Famed American brand JBL has been making all sorts of audio products for its impressive 80-year lifespan.

In that time, an absolute raft of speakers, amplifiers and portables have been served up by one of the most dominant and productive names in audio, with JBL growing from making domestic loudspeakers to pouring out a host of hi-fi, headphones and portable speakers to become one of the most respected brands of its type in the world. Chances are, you own at least a JBL Bluetooth speaker – or you know somebody who does.

Yet across almost all categories of consumer audio, competition has rarely been so fierce. Apple continues to dominate the wireless earbuds space, whereas myriad novice brands are using aggressively priced, feature-laden offerings to upset the market and undermine the established order.

It’s a scary, ever-changing world out there, so how does JBL reflect on 80 years in the business, and how does it plan to ensure that it makes it to at least 80 more?

To find out, we headed to the company’s Los Angeles headquarters to speak to Sharon Peng, Senior Vice President of Harman, and Mikael Herje, Director of Global Headphones, to talk about the past, present and future of JBL.

Ahead of the curve: JBL’s audio philosophy

To understand JBL’s sonic philosophy, it’s useful to have a little historical context. When James B. Lansing (hence ‘JBL’) started speaker and driver production in 1946, he did so at a pivotal moment in audio history wherein loudspeakers were becoming more ingrained into both the public and private listening spheres.

In 1946, JBL produced the D130 driver, the company’s first mass-produced loudspeaker unit which was used in cinemas, hi-fi systems, guitar amplifiers and even concert systems. By the 1960s and 1970s, it was producing the likes of the C38 Baron, a compact enclosure for domestic use, and the L100-A, the iconic ‘Quadrex’ grille-fronted speaker designed to bring modern acoustic engineering into the home.

At the same time, JBL speakers were soundtracking some of the biggest events in musical history. The 1969 Woodstock festival, perhaps the most famous live music event of all time, used JBL speaker components to power the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Who, while 1974’s Cal Jam festival saw JBL part of the loudest sound system ever assembled at the time.

JBL’s sound, therefore, was informed by both home and large-scale use, with two very different use cases – public and private – feeding into one unified sonic philosophy. Music had to sound, according to JBL, energetic and alive, but it also had to retain the clarity and intimacy of the original recording. Straddling that particular line has been integral to 80 years of the company’s sonic philosophy.

The famous Harman Curve, meanwhile, continues to be the anchor point for the tuning of JBL’s audio output.

The curve essentially offers a specific target frequency response, based on Harman’s own series of controlled tests. And, for example, with the newly adjusted JBL Tour One M3 flagship over-ears, the brand has added around 3-5dB to the 4-8kHz range and refined the low-to-mid range for a “cleaner, more natural soundstage”.

The Harman Curve continues to guide audio production, but it isn’t the only way of ensuring consistent audio quality. “We have a core panel of people with all different kinds of backgrounds,” says Sharon Peng, including R&D sites in China, Denmark and a large engineering team in Northridge, Los Angeles.

These 40-strong panels are trained to listen to each JBL product critically, ensuring consistent, in-depth feedback during the research and development stages of production.

Competing with giants

It’s a tough question, but somebody has to ask it: how does JBL plan to compete with its heavyweight rivals? Especially in those product areas which are so heavily dominated by certain, seemingly immovable brands. For Bluetooth speakers, it is, perhaps, not such a problem – JBL is easily the market leader in both the US and Europe, with a 34 per cent volume share of the market in 2019.

In other categories, though, it’s trickier to carve out such success. A US study from 2022 found that Apple or Apple-owned brand Beats accounts for roughly 50 per cent of all wireless headphones/earbuds sold in the US, with JBL holding firm with around 11 per cent. That’s a strong showing, no doubt – but it could be stronger.

How? According to Mikael Herje, the answer still lies not only in JBL’s commitment to constantly improving its sound, but in the brand’s versatility. In terms of headphones, “We lead with a headphone that fits everyone, but also on the universal play part – you can connect to any device from any source – that’s kind of unique to us.”

JBL has to offer something unique to the market, all while staying true to its own audio philosophy. For Sharon Peng, that philosophy is expressed in three words: “It’s powerful, it’s dynamic, it’s energetic. For each category, we’re trying to set the bar higher.”

A willingness to adapt to the market doesn’t hurt, either. Changes in the Harman Curve showcased on the tweaked Tour One M3 came about due to changes in users’ listening habits.

With listeners wearing products longer than before, the desire to produce a more forgiving sonic signature became important in order to prevent user fatigue. So the brand aimed for a more balanced sonic signature with less emphasis on bass reproduction.

An exciting new space

Spatial audio is set to be an important thread in JBL's future.

The company’s Harman-owned headquarters feature entire rooms dedicated to the development and refinement of spatial technology, including a bespoke mixing studio and an immersive demonstration room which uses a multi-speaker array to showcase JBL’s development in this exploding area.

We are treated to a demonstration in partnership with Flux’s ‘SPAT’ technology, a creative engine which helps sound engineers design, perform, and deliver immersive audio for live events. And it’s hard not to be impressed by both a bespoke demonstration video and a rendition of Elton John’s Rocket Man as it bounces around the in-built speaker array above, in front of and behind our heads.

JBL is going big on spatial audio – which it sometimes refers to as ‘immersive audio’ – as a means of taking sound beyond the limits of mere audio resolution. According to Sharon Peng, spatial audio “stimulates more areas of the brain than traditional stereo”, boosting the music’s emotional impact and placing the listener “in a believable environment”.

Headphones and earbuds such as the JBL Tour Pro 3 and JBL Tour One M3 have already implemented spatial sound within their specification lists, with JBL keen to push the tech further into the future.

For Mikael Herje, spatial audio isn’t for everyone, but its implementation in certain areas is only going to grow as time goes on. For gamers, for instance, “the spatial feature is very important for the gamer to feel like they’re immersed in the situation. Our R&D team is doing some advanced research, focusing on gaming headphones and our premium sector of the Tour series [of wireless headphones].”

80 more years?

80 years is an impressive milestone for any company, but you can bet that JBL will want to be celebrating quite a few more anniversaries in the future. The world of audio has changed profoundly since James B. Lansing helped develop JBL’s first mass-production drive unit back in 1946, and you can guarantee that it will change even more as technological innovations continue at an increasingly frightening pace.

Where, then, does JBL fit into that future? And, more importantly, how does it plan to shape it? For Harman CTO Armin Prommersberger, AI and cross-platform integration are going to be integral to near-future development.

Harman’s CTO sees a world of audio that is far more connected, with a smart ecosystem of devices communicating and communicating across speakers, headphones, mobile devices and even car audio.

What about that AI? For Prommersberger, it’s a big deal: “The future speaker analyses what you’re playing, how loud you like it, and then adjusts it in real time,” meaning hardware can push beyond physical limitations to create a sound that is more attuned to the user’s individual needs.

JBL has already used its real-time ‘Sound Boost’ audio processing technology that uses AI algorithms to maximise speaker performance for the likes of the Charge 6 and Flip 7 portables, with the same tech now coming to the upcoming Xtreme 5 and Go 5, too.

Sharon Peng agrees that AI is already taking JBL’s sound beyond the limits of physical hardware: “With AI, you can go to the limit to get better sound. We have AI for voice clarity for the soundbars, so you will hear much clearer voice communication. Dynamically, we’re using an AI model to enhance the human voice.”

Whatever happens, keeping the consumer in mind remains a core priority, with both Peng and Herje emphasising the need to keep that signature JBL sonic philosophy at the heart of every product, be it a pair of £100 wireless earbuds or a high-end set of hi-fi speakers.

“The thing is, our standard is the same, but there is a limitation on the physical side depending on hardware,” says Peng. “But in our mind, the standard is the same".

“It has to be consistently repeatable across all the production levels. All of those design principles and system optimisation need to converge. We want to make sure we reach a certain level, subject to materials.”

80 years is a long time to be in the game, and in that time, JBL has produced some legendary products, from its legendary JBL L100 icons to its ever-dominant series of Bluetooth speakers. Whatever the future holds, we're excited to see what the next 80 years has in store for JBL.

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These are the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy

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.

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Here is our review of the Sony TA-AN1000

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Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

US brand Revel has announced its new six-strong Performa4 range.

Billed as a "landmark new collection of high-performance loudspeakers", the new range comprises two floorstanders, two bookshelf models, a dedicated centre channel and a powered subwoofer.

Central to each new speaker is Revel’s seventh-generation 'Acoustic Lens Waveguide' technology, which mounts a 25mm dome tweeter for more seamless integration with the midrange driver and aims to deliver "improved dynamic range and reduced distortion" for a more "immersive and natural listening experience".

Further, every Performa4 speaker features Revel’s new 'Deep Ceramic Composite' (DCC) and 'Micro Ceramic Composite' (MCC) transducers, aiming to deliver exceptional rigidity and reduced sonic distortion.

All woofer and midrange drivers also feature aluminium frames for "optimal airflow, reduced weight, and improved resonance performance".

The flagship of the range are the F346 three-way floorstanders, which each house a trio of 16.5cm MCC woofers, a 16.5cm DCC midrange, and a single 25mm DCC dome tweeter. The speakers also feature rear ports alongside crystal brass binding posts, as well as solid aluminium feet with optional floor spikes depending on your space.

Next are the F235 three-way floorstanders, which aim to bring the same flagship performance of the F346 to a more compact speaker. The smaller towers house three 13cm MCC cone woofers and a 13cm DCC cone midrange, as well as the same 25mm DCC dome tweeter as found in the F346.

Again, the F235 are rear ported, feature crystal brass binding posts, and come with optional floor spikes.

If you're after something even more compact, the M146 are the larger of the two new Performa4 standmounts, complemented by the smaller M145 bookshelf speakers. Each M146 houses a 16.5cm MCC cone woofer and a 25mm DC dome tweeter, while the M145 feature a 13cm version of that MCC woofer and the same 25mm tweeter.

A pair of aluminium and steel stands are also sold as part of the range if you want to mount your M146 or M145.

For your home cinema system, the C25 centre channel loudspeaker promises "seamless matching" with its standmount and floorstanding siblings, packing dual 13cm MCC cone woofers and that 25mm DCC tweeter.

For a bit of added bass, meanwhile, the B140 subwoofer offers 1500 watts of peak Class D amplification for "deep, effortless bass".

According to Jim Garrett, senior director of product strategy and planning at Harman Audio: “The Performa4 series represents the culmination of thousands of hours of research, development, and real-world testing. With our new seventh-generation Acoustic Lens waveguide and advanced DCC and MCC transducers, we’ve raised the bar for what’s possible in this class."

The Revel Performa4 series will be available in April. All models are available in Natural Walnut or Black Walnut veneer finishes, with prices as follows:

- F346 floorstanders: $6999 per pair
- F345 floorstanders: $4999 per pair
- M146 standmounts: $2999 per pair
- M145 standmounts: $1999 per pair
- C245 centre channel: $1499
- B140 subwoofer: $2999
- MFS4 stands: $699 per pair

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These are the best bookshelf speakers you can buy

Looking for a home cinema sound solution? You’ll find two paths branching before you: one leads to an AVR and surround sound speaker package, the other to a Dolby Atmos soundbar.

You might think that these devices could live in harmony, but we often see people claiming soundbars to be inferior and incapable of delivering cinematic sound that even remotely rivals that of the best AVRs.

While there is a modicum of truth to that – we have tested hundreds of soundbars, AVRs and surround sound speaker packages in total and find that a true surround sound system will almost always beat the soundbar experience – there is actually plenty of nuance to the matter.

Convenience is the main draw of a soundbar – and the reason I use one myself. Not everyone, especially those in pokey city flats or shared houses, has the space to deploy a full 5.1.2 (or greater) system; and attempting to route cables around a rented property is a concept that sends a shiver down my spine.

There is also the financial aspect: when it comes to budget considerations, a Sonos Arc Ultra for £899 is a far more appealing all-in-one Dolby Atmos solution compared with an AVR and 5.1.2 speaker package, which can cost upwards of £2000.

Put simply, soundbars have their place in this world, and we are fans of them regardless of whether or not they are deemed to be “true home cinema” audio solutions.

But that doesn't mean there isn’t room for improvement.

