There’s a conundrum that many movie fans face. You might be perfectly happy with your TV’s picture performance, but the audio is often another matter entirely. Punchy action scenes might be missing a sense of energy, and it may be difficult to make out dialogue during busy parts of a film.

Luckily, there is a way to fix this common problem. If you don’t have the budget or space for a multi-speaker package to upgrade your sound, then adding a soundbar to the mix is a great way to go.

• View all the Prime Day deals on Amazon

And, for those on the hunt for an even more room-filling experience, there is the option of getting a soundbar with Dolby Atmos support, which can provide a much-desired extra boost of surround sound.

With Amazon Prime Day deals swarming your search like ants to a melting Calippo, it can be hard to find a model that is genuinely right for you. That’s where we come in. We have tested hundreds of soundbars over the years, and have hand-selected four products that provide immersive sound and are at a discounted price right now.

Sonos Beam Gen 2

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 holds the crown as the top entry-level Dolby Atmos bar in our best soundbars guide.

The Beam Gen 2 measures just 7 x 65 x 10cm (hwd) and weighs 2.8kg, making it easy to place in front of your TV without obscuring the picture. Under the hood, you will find four front-facing elliptical mid-woofers and a centre tweeter.

Most importantly, it offers a detailed, rich, and enveloping audio experience, which is particularly impressive considering its compact footprint.

Despite the bar’s lack of up-firing drivers, the soundfield is immersive and we get a good sense of height as well as scale. In fact, we note in our review: “Whether it’s a chirping bird, a car or a voice, there’s remarkable consistency across the complete soundfield, and seamless handover between drivers, which we have to say doesn’t always happen when a Dolby Atmos soundbar has upward drivers to contend with.”

It launched at £449, but this Prime Day deal has seen its price drop to £337 at Amazon. That’s a saving of £112, and is well worth considering if you are looking to add an Atmos soundbar to your system.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9

If you are looking for a step-up soundbar to add to your system, then the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 is hard to beat. This Sony sounds exceptionally crisp and precise, and the Atmos-ness of its delivery is hugely impressive for a standalone bar.

We find there is a slightly clinical tone in its overall delivery, but its superb detail and punch mean it still achieves five-star success.

In terms of connectivity, gaming fans will be pleased to hear that the Bar 9 has a dedicated HDMI 2.1 input and support for 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM.

You can find it for £999 at Richer Sounds, chopping £400 off its launch price. At this price, it is also worth considering the Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra. It’s a brilliant-sounding system, offering a rich overall sound with expressive vocals.

It features only a single HDMI eARC port, however, which is not as comprehensive as the Theatre Bar 9’s offerings. The Sonos model is currently available at its launch price of £999 at Smart Home Sounds, but we have our fingers crossed for a reduction before the end of Prime Day.

Hisense AX5125H

All-in-one soundbars work excellently for some people, but you might be craving that extra sense of immersion that can come with a soundbar package. And our top budget soundbar system recommendation is currently available for an absolute steal.

You can pick up the Award-winning Hisense AX5125H for just £199 at Currys, making it easily one of the best-sounding affordable soundbar systems we have heard.

The 5.1.2 system, which supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, offers a relatively compact design that is easy to accommodate in most homes. It is made up of two small wireless surround speakers, a wireless subwoofer and the main soundbar. Even though the surround speakers are surprisingly compact (each one measures just 14 x 9 x 11cm), they produce an impressively enveloping soundfield that massively improves upon our experience with the TV’s sound.

We noted in our review when watching Civil War: “Bullets whizz from the front to the back of the room and even behind the listening position, helicopters hover at ceiling height, and distant explosions rumble menacingly.”

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. Still, the Hisense system is a top performer in its class and is even more tempting at this discount.

Samsung HW-Q990F

Finally, we have the Samsung HW-Q990F, an Award-winning 11.1.4 soundbar package. Like the Hisense system, it is made up of a soundbar, a subwoofer, and two surround speakers.

It is a chunkier system in terms of its build, though. The surrounds, for instance, measure 25 x 25 x 25cm and the soundbar comes in at a more hefty 7 x 123 x 14cm (hwd).

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 subwoofer [compared with the older Q990D model], 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.”

That all makes it a focused, tonally varied overall sound that immerses us in whatever we listen to. You can find the system for £750 at Amazon, saving you around a whopping £949 off its original price.

We recently reviewed the Q990F’s successor – the Samsung HW-Q990H. This new system managed to build upon our favourite aspects of the older model, resulting in an even more detailed and nuanced performance. That meant the Q990H took the crown when we put them head to head – but the Q990F is without doubt still a brilliant performer in the category.

Plus, the Q990H's price has dropped only a small amount for Prime Day (the cheapest we have seen so far is £1299 at Amazon). That makes the older model all the more tempting.

MORE:

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Check out the best budget soundbars

And here are the best TVs right now

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

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

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

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

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

Price

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

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

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

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

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

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

Design

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

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

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

The centre speaker is a little more divisive.

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

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

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

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

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

There are compromises to the minimalist approach, though.

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

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

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

Features

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sound quality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict

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

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

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

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Design 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the KEF XIO

Also consider the Samsung HW-Q990H

Read our Sonos Arc Ultra review

Best Dolby Atmos soundbars: our reviewers' five recommendations

At last, Sonos is making some real progress fixing its mobile app. A major refresh is due this week, which should make it a lot more intuitive to use.

If you're late to the party, let us fill you in.

Back in April 2024, Sonos redesigned its app to coincide with the launch of the Ace, its first pair of wireless headphones. It was a disaster – the new app was buggy, and lacked a lot of the old one's features. (It didn't help that the headphones weren't much cop either.)

