds, the Q6 Meta centre channel, and the formidable Kube 12 MIE subwoofer.

For the full Dolby Atmos experience, a couple of pairs of KEF Q8 Meta Dolby ‘toppers’ will set you back an additional £599 a pair. And in this system, that is certainly a worthwhile investment.

We’re treated to a muscular and rich, yet agile presentation from the Q Concerto Meta system.

This system sounds big and bold, enveloping us in engaging sound from all angles, but it refrains from losing focus and becoming sluggish as a result.

There is plenty of low-end punch, with the subwoofer delivering its gut-punch of low end while remaining in total control. And there’s no flab or waffle here; the KEF Kube 12 MIE delivers a powerful and dynamic low-end kick.

Voices are conveyed with clarity and texture, underpinned by an impressive handling of low-level dynamics. This results in a truly natural and realistic representation of voices with excellent projection, which is aided by how forthright and crisp this centre channel sounds.

It manages to remain well integrated into the system as a whole while it does it, which is impressive indeed. The left, right and centre speakers mesh seamlessly, and these in turn gel with the surrounds, leaving no noticeable gaps in between the channels.

The system’s brilliance, then, lies in its stunning sonic cohesion.

The Blu-ray player

To make the best of the superb projector and the powerhouse (yet subtle when appropriate) sonic package, you will need the best when it comes to sources to feed it.

As ever, we recommend physical media for this whenever possible – a wired connection will pretty much always provide a more stable connection than anything being passed through the air.

That means 4K Blu-ray. Enter the Panasonic DP-UB9000.

The Blu-ray player market has struggled over the past five years or so, with the dominance of video streaming. New players into the market are few and far between. So it’s a good job that the old-timers that are still hanging around are such stunning performers.

The UB9000 offers supreme picture quality, and is a machine that will give sterling service for many years.

The streaming box

It is unrealistic to expect any home cinema to rely on physical media alone, though. Video streaming is here to stay, and picture quality is improving all the time.

The very best, most consistent quality, though, comes from Apple’s remarkably good Apple TV 4K.

We find it to be clearly the best performer compared with its many rivals – which is why it so merits its place in this brilliant home-cinema set-up.

These are the best projectors and best AV receivers you can buy right now

We rank the best surround sound systems

TCL ruled the affordable TV roost in 2025.

The 65-inch C8K is the best premium TV that we've seen from the brand to date, and the genuinely cheap 50-inch C6KS took home a What Hi-Fi? Award thanks to its excellent picture quality and diminutive price tag.

However, the sweet spot from the Chinese AV giant's 2025 range is the C7K. We called it the "performance-per-pound champ" thanks to its "super-aggressive pricing, much-improved Mini LED backlighting and expansive Quantum Dot colour"; it should be pretty clear why we like this TV as much as we do.

So, you can imagine our delight when we came face-to-face with its successor, the C7L, during the company's Nxt Home event in Paris. While our first encounter was fleeting, the claimed upgrades are enough to pique our interest.

We have a few initial thoughts and some impressive specs to share, but our complete review will come further down the line, once we've fully tested the C7L in our dedicated AV testing facility.

Price

TCL hasn't shared pricing information for the C7L yet, but it promises that it's coming soon. As long as it can get the price on par with the C7K, we'll be happy.

We reviewed the 65-inch version of that TV at £899 initially; however, at the time of writing, it can be snagged for just £749. That's mind-boggling value for a TV of this size and ability, so we hope TCL is equally aggressive with this sequel.

Design

As you'll see from our hands-on pictures, TCL opted to showcase the C7L by mounting it on a wall. That makes judging the build quality and design fairly tricky.

We have seen photographs of the TCL C7L with its stand attached, though, and it looks almost identical to the C7K.

That means we can expect a fairly substantial centrally mounted pedestal stand and slim bezels surrounding the screen; that said, the pictures we've seen suggest this TV may be slightly slimmer than its predecessor.

If we're being honest, the build wasn't exactly the highlight of last year's C7K. It's quite a chunky and plasticky TV, though (as we mentioned in our full review), that's to be expected for "a premium TV being sold for a barely even mid-range price".

Features

Here's where things get exciting.

TCL is introducing the next generation of its Quantum Dot Mini LED panel technology this year, and it sounds like the C7L will be among a handful of models (including the C8L and X11L) getting a superpowered upgrade.

The new panel technology is called Super Quantum Dot Mini LED (or SQD-Mini LED for short), and it incorporates a few key picture upgrades.

TCL highlights its new Deep Colour System, which it claims will help to reduce colour bleed between light and dark areas, so colours remain natural and authentic in scenes with challenging contrast.