Relatively speaking, soundbars are much newer than AV amplifiers. Yamaha introduced the first soundbar, the YSP-1, back in 2004, while Denon is credited with introducing the world's first AV amplifier back in 1985 with the AVC-500. That's a 19-year difference, and as we know, a lot can happen in the world of AV in almost two decades.

With that in mind, I feel soundbars could learn a thing or two from their elders, and that sentiment is felt with the current crop of soundbars and AVRs on the market.

Don't be stingy with the HDMI ports…

While soundbars have been improving in this regard in recent years, we are still seeing some models launch without the most important connectivity options. HDMI passthrough – which (I have recently lamented) Sonos and LG have not included in their latest soundbars – is a feature I think every soundbar should include.

AVRs have, understandably, featured an abundance of HDMI sockets for connecting Blu-ray players, streamers, games consoles and more to your TV or projector for quite some time. As such, AVRs have become the beating heart of many home cinema setups, acting as the central interface which manages connected devices and home cinema sound alike.

We have to give the likes of Samsung, JBL and Sony kudos for including full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets on their flagship soundbars; and Sennheiser and Harman Kardon also earn my favour by including HDMI sockets on their ’bars, even if they tend to be of the 2.0 standard and therefore don't support quite as many gaming features.

If a soundbar is going to take up a precious HDMI 2.1 socket – many TVs only have two of these, by the way – then it's only fair that it should give something back.

Fewer apps, more on-screen setups…

I have lost count of how many soundbar apps are currently clogging up my iPhone's storage – and I would rather drop the majority of them. While this isn't a blanket issue, I have tested many soundbars which have less-than-ideally optimised apps, and connectivity is usually the first hurdle to overcome.

I’ve had soundbar apps flat-out refuse to connect to their respective soundbar, and that has locked a handful of crucial features, including calibration, access to sound modes and input selection, leaving them to be handled via a remote control handset or on-device buttons and interpreted by either a dot-matrix display or a confusing array of flashing LEDs.

All of this could be avoided if more soundbar manufacturers included an on-screen setup, one which would allow us to adjust settings without having to rely on an app.

We have recently seen this included on the Yamaha True X Surround 90A, which was a welcome addition, while many AVRs have offered on-screen setups for quite some time. Denon’s range has supported this for a while, and we even saw a trimmed-down (yet surprisingly functional) version included on the JBL MA7100HP, which made setup and operation a lot easier.

Considering many soundbar manufacturers also produce TVs (think Sony, LG and Samsung), an on-screen menu system that ties into their respective smart platforms would be a rather nice touch.

Get serious about sound customisation and calibration…

I think this is where people place the most emphasis on the differentiation between AVRs and soundbars. A soundbar is essentially a plug-and-play device; sure, there are often various sound modes, and most Dolby Atmos-supporting soundbars include a method of calibrating them, but there aren’t often many ways to customise deeply the sound of your soundbar.

Vague EQ settings aside, I understand why soundbars aren’t as in-depth as AVRs when it comes to sound customisation. They are usually aimed at people who have no interest in the complexities of a full home cinema speaker system; for them, the ease of use and immediate sound payoff are the primary concern. That being said, a deeper customisation menu for enthusiasts would go a long way to winning over staunch audiophiles.

Calibration, on the other hand, could easily be improved on many soundbars. We often see soundbars use a built-in microphone, or utilise the microphone in your smartphone, to take measurements and calibrate the sound to your room.

While this is usually pretty effective, I much prefer the accuracy of an AVR calibration system, which usually involves hooking up an external microphone (often included in the box) and placing it in your main seating position, to best tailor the sound to the place you will be watching your movies or TV shows.

We have seen this once on a soundbar – the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max launched with an external microphone for this very purpose. But very few soundbars sporting this feature have passed through our home cinema testing room since.

A more accurate and thorough method of calibrating the sound could negate some of the criticism surrounding the notion that soundbars “don't do real Dolby Atmos”. If you’re spending in the region of £1000 on a flagship model, an included microphone shouldn't be out of the question.

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We're only three months into 2026, and I've already spent most of my year listening to more soundbars than I can count from the likes of Sonos, LG, Samsung, JBL and Harman Kardon.

By that metric, I’ll have listened to hundreds of soundbars by the time 2027 rolls around. But after my latest stint with the LG Sound Suite H7, it doesn't matter how a manufacturer pitches their flagship performance if there are connectivity shortcomings.

While the wireless connectivity options found on the Sound Suite H7 are bountiful, including Bluetooth 5.4, wi-fi, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect, wired connectivity options are slightly less well served.

In fact, that soundbar has a single wired connection option, and that is HDMI eARC. This is an output socket only, and it isn't backed up by any sort of additional HDMI passthrough sockets.

In our full review of the new LG flagship soundbar, we noted that the lack of any additional HDMI socket "feels like a missed opportunity considering LG has prided itself on featuring four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets on its TVs for quite some time".

Now, this isn't an issue that's exclusive to the LG Sound Suite H7, as its main competitor and notable What Hi-Fi? Award-winner is also missing this feature.

The Sonos Arc Ultra, which is a superb Dolby Atmos soundbar by all our metrics, is also missing an HDMI passthrough socket. Now, this is easily the best soundbar that we have on hand, and I look forward to listening to it every time I'm reviewing one of its many competitors, but I'm not sure if I could live with it day to day.

HDMI sockets are a precious commodity in my house. My Sony OLED TV is already limited in that it only has two HDMI 2.1 sockets, and the four in total that I do have are currently occupied by a PlayStation 5, a Sony UBP-X700 4K Blu-ray player, a Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus, and a Sky Stream box.

That leaves the rest of my AV devices (I admit I probably have more than the average Joe), such as my Apple TV 4K and Nintendo Switch, without an HDMI socket to call home; so, I rely on the very useful HDMI passthrough sockets built into my Sennheiser soundbar to pick up the slack. It's taking up a precious HDMI 2.1 port, so providing a couple of sockets in return is the least it could do.

There are some limitations, such as the fact that these sockets are HDMI 2.0 and don't support the latest gaming functions; however, my ageing Nintendo Switch doesn't support VRR or ALLM, so I'm not too fussed.

We've seen plenty of other soundbars on the market that provide HDMI passthrough sockets too. I have to give Samsung some kudos here: the HW-Q990F offers two HDMI inputs, both rated to support up to 4K/120Hz signals and Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Now that's more like it.

While I really do rate the Sonos Arc Ultra highly, I think Sonos should really consider upping its game in this specific area.

We've seen comments and feedback from various online platforms, with people venting their frustration to Sonos and, more recently, to LG about the lack of HDMI passthrough.

The really frustrating part is that the last LG soundbar that we reviewed, the mid-range, four-star S70TY, featured an HDMI 2.1 passthrough that supported 4K/120Hz gaming. It therefore feels like LG has taken an unnecessary step backwards in this regard.

Controversially, I'm at the point where I probably wouldn't even consider a soundbar unless it had HDMI passthrough.

That might sound extreme, as sound performance is and always will be paramount, but people (myself included) are expecting more from their soundbars these days.

Therefore, functionality is becoming as important as performance, and I think a few soundbar manufacturers need to recognise that.

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Read our full LG Sound Suite H7 review

As well as our Sonos Arc Ultra review

And check out our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Competition in the entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar category has been heating up in the last twelve months.

I know that, as I've helped review some of the most interesting challengers to our reigning champ, the multiple-Award-winning Sonos Beam Gen 2.

The JBL Bar 300MK2 came close to knocking it off its podium when we had it in our test room late last year, earning a five-star rating, but not quite having the finesse to finish the job.

More recently, the Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 also scored a coveted five-star review while offering more kit for your money with a complete soundbar package, but not quite having enough detail to outright beat the Sonos.

So many close attempts, but no knock-out blow. Hence why I was eager, even excited, when a new challenger entered the ring (our test rooms). Specifically, the Harman Kardon Enchant 900, which aims to pack a clever 5.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos experience into a tiny single soundbar package.

It originally launched at £430 / $560 / AU$800, but the price has crept up slightly at most UK retailers to £449. That’s challenging the Sonos model directly, which launched at £449 / $449 / AU$649.

In terms of connectivity, the soundbar offers two HDMI connections – one dedicated input and an output that can also receive sound from your TV via eARC. That’s better than the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which only includes a single HDMI eARC output.

But does it outdo our Sonos reference model in terms of audio? Spoiler alert – two issues mean not quite, but there is still a lot to like with the Harman Kardon entry. And if they got fixed in the next model, we may have a fight on our hands.

Starting with the positives...

Energetic, powerful sound

Right out the gate, the Harman Kardon Enchant 900 presents us with an exciting audio performance that is an immediate step up from our TV’s sound.

This sense of energy is helped massively by the soundbar’s wide and expansive audio presentation.

When watching Dune: Part Two in our test room, Timothée Chalamet’s Paul watches on as a huge sandworm leaps out of the sand. With this scene, the soundbar presents a more spacious soundstage than the TV’s speakers, offering an immersive sound that fills the room.

You can employ Harman Kardon’s surround sound processing feature, which makes the soundstage wider and more enveloping. We do find that it loses a touch of focus compared to when it is off, where we get a narrower but snappier sound.

The scale to focus compromise is worth it in this instance, as the improved sense of cinematic scale is worth the slight softening of the sound, so we leave it on.

It certainly outdoes the Sonos Beam Gen 2 in this respect, which cannot reach the same level of immersion and expansiveness.

Clear vocals

It’s a common complaint when watching TV at home that we often cannot hear what characters are saying on the screen, forcing you to crank up the volume or switch on the subtitles.

You won’t have that issue with the Enchant 900, though, as it delivers clear yet emotive vocals that make it hard to miss a word.

This is made clear when we switch to Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, when the motley ship crew is attacked by their enemies.

Despite competing with the sound of booming canons and the splintering of the ship’s wood, vocals are remarkably clear while still maintaining a good amount of character and emotion, which makes for a reasonably balanced overall performance; one of the best we've heard at this level recently.

But not the most subtle

But, even though it delivers a room-filling sound while keeping vocals balanced, the Harman Kardon Enchant 900 cannot be described as a subtle soundbar.

When switching to music via the streaming platform Qobuz, we get a good example of this. Aurora’s Churchyard starts soft and delicate, with only her ethereal vocals kicking off the track.

The soundbar manages to create a good sense of anticipation by building from the quiet vocals to the bass-heavy chorus. But the rendering of her vocals is harsher than it should be, and lacks the subtle presentation that we find in bars such as the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

This may not be a problem for those looking to deliver a bombastic home cinema experience, but those on the hunt for subtlety would be better served by the Award-winner.

Not the strongest performer with treble or bass

This slightly coarse presentation continues when it comes to its treble performance, particularly when pushed to extremes.

During Unbroken, for instance, the whining of the plane’s engines sounds coarse and can somewhat overwhelm the rest of the soundtrack at the loudest moments. This contrasts with the Beam’s more finessed and authentic overall sound that balances each frequency with more control.

You can turn down the treble via the app with the Enchant 900, but this disrupts the balance between the frequencies.

Additionally, while its bass delivery is floor-shaking and engaging, it struggles to reach the same level of precision as rivals such as the JBL Bar 300MK2. We say in our review: “What’s more, the slightly cheaper JBL Bar 300MK2 delivers a more controlled bass that offers greater impact during tense action scenes, thanks to better detail in the lower frequencies.”

This all meant that the Harman Kardon Enchant 900 scored a respectable four-star rating overall, with the JBL and Sonos models delivering a better bang for your buck.

Still, it’s a solid choice for those looking to add extra spaciousness and excitement to their audio. Here's hoping the firm fixes our two gripes with the next model!

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Here's our review of the Harman Kardon Enchant 900

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

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I have spent the past couple of days in Copenhagen with JBL at the American audio firm's launch event for its new Dolby Atmos soundbars, Bluetooth speakers and wireless earbuds; and it was a superb opportunity to delve deep into the new range.

While the dustbin-sized Partybox 720 dazzled with its flashing lights and room-filling sound, and I'm already a fan of the pint-sized Grip Bluetooth speaker, it was the new Bar 1300MK2 that stole the show for me.

This 11.1.4 system is a direct sequel to the Bar 1300, offering up a similar premise with a main soundbar that houses a pair of detachable surround sound speakers.

These speakers can be left on the bar, used as rear surround speakers, act as independent Bluetooth speakers for music playback from a phone, and even allow for a night-listening mode in which they output all audio from your TV.