Since then Sonos has been on a mission to restore the app and win back customer trust. This week's refresh could go some way to doing so.

The improvements are aimed at making the app easier to use. It's "Not a new app, but a new way of navigating Sonos inside the app you already have," CEO Tom Conrad wrote on Reddit.

From spending "hundreds of hours" watching people use the Sonos app, his team found out what the sticking points are: too many content cards, swipe-up gestures to switch speaker orientation, close boxes in place of back buttons, and custom interface elements that feel out of place on an iOS or Android device.

So what takes their place?

We can look forward to more straightforward navigation, with three tabs (Home, System, Search) replacing the hidden gestures and content cards on both iOS and Android. There's a new volume interface, a "core mechanism that is easier to grab and fine tune" along with buttons to press to alter it and a new way of synchronising it across a group of rooms.

You'll get more control over how your players are listed and displayed, and there are dozens of smaller fixes like the ability to swipe to delete a track in a playlist, and a refreshed Now Playing screen.

The update will roll out to beta testers this week (you can sign up here), but they will have to enable it from within the settings menu. Even once it's rolled out wider, it will only be available as an opt-in toggle, so you can turn it off if you don't like it. Sonos will continue to polish it before making it the default.

Conrad says this is the way Sonos will work from now on, as "this is the beginning of a different way of working here at Sonos, where what gets built, and in what order, is shaped by the conversations here and with all our customers."

Maybe it's learned from its mistakes after all.

MORE:

Which Sonos speaker should you buy?

Not sold? The best Sonos alternatives

Sonos Play vs HomePod 2: which should you buy?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**Winner: draw**

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**Winner: draw**

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra**

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

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

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

**Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra**

MORE:

These are the best soundbars on the market

Here's our full review of the Sonos Arc Ultra

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

When it comes to multi-room music systems, Sonos has ruled the roost for years now. The Era 300 is perhaps the jewel in its crown – but there could be a new pretender to the throne in the shape of Denon’s Home 400.

Launched as part of a new range of Home 2 wireless speakers, the Denon Home 400 has a lot in common with the Sonos Era 300. Both offer spatial audio, have similar sonic architecture, and can form part of much larger audio ecosystems, so it only felt right to take a closer look at what sets them apart.

While we’re yet to give the Denon Home 400 the full What Hi-Fi? review treatment, we can still compare the two and see where it might hope to outdo the Era 300. Here’s the tale of the tape.

Denon Home 400 vs Sonos Era 300: price

The Denon Home 400 hit the shops recently with a pretty substantial price of £449 / $599 / AU$999.

In the UK that’s exactly how much the five-star Sonos Era 300 would have set you back when it launched just over three years ago, but it’s now available for a much more wallet-friendly £359 / $379 / AU$695 (and we’ve even seen it drop very slightly lower).

That’s a fair chunk of extra cash you’ll need to find for the Denon, so we’ll be expecting big things when it comes to testing it.

Denon Home 400 vs Sonos Era 300: design

There’s no denying Sonos took a bit of a risk with the design of its Era 300, but there’s sonic logic behind its unusual shape.

In order to facilitate its spatial audio skills, Sonos fitted the Era 300 with four tweeters (one forward-firing, two side-firing, one upward-firing) and two horizontally angled woofers – so while it might be divisive, its design is born out of the physical positioning of the drivers.

In every other way the Sonos Era 300 is pretty minimalist. It comes in either black or white and there’s no display, but you do get a set of touch-sensitive controls on top that blend in nicely. The build quality is typically high, too.

Denon’s Home 400 also feels suitably premium as befits its price. It’s a touch bigger but weighs slightly less and has a more familiar shape, while the fabric covering gives it a softer appearance. A set of rubberised buttons down the side offer control over volume and playback, plus a trio of shortcuts for your favourite sources or sound modes.

The Home 400 comes in either charcoal or stone colours (basically black or silvery grey) but overall feels like the nicer of the two on a purely aesthetic basis, with the Sonos perhaps a little too stark for some tastes. At the end of the day, though, it’s purely personal preference.

Denon Home 400 vs Sonos Era 300: features

Both these speakers can form discrete parts of wider multi-room music systems but they’re also equally happy operating on their own, with spatial audio support the main way to differentiate them from a lot of their wireless speaker siblings.

Both speakers have six drivers inside, but the Denon Home 400 has two that point upwards compared to just one inside the Sonos Era 300.

Both also support Dolby Atmos, but the Denon is a little more flexible over where you source your Atmos-powered spatial tunes from. On the Era 300, you’ll need to use Amazon Music or Apple Music, while the Home 400 is happy playing them from Tidal’s catalogue as well.

In terms of wireless connectivity, there’s no separating them. Wi-fi, Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 are all on the menu for streaming from Spotify, Tidal et al, but the Denon is a little more welcoming to wired sources.

There are USB-C and 3.5mm connections on the back of the Home 400, whereas the Sonos only has the former, with a separate adapter required if you want to connect something using an aux cable.

As well as full multi-room use, you can also create stereo pairs with both of these speakers, plus they’re compatible with soundbars from their respective manufacturers and can be used as rear channels in a surround set-up.

If you like telling your speakers what to do, you’ll probably be better served by the Sonos Era 300, which has native support for both Amazon Alexa and Sonos’s own voice assistant.

There’s a microphone onboard the Denon Home 400 (and a mute button on the back) but it doesn’t support voice control out of the box. In fact, the only way to talk to it (at least if you want to get a response) is to use Siri, but that's only if you have an Apple HomePod or HomePod Mini connected on the same network. You can then link them together within the HEOS app and summon Siri via the Home 400. It's a rather bizarre workaround, we admit, and we'll explore more when we have our review sample in for testing.