Furthermore, TCL says that there has been a 33 per cent improvement in colour gamut performance and a 69 per cent improvement in colour dot accuracy, which should result in richer, more authentic colours and enhanced subtlety and precision, respectively.

On top of this, TCL is touting better light control as part of its new SQD-Mini LED panels. It has blooming in its sights, and it says that it aims to "effectively minimise" the presence of the halo effect through its All-Domain Halo Control System.

Realistically, we're not expecting an OLED-level experience here, but TCL is promising a "more natural and immersive" experience when it comes to the most challenging hurdle for most backlit TVs.

Speaking of the backlight, TCL has been very forthcoming with the C7L's number of dimming zones and claimed peak brightness figures.

The 55-inch model will reportedly sport 800 precise dimming zones, the 65-inch version will have 1152 dimming zones, the 75-inch model will feature 1352 dimming zones, the 85-inch version will have 1624, and the 98-inch screen size will cram in an impressive 2176 precise dimming zones.

Brightness-wise, TCL says that the 55-inch model will max out at 2700 nits, whereas the other models (65- to 98-inches) will feature a slightly higher peak brightness figure of 3000 nits. For reference, the 65-inch C7K that we tested had a claimed peak brightness of 2600 nits.

TCL is also outfitting the C7L with its HVA 2.0 Pro Panel technology, which should supposedly support wide viewing angles of up to 178 degrees, and greatly reduce reflectivity, even in high-brightness environments (making this, on paper, ideal for daytime living-room viewing).

As is the case with its existing range, the C7L continues the company's HDR agnostic approach. This means it supports Dolby Vision (with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Vision Gaming), HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. Sound is also covered thanks to Dolby Atmos support, and this TV is among a select few to natively support Dolby Atmos FlexConnect.

We'll quickly touch on built-in audio, too. TCL is continuing its partnership with Danish high-end hi-fi brand Bang & Olufsen, and this TV (like its predecessor) sports a sound system that's been tuned by B&O.

TCL didn't go into much detail regarding driver configurations or power output, but we expect something similar to the C7K's sound system.

Gamers should also feel right at home on the C7L.

The TV sports a native 144Hz refresh rate with VRR, although TCL's Game Accelerator feature will reportedly allow you to double the refresh rate to 288Hz (at Full HD resolution rather than 4K), while also retaining VRR.

TCL also claims that it has reduced latency on this new model for improved response time, and ALLM is also supported.

Finally, the C7L will support Google TV for a wide range of streaming apps. Based on our experience with the C7K, we expect it to carry the version that supports all of the terrestrial UK streaming platforms, alongside the ever-expanding list of global streaming apps.

Picture quality

As is the case with many of the TVs that we see at these hands-on events, the C7L featured a looping roll of demo content that doesn't entirely represent real-world content.

Furthermore, it looked as though the C7L wasn't in one of its most authentic picture modes, but that's to be expected, as TCL wants to show off this TV's new brightness and colour capabilities to their fullest.

This seems to have worked, as the C7L was mounted on a wall with several other TVs, and yet it stood out the most among the bunch. This is mostly due to the rich, vibrant colours exhibited by the set, paired with the improved brightness.

While this did throw up some over-saturated colours – notably in the case of some concerningly neon foliage – we're fairly sure we could wrangle these colours back into a more natural state by switching over to Filmmaker Mode.

One of the demo shots simply showed a white TCL logo on an all-black background, and while it's early days, we were impressed by how deep the blacks looked for a backlit TV.

The blooming control around the TCL logo was fairly impressive too: while there was unquestionably a white glow around the company's logo, it seemed fairly localised and controlled.

We'll need to test the C7L further, in a more accurate picture mode, to further assess colour accuracy, motion and detail levels with real-life content, but we can certainly see where TCL is going with this SQD-Mini LED panel tech from this brief introduction.

Sound quality

Disappointingly, TCL didn't demo the C7L's built-in sound system. Despite it carrying the name of a notable high-end hi-fi manufacturer, we didn't get to hear it at TCL's event, so we'll have to reserve judgment for this section until our full review later this year.

What we can say is that the C7K sounded pretty good during our testing, so we hope that TCL continues this trend. We commended its clean, detailed sound, which conveyed an open mid-range and impressive treble, which covers much of the day-to-day listening requirements.

However, we found that it held back slightly when it came to producing low-end frequencies, which left the sound feeling somewhat unbalanced, especially when it came to dense cinematic soundtracks.

On our wishlist for the C7L is more bass, which should help to round out an already impressive sound system nicely.

Early verdict

We'll need to test the C7L in our dedicated home cinema testing space to reach a final verdict, but this is so far shaping up to be another impressive mid-range TV.

With a souped-up panel and a long list of specs to suit cinephiles and gamers alike, the C7L could be another compelling Mini LED TV – so long as TCL gets the pricing right.