There is also a compact subwoofer, which features dual 8-inch drivers in a push-pull configuration. Sound familiar? Samsung uses an identical set-up in the five-star HW-Q990F soundbar system, which we really like.

I had suspected that JBL could adopt the Samsung-derived subwoofer advancement with the Bar 1300MK2; Samsung owns JBL's parent company, Harman, so it's not a massive surprise to see the two share this audio tech for their respective 2025 soundbar systems.

Now, I should mention that JBL's subwoofer features a much punchier 1200W power output, whereas Samsung's adorable little cuboid sub is, comparatively, much more reserved at 300W. Numbers aren't everything, though, as revealed by the Samsung subwoofer's tuneful, deep and powerful bass.

Furthermore, the JBL system steals the limelight from Samsung when it comes to the sheer number of drivers. The Bar 1300MK2 boasts no fewer than 29 drivers throughout the whole system. The Samsung ’bar features 23 drivers in total.

But how does the JBL stack up? First things first: the listening environment in which I heard the Bar 1300MK2 was very different from the average living room.

JBL opted to take over the Nordisk Film studios to showcase its new soundbar system, which is much more exciting than our testing room. It opened in 1906 and continues to be a hub of film and TV development in Denmark to this very day. We will, of course, need to test the Bar 1300MK2 in our test room for a full review.

Nevertheless, I was impressed by how punchy and spacious the bar sounded, with a convincing surround effect that came from both the bar itself and the small yet mighty surrounds.

JBL had set up some fake walls and even a fake ceiling above the bar to bounce overhead sound to the seating position, so I would expect these surround and height effects to sound even better in a traditional setup. Still, the 'bar handled both well in this difficult setup.

And that subwoofer that I've been banging on about also delivered a serious dose of low-end punch. An explosion featured in a clip of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City sounded hefty and layered, with a solid and impactful sense of dynamics. Furthermore, the ominous Sardaukar chant at the beginning of Dune: Part One was delivered with a similar punch of low-end power.

With that in mind, my immediate thought was “could the Samsung HW-Q990F be in trouble?” The JBL Bar 1300MK2 offers a more versatile set of surround speakers, a more powerful subwoofer, and a comprehensive app interface, which could spell trouble for Samsung.

Now, the Samsung HW-Q990F shouldn't be underestimated; it’s a powerful, detailed and rich-sounding system in its own right. But JBL could well be nipping at its heels.

MORE:

Read our full JBL Bar 1300 review

As well as our Sonos Arc Ultra review

And find the best Dolby Atmos soundbars here

We’re in the final days of September, and to celebrate the imminent arrival of 2025’s spooky season, we’ve penned a fresh entry into our weekly hi-fi and home cinema news digest.

It was an incredibly busy week for the What Hi-Fi? team with massive hi-fi brands including Bowers & Wilkins, KEF, Pro-Ject and Bang & Olufsen all launching new products. On top of that we also got fresh word from Harman, which completed its acquisition of Sound United.

Here’s everything you need to know.

We had a chinwag with Harman about its plans for B&W, Denon and more

The biggest news to break last week was Harman completing its purchase of Sound United, a giant group that includes Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, HEOS and Boston Acoustics under its umbrella.

The deal was announced in May but Harman, which has been owned by Samsung since 2016, has been tight-lipped about its specific plans for each brand.

Which is why, with the deal now complete, eager folks that we are we got straight on the phone to Dave Rogers, President, Lifestyle Division, Harman, to find out what the purchase means for each company.

Read the full story: “Maintaining that core identity of each brand is imperative” – Harman won't be tinkering with Bowers & Wilkins' sound following Sound United acquisition

Bowers & Wilkins launched new wireless headphones

Last week Bowers & Wilkins unveiled its latest Px8 S2 wireless headphones, claiming they’re “the best it has ever created”.

The new headphones are a follow up to the five star B&W Px8 we reviewed in 2022. B&W’s making some punchy claims about the upgrades it has made, the biggest being the use of a new 40mm Carbon Cone drive unit. B&W claims the new unit will let the headphones offer "exceptionally low colouration and distortion" and "stunning detail and clarity".

We’ve been testing the Px8 S2 for over a week and are on the verge of publishing our review, where we'll verify if the bold claims ring true with real-world use. So make sure to check back soon for our final verdict of the Px8 S2 and how they compare to their main rivals, the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Dali IO-8.

Read the full story: Bowers & Wilkins pledges its new flagship wireless cans are the "best headphones we have ever created"

KEF has a new Bluetooth speaker

KEF’s been on a run recently, launching a wealth of new products over the past nine months. These range from its first soundbar, the five-star KEF XIO, which we reviewed earlier this year, to a new Bluetooth speaker it unveiled last week.

Specifically, the brand launched its second generation Muo, a colourful unit looking to dominate the upper echelons of the Bluetooth speaker market, with pricing starting at £249 / $249 / AU$460.

The speaker has been redesigned internally from the ground up, making it a completely different beast to the original KEF Muo, which launched all the way back in 2015 and proved to be good, but not best in class – earning four, rather than five stars.

Technical highlights include the use of a tweaked version of the P-Flex Surround Technology seen in KEF’s KC62 and KC92 subwoofers, alongside the Music Integrity Engine DSP processing, previously found in larger hi-fi speakers, including the KEF LS60 Wireless.

Read the full story: KEF’s new Muo speaker promises premium sound, wrapped in funky colour options

Bang & Olufsen’s latest wireless earbuds are uber-expensive

Wireless headphones costing over £1000 / $1000 are becoming increasingly common. Bang & Olufsen, Mark Levinson, Focal, T+A and even luxury brand Loewe all offer premium pairs at the moment.

Thousand-bucks wireless earbuds, however, are still something of a rarity. Which is why when Bang & Olufsen unveiled its new £1000 / €1200 / $1500 Beo Grace earbuds, the move turned a few heads in What Hi-Fi? towers.

What has B&O done to justify their price? There are two key things. First is the use of premium 12mm titanium drivers and an “advanced acoustic architecture” that the firm claims will let them deliver “unrivalled audio performance”.

The second is their custom ‘EarSense-powered’ Adaptive ANC, which B&O claims is “four times” more effective than any previous B&O earbuds.

We haven’t had a chance to check either claim as we’re yet to get a pair in for testing. But the price and bold marketing claims make the Grace an interesting beast nonetheless.

Read the full story: Bang & Olufsen promises its new flagship wireless buds are its “best-sounding and most intelligent ever”

Pro-Ject’s new premium turntables look swish

After showing them off as prototypes earlier this year, Austrian hi-fi brand Pro-Ject has finally fully launched its flagship Signature 12.2 and The Classic Reference, putting them on sale in the UK.

The Signature 12.2 is the star of the show, with the firm claiming it is the most advanced turntable it has ever made – a bold message considering Pro-Ject's strong record in the record playing market. Built from 100 individually CNC-machined parts, the record player is full of custom hardware you won’t find anywhere else and is available at Henley Audio for £10,599 (around $14,000 / AU$22,000).

Below it, the Classic reference is a limited edition greatest-hits piece that combines elements of Pro-Ject's Classic EVO and VPO 175 Vienna Philharmonic. But, be warned, while it’s a lot less than its launch partner, the Classic is still an undeniably premium turntable, with pricing set at £4349 (around $6000 / AU$9000).

Read the full story: Pro-Ject's new flagship Signature 12.2 turntable is its "most advanced" ever

MORE:

These are the best record players we’ve fully reviewed

Our picks of the best wireless earbuds

We rank the best wireless headphones

The recent news that Harman International’s $350 million acquisition of Sound United and all the brands associated with it has been signed, sealed and delivered is one of the biggest pieces of hi-fi news to break in recent memory.

In case you missed it, Bowers & Wilkins, Denon and Marantz are all now under the same ownership as AKG, Arcam, Harman Kardon, JBL, Mark Levinson and Revel.

This makes Harman quite the audio behemoth, with an even longer list of major brands under its belt, all with serious pedigree and impressive global reach.

We sat down with Dave Rogers, President, Lifestyle Division, Harman, to give us a bit of background on the deal, explain how Sound United and all its brands fit into the Harman family, and how things might take shape moving forward.

Rogers reveals that when Sound United was originally bought by Masimo back in February 2022 for $1.025 billion, Harman was also in the mix as a potential purchaser.

“When Masimo bought them, we were in the discussion at that point. We were one of the companies – there were some other parties involved – and then Masimo stepped in while we were talking to them, made the offer that they made, and we stepped away at that point.”

According to Rogers, many of the people involved in the 2022 discussions were involved this time around, too. “We’ve had interest in Sound United for a long time, and many of the leadership team were involved in those (2022) discussions. Those same people were in the meetings this time.

“At the end of last year, there was some press that was starting to show up before CES. And when we went to CES 2025, we arranged a first discussion to connect again – and it just evolved from there.”

Rogers mentions it’s only natural that Harman would be interested.

“99 per cent of the products we build are audio related, and they (Sound United) are pre-eminent brands in the space, in categories where we don't have a super strong presence.”

Rogers clarifies, “The AVR space, I mean. Arcam’s a great brand; we do nice business, but it's in a very small sliver of the market geographically, and we plan to keep it in that space, in that niche space.

“Maybe there's some learning on feature set or manufacturing capability in the plant in Japan, that Denon and Marantz have – maybe they could do some manufacturing there.”

It’s in manufacturing and engineering where Rogers feels big things could potentially happen.

“Leveraging the manufacturing capability of Sound United in the Worthing plant and in Shirakawa, could there be benefits? That would be the first place we'll look – but no decisions have been made.

“We'd look to leverage those facilities and then create a dialogue between engineers to share best-in-class, knowledge, information, testing that they’re doing and so on. Certainly, facilities are open to share; there are no hard lines between them.”

Denon has consistently made some of the best AV receivers we have tested in recent years, while the Marantz Cinema 30 is the AV receiver we use in the reference home cinema system in our dedicated London test room.

Rogers continues, “Equally, with the Bowers brand, we hope to leverage the UK plant for some Harman speaker manufacturing, assuming they have the capacity.

“There are some great engineers in Japan designing products. We'd like to get the team in England over there, or the team in Japan over to England, to share ideas on Arcam with the Japanese colleagues.

“We'd like to have some of the (Harman) loudspeaker engineers collaborate with the Bowers engineers looking for improvement.”

With that many brands under one roof, could there be any big clashes?

“In JBL, there's not a lot of crossover. There's not a lot of crossover in the headphone space. Bowers sits more premium, above everything that we're doing with the JBL brand; even Denon does to a certain degree.”

Part of the appeal for Harman appears to be in brands that have different appeal in different markets, due to the different sounds those territories favour. Rogers points to Bowers & Wilkins speakers as an example.

“You’ve got a UK/Europe-based loudspeaker, which has a different sonic signature from a US-based, dome and cone speaker, such as a Revel or a Polk, or a horn or waveguide speaker, such as a JBL. There's a different sonic character. So we believe there's a market for all those brands to coexist. Maintaining that core identity of each brand is, I think, imperative.”

“We are very committed to having unique brand identities and heritages – we don’t want to disturb it, we're not looking to homogenise. We think each brand has a special place, especially in the high-end market.”

Does Rogers foresee much change? Initially, no. He sees the relationship following a similar path to that Harman took following its purchase by Samsung. That means Sound United is, and will continue to be, run as separate businesses.

“Sound United will come into the lifestyle division (of Harman), independently managed with its own sales force, with its own supply chain, with its own customer service. So we're pulling it in, but they're going to run the business within the consumer space.

“They have built a nice business, and we want to amplify that and put 100 per cent focus on audio, to identify features and use cases of consumers, and try to anticipate those use cases based on how people consume content.”

MORE:

Harman now owns Bowers & Wilkins, Marantz and Denon as Masimo deal completes

Our pick of the best AV receivers you can buy, for every budget

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Read our full Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 review

Harman's acquisition of some of the biggest names in hi-fi is now complete.

It has taken over Masimo's Sound United stable of brands, which encompasses Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, HEOS and Boston Acoustics.

Harman – which has been owned by Samsung Electronics since 2016 – already owns Arcam, AKG, JBL, Mark Levinson and Revel.

This gives Harman a broad spread of devices across all sorts of audio categories, including home audio, electronics, headphones and in-car audio.