Denon Home 400 vs Sonos Era 300: sound

We’re yet to get the Denon Home 400 into our testing rooms for a full review, so a definitive verdict on its abilities will have to wait, but after hearing it at the launch of Denon’s full Home 2 range back in March, plus some further dedicated ears-on time for this piece, some initial assessments are possible.

The impact of those two upward-firing drivers is immediately apparent, with a real sense of space between the instruments. The soundstage has a really nice three-dimensional quality to it that makes music sound more lifelike, although, as is often the case with spatial audio, the mixes can sometimes be a little off depending on the particular song being played.

In general, though, first impressions are good. The Home 400 puts on an engaging performance that seems to strike a nice balance between all aspects of the frequency range.

When it comes to the Sonos Era 300, however, there’s no such uncertainty surrounding its performance. In our five-star review first published in March 2023, the Era 300 was described as an “immensely immersive experience”.

Particularly impressive is the sheer scale of the sound it’s capable of producing, which projects more effectively than any similarly sized wireless speaker we’ve tested so far, particularly when you feed it Dolby Atmos tracks (although quite how effective it is varies by song).

On the whole it sounds detailed, dynamic and cohesive, with deep, impactful bass and plenty of rhythmic flair.

Fundamentally the Era 300 has set a high standard for the Denon Home 400 to reach, but there are reasons to believe it could give Sonos a real run for its money.

Denon Home 400 vs Sonos Era 300: early verdict

With smart looks, an extensive list of features and promising early signs of its sonic performance, the Denon’s Home 400 looks like it could be a serious contender. The lack of voice control is slightly surprising, but with Alexa and co. popping up in so many other devices around the average home it doesn’t feel like a huge absence.

Can it beat the Era 300 though? Sonos’s unusually shaped speaker was the first one to convince us that spatial audio was more than just a gimmick, and its standard stereo performance is hugely enjoyable too, so it’s not going to be easy for the Denon to take the crown.

Once we’ve had the opportunity to fully scrutinise the Denon Home 400 and compare it with the Era 300, we’ll be able to pass judgement on which of these wireless speakers is the best – and it could well be a close battle. Stay tuned for the full review.

MORE:

Which Sonos speaker should you buy? Find out here

The best multi-room systems around

Check out the best Sonos alternatives

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

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

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

WiiM launches its first-ever Dolby Atmos soundbar

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

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

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

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

Yamaha launches its new wireless speaker system to challenge KEF

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

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

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

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

We reviewed Esoteric’s high-end streaming preamplifier

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

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

Read the full Esoteric N-05XE review

We saw an unfortunate trend continue from TVs to cars

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

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

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

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

A selection of World Cup tracks to test your sound system

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

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

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

MORE:

These are the best TVs right now

Check out the best soundbars on the market

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MORE:

Here are my initial thoughts on the Sony Bravia Theatre Trio

These are all of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now

Bose has a new soundbar. The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is part of Bose's new Lifestyle Collection, and bears the same Ultra moniker as the brand's wireless headphones.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) have fared very well against some stiff competition. It'll be fascinating to see if the new Bose Ultra soundbar can do the same.

It will have its work cut out. Standing between it and home cinema glory is the Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra.

We've only been hands-on with the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar at this stage, so we're comparing them based only on our initial impressions and the all-important features and specs. Let's get started.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: price

There's really not much to choose between these two soundbars in terms of price.

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar costs £1000 / $1099 / AU$1800, while the Sonos Arc Ultra is £999 / $999 / AU$1799.

But that's not the full story.

The Sonos has been out for over 18 months now, and so is more prone to discounts. Most recently, it had £150 off, for example. So we'll give this round to Sonos.

** Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra **

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: design

Making a soundbar look attractive is no mean feat, so Bose should be applauded – its new 'bar looks genuinely different to any other.

That's mostly thanks to the sleek glass top that stretches out across a good proportion of the unit. It's not a glorified coffee table, but a home for the touch-sensitive controls.

Now admittedly not many people are going to get up off the sofa to change the volume by sliding their finger around the inner edge, but it's nice to have the option.

Either side of this are the up-firing drivers, which shoot sound up at 90 degrees to add a sense of height to the audio. As with all up-firing soundbars, it does limit your placement options – stick it under a shelf, and the sound will fire point blank into the shelf.

These are joined by four ‘racetrack’ drivers and two Bose PhaseGuide drivers, which use processing to more widely disperse sound. These are all housed in a textured-knit fabric that, like the Sonos, comes in either black or white.

You can wall-mount the Bose, but the wall mount costs extra.

It's a little smaller and heavier than the Sonos Arc Ultra – the former measures up at 6.7 x 111 x 12.5cm (hwd) while the Sonos is 7.5 x 118 x 11cm.

The Arc Ultra also features touch-sensitive buttons on top, though these are situated on the ledge at the back. It's not quite as sleek as Bose's implementation.

It too has a fabric grille which looks and feels pretty premium, as you would want it to at this price.

For its innovative styling, we're giving this round to Bose for now. But we reserve the right to change our minds once we've had a good look at it in our test rooms.

** Winner: Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar **

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: features

These are both high-end soundbars, so as you'd imagine, they're full of features.

Bose's has two QuietPorts on the back – these promise deep and controlled low frequencies with minimal distortion. The only physical connections are an ethernet port and an HDMI eARC socket – like the Sonos, there are no HDMI 2.1 inputs.

You do get plenty of wireless options, though. As well as Bluetooth 5.3 and wi-fi, you get Google Cast, Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect. Tidal Connect is missing at launch, but we're assured it will arrive at some point. The Arc Ultra does support Tidal Connect, but not Google Cast.