MORE:

Read our TCL C8L hands-on review

As well as our TCL X11L hands-on review

And check out our picks for the best Mini LED TVs

If you’ve spent any time at all reading the TV reviews here on What Hi-Fi?, you’ll know that panel technology alone does not make a TV.

Even televisions that use the same panel can look vastly different from one another, and that’s before you consider all the other things – such as features, design and sound quality – that might sway a buying decision one way or the other.

When the LG G5 was released last year, it sent the Micro Lens Array (MLA) tech that had been behind its flagship panels for the last two years packing, and replaced it with new, cutting-edge Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel technology.

A few other TVs also bought into this tech – notably the Panasonic Z95B and the Philips OLED910 – and since we’ve already put the LG G5 and the Z95B up against one another, it’s high time we considered how the Philips OLED910 compares with its panelmate too. Let the battle begin.

Philips OLED910 vs LG G5: pricing

Considering the LG G6 is currently prepping itself for the shelves, the LG G5 is now much cheaper than it was at launch (though perhaps not as cheap as it will be in a couple of months).

This price would have brought it much closer to the original price of the Philips OLED910 if a recent price drop from Philips hadn’t widened that gap once again. That is, of course, if you live in the UK or Europe – Philip OLEDs aren’t available in the US or Australia.

We tested both of these TVs at 65 inches, and currently you can pick up that size of the LG G5 for around £2499, while the OLED910 is available for as little as £1799.

The 65-inch G5 has gone as low as £1899 in the past, but we've never seen it available for less than the OLED910.

If 65 inches doesn’t suit your space, you’ll have more choice on size with the G5, which is available in 48, 55, 77, 83 and 97 inches – though it’s worth noting that the 48- and 97-inch sets do not use the Primary RGB Tandem panel, and so therefore will not reach the same brightness levels.

That, perhaps, makes the fewer size choices of the Philips OLED910 less of an issue, with the 55- and 77-inch options, alongside the 65-inch set, most likely covering the screen sizes most people want – and at considerably lower prices.

When it comes to pricing, then, the Philips takes an easy win.

Winner: Philips OLED910

Philips OLED910 vs LG G5: design

Whatever design you prefer is the right answer to which is best, but we’d argue there is more to like about the design of the Philips OLED910 over the LG G5.

The Kvadrat fabric covering the under-screen speaker gives it a stylish, furniture-esque look, and four-sided Ambilight only adds to its flair.

The G5, by comparison, is as slim (2.4cm) and attractive as its predecessors – but it’s a design that has gone unchanged since the G1.

It feels ready for a makeover, but there’s absolutely nothing to dislike here otherwise. The Zero Gap wall mount makes for a super flush fit if you are looking to mount it, but if not, be sure to look out for the version that comes with the tabletop stand – in the UK, that’s currently only available for the 55- and 65-inch versions.

Slim and sleek is all well and good, but we have to pay the OLED910 its dues for its greater aesthetic consideration.

WINNER: Philips OLED910

Philips OLED910 vs LG G5: features

We already know that the LG G5 and the Philips OLED910 share the same super-bright Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel, with peak brightness claims of up to 4000 nits, but what in their feature lists separates them?

For a start, behind those panels are, of course, two different processors – the Philips 9th Gen P5 and LG’s Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 2. Both are the companies’ most powerful TV chipset, with AI smarts on board that claim to offer a helping hand when it comes to making the picture and sound the very best for what you’re watching.

In the G5, that includes AI Picture Pro and AI Sound Pro, the former covering off a range of picture enhancements, such as AI Perceived Object Enhancer (which aims to boost the three-dimensionality of the picture), AI Super Upscaling and OLED Dynamic Tone Mapping.

LG has also installed an AI chatbot into the G5, which is on hand to help you get your picture how you want it, or solve issues with your TV. For those who don’t feel confident trawling through a settings menu, you can say things such as “my TV isn’t bright enough” to have the settings automatically adjusted.

For the OLED910, the on-board AI helps to classify what it is you’re watching and adapt the picture quality to suit. It also offers similar AI-judged improvements to things such as sharpness, colour vibrancy and contrast, though as always you can turn these off if you prefer.

Elsewhere, the Philips OLED910 continues its commendable commitment to supporting all four of the current HDR formats – that’s HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, alongside the basic HDR10 and HLG.

The G5, by comparison, only supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG. That covers off the majority of content, in honesty, but the additional support on the OLED910 does keep you covered for absolutely everything, and futureproofed too.

Where the Philips really loses ground is in its connectivity, and this has a particular impact on gamers.

On the LG G5, you have four full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets, all capable of handling 4K/165Hz signals with VRR and ALLM (which covers off the 4K/120Hz max for consoles and 4K/144Hz for fancy PCs), while the OLED910 only has two, with a maximum limit of 4K/144Hz.