The deal was announced in May.

“Harman’s vision is to create experiences that enrich people’s lives through exceptional audio experiences,” said Dave Rogers, president of Harman's Lifestyle Division. “Sound United’s impressive roster of brands is rooted in a deep passion for sound, innovation, and commitment to quality that aligns with Harman's own values.”

Customers shouldn’t notice any immediate changes, as Sound United will operate as a standalone Strategic Business Unit (SBU) within Harman’s Lifestyle Division. Which will mean that each brand’s “heritage, expertise and loyal customer base remain central to their identity.”

But with Harman’s extra resources, its new brands “will gain greater reach with enhanced capabilities, while continuing to realise their distinct goals and better succeed in the marketplace.”

US medical company Masimo acquired Bowers & Wilkins in 2020, and added the eight audio brands from Sound United only three years ago.

Hopefully Harman will provide some much needed stability and help the brands prosper.

MORE:

“Maintaining that core identity of each brand is imperative” – Harman won't be tinkering with Bowers & Wilkins' sound following Sound United acquisition

19 of the best B&W products of all time

Dolby Atmos is being added to Audi’s Bang & Olufsen in-car hi-fi offering – but there's a catch

Read our Marantz CD6007 review

Philips has announced a new entry to its affordable NeoPix projector line, promising it will prove that "a proper home cinema experience" doesn't need to break the bank.

The new NeoPix 750 is set to launch at an unspecified point in September and will retail for £349 (we’re waiting on pricing in other regions and will update this page when we get it).

This makes it the top option in Philips’ current lineup, sitting above the £239, NeoPix 230 and £269, NeoPix 250, which launched earlier this year.

Philips is listing audio as a key selling point for the NeoPix 750, claiming its dual 7W stereo speakers and “super silent” fan system will deliver room-filling surround sound that is a cut above rival offerings.

Unlike rivals from the likes of Xgimi there’s no partnership with a big name audio company for tuning, or mention of DTS or Dolby surround sound support. Xgimi’s latest affordable projectors often feature a Harman-Kardon branded sound system.

Though the latter is to be expected on a projector at this price, it features HDMI, USB A, USB C and 3.5 audio output connections so it is possible to attach a separate sound system if needed.

Outside of this, the projector has a competitive feature set for its price that is roughly in line with direct rivals, including the recently unveiled Elfin Flip, which is set to retail for an equivalent £339 / $399 / AU$TBC.

The LCD unit’s single LED light source is capable of delivering a 120-inch, FHD picture with a 3000:1 contrast ratio and 700 lumens max brightness. 

The brightness level means it should be usable in normally lit rooms, though you’ll get the best results watching in the dark. Philips claims the LED will offer at least 30,000 hours of viewing.

Like its siblings, the NeoPix 750 is set to run on the Android-based LuminOS, which supports most major streaming apps including Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV. However, like nearly all the affordable projectors we’ve seen recently, Netflix and many UK catch-up apps, including Freely, are not supported. So you’ll likely need to attach a streaming stick if you want access to them.

Like all of the 2024 NeoPix projectors, the 750 features keystone correction and four-corner adjustment, which should make it relatively easy to set up, even if not placed directly in front of the area it's projecting onto.

We’re yet to review any of Philips NeoPix portable projectors, so we can’t sensibly comment on performance, but the spec sheet is competitive. The only question is whether it will be able to compete with the sea of other portable projectors set to arrive this year. Xgimi unveiled six new projectors, many of them affordable at the IFA tradeshow in Berlin earlier this month. Anker also has a new line of Nebula projectors that launched this year.

MORE:

These are the best projectors we’ve reviewed

We rate the best portable projectors

Our picks of the best surround sound packages

One of the big news stories of 2023 for audio enthusiasts was the acquisition of the Roon music-management platform by Harman International, the parent company of esteemed audio brands such as Mark Levinson, Arcam, JBL, and Harman Kardon.

The music-library platform is the go-to for many who want their streaming services, digital music files and favourite internet radio stations organised and played in the best quality possible on a home network. The platform also offers users the ability to deep-dive into their music collection in a way other services don't.

At CES 2024 we sat down with Harman’s President of Lifestyle, Dave Rogers, and Roon CEO, Enno Vandermeer, to talk a bit more about Roon, the company’s acquisition and future plans.

• Harman acquires Roon – here's what that means for subscribers
• Roon: how the music platform works and how to try it for free

We kick things off by asking Vandermeer to describe Roon for anyone who might not be familiar with the platform…

EV:

“Roon aggregates your sources – so files, either hi-res downloads or ripped CDs, streaming content from Tidal, Qobuz, KKbox as well as internet radio – and it retrieves a ton of additional metadata about that music. And that metadata is really what drives the user experience. it provides a much richer browsing, discovery and collecting experience, than you'll find in a player app like iTunes, or a streaming app, like Spotify.

“We identify a track, then we pull the data from a number of sources that, again, we aggregate. We use seven or eight different online data sources – data sets are all pulled down and then applied to the music.

“Roon gives you this experience for browsing and exploring your music collection. And then that lets you play it back on pretty much any device you have. If it produces sound via USB AirPlay, Chromecast, Squeezebox or our own protocol, Roon will work with it and at the highest possible sound quality that the hardware is capable of. It will transcode and upsample or downsample as necessary to give each device the optimal stream based on its hardware kit.”

For Vandermeer, it’s all about the enthusiast and offering extra levels or layers of discovery that streaming services currently don’t.

“If you think about what a streaming service is and what their business goals are, and the scale… it's such a narrow-margin business that scale is the only way they can hope to succeed. So the user experience has to appeal to absolutely everyone. And as a matter of policy, what they generally do is make it simple. ‘Let's make it easy to use and not overcomplicate this and confuse people.’ 

“So we've gone the other way and said we're after people who care about what they are listening to, who want to explore and want to have this kind of experience. So by focusing on the enthusiast, we have kind of built this feature set that streaming services don't have”

While a streaming service such as Spotify just provides information such as track listings and artist, Roon can pull all people who performed on a song – right down to the backing singers, songwriters, engineers and producers.

“There are a bunch of places that are jumping off points and this is partly to combat the tyranny of choice problem where you open Spotify for the first time: here are 200 million tracks, figure out what to play. From a simple seed like one song, we can show you a number of avenues to explore.”

We bring Dave Rogers in, and ask how the Roon acquisition came about and what Harman was looking for.

DR: 

“A couple of things. One is, we're a device company, and we are really focused on the user interface, the tactile experience and that experience with the end user. And we thought, okay, using that passion, we could get into the software space. We started canvassing who did it well, and one of the companies that we uncovered, and we felt did it best, was Roon. 

The other thing was that we didn't have the expertise. And when we met Enno’s team, we just were blown away by their depth of knowledge, the way they looked at the market, the experience they were giving; and we felt that was a really good fit. So we decided to do it.

We feel that they can help us navigate and build better user interfaces in our core business. But we have made sure that they have their own space and a business unit (Pro, Consumer and Roon). So Roon can develop their product further, and be more meaningful to their user base.”

We ask Rogers if he sees a trickle-down effect of what Roon has created making its way into other Harman products further down the line.

DR:

We haven’t contemplated that yet. Mission number one, because Roon has built a nice community of listeners, is keeping those folks happy and adding features to the experiences to the extent that they can. And then, are there other products that we can build, not even related to Roon, that might be an option?

“On the front end, what we envisioned was the leaders of the business would help us look for products. Could there be something in one of our products in the future? Maybe, but we’re not at that point yet.”

Currently, Roon supports Tidal, Qobuz and KKbox streaming services, but will it be looking to get other streaming services on board?

EV:

“This is something that Harman is going to be able to help us with just because there are some streaming services where integration would be more attractive with a wider, broader reach, scale of users, that sort of thing. So yes, we definitely plan to increase the number of streaming services over time. We've got KKbox now, which is for Asia, that's mostly Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia. The ambition is absolutely there to add services.”

With Roon available across a range of products from various manufacturers, we ask if there will be any restriction on that – will it be limited to products from the Harman family over time?

EV:

“No, definitely not. This was one of the main factors. For probably 18 months we have been looking at what kind of partner we could work with that would give us access to more resources. We've been a self-funded startup since the beginning, so obviously, we are growing incrementally. You're only growing your team when your revenue allows it. It's a very constrained kind of growth.

“And as our aspirations have grown, we've been looking for someone we could partner with that would let us do more and amplify what we do. This was one of the main considerations; sort of the cornerstone of our corporate mortgage strategy has always been being compatible with everything and Harman is strongly committed to supporting that. It's very important, I think, to the quality of the products and the value proposition of the product that we continue to do that.”

We ask Vandermeer if we might see an enthusiast-lite version of Roon, a half-way house between, say, what Spotify has and the data-rich experience that Roon currently offers.

EV:

"We have definitely contemplated that and we definitely have ideas about how we might do it.  But we have made our home in the audiophile-enthusiast world, in part because the product architecture makes sense for that kind of user.

For the time being, our strategy is to double down on the audience that we serve right now because it's in our DNA – it's what we've always done. So really, the first port of call is to make sure that we are meeting all the needs and use cases of those very, very demanding listeners. Whatever we do in the future for whatever audience, knowing that we make the best product for the most demanding user gives us a halo effect on anything else we might do.”

Finally, we ask if there will be any pricing changes for Roon off the back of the Harman acquisition (currently $14.99 per month billed monthly, £12.49 per month billed annually or $829.99 for lifetime billing).

EV:

"It’s something we will look at as we evaluate markets, but for the time being, Roon is going to continue operating exactly as it does. Harmon set us up as a business unit within the lifestyle division, which gives us a tremendous amount of autonomy and the ability to keep running as we have been."

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Whatever happened to the budget stereo amplifier market?

Harman International, owned by Samsung, has added music management platform Roon to its family of brands, which includes Harman Kardon, AKG, JBL, Mark Levinson, Revel, Infinity and Lexicon.

Having begun life in 2015, Roon is a $150/year music library platform that organises all of your streaming services, audio files and internet radio in one place and allows you to send it to hi-fi devices on your network, controlled via the dedicated computer, phone or tablet app. Essentially, Roon is the brain which tells your music what to do and where to do it – 'the policeman directing the traffic', to borrow a rather neat metaphor from our Roon explainer. 

The software has been increasingly popular in the hi-fi space, not only with users but also the industry; according to Roon, over 1000 devices from nearly 200 audio brands are compatible, including most of the big hitters (JBL, Mark Levinson et al included!). We certainly find it highly intuitive to use, not only for organisation but also as a curation and discovery tool. Yes, it's pretty pricey – but there is a free trial.

So what does the takeover by Harman International mean for Roon subscribers? Not much right now it seems. Harman's press release states that 'Roon will operate as a standalone Harman business with its existing team', while in a community forum post, Roon Labs Founder Enno Vandermeer reassures subscribers that "Roon will continue exactly as it is", with memberships and billing processes remaining without interruption, no change to device support (or customer support for that matter), and the community forum site set to continue.

Vandermeer writes: "We’re excited because this is the right time to open a new chapter for Roon and the enthusiasts it serves. If you’ve been reading our posts over the years, you’ve probably sensed that getting a startup to escape velocity is a struggle. That’s because it is; startups with passionate founding teams fail every day. Succeeding as a young company is a constant quest to balance serving the needs of customers with keeping the lights on and bringing on talented people to augment the team. Achieving that balance – particularly without external funding – takes vision, nerves, and a deep reservoir of reckless optimism.

"In our new position under the Harman umbrella, we can lean into our vision without the frayed nerves."

MORE:

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When is a soundbar not a soundbar? When it has detachable rear speakers, a wireless subwoofer and 15 audio channels, that's when. Such skills elevate it to somewhere near proper surround sound system territory.

But connect the JBL Bar 1300's detachable speakers to the main soundbar, and it'll be small enough to fit under your TV.

It's not the first JBL soundbar to offer this functionality – the Bar 9.1 offers more of the same – but the new Bar 1300, launched at CES 2023, has more audio channels than any other model in the range (the next closest is the Bar 1000, with 11 channels). It also packs Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D virtual surround sound technologies.

Inside are six up-firing drivers and JBL's MultiBeam tech (also seen in the Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 700), which, like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, makes standard audio sound like surround sound.