Both 'bars support Dolby Atmos, which will be made more immersive by their up-firing drivers. Neither supports DTS or DTS:X. This format is less common than Dolby Atmos but it's an absence all the same.

Both have room calibration tech for optimising the sound to your surroundings. Bose CustomTune and Sonos Trueplay use the microphone on your phone to analyse your room's dimensions, surfaces and furniture placement to adjust the audio accordingly. Both work on iOS and Android devices.

They both use their company's respective apps, too. The Bose app is more intuitive than it used to be, and lets you tweak the sound. There's no remote control, so you'll find yourself using the app quite a bit.

Sonos' app has had its troubles, but is now much better than it was – and the company is vocal about the fact it's prioritising improvements.

Both soundbars support voice controls, including Amazon Alexa, and the Sonos pairs nicely with the Sonos Ace headphones to give you dynamic headtracking – you just 'swap' the audio from the 'bar to the cans.

Given the quality of Bose's wireless headphones, it's a shame the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar doesn't partner with them.

** Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra **

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: sound

What do they offer in terms of sound quality?

As we haven't tested the Bose yet, we can't give a verdict, but we did go 'ears-on' with it at a briefing.

A sandstorm from the movie Dune proved suitably enveloping, with the 'bar spreading the audio across the sound field convincingly.

We didn't hear any signs of distortion at high volumes, and when the scene switches to calm, it did a good job of communicating the change of pace.

We also watched a scene from Ray to test the Speech Clarity mode. It turned dialogue from a mumble to being "lifted out of the hustle and bustle of the effects around it, with the edges of words a little clearer and better defined," as we said at the time.

It also impressed as part of a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system, paired with the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer and Lifestyle Ultra Speakers as surrounds. But we were only able to have a quick listen at the event – it's no substitute for hearing it in our test rooms.

The Arc Ultra has some impressive specs (9.1.4-channel configuration, 15 Class D amplifiers powering 14 drivers), and as an Award winner, it sounds just as impressive as you would imagine. A "crackingly musical soundbar" we concluded in our Sonos Arc Ultra review.

Tool’s Invincible is bristling with energy and excitement, making for a very engaging listen. But it's even better at conveying movie audio.

Chapter two of Blade Runner 2049 is a good test of bass, and it's a test that the Arc Ultra passes with flying colours, delivering plenty of weight and an impressive amount of control. The bass is "tight, tuneful and expressive in a way that is rare in the soundbar world".

Spatially, it's excellent. Effects sound like they're coming from all around you, and are placed with precision, while certain sounds (like rain) stretch far beyond the confines of the TV to which the soundbar is connected.

And there's plenty of detail without it ever sounding forced – it's delivered naturally, which adds to the sense of realism.

Suffice to say, Bose has its work cut out to compete with what this Sonos can offer.

** Winner: TBC **

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: early verdict

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar certainly looks impressive.

It's very easy on the eye, and – while a bit less feature-stacked than Sonos' flagship – it offers plenty to get your teeth into. As ever for us, it will all hinge on how it sounds.

On that front, the Arc Ultra is the soundbar to beat. As it's been out for a while now, it's also discounted during most big sales. Your move, Bose...

We'll update this article once we've fully reviewed the new Bose soundbar.

MORE:

Read our Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar hands-on review

And our Sonos Arc Ultra review

The best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picking a winner

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

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

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

4. LG Sound Suite H7

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full LG Sound Suite H7 review

3. JBL Bar 1000MK2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full JBL Bar 1000MK2 review

2. Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9

Which brings us to the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9.

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

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

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

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

Read the full Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 review

1. Sonos Arc Ultra

The Sonos Arc Ultra nails the brief.

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

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

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

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

Read the full Sonos Arc Ultra review

It can be hard to know which Sonos speaker to buy. There’s a healthy number currently on the market, all furnished with varying levels of baked-in Sonos features at a range of prices and sizes.

Many would-be buyers seek a Sonos speaker because they are keen on the US brand’s particular ecosystem. Once they have jumped that particular hurdle, though, it can be hard to know where to go next.

What we have here are two candidates with somewhat different purposes in mind. The Sonos Era 100 is designed as a stationary, home-bound wireless speaker, whereas the Sonos Play bridges the gap between portability and domestic use thanks to its combination of a built-in battery alongside the usual wi-fi and smart-assistant powers.

Quite a lot of overlap, then, but don’t be fooled into thinking that the Play is just a Sonos Era 100 with the stabilisers taken off. Both have their place within the Sonos family – and we’re here to help you figure out what those places are and, more importantly, which one is right for you.

Sonos Era 100 vs Sonos Play: price

The Sonos Era 100 started its life at around £249 / $249 / AU$399, but that was back in 2023.

Around three years later, prices have dropped somewhat, meaning the Era 100 tends to sit at roughly the £199 / $219 / AU$319 mark, and can drop even lower when Sonos is feeling generous and there’s a lovely big sales event going on.

The Sonos Play, meanwhile, is a far newer model, having made its debut only in 2026, for a rather considerable £299 / $299 / AU$499. Prices haven’t dipped much since then, though we would speculate that, as with the Era 100, big sales events could see the Play drop in price by a decent margin. Time will tell.

For now, however, the Era 100 is the cheaper speaker of the two, so takes the win here.

**Winner: Sonos Era 100**

Sonos Era 100 vs Sonos Play: design

What we have here are two quintessentially ‘Sonos’ speakers. In terms of their design and functionality, you wouldn’t need many guesses to figure out that both the Play and the Era 100 are Sonos-made products thanks to their clean, simple aesthetic and somewhat similar designs.

They are not, of course, identical; indeed, there are quite a few major differences to distinguish one from the other.