One of the HDMI 2.1 sockets also doubles as the eARC port, so you’ll be reduced to just one for your gaming machines if you need it for a soundbar or other sound system. That's not the end of the world if you don't mind any further devices being limited to 4K/60Hz, but it will be an annoyance to many gamers.

We’d also lean towards the LG G5’s webOS platform over the OLED910’s Google TV platform. For us, webOS wins on ease of use and speed, but it also offers a more comprehensive selection of streaming apps, with BBC iPlayer currently missing from Google TV.

It’s closely run in this section, with some wins on both sides. But we think the TV with the best, most impactful features for most users is the LG G5.

WINNER: LG G5

Philips OLED910 vs LG G5: picture quality

Given that both of these TVs received five-star reviews, you can imagine there’s little to grumble about in the way they handle pictures. However, even with the same panel behind them, there are differences in their delivery that might sway your buying decision.

Thanks to that new Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel, the G5 and OLED910 are noticeably brighter than their predecessors, and – most importantly – handle their additional nits well.

Philips does seem to put HDR levels of brightness behind SDR content on all of its picture modes though, which is something we wish was optional, even if it doesn’t impact the overall picture performance.

Colour handling is excellent on both, with punchy and vibrant pictures that clearly benefit from the additional colour volume afforded by this panel. There’s the occasional oversaturation of skin tones in some scenes on the Philips OLED910 that we don’t notice as much in the G5, but overall both sets balance vibrancy and accuracy with few complaints.

Both offer Filmmaker Mode alongside a whole host of other picture options – it’s the picture setting we recommend, since it is the most accurate and usually switches off all additional processing. However, we actually found the OLED910 leaves some of it turned on, mostly for helping the TV to look its best at various levels of ambient lighting.

It’s worth experimenting here and deciding for yourself if there’s any positive impact, but if you’re particularly against any form of added processing, some extra care will be required in the OLED910’s menus to make sure it’s all off.

You can expect sharp, detailed and insightful pictures from both TVs. If pushed, we’d say the Philips gets closer to the solidity and three dimensionism of the Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II, which is also helped by the OLED910’s better handling of dark scenes – there’s a slight black crush from the LG G5 that means you lose some shadow details in the darkest parts of a picture.

Overall there are some pros and cons for both TVs, but both offer a superb picture with lots to like. We’re chalking this one up as a draw.

Winner: draw

Philips OLED910 vs LG G5: sound quality

While these TVs might come close in picture quality, when it comes to sound quality, there is a clear winner.

The LG G5 offers a 60W 4.2-channel system, while the Philips OLED910 has a 3.1-channel 81W system, produced by B&W, that sits underneath the screen like a soundbar.

Overall, the G5’s performance is disappointing. Even with our preferred Cinema preset, it just isn’t able to dig deep and deliver much bass at all, nor is it very assured with low-level dynamics, meaning dialogue often sounds lifeless and dull.

It’s a really unexciting sound, which means, without a doubt, you’ll need to add to the G5 by way of a soundbar or surround sound system.

However, the Philips OLED910 proves that not all TV sound has to be bad, and manages to deliver a wide, detailed sound, with good effect placement (even with Atmos sounds), impressive weight and a really lovely tonal balance by TV standards.

Dynamics are impressive for a TV too, and there’s a much better handling of low-level dynamics, meaning voices have realism and character, while bigger volume changes are handled well too.

There’s a little softness to deep bass, but you’ll be hard pushed to find a TV that sounds better.

Of course, a good soundbar will be even better, but you’d need to invest in something around the level of the Sonos Arc Ultra for a significant upgrade on what this TV can do.

WINNER: Philips OLED910

Philips OLED910 vs LG G5: verdict

As always, there can only be one winner, and given how close these TVs come in key areas such as picture quality, the value offered by the Philips OLED910 is hard to ignore.

Throw in nice-to-haves such as Ambilight, a pretty great built-in sound system and a living room-friendly design, and that saving over the G5 starts to look even tastier.

However, this particular head to head isn’t cut and dried by any means, and if gaming is a key consideration for you, we might be inclined to recommend the LG G5 because of the additional HDMI 2.1 ports.

The better smart system and full complement of catch up apps is also a mark in the G5’s column, as is that stunningly slim wall-mounted design, which might be worth the additional outlay.

Still, the Philips OLED910 is to be applauded for how much it offers at such a great price.

Getting a 65-inch TV with a performance this good for well under the £2000 mark is nothing short of a bargain. If you choose it as your next TV, we think you’ll be very happy indeed.

OVERALL WINNER: Philips OLED910

MORE:

Read our full Philips OLED910 review and LG G5 review

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