The detachable speakers have rechargeable batteries and need no wires to work. Either can pair with a Bluetooth device to work as a standalone speaker, or can work together to provide stereo sound. And the wireless subwoofer features a 10-inch (25cm) driver.

It's intended as a home cinema system – with parent company Harman's PureVoice tech optimising vocal clarity for clearer dialogue – but also connects to online music services over wi-fi. Connect it to a voice assistant-enabled device and you can bark commands at Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. You can tweak the EQ using the new JBL One mobile app, too.

Apple's AirPlay 2, Alexa MRM and Chromecast built-in wireless technologies also come as standard, giving you more options for wireless connectivity.

The JBL Bar 1300 will go on sale in mid-February 2023 for £1299.99 (around $1555, AU$1999).

MORE:

Check out the best soundbars money can buy

Read our Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 700 review

And our Sonos Beam review

Here's all the latest news from CES 2023

Like the adage of judging a book by its cover, trying to guess what a soundbar sounds like from its appearance would likely prove an unsuccessful endeavour, mainly because the vast majority of these linear home cinema speakers all look pretty much the same.

But after clapping eyes and ears on the elegantly built but cumbersomely named Harman Kardon Citation Multibeam 1100 Dolby Atmos soundbar for the first time, we can’t help but have a small Catchphrase Roy Walker epiphany of, “Say what you see!” after we realise that this streamlined, minimal and tasteful speaker sounds just as it looks.

Price

The Harmon Kardon Citation Multibeam 1100 costs £799 / AU$1199 (around $726), skirting just below the formidable Sonos Arc, which costs £899 / $899 / AU$1499 but can frequently be found for less.

Both soundbars can be expanded to a 5.1.2 system; for the Multibeam 1100, the optional additions include the sizable Citation Sub costing £700 / AU$995 (around $810) or the smaller Harman Kardon Citation Sub S priced £300 / AU$545 (around $347), as well as the Harman Kardon Citation Surround Speakers priced at £400 / AU$795 (around $463) per pair.

These supplementary speakers are comparable to Sonos, where a pair of One SL speakers will set you back £358 / $358 / AU$538, the Sub Gen 3 £699 / $699 / AU$999 and the Sub Mini £429 / $429 / AU$699.

Build

The two soundbars have more in common than just their price point. There’s a similarity in design between the three-time What Hi-Fi? Award winner with the Multibeam 1100’s oval profiles and gentle curves.

Like the rest of the Citation series, the Multibeam 1100 is wrapped in Kvadrat wool and available in black or light grey. The two funnel-like ends are open to aid the projection of its side-firing drivers and are linked by a long, thin seam across the front edge, which bears the Harman Kardon logo.

Topping off the Multibeam 1100’s high-end finish is an unexpected hi-res, full-colour touch-sensitive LCD panel. Swiping through its menus and tapping on icons to control connectivity and playback is a lovely user experience. It makes for a straightforward set-up and auto-calibration, which concludes with a top-notch spinning soundbar visual. Unfortunately, the presence of this slick app-like interface on the soundbar comes at the expense of an actual app.

Harman Kardon’s Citation speakers use Chromecast, Apple Airplay 2 and Alexa MRM for multi-room streaming to promote brand inter-operability, which all makes sense, but not having a proprietary app for easy access to settings feels like a considerable oversight at this price, especially when you’re competing with the likes of Sonos.

The Multibeam 1100 works with Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa, but thankfully there is a nubby, small-print remote to control some of the soundbar’s functions. However, with that lovely little screen placed frustratingly out of sight on the top of the soundbar, you have to make do with visual feedback from four tiny white lights on the front face.

Once you know your way around the menu a bit, interpreting these blinking signals becomes more bearable, and in our listening room, the soundbar’s auto-calibration didn’t require too much additional tweaking from us – not that there’s a huge amount of leeway for this. There’s a basic two-band EQ, as well as a voice enhancement mode that uses Harman’s Pure voice technology and a night-time option that reduces that soundbar’s dynamic range to avoid disturbing others.

Features

Inside, the Multibeam 1100 houses 11 drivers in total, comprising six 55 x 90mm racetrack woofers, three 25mm tweeters, and a pair of 70mm up-firing drivers. These use Harman’s MultiBeam technology, which combines angled speaker arrays with digital signal processing to produce a wide range of frequencies with sharp directivity that can be ‘beamed’ off walls and ceilings for a more spacious sound. 

All that technology is put to use with Dolby Atmos decoding on board. Harman Kardon doesn’t provide a complete list of supported audio formats for the Multibeam 1100, but there’s no provision for DTS:X, which will disappoint Blu-ray fans. Atmos, however, is provided at three discrete level settings which can be changed by using the remote or top panel and appears to alter the volume of the height drivers.

Next to the remote’s Atmos button is one labelled Surround which toggles the Multibeam 1100’s Smart Surround mode on and off. This setting is enabled by default every time you turn on the soundbar and applies Dolby Surround upmixing to the soundbar’s HDMI eARC TV input. As well as eARC, there’s an optical input and an additional HDMI passthrough to allow users with Blu-ray players, games consoles and streaming sticks to plug directly into the soundbar. This port can handle 4K/60Hz with VRR and HDR support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

Sound

Watching Dune in Dolby Atmos on Blu-ray, the Multibeam 1100 puts in a surprisingly potent performance for such a slight soundbar with a considerable amount of volume and bass. It takes a similar tack to the Sonos Arc, slightly sanitising low-frequency sounds beyond its reach.

This results in low rumbles, such as the burrowing sandworm sounding flattened and a little undefined, while the booming percussion lacks a decisive leading edge. Despite these concessions, the Multibeam 1100 rarely sounds like it's struggling, and no matter how much sub-bass we throw at it, it always feels carefully well-measured.

In the cavernous aircraft hangar scene between Duncan and Paul, the echoes of people and equipment moving around are pleasingly projected on either side of our listening position. Unlike some soundbars, which rely too heavily on wispy high frequencies to create an airy spaciousness, the Multibeam 1100’s surround processing has a welcome solidity.

It helps the effects from the far reaches of the soundstage blend seamlessly with the score that's more rooted to the front. Of course, it doesn’t recreate the experience of having physical surround speakers, but the Multibeam 1100’s grounded approach provides a striking cinematic experience for a single soundbar.

Dialogue is well presented, with authenticity and warmth, though there’s notably less sparkle and forward throw than the Sonos Arc. Those looking for an extra vocal bump will be pleased to find the Multibeam 1100’s Pure Voice mode offers some of the most tasteful speech enhancement we’ve heard.

Switching to The Batman, we get the opportunity to enjoy the Multibeam 1100’s ability to carefully balance heft with accuracy and definition. It remains coherent and controlled in big chaotic moments, if a little dynamically restrained, allowing details like the perpetually falling rain to be heard amongst the traffic, gunfire and powerful score.

Soundbars rarely deliver musically, so it's a bit of a surprise to find that the Multibeam 1100 puts in a competent performance when streaming music, in part because it seems to gently smooth-over any jagged edges that typically, soundbars have the unfortunate talent for exaggerating. 

Listening to Literary Mind by Sprints, there’s a nice separation and energy to the punk-tinged guitars and screaming vocal amongst the clashing kit and bobbing bass. Rhythmically the Multibeam 1100 is sure-footed, maintaining coherence and detail for an enjoyable listening experience, accompanied by album artwork on the soundbar's display.

Verdict

Sophisticated and unobtrusive, with no rough edges but a tad flat, the Multibeam 1100 puts in a sonic performance that mirrors its sleek exterior. Its presentation of Dolby Atmos is spacious but authentic, and musically it’s one of the more enjoyable soundbars we’ve listened to.

It lacks a properly integrated app interface and, compared to the Sonos Arc, is less dazzling with its height effects and vocals, but even if you’re not a Harman Kardon fan, this soundbar deserves to be on your list.

SCORES

• Build 5
• Features 4
• Sound 4

MORE:

Read our Sonos Arc review

Also consider the Sony HT-A5000

Our pick of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

You might be perfectly happy with your TV's picture performance, but find the sound quality is a little lacking. If that's the case, then investing in a soundbar is a great option.

After all, they are compact enough to fit under your TV screen, and offer plenty of different models to suit a variety of needs. We are yet to test a model that matches a multi-speaker setup, but many soundbars out there can still deliver an immersive yet detailed audio performance.

But which soundbar is right for you? If you find yourself asking this question, then you have come to the right place. In this guide, you will find the very best soundbars we have tested over the years, from budget bars to high-end systems.

You can read more about how we test soundbars, or simply scroll down to find the best model for your needs. If you are looking for models that are more wallet-friendly, we also have a guide to the best budget soundbars available at the moment.

We also have a guide for the best soundbar deals, so you can find out which models are at a discount.

1. Best soundbar overall

Replacing the original Sonos Arc can't have been a simple task (it's in the What Hi-Fi? Hall of Fame for very good reason) but, after literal years of rumours, said replacement is finally here – and it's exceptionally good.

The Arc Ultra looks very similar to its predecessor, but it's slightly less thick, which means it's even less likely to obstruct the bottom of your TV's image, and the new 'ledge', which houses most of the touch controls, is a stylish new touch.

As has always been the case with Sonos soundbars, simplicity is key. There's no remote or display – you just connect it to your TV via HDMI eARC and it takes over from your TV's speakers. For many people, that's ideal, but for others, the Arc Ultra will seem limited – particularly in its lack of dedicated HDMI inputs.

The lack of DTS:X support will bother some people, too, and it's fair to say that the Sonos app, while better than it has been, is still a little bit buggy.

Those flaws are worth overlooking if you're able to, though, because the sound quality is superb. The delivery is so crisp, clean and precise that it makes the original Arc sound a bit vague in comparison.

It's also vastly superior in terms of how much it fills the room and how accurately it places and tracks effects in three-dimensional space. A soundbar system that includes wireless surrounds and a sub, such as the Samsung HW-Q990D, will be even better in this regard, but the Atmos effect that the Arc Ultra delivers is deeply impressive by the standards of a solo soundbar – and you can always add surrounds and a dedicated subwoofer to the Arc Ultra at a later date if you have the appetite (and deep pockets).

The Arc Ultra also features a unique 'Sound Motion' woofer, which is markedly different to a typical speaker driver and which Sonos claims allows the new soundbar to produce 'double the bass' of its predecessor. In truth, the Arc Ultra doesn't sound vastly weightier than the previous model, but its bass is significantly punchier and more tuneful, even when really challenged. This is a real strength of the new soundbar.

These core audio qualities make the Arc Ultra almost as well-suited to music as it is to movies, which is very well indeed, making this a terrific all-rounder of a soundbar. If you can live with the lack of HDMI inputs, there's no better performance-per-pound soundbar around.

Read the full Sonos Arc Ultra review

2. Best cheap soundbar

If you're looking for a simple, constructive step up in sound from your TV's in-built speakers, Sony's HT-SF150 (known as the HT-S100F in the US) offers a significant sonic enhancement for little outlay.

Indeed there's almost no other competition worth considering for under £100 / $100 / AU$200. We have recently had a few contenders passing through the test rooms at a slightly higher price, namely the Sharp HT-SB700 and the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, but the SF150 still comes out on top.

While the SF150 is very affordable indeed, it doesn't look or feel cheap and it won't look out of place nestled below a much more premium TV. Alongside HDMI ARC, it has an optical input supporting Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono and LPCM 2ch. There's also a USB port and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity for music playback from an external source too.

The SF150 also features Sony's S-Force Front Surround technology, which applies processing to give the acoustic impression of a more encompassing soundstage. While there is no replacement for surround sound, it adds a dramatic sense of weight and separation.

Of course, you're not going to get sonic perfection for this sort of money, and the SF150's delivery of dialogue can be a smidge muffled at times. A little more impact to effects would be welcome, too. Still, the broad-strokes approach to sound taken here is probably a sensible one that means the 'bar gets the basics right and never offends. Anyone wanting a musical, finely detailed speaker should aim for a more sophisticated model. Still, this budget bar is ideal for those looking for a quick and easy improvement to their TV.

Read our full Sony HT-SF150 review

3. Best compact soundbar

The usual brands that jump out when you first think of a soundbar tend to be big-hitting brands such as Sonos, Sony and Samsung. But that doesn't mean lesser-known companies cannot be deserving of success. Take, for instance, the Creative Stage Pro, a small soundbar that comes from a brand best known for its computer accessories.