The main difference comes from the fact that the Sonos Play is conceived, at least in part, as a portable speaker, while the Era 100 is designed purely for indoor, mains-powered use. That means that the Play is a fair bit slimmer than its Era counterpart, is easier to wrap your hand around its frame, and comes with a carry strap at the back.

The Era 100 is similarly clean and minimalist in its layout, although it’s slightly shorter and a lot wider than its portable stablemate. This not being a portable speaker, however, there is no carry handle to be found.

In terms of on-unit controls, both offer plenty. The Era 100 offers top-mounted touch-capacitive buttons for accessing music playback and voice control, with a clever volume slider in the form of a ‘trough’ also mounted on the top panel. A switch to turn the microphone on/off is situated at the rear.

The Play doesn’t have that distinctive trough slider, but its rubber top hosts four physical buttons – two for volume, one for muting/unmuting your voice assistant and a play/pause toggle – while the spine houses a Bluetooth pairing button, a microphone on/off toggle and a large power button.

Both offer USB-C connections at their respective rears, either for charging or for a wired connection for sources such as a turntable or music player. Note, however, that you will need a USB-C to 3.5mm aux adapter if you did want to hard-wire a source; this currently costs £19 / $19 via the Sonos website, so it’s not exactly cheap.

The mains-powered Sonos Era 100 is designed to stay put within your home, so it isn’t furnished with an IP rating and we wouldn’t suggest having an open can of Diet Coke put anywhere near it. The Play, conversely, is designed to be rugged and portable, and sports an IP67 rating to keep it protected from dust ingress and submersion in water.

Two similar-looking speakers built for somewhat different tasks, then; but, for its greater versatility and portability, we’re handing the win to the Sonos Play.

**Winner: Sonos Play**

Sonos Era 100 vs Sonos Play: features

These speakers are absolutely feature-packed, so deep breath: here we go.

The Sonos Era 100 is getting a little long in the tooth, but it still has plenty of mod cons to keep in step with the newer Play. Both speakers offer standard Bluetooth streaming or can connect to your home network for a host of wi-fi-enabled playback options, with support for most mainstream streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music and Tidal.

Both support hi-res files up to 24-bit/48kHz from Qobuz and Amazon Music and can be controlled by your voice or via the Sonos app, courtesy either of Amazon Alexa or the built-in Sonos Voice Control assistant. Just be aware that some of the major streaming services can't be integrated with your chosen voice assistant, so asking your speaker to "play something from Tidal", for example, can't be done in either case.

Both offer AirPlay 2 and a USB-C line-in options, although we reiterate that you will need a specific adapter and cable for wired connections.

Both are capable of forming a stereo pair, and both can be included as part of a wider Sonos multi-room system. For home cinema fans, you can use your Era 100 as rear surround speakers with the likes of the Sonos Arc, Beam and Ray soundbars.

With the Era 100 and the Play, you can calibrate your speaker's output for the room it is placed in using the Trueplay tuning feature, either by using an iPhone device’s integrated microphones (for iOS users), or else use the speakers own mics to ‘Quick Tune’ if you use an Android device.

Being a slimmer, portable unit, the Play is capable of taking things a step further, quite literally, thanks to its 24-hour battery life and IP67 waterproof rating.

As we wrote in our review, it's “best to think of the Sonos Play in the same way you might regard the established Move 2: a portable speaker that can also plug into the mains and slot into your home wi-fi network and, if you wish, integrate within your Sonos multi-room system.”

The Play's Bluetooth powers are handy for when you’re roaming about and need a quick and easy wireless connection to your device, and you can use Bluetooth to connect twin Plays together either via the app or pressing the play/pause button on your desired device for around two seconds.

By contrast, you can't use Bluetooth to connect two Era 100s together into a stereo pair – that has to be done via wi-fi.

Both are pretty much identical in terms of their streaming features, with the Play and Era 100 boasting versatility to spare. The Play does have the added benefit of a built-in battery making it suitable for outdoor as well as indoor use, though, meaning it just steals a win here.

**Winner: Sonos Play**

Sonos Era 100 vs Sonos Play: sound

The Sonos Play houses a trio of Class H amplifiers powering two angled tweeters and a mid driver, as well as dual force-cancelling passive radiators which aim for deep bass and reduced internal vibrations. Its Era 100 counterpart, meanwhile, boasts twin angled tweeters with custom waveguides and an enlarged woofer, all powered by their own dedicated Class D amplifier.

The results are impressive in both cases, and we’d be surprised if either of these speakers left you feeling let down in the audio department. The smaller Play is capable in many aspects, giving music a feeling of poise and control as it blends ample clarity with plenty of muscle and power.

There is certainly decent clout at the bottom end, and as we say in our review, the speaker’s bass response “sounds taut and punchy, evidenced by the Play firmly handling those opening drum thumps on Michael Jackson’s iconic Billie Jean.”

Yes, it can be a little route-one in how it presents your tunes, but in general, Sonos’s do-it-all candidate has a lot going for it. As our review concludes: “Whether pumping out some Gorillaz in the garden or streaming a slice of Stevie Wonder in the sitting room, its clear, confident and controlled sound is rarely a chore to listen to. We’d like it to flex to accommodate different musical styles, but sonically, this [is] an admirable effort.”

The Era 100, conversely, is the smart choice if sound is your number one priority. The Era’s dedication to performance first continues to shine through, even as its slightly more advanced age.

It’s a wider speaker with more drive units and more power, and the resultant sound is more spacious, more detailed and with greater stretch in the bass than its portable counterpart can muster. Dynamics are more confidently revealed, too, with the Era 100’s stellar blend of openness and dynamism making for a remarkably confident, cinematic experience.

The chunkier speaker’s balance is, in fact, pretty much spot on. As we wrote at the time: “There’s an ease with which Sonos delivers every track we play through it. It never feels dull or distant, nor does it try to attract your attention unduly; this is an overall pleasing sound that is comfortable to listen to for hours.”

The Era 100 plumbs greater sonic depths than the slightly leaner Play, and while that lower-end delivery could easily become overbearing, the Era 100 is adept at giving challenging basslines genuine shape and texture thanks to its dextrous, agile nature.

It may be a little older, but it's certainly no less bold. The Era 100 remains a five-star performer on the audio front, and while the Play makes a decent account of itself, its established stablemate is the one to pick if sound is what matters most.

A clear and deserved win for the fantastic Era 100.

**Winner: Sonos Era 100**

Sonos Era 100 vs Sonos Play: verdict

What we have here are two speakers built with two distinct purposes in mind, although a degree of overlap does muddy the waters somewhat. Allow us, then, to make things simple for you.

If you want a Sonos speaker that straddles the outdoor and the indoor world, the Play is the one to pick. It isn’t quite on the Era 100’s level in terms of sound, but its bulging feature set, portable design and still-decent performance make it a solid pick for anyone who seeks solid sound across a range of different use cases.

If you just want an excellent-sounding wireless smart speaker that is baked into the Sonos ecosystem and prioritises sound above all else, go for the Sonos Era 100. It’s built nicely, still has enough neat tricks to keep even the most feature-hungry consumer happy, and its sound really is excellent.

**Overall winner: Sonos Era 100**

MORE:

Which Sonos speaker should you buy? Find out here

Check out our top tips to get the most out of the Sonos Play wireless speaker

These are the best smart speakers money can buy

Right around this time last year, I was packing for a rare holiday abroad, and I thought it would be a great idea to pack a little Bluetooth speaker.

With my Sonos Roam having failed a few months earlier, I had to buy something with my own money.

On a near-zero budget, I of course headed over to our list of best budget Bluetooth speakers and ordered the cheapest option – the JBL Go 4.

My, what a brilliant little speaker it is! Despite the super-low cost of just £30ish and the pocketable dimensions, the Go 4 sounds clean, controlled and surprisingly weighty. It goes much louder than I expected, too.

Needless to say, the Go 4 was a hit on our holiday, and it’s had plenty of use since, particularly in the garden, where it hangs handily off one of the utensil pegs of my barbecue.

I’ve recommended it to lots of people, too, including my dad, who also bought one and thinks it's brilliant.

Quite incredibly, though, I recently found a Bluetooth speaker that makes the JBL look expensive. That speaker is the smallest model in Ikea’s (yes, that Ikea) Vappeby range, and it costs just £10.

A tenner for a Bluetooth speaker from a reputable brand? That’s nuts. So nuts, I just had to buy one.

Unboxing

The Vappeby doesn’t hide its cheapness particularly well.

Thicker and more cube-like than the JBL, it has a hard plastic finish and no branding. A bit “My First Speaker”, but not without charm – the perforated front is neat, and the striped strap is really rather fetching.

And it looks cheap because it is cheap, which is perfectly fair enough.

The little Vappeby is waterproof, too, which is pretty generous for a speaker costing only a tenner, and it charges via USB-C – although it’s worth noting that you don’t get a cable with it, let alone a full charger.

Charging isn’t something you’ll need to do often, at least, because Ikea claims a fully charged Vappeby will play music at 50 per cent volume for 80 hours. Impressive stuff.

Sound quality

The problem, though, is that even just 20 minutes of listening to the Vappeby is too long.

Even the sound effects that play when you power the speaker on or put it into pairing mode are shrill and tinny.

Play some actual music and the rendition is small, thin and congested. Voices are reedy and sibilant, while instruments blur together into a bright, indistinct mix.

I kid you not, listening to music via my iPhone’s built-in speakers is actually preferable overall to listening via the Vappeby.

The little Ikea isn’t a complete bust: it goes fairly loud for a dinky speaker, and even at full volume it still has some headroom left to deliver some dynamic range.

A £30 benchmark

But it’s completely demolished by the Go 4 in every way. JBL’s even smaller speaker is coherent, smooth, relatively bassy, detailed and natural-sounding. It’s actually a joy to listen to, which the Vappeby decidedly is not.

And that’s the problem for the Ikea speaker: it’s a really unpleasant listen.

It might seem that I’m being harsh on a little speaker that costs just £10, but why would you want to spend £10 to make your music sound even worse than it does coming out of your phone?

You wouldn’t, is my guess. So don’t buy the Ikea Vappeby, is my advice. Save a little more and buy the JBL Go 4 instead – you won’t regret it.

MORE:

Check out our full JBL Go 4 review

Here are all of the best budget Bluetooth speakers you can buy right now

Over the years, tech giant Sony has delivered its fair share of five-star soundbars. From the wallet-friendly Sony HT-SF150 to the more premium Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 (which holds a spot in our best soundbars guide), the brand has plenty to offer.

So it was with high hopes that we came to review one of its latest offerings: the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S. This is a soundbar and subwoofer combo that comes in at £799 / $1100 (around AU$1510).

While you can buy the soundbar on its own, we recommend spending a little extra for the combined package (for reasons you will understand soon).

The two products deliver a 5.1.2-channel configuration, and offer both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support.

But what did we learn from our hours of listening to the soundbar package in our dedicated test room? Well, spoiler alert, but it’s an absolute delight that spices up our listening experience for both music and movies. Let’s take a look at what makes it so great and the two challenges it faces.

Convincing Dolby Atmos presentation

The least we expect from a soundbar is that it outperforms the majority of TV speakers in terms of dialogue clarity and immersion. The Sony system delivers on this and then some.

Vocals are clear yet emotive, and should be a welcome addition for those struggling to catch every word of dialogue.

But one of the most impressive aspects of the Sony package is its immersive and convincing Dolby Atmos effects. This is prevalent when watching Top Gun Maverick where the soundbar stretches the height effects above the TV screen as a jet soars into the atmosphere.

There’s a good level of precision with the plane, as you can pinpoint its position from the audio alone as it moves through the sky.

This impressive display continues with the width of the soundstage, as Tom Cruise whizzes across the desert from the right side of the screen to the left on his trusty motorcycle. We say in the review: “You can hear the bike move across the space in a way that matches the movement on the screen.”

That all creates an immersive experience that makes for fun viewing. It doesn’t create the full dome of Atmos sound, but that is a near-impossible task for a soundbar at this price.

Tight, precise bass

Another aspect that adds to the sense of energy is the well-handled bass from the subwoofer.

When we first plug in the package without any adjustments, we find, in our test room, that the bass is slightly lacking. So we crank it up from the default 0 to 2 via the Bravia Connect app; and we are now treated to a balanced but punchy bass.

The lower frequencies never stand out as abrupt or overzealous, however, and everything is kept in check with the rest of the sound.

We listen to the soundbar on its own and, although it still offers clear vocals and convincing surround sound, it is missing the extra zap of energy that makes the combination such a winner. The sub and soundbar sound as though they are tuned to work together, which is why we dub the overall system a “match made in heaven” in our review.

Neat design

While the sound quality is of course our main concern, it would be naive to think that looks do not play a part. After all, this set-up needs to blend into your viewing space with enough room to fit just under your TV screen.

The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S ticks both of these boxes in our test room, offering a sleek design that is hard to fault. The front of the bar is covered with a cloth grille that gives it a stylish look.

On top of that, the soundbar measures 95cm wide and just 6cm high, so it fits neatly under our 55-inch TV screen.

The subwoofer measures 36 x 35 x 13cm (hwd) so can neatly and fairly discreetly be tucked next to your TV stand.

There is also an extra element of flexibility that comes with the subwoofer. You can use it in two different positions, with the grille facing either the listener or the side of the room. We try it in each configuration, but there is not much of a difference in presentation. It ultimately depends on what arrangement works for you.

No display

Despite the practical design, there is a key aspect missing that we are a little disappointed not to see.

You will not find a display on the soundbar, and there are no physical buttons either. That makes it tricky to navigate the settings without the accompanying Bravia Connect app.

There is still a small remote control, which lets you control the power, input, bass levels, volume and turn on Night mode. But that lack of display makes it hard to decipher whether it has registered your adjustments via the app or the remote control.

Up against a big competitor

The Sony soundbar manages to deliver a five-star performance, but it is up against tough competition. This comes in the form of the indomitable Sonos Arc Ultra, a single bar that scored a What Hi-Fi? Award last year and holds the title of the best soundbar overall in our guide.

It is more expensive than the Sony system, costing £999 / $999 / AU$1799, but it is still a top challenger to the new entrant.

The Sonos Arc Ultra blew us away when we had it in our test room, delivering spacious and three-dimensional sound as well as a deep, tuneful bass.

We put the two soundbars head to head and find in our review: “The Sonos offers a richer overall sound with warmer vocals that have more character than the Sony. But the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 and subwoofer combo delivers a more precise sound that feels more agile in comparison.”

Their different designs are also worth taking into account. The Sonos model is considerably larger than its rival (7.5 x 118 x 11cm versus the Sony’s 6.4 x 95 x 13cm). That means the Bar 7 might well be a better fit for smaller living spaces.

Both bars are top performers, but the Arc Ultra just manages to edge its rival, thanks to its more characterful audio. If your budget cannot stretch to the Arc Ultra, though, the Sony subwoofer and soundbar combo is a great option for less money.

MORE:

Read our full review of the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Here is our Sonos Arc Ultra review

The new Sonos Play can do a lot. Sonos' latest is so much more than just a pure wireless speaker with Bluetooth – it's made 'smart' courtesy of its twin voice assistants, it can accompany you on your outdoor adventures thanks to its portable design and on-the-go-features, and can slot into your home's multi-room set-up thanks to its network compatibility with the wider Sonos ecosystem.

That bag of tricks is positively bulging, and while that grants the Play admirable versatility, it can make it somewhat overwhelming for new users who want to make the most of their swanky new speaker.

To help you navigate this potentially challenging road, we've listed a few handy tricks and tips so that you can be confident you're getting the most out of your shiny new Sonos Play.

Make your Play a multi-room marvel

Forgive us if we're telling you what you already know, but Sonos is still somewhat synonymous with multi-room functionality. The Play may be as portable (or almost as portable) as the best Bluetooth speakers JBL has to offer, but it's very happy sitting on your desktop, your kitchen or sitting room as it slots happily into a wider Sonos system.

What perhaps need clarifying is just how to create such a set-up and which speakers will play ball with your Play. Thankfully, most newer generation wireless models can be paired up with your speaker, including the Sonos Roam 2 and the Sonos Move 2, so you can scatter a variety of models around your house depending on your needs.

Just go to the app, go to 'Settings', then and then drag speakers on the same network into your chosen grouping by clicking on 'Groups' and then 'Create Group'. Available products should then appear if they're on the same network.

That means you can use the Sonos Play as part of a more established home system. The Play will 'play' ball with the Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 wireless models, or you could use a pair of Plays as surrounds with a Sonos Beam (Gen 2) or Sonos Arc soundbar for an impromptu cinema set-up.

Get to grips with Bluetooth stereo pairing

Even among a pretty extensive catalogue of impressive features, Sonos has made a big deal of the Play's ability to stereo pair quickly via Bluetooth.

You might normally associate stereo pairing with wi-fi-only connections, and you can go down the more traditional route of simply using the app to group two speakers together, but Sonos has a handy trick for when you're out on the go and/or don't have app access.

To pair two Plays together, make sure you have one speaker already paired to your source device, i.e. your smartphone. Once that's done, press the play/pause button for a few seconds on your Sonos Play (you can also use a Sonos Move 2) to group it together with the speaker that’s currently playing via Bluetooth.

You can actually group up to four supported Sonos speakers together to play the same content in sync, but we imagine most users will use the feature for forming a simple stereo set-up. Pressing the play/pause button on the Sonos product that originally formed the group will dissolve the group.

Do note that, while the Sonos Play can be grouped with the smaller Roam or Roam 2 speakers when connected to the same Sonos system over wi-fi at home, off-LAN Bluetooth grouping when away from home is only supported between Sonos Play and Move 2 models, and is not available with the Roam or Roam 2.

Ensure you're familiar with the Sonos app

The Sonos app is the beating heart of any Sonos product, and that's very much the case when it comes to the Play. When a speaker can do so many things, some of which can be rather technical, you're going to struggle to get the most out of it unless you're using the official accompanying platform.

Sonos' app is reasonably self explanatory, although there are some functionalities we'd point you to in order for you to get the most out of your experience.

For a start, make sure you've got all of the requisite streaming services linked to your Sonos account. The Play offers support on its platform for the likes of Spotify Connect, Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited and Tidal, and linking them to your Sonos account grants easy access if, say, you want to ask your Play to "start my favourite running playlist on Spotify".

Note, however, that some services can't be linked with Sonos Voice Assistant – sadly, that currently includes Tidal. Speaking of voice assistants, we'd advise disabling the microphone entirely via the switch on the back of your speaker when you're not using voice controls, for the sake of your privacy if nothing else.

We're also aware that there are occasionally teething problems with linking your Play to the app. If that's the case for you, be aware that products relying on a wi-fi connection don't like being moved from network to network, so if your product isn't connecting or being discovered, it may already be tethered to a different provider. That's certainly something we experienced when moving our Play from the office to a domestic setting.

If that's the case, you can try resetting your device by disconnecting your speaker, turning it off, placing it back on its charging base while keeping the play/pause button pressed, then waiting for the LED to start blinking green. Once it goes green, your product should appear and you can add your Sonos to a new network.

Make sure you've got TruePlay switched on

The Sonos Play makes use of 'TruePlay' technology, which, to quote its manufacturer, "measures how sound reflects off walls, furnishings and other surfaces in a room, then fine tunes your Sonos speaker to make sure it sounds great no matter where you've placed it".

In our experience, it's best to have TruePlay turned on, as our test speakers tended to sound better and, as Sonos suggests, more attuned to their surroundings, when making use of the handy tech. To do so, go to the 'Settings' menu in the app, then to 'System', then to 'Sound', and make sure TruePlay is toggled on.

It's also worth playing around with the app's custom equaliser if you want the best sound possible. That's not always the case, but sometimes it's worth tweaking those sliders depending on your environment, especially if you frequently take your Play from place to place or keep switching from indoor to outdoor use.

Make the most of your physical connections

While the Sonos Play does a lot of its work wirelessly, physical connections are also important.

The main unit houses a USB-C charging port, from which you can juice up your speaker directly, or you can use the supplied USB-C-ended charging base upon which the whole speaker cheerfully and securely sits.

Note that while the charging dock with its USB-C cable is supplied, there’s no power adapter in the box (most brands don't include these anymore), so you’ll need to buy one separately for around £19 / $19 from Sonos if you don’t already have one.

If you're after further extras, Sonos also sells a separate adapter that adds an Ethernet port for a more solid wired internet connection, but that itself will set you back an extra £40 / $40. Or, if you want to connect a music source directly (Sonos envisions connecting a turntable on its website), you can purchase a Sonos line-in adapter (USB-C to 3.5mm) for £19 / $19.

Oh, and it's easy to miss the fact that, buried under an avalanche of tricks, functions and skills, the Play offers wired charging for your portable device, again via USB-C.

Similar to the functionalities you'll find on the JBL Charge 6 or Xtreme 4, all you need to do is plug your device in directly via a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to Lightning cable to connect it directly to your speaker.

A very handy feature, and one of which not all Play owners seem to be aware.

MORE:

Read our full Sonos Play review

I've heard Denon's new range of multi-room wireless speakers – and Sonos should be worried

Sonos Play vs Apple HomePod 2: which is right for you?

These are the best smart speakers you can buy

Sonos is in need of a win at the moment. The US giant isn’t in quite the same desperate need as poor old Tottenham Hotspur are at the time of writing, but it’s hard to escape the fact that the past couple of years have been a little rough for one of audio’s most recognisable names.

The company’s much-covered app update was infamously poorly received, while patchy form on the audio front – from the middling debut of the Ace over-ear headphones to the disappointing Roam 2 Bluetooth speaker – struggled to win us back around.

Now entering this tricky landscape is the Sonos Play. The brand describes the Play as a “compact portable smart speaker”, with the new model blending streaming smarts with voice control, Bluetooth powers and a built-in battery to cover as many bases as possible in a bid to give Sonos that much-needed win.

There’s a lot on the Play’s shoulders, then: the ‘Play’ name is a throwback to Sonos’ older line of superb speakers, so is this the speaker that puts Sonos back on the right track?

Price

The Sonos Play comes with a premium price tag. Still, at £299 / $299 / AU$499, it’s a good chunk cheaper