Consisting of a main soundbar that measures 8 x 55 x 11cm (hwd) and a slender subwoofer that comes in at 42 x 12 x 27cm, the Creative model is incredibly compact. This makes it ideal for small rooms, and it can be tucked neatly under a desk if you plan on pairing the system with a PC.

But how does it sound? The Stage Pro delivers a surprisingly cinematic audio performance despite its small footprint. We find when watching Blade Runner 2049, "Voices [...] are presented with impressive detail and emotion thanks to the bar’s solid handling of low-level dynamics."

The soundbar shines brightly when it comes to music as well, producing an enjoyable experience that’s underpinned by a pin-sharp sense of timing and impressively clean vocals.

We do find that the sound is pretty localised to the bar, and it struggles to push the sound out to deliver a truly immersive sound experience. But, considering its low price tag, the Stage Pro is a great choice if you are short on space and still want good audio quality.

Read our full Creative Stage Pro review

4. Best step-up soundbar

The HT-S2000 is a soundbar that’s centred on improving the sound that comes from your TV while keeping the cost as low as possible. There are few frills to find with this bar, with Sony opting for a straightforward design and feature set; but we think it's nailed it.

The S2000 is a fairly small unit, measuring just 6.4 x 80 x 12cm. It features Bluetooth 5.2 and HDMI eARC – something comparable bars such as the Sonos Ray do not offer. It also offers an Optical audio connection, in case your TV lacks eARC capabilities.

The S2000 uses a 3.1-channel arrangement with a built-in subwoofer and a total power output of 250W. There are no upfiring drivers which means that the height channels for the supported spatial audio formats, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, are achieved through Sony’s Vertical Sound Engine psychoacoustic sound processing system.

If you want to improve the audio of your favourite shows and movies at a price that won’t put you off, then the Sony is worthy of attention. It provides clearer, more dynamic and more direct sound than your TV will be capable of mustering. Sure, you can spend more on meatier-sounding soundbars, but at this price, the S2000 offers plenty of quality.

Read our full Sony HT-S2000 review

5. Best entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar

While it's undeniably diminutive in stature, everything else about the Beam Gen 2 is deeply impressive. Sonos essentially took its original Beam and added genuinely convincing Dolby Atmos without changing the overall design or adding dedicated upward-firing drivers.

It's all done through clever processing: the Beam Gen 2 uses psychoacoustic HRTF (head-related transfer function) technology to deliver a sense of height using two of the unit's five front-facing drivers.

The effect, while not quite as immersive as that offered by soundbars with dedicated up-firing speakers, is still very impressive, particularly considering the size and price of the Beam. All told, it provides an enveloping presentation that's rich, three-dimensional and full of detail.

During testing, we paired the Beam Gen 2 with TVs ranging from 43 inches to 65 inches in size, and in each case found that it "enhanced the cinematic scale and viewing experience". So don't discount this little soundbar if you've got a big TV.

Of course, with this being a Sonos soundbar, movie and TV sound is only one of its features. On top of that, you can use it as a full Sonos wireless speaker and even integrate it into a Sonos multi-room system. Control can be done via the Sonos S2 app, or you can simply send music to the 'bar using AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect or Tidal Connect. It even now supports hi-res 24-bit/48kHz 'Ultra HD' tracks from Amazon Music.

To cut a long story short, if you want a small, affordable soundbar that can deliver convincing Dolby Atmos, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the 'bar for you.

Read the full Sonos Beam Gen 2 review

6. Best mid-range soundbar

Soundbars for TV aren't new territory for Sonos, but the former What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Arc is the only soundbar from the brand, along with its Ultra sequel of course, to deliver Dolby Atmos with upfiring speakers. It sits above the Beam (Gen 2) in terms of pricing and is suited to 55-inch TVs and above, with optional wall mounting fixings available for £79 / $79 / AU$99.

There are touch-sensitive play/pause and volume controls on the bar with LEDs that indicate status and when you're talking to the built-in Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Connectivity includes AirPlay 2, ethernet and eARC for Dolby Atmos from compatible TVs.

The Sonos Arc uses 11 drivers to create your soundfield, several of which are upfiring and angled into your room to bounce sound off your walls and ceiling. “It’s so much more than just pointing a couple of speakers upwards,” said Sonos’s product manager Scott Fink when the Arc launched. “We focused on the playback precision of all the channels, including the height channels.” And that effort certainly paid off: the Arc offers one of the most convincing Atmos performances you can get from a single-chassis soundbar. Height junkies can turn up the volume of the Arc's upward-firing drivers using a separate control, but during our testing we don't find it necessary to overly boost the upfiring channels to enjoy the Arc's immersive delivery.

You're transported to the heart of the action. Surround effects are expertly placed, and there's great dynamism and good weight to the sound too. Tonally, it's nicely balanced if you just want to listen to music, although it could sound a tiny bit more direct. But make no mistake, this is a hugely impressive TV soundbar for the money.

Read our full Sonos Arc review

7. Best soundbar with HDMI 2.1

While the Sonos Arc Ultra is our top soundbar pick for most people, there are those for whom its lack of HDMI 2.1 inputs will be a deal-breaker. That's because most TVs have just two HDMI 2.1 inputs, one of which (the eARC port) will be taken up by the soundbar, which means there will be just one left for a current-gen console or gaming PC. That's fine if you have just one such device, but if you have two (or more!), only the one connected to the remaining HDMI 2.1 socket will be able to run with all of its fancy features – most notably 4K/120Hz – intact.

If that sounds familiar (and you want a solo soundbar rather than a system such as the Samsung HW-Q990D, below), you should check out the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9, which has a dedicated HDMI 2.1 input and support for 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM.

That HDMI input certainly isn't the only reason to consider this Sony soundbar, though. For sound quality, it's almost as good as the Sonos Arc Ultra – indeed, it won a What Hi-Fi? Award just before its new Sonos rival was launched.

The Sony sounds exceptionally crisp and precise, and the Atmos-ness of its delivery is hugely impressive for a standalone bar – though you can also add wireless surrounds (and a sub) at a later date if you so wish. It's really dynamic, too, delivering big shifts and low-level subtleties with ease. It can deliver deep bass by soundbar standards, too, although just occasionally a particular bass note can stick out a little more than it perhaps should.

Other than that, the only flaw of note is a slightly clinical character – the Arc Ultra is that little bit warmer in tone but still plenty precise.

In terms of design, the Theatre Bar 9 is a big improvement on the HT-A7000 it replaces, with a much softer and more subtle appearance. There are some handy feet in the box that can be attached to the bar so it can straddle a TV stand, too.

All-in-all, this is an excellent soundbar that should be considered alongside the Sonos Arc Ultra – and if you need the additional input, it's an easy decision in favour of the Sony.

Read the full Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 review

8. Best soundbar package

For many, buying a full surround system simply isn't feasible when it comes to both space and cost. On the other hand, a lone soundbar might not quite cut it. This is where a soundbar package such as the Q990F steps in.

The system is made up of a soundbar, a subwoofer, and two surround speakers. The step up from the five-star Q990D to the Q990F isn’t huge, but it has kept what we liked about the previous model and only improved on it.

It's an 11.1.4-channel system, with 23 drivers in total. With support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, we were impressed by the soundbar's ability to create that all-important dome of sound as well as ensuring the sound moves organically between the channels.

When it comes to its bass performance, we say in our review: "There is a much greater sense of tonal variation from this sub [compared to the Q990D], which unearths a new layer to the bass. The Q990F’s bass feels more organic, balanced, and seamlessly integrated into the system as a result."

In terms of connectivity, there are HDMI eARC and optical ports to handle audio transmission from your TV, while the additional two HDMI sockets serve as passthrough ports. Both are rated to the HDMI 2.1 standard, with support for up to 4K/120Hz signals, plus HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

Despite it launching at the fairly eye-watering price of £1699 / $1999 / AU$1999, we have also spotted regular discounts that drop the system to under a grand in the UK. That combined with its exceptional audio performance makes it an easy recommendation for serious cinephiles.

Read our full Samsung HW-Q990F review

9. Best budget soundbar package

It's pretty rare to find a soundbar system that performs as well as the Hisense AX5125H, especially at such a low price. We tested it at £249 / $350 and, as if that wasn't enough of a bargain, we have already seen it drop to as low as £199 in the UK.

That's all well and good, but how does it actually sound? During testing, we were pleasantly surprised to find that this Dolby Atmos soundbar system is an incredibly cohesive and immersive performer at this price.

In our review, while watching Civil War, for example, we say: “Explosions and deep gunfire have good impact and solidity, and there’s just about enough tonal expression for bassy soundtrack elements to sound reasonably musical.”

Vocals are clear and sound relatively emotive too, although the subwoofer can get a little overzealous and cause them to become muffled in the busiest sections.

Many owners will simply connect their TV to the Hisense AX5125H via HDMI eARC/ARC and be done with it. Those with external sources, however, will be pleased to hear that the soundbar also has a dedicated HDMI input – though, for gaming, it's limited to 60Hz.

The included soundbar, subwoofer, and two surround speakers are simple to set up as well, although there's nothing too interesting being done when it comes to their basic design.

If your budget can't stretch to the more pricey Samsung HW-Q990F model, this more affordable Hisense system would be a great option for you to upgrade your TV's sound.

Read the full Hisense AX5125H review

10. Best premium soundbar

KEF took its time releasing its first soundbar considering how long it has been in the hi-fi and home cinema business, but the XIO was worth the wait. It's quite the proposition – a premium soundbar crammed full of features including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, a comprehensive app and plenty of streaming options available.

On top of that, it is packed with some of KEF's signature technology including six Uni-Q MX drivers. Rather than having two separate drive units, a tweeter and mid/bass, that fit into a single assembly like we are used to seeing in KEF products, this new MX driver has a dual diaphragm arrangement that features a clever mechanical crossover to allow the high-frequency central section to operate separately.

Through the app, you can calibrate the soundbar to the room and choose from a variety of sound profiles. While the soundbar's design is relatively flat and mature, there are not as many HDMI connections as we would like with only one HDMI eARC input.

But how does it actually sound? In our in-depth review, we state: "Despite the XIO’s slim and relatively compact dimensions, it still manages to produce an impressively wide and immersive soundstage." Its ability to spread sound around the space is admirable, too, as it manages to keep each frequency clear yet integrated.

When compared with the rival Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max, we find that while the Sennheiser produces a bassier and more impactful sound, "KEF counters with more clarity, greater precision in the way sounds are rendered and notably more finesse in the way low-level dynamics are delivered."

The XIO's performance with music is incredibly pleasing and we add that the soundbar "can easily serve as a standalone music system, which is more than we can say for the vast majority of soundbars that come our way."

For those who want a balanced overall sonic performance for music and movies at a premium price tag, the XIO is the best we have heard.

Read the full KEF XIO review

11. Best high-end soundbar

The cream of the soundbar crop comes in the form of the Focal Mu-so Hekla. The all-in-one system can act as a soundbar and a hi-fi system, making it a rare proposition.

The bar is one metre long, almost 30cm deep and 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. There is a stylish illuminated dial on the top of the bar, which lets you control volume with a twist to the side, and also acts as a touch screen to adjust input and power.

This all means you need to consider where you will place the system, as it only just fits under our TV screen and the light from the dial is reflected off the screen from certain angles.

But how does it actually sound? In short, absolutely brilliant. It produces a rich, detailed sound that outdoes other premium soundbar rivals with both music and movies.

Bass is composed yet impactful, adding an extra punch that never stands out too much from the other frequencies.

This impressive performance with films continues with music. We say in our review when listening to 500 Miles by Peter, Paul and Mary: "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's by far the most expensive model on this list, but if you have limited space (and unlimited funds), then this is the top pick.

Read the full Focal Mu-so Hekla review

Also consider

The best alternative soundbars we have tested:

JBL Bar 300MK2
While it does not quite reach the same heights as the Sonos Beam Gen 2 in the entry-level Dolby Atmos category, the five-star JBL Bar 300MK2 produces a bombastic yet detailed sound for movies.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S
Another alternative to the Sonos Beam Gen 2 comes with the Theatre Bar 7 + S combination, which features a soundbar and subwoofer. It's a beautifully balanced soundbar package that is hard to fault, making it a top performer at this money.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6
Although it did not trump the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) in the best entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar category, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 provides excellent room-filling sound that will suit many people. It might lack the subtlety and detail to be the cream of the crop, but you get a lot of kit for your money.

Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos
This is the cheapest Dolby Atmos soundbar system we have had in our test room, but it well outperforms its low price tag. Don't go in expecting fully immersive surround sound, but the Majority system delivers a cinematic sound considering its size and price.

Sony HT-A3000
In terms of pricing and features, the Sony HT-A3000 is just like the Sonos Beam Gen 2. It doesn't deliver Dolby Atmos sound anything like as effectively as the Beam, but its detail and dynamics make it a big upgrade on TV sound.

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max
This Award-winning soundbar is quite the beast, measuring 127cm wide and 14cm tall. It sounds amazing, though, with oodles of bass and an immersive overall experience.

Sony Bravia Theatre System 6
We gave this Sony system five stars for its superbly punchy bass performance as well as its enveloping surround sound. It was just pipped by the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) for the top spot, but its oddball design gets you more kit for your money than the Award-winner.

How to choose a soundbar

Before you buy, there are some things to bear in mind. Consider the dimensions of your TV to work out just how big your new soundbar needs to be. You don't want it to be dwarfed by the screen, but then again, it could look strange partnering a massive bar with a small TV – like a tiny head perched atop overly broad shoulders. Look up the dimensions and compare the bar's width with that of your TV. Also, check the height – if you need to place the soundbar in front of your TV, you don't want it obscuring half the picture, and if it has upward-firing drivers, they need a clear line of sight to your ceiling to be effective.

Generally, soundbars are a single long speaker with several drivers inside but some come with external subwoofers for extra low-end extension and rear speakers for surround sound effects whereas others are compatible with other speakers from within the manufacturer's brand. If floor-shaking bass is high on your priority list then these are models you'll want to consider.

Next, features and connectivity. Many modern TV soundbars boast ARC and eARC-enabled HDMI ports, which can handle high bandwidth multichannel audio formats as well as optical inputs for older TVs. If your TV has ARC/eARC, you'll be able to control the volume of your soundbar with your existing remote control. It's worth considering if having a separate physical remote for the soundbar is important to you or if you're comfortable with controlling settings from a smartphone app.

Most modern soundbars have some options for wireless music playback with wi-fi streaming via services such as Airplay 2, Spotify Connect and Chromecast, as well as Bluetooth connectivity. Some also have microphones with voice assistant functionality or compatibility. If you have external devices such as games consoles or a 4K Blu-ray player, keep an eye out for additional HDMI passthrough ports that could make your set-up more flexible.

Should you be looking beyond just a simple improvement of your TV sound and want to purchase a soundbar that produces an immersive home cinema experience, you'll want to pay attention to models that can handle Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio. Some soundbars do this virtually with processing, and some include up-firing speakers for height effects. If you're interested in the latter, it's important to remember that the result will be more successful if you have low ceilings to bounce the sound off and that the top of the soundbar needs to be uncovered and placed clear of the TV screen.

If high-quality 3D sound is important to you, then you'll want to make sure both your TV and potential soundbar support Dolby TrueHD and eARC. The ARC standard can handle Dolby Atmos, but only in its Dolby Digital Plus form, which is lossy, whereas Dolby TrueHD can deliver full-fat Dolby Atmos in all its lossless glory.

Have a think about the content you'll be viewing and the sources you'll be plugging in. If you are just watching Freeview, many of these technologies will be redundant. But if you're streaming the likes of Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in 4K HDR, you'll want to squeeze out the best possible audio quality to make sure your content sounds as good as it looks. For a complete overview, check out our in-depth guide on how to choose and set up a soundbar.

If you're specifically looking for an affordable model, check out our best budget soundbars page, or if a Dolby Atmos soundbar is more your thing, we have a page dedicated to that too. Whether you spend a little or a lot, we think that all the models recommended will up your audio game with a fuss-free set-up.

How we test soundbars

We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Reading, where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that passes through our door. We allow for plenty of listening time as well as running them in before we begin reviewing.

Each soundbar we test is paired with an appropriate reference TV and is directly compared to the best in its price and features class – whether that's the current What Hi-Fi? Award winner or a few of the latest models we've been impressed by in recent reviews. What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, and we keep class-leading products in our stockrooms so we can easily compare new products to ones we know and love.

We always try to be impartial and do our best to make sure we're hearing every product at its very best, so we'll try plenty of different styles of films and TV shows that show what each soundbar is capable of with both advanced and standard audio formats. For example, if it's a Dolby Atmos soundbar, we'll use Blu-ray discs to hear its Dolby True HD performance, but we'll also check its performance with streaming services that use Dolby Digital Plus too.

Although soundbars are typically designed with film and TV in mind, we also put them through their paces with music too, testing out a range of streaming options with a variety of genres, both classic and modern, enduring that we listen in the highest quality that the soundbar is capable of.

Our reviews are broken into three sections: design, features and sound and all verdicts are agreed upon by the team rather than just an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible, too. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.

Recent updates

19 June 2026

Added Focal Mu-so Hekla as best high-end soundbar.

30 March 2026
Added Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos to also consider.

19th February 2026
Added Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 to also consider.

5th February 2026
Added Creative Stage Pro as 'best compact', and added JBL Bar 300MK2 as an 'also consider' entry.

25th November 2025
All entries checked and updated to reflect our latest buying advice, today's best deals and a fresh FAQ added.

22 October 2025
Added Hisense AX5125H as best budget soundbar package, and Samsung HW-Q990F as best soundbar package.

18 September 2025
Expanded FAQ section with more entries.

20 August 2025
Yamaha True X Surround 90A added to list of upcoming soundbars.

14 July 2025
KEF XIO replaces Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max as best high-end soundbar.

Soundbar FAQ

MORE:

Looking for a bargain? Here are the best budget soundbars

Best Dolby Atmos soundbars: surround sound systems without the hassle

Check out the latest and cheapest Sonos deals available now

If you're looking for a new soundbar, Harman Kardon has just the thing. The Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 succeeds the MultiBeam 700, and adds Dolby Atmos to the mix.

Dolby Atmos is a surround-sound technology that builds on the usual 5.1 or 7.1 systems by adding overhead audio channels to envelop the viewer, making the experience more immersive.

In this case, it's achieved through the MultiBeam 1100's 11 drivers, including two up-firing height channels.

But that's not the only string to its bow. Music streaming comes courtesy of Apple AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music and Chromecast built-in, while an HDMI eARC socket is also provided.

Automatic room calibration also comes as standard – the 1100 analyses your room layout and adjusts its audio output to suit its surroundings.

Struggling to hear that mumbled dialogue that pervades so many 'moody' films? The PureVoice technology might help. This is Harman Kardon's proprietary tech that aims to clarify speech through the centre channel at any volume. So you should be able to make out what the characters are saying and not disturb the neighbours.

The MultiBeam 1100 can also pair with other Citation separates like the Sub S subwoofer and Surround speakers to create up to a 5.1.2-channel system. What you lose in the convenience and space-saving of a soundbar you gain in added audio heft.

The MultiBeam 1100 comes in either grey or black, featuring real wool fabric from acoustic textiles experts Kvadrat. It will go on sale in May for £799.99 (about $1000, AU$1400).

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Harman Kardon has inked a deal with Renault to provide in-car audio systems. The first collaboration between the Samsung-owned hi-fi firm and French car maker will be the Renault Mégane E-Tech 100% Electric, due out next year.

There's no word on how long the partnership is for, but Harman describes this car as the "first step" in the collaboration, so presumably it's a multi-year deal.

According to Harman, the system's spatial arrangement and custom sound tuning mean precisely localised sound sources, creating the sensation of a bigger space. An algorithm equalises phase responses in the car to create a stable, well-defined, coherent sound image with stereo sound for all occupants, while Virtual Centre technology processes each speaker's audio signal to ensure the sweet spot is in just the right place.

Automatic level adjustment compensates for differences in sound intensity, so there will be no jarring even if you're going from dance to classical. Nine speakers and a sub provide 410W of power, while Harman's Externally Coupled Subwoofer technology reduces the sub's weight and volume without compromising performance.

Everyone in the car can tweak their individual audio stream, choosing between five presets: Studio, Concert, Immersion, Lounge and Club. And you don't have to worry about music being drowned out by the sound of the roaring engine – Harman's Vehicle Speed Compensation adjusts the music volume and tonal balance depending on the car's speed.

Harman's system will come as default on the top-line trim of the Mégane E-Tech 100% Electric, and as a premium option on the mid-level trim. Look out for it in 2022.

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Harman Kardon’s design team were clearly in an artistic mood when they created the Radiance 2400. The wireless home audio system goes big on minimalism, comprising two ultra-slim, ultra-sleek floor-standing speakers, a compact subwoofer and a discreet digital hub.

It’s the first to feature Harman’s patented Constant Beamwidth Technology, which has been designed primarily for the pro audio space and, based on beam-forming tuning, promises to deliver the same sound experience to every listener in the room regardless of where they are.

Each of the Radiance towers, which are 1.8m tall and remarkably just over 5cm wide and deep, has 24 “precisely calibrated” 1.25-inch transducers to help deliver a wide breadth of sound.

Below them is a champagne glass-shaped base that houses the wireless components and digital amplifiers. Here, Harman’s Digital Loop Amplifier technology works to correct the distortion that naturally occurs in digital amplification.

The separate subwoofer that accompanies the towers features a 10-inch cone, driven by a 200W amplifier, and naturally works to help beef up the bass, as well as the lower-mid frequencies. And, core to the working of the system, the Harman Kardon Radiance digital hub facilitates physical connectivity to a TV, games console or Blu-ray player, plus wireless streaming and multi-room pairing through Chromecast and AirPlay. While those streaming platforms encourage playback control through native apps that support them, alternative means of control is via the hub’s LCD touch screen or included Bluetooth-connected remote.

The Harman Kardon Radiance system will be available from October, priced £4000 (about AU$8000).

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Lithe Audio has released its new Pro Series Wi-Fi Ceiling Speakers, the first Dolby Atmos ceiling speakers to receive WiSA certification.

The feature-packed speakers have a built-in 60W RMS class D amplifier and can be powered via an existing lighting circuit, 13A plug, or over Ethernet (PoE++) courtesy of a bolt-on module. The driver unit contains a 6.5-inch woven cone woofer and a 0.75-inch titanium cone tweeter with a frequency response of 55Hz - 20kHz.

Each speaker has an optical input, ethernet in and out (allowing for daisy-chaining) and wi-fi capability at both 5GHz and 2.4GHz, and there's an extensive set of wireless connectivity and control options, including AirPlay2, Google Chromecast, Alexa, Bluetooth, and Spotify Connect, as well as Tidal, Deezer and Amazon Music courtesy of Airable.   

British-based Lithe specialises in hidden installs for homes and gardens, with the WiSA certified Pro Series launch aimed at creating easy integration with home cinema systems.

So what is WiSA? WiSA stands for the Wireless Speaker and Audio Association and is a trade body launched in 2019 with over 80 members from audio, consumer electronics and manufacturing, including Bang & Olufsen, Denon, Harman, LG, Onkyo, Pioneer, and Xbox. 

Its mission is to “collectively define worldwide standards for wireless, high-definition, multi-channel audio” through both hardware and software standards delivering high-res digital audio wirelessly from a source device to a maximum of eight channels. 

Products that gain WiSA certification must conform to the body’s protocols for latency, synchronisation and compatibility, which means that audio is transmitted and received at 24-bit/48kHz or 24-bit/96kHz sample rates with 5.2ms or 2.6ms of latency respectively, and also allows WiSA systems to support 3D audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

All WiSA products are interoperable regardless of manufacturer. Systems automatically recognise the type and number of compatible speakers being used in a multi-channel setup and its claimed that components synchronise to within 1/1,000,000 of a second.

Lithe’s Pro series also has a dedicated app for customising configuration, EQ and delay as well as delivering firmware updates and drivers for compatibility with automation platforms including Control4, Fibaro and Loxone.

The Pro Series Wi-Fi Ceiling Speakers are available from April 2021, priced from £600 for a standard pair and £770 for a pair with the PoE++ bolt-on. 

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Whenever we listen to a multi-room product, we want class-leading sound, of course, but almost as important is that its audio performance matches the DNA of its family members.

So in a strange way, though the Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 700 is one star short of a full complement, this is actually the perfect result. It fits seamlessly into a strong line-up of speakers, allowing Citation fans that want to match up their music and TV sound to buy with supreme confidence.

Features

Not that the MultiBeam is a product only for those already committed to the Citation ecosystem: this is an extremely competent and feature-laden soundbar in its own right. The fact it stayed plugged in to our TV for so long after testing is testament to that.

So, what do you get for your money? The MultiBeam is the smaller, and less expensive, of two Citation soundbars, but that doesn’t mean it's lacking in features.

The headline is its surround sound technology. Using drivers at each end of the soundbar, as well as those facing straight at the listener, the Citation MultiBeam achieves a 5.1 effect seeking to envelope you in sound without the need for multiple speakers.

Unlike some rivals, these drivers can also be bypassed for more traditional stereo listening, which is a big plus – especially if you were to use the MultiBeam as a wireless speaker for your music, too.

Harman Kardon’s intention is for their soundbars to be used as part of a home entertainment hub, rather than for boosting TV audio alone. To that end, it has all the same streaming features as the other Citation speakers, including Bluetooth, Chromecast and Apple AirPlay.

There are fewer physical connections than on some rivals – one HDMI ARC connection, aux in and optical in – but there’s nothing else that’s absolutely necessary. A wired internet port might be nice, but the Citation has both 2.4G and 5G wi-fi transmitters, so it shouldn’t drop out if your signal is strong enough.

Build

The cleanliness and simplicity of the design is one of its major fortés. There is a touch-screen strip across its crown – through which you can set it up, select inputs and the like – but there is a little you’d have to know in order to get it up and running.

One thing you should do is go through the automatic set-up, which sends out a series of audio signals to optimise the MultiBeam’s output for its specific environment. It’ll stop the surround effects crashing off nearby walls, and keep the output balanced even if one end is more boxed in than the other.

Familiarise yourself with the remote control, too. There’s a lot going on, including various sound modes that are worth fiddling with, though other than perhaps a minor EQ tweak, it will be mainly used for switching surround effects on and off.

That’s because you can use the built-in mic and Google Assistant to do most things hands-free, but also because once you’ve found a nice neutral sound, which with the MultiBeam it is quite simple to do, it is easy to just relax and enjoy.

Sound

It only takes a few minutes to realise the MultiBeam has that same welcoming, pleasant overall character as its Citation relatives – easy on the ear, though not without the ability to entertain.

Much care has been taken to avoid rough edges or sparkly treble – anything that may wear the ears – and there’s a satisfying amount of bass here that perhaps belies the soundbar’s 79cm wide frame.

The MultiBeam houses a pair of 25mm tweeters and five 5cm woofers, and they work hard to direct audio towards the listener with decent clarity. We’ve heard numerous soundbars attempting surround-sound, and this kind of direct presentation is often overlooked – especially at this reasonable price.

Instead, when you have the surround speakers working it just adds a little atmosphere and space. Is it true enveloping surround sound? Of course not. But it is a worthwhile addition that can help immerse you in what you’re watching.

Verdict

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the same things that keep the MultiBeam from a five-star review that have done so with other Citation products we’ve heard – namely a slight flatness in terms of dynamic expression. Though it is perhaps not so much an issue with TV sound as it is when playing music, there’s also a less-than regimental sense of timing.

It isn’t that the MultiBeam is boring, as such. It just falls a step behind class-leading soundbars such as the Sonos Beam, which has fewer features but is also cheaper. It also leaves us wanting a little more when it comes to emotion.

We can forgive that somewhat, however, because the MultiBeam does have a lot going for it. And if you want the surround features, but can’t quite stretch to the Sonos Arc, it makes for a talented and cost-efficient substitute, and forms part of a highly competent multi-room family.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 5
• Build 5

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UPDATE: The Harman Kardon Citation Tower have now been discontinued. Check out our guide to the best floorstanding speakers and best hi-fi systems available now, or scroll down for the original Citation Tower review.

It’s fair to say we’ve been anticipating the Citation range for some time now. Harman Kardon announced the launch of its family of hi-res-capable wireless speakers in August last year, and it was never too far from our minds over the year or so that followed.

These Citation Towers, a pair of wireless floorstanders that slot seamlessly into the Google Home multi-room ecosystem, are the standout product. They’re big, bold, and offer a broad range of possibilities, including the option to form part of a 5.1 surround sound system.

To facilitate the latter, Harman Kardon presents the Citation Bar, Citation Sub and Citation Surround speakers that will connect and converse with the Towers to create an immersive home cinema system. You can also pair with other Citation speakers - the single-box One, 100, 300 and 500 - and have the brand’s full-bodied sound signature ringing throughout your home.

Build

The Towers are quite an investment on their own when you consider their £2199 ($3000) price tag, but you are getting a lot of technology for the money. In engineering terms, each Tower comprises a 25mm tweeter, a pair of 10cm woofers and a downward-firing 20cm sub, with 200W of power being fed through them.

As well as the ability to become part of a wireless 5.1 system when connected to your TV or video source, you can send music to the Towers via Bluetooth 4.2 or Chromecast. Hi-res audio playback up to 24-bit/96kHz is possible, and supported formats run to MP3, WAV, FLAC, HE-AAC, LC-AAC, Vorbis and Opus.

Google Assistant is on board, too, which frees you from your device when it comes to selecting a playlist or album, changing volume or skipping tracks. You can always turn the microphone off if you don’t want to be heard.

The Towers connect to your home network via dual-band wi-fi, though there’s no ethernet connection for wired internet. How big an issue that is will depend on the strength of your wi-fi signal, but it isn’t ideal, especially if you’re using it to feed a horde of devices.

We suggest enlisting the help of a friend to set the Towers up. They weigh a hefty 19kg per speaker and come in the same box, so you’re likely to do yourself an injury transporting them alone.

These are big speakers – each one measures 116cm tall – so they might overpower smaller rooms both in terms of aesthetic and sonic output. However, there is a choice of light or dark grey fabric finish to help them blend in a little better to their surroundings.

And other than the potential for lumbar injury and the issue of them needing a lot of space, the Towers' size can only be a good thing. For starters, it's testament to the collection of drivers and amps contained within, and reinforces that feeling of value for money. Certainly they feel like premium speakers.

Features

They connect to each other automatically, with the right-hand speaker acting as master to the left-hand slave unit, leaving you only to set them up using the Google Home app.

The right speaker is also where you’ll find the touch-screen controller, a strip located on top of the speaker, which allows you to select your source and change volume without the aid of your device or Google Assistant.

As well as allowing you to connect sources and speakers from various different brands, the Google Home app is mightily simple to use. It takes only a few minutes to connect the Citation Towers to a network and run any updates – after that, they’ll update automatically whenever necessary – and you’re ready to begin streaming from whichever service you choose.

Sound

Despite the size of the Citation Towers, our first impression is still that it’s a sound of surprising proportion. Even at half volume, the Towers fill our listening room with authoritative weight, dishing out deep bass and a gloriously rich midrange that is still well balanced by a smooth and even presentation in the treble frequencies.

The low end could be more clearly defined, never quite digging out detail you’d expect from a more traditional hi-fi product, but it’s far from flabby and still manages to punch out basslines as it shakes the floor with glee.

Mids are where the Towers thrive, though. Voices are full of body and often a joy to hear, and there’s a confidence to the whole presentation that can be infectious, especially with more upbeat tracks. It is difficult sometimes not to be swept away by the Towers’ enthusiasm for power.

Stereo imaging is good too, which is important when opting for a product such as this over a premium one-box solution such as the Naim Mu-so 2. Instruments can be heard at either side of the soundstage, but the performance is drawn together so well that it doesn’t feel like two separate speakers, rather a pair working together.

Much is made of the Citation range’s ability to work as a 5.1 system, but having tested the Towers with TV content as well as music, we can safely say the extra outlay is entirely optional. They’re weighty enough so as not to need a separate subwoofer, and that ability to deliver luscious vocals is easily transferrable to dialogue. Placed in the same room as your TV, the Towers will outperform most mid-range soundbars almost across the board.

That’s not to say these speakers are without weaknesses, though. For all their power and scale, it is often with the more delicate handling of a track where they suffer.

Organisation is one such aspect. In terms of depth, everything is just a little flat. The Citation Towers struggle putting space between sonic elements, with ornamental lines often as far forward in the mix as the melody, giving us an up-front and confident presentation but without much in the way of nuance.

Timing doesn’t quite snap, either, but generally we can live with that. More disappointing is where the Towers ignore dynamic subtlety. There’s plenty of punch and drive to proceedings, but they struggle to dial it back with more intimate recordings, nor do they paint the finer lines of expression that truly draw the ear. It leaves certain recordings primed more for background listening than analysis, meandering rather than holding our hand through a journey.

For that kind of performance, at this kind of money, you’re looking at the KEF LS50 Wirelesses. But that would be to ignore the fact these are different products for different audiences. The Citation Towers’ modish design is enough to tell you that, but they also have a broad collection of sonic talents to back it up.

Verdict

If you love the look, and you have the cash, these represent a fine way to bring quality wireless music and TV performance into a sizeable room.

It might not be an absolute case of [Citation needed], but they’re a lot of fun all the same.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 4
• Build 5

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Harman Kardon has unveiled a new smart speaker with Google Assistant built in. Called Citation 500, the speaker is apparently "inspired by the timelessness and attention to detail of Nordic design".

In real terms, that translates to wool fabric around the outside, and a smooth top fitted with LCD touch controls for playback. The speaker itself has a stereo configuration, with 200 watts of power behind your music.

Since it's a Google Assistant speaker, it comes with Chromecast as well - so you can stream music from compatible apps such as Tidal to the speaker up to 24bit/96kHz resolution. Bluetooth is available for all other applications.

The speaker will be shown at IFA 2018, and can be ordered from next month. It's priced at £549.

Despite Amazon and Microsoft recently rolling out the long-awaited collaboration between Alexa and Cortana, those in the Android ecosystem will only consider more Google Assistant speakers a good thing. Siri, meanwhile, remains stuck solely in the HomePod or accessible via an iPhone in Sonos' Beam soundbar.

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Arcam, one of the best-known brands in British hi-fi, has been acquired by Harman International Industries.

Harman is a division of a Samsung, following an $8 billion deal last year, and the owner of audio brands including AKG, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. In November 2012, Arcam had become a wholly owned subsidiary of JAM industries, based in Montreal.

The news was revealed in an email to Arcam customers from Scott Campbell, director of sales and marketing at Arcam.

"Arcam and Harman share a like-minded passion for bringing the highest quality sound into people's lives," the email reads.

"Harman recognises the value and potential of Arcam’s people, technologies, and brands, and we expect the combination will deliver growth opportunities and benefits to our customers. We believe this is an unprecedented opportunity to grow Arcam’s engineering capabilities and extend its product reach into new markets."

The existing management team in Cambridge, England - where Arcam, originally A&R Cambridge, was founded - will remain, as will sales and distribution channels in the US.

Arcam managing director Charlie Brennan adds: "Becoming part of Harman will give us access to technology and resources that should give us the means to develop better products in the future.

"I don't envisage any sudden moves - it's business as usual for all of the Arcam team. I believe we can make a big difference to the high-performance brands that Harman has owned for years and will continue my quest to save the world from bad sound with a bigger and stronger company behind us."

Let's hope the Arcam hi-fi and home cinema products benefit from the partnership.

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All the new models feature 4K pass through, Spotify Connect, VTuner internet radio and DLNA compatibility as standard. There's Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, but Harman has followed Sony and Yamaha in leaving Dolby Atmos off its budget range of receivers.

As you'd expect, power and connections and features increase as you go further up the range.

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It kicks off with the Harman-Kardon AVR 151S (£350), a 5.1-channel surround sound amp with 75W per channel and four HDMI inputs.

Next comes the £400 AVR 161S, also a 5.1-channel amp, with 85W per channel and five HDMI 2.0 inputs. This model also comes equipped with wireless Bluetooth streaming.

The third model is the AVR 171S (£500), which gives you more channels for your money. It's a 7.2 channel amp with 100W per channel. There are six HDMI 2.0 inputs, twin HDMI outputs, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay and all the streaming features of the other models.

The new Harman-Kardon amps are due out next week.

See all our Harman-Kardon news and reviews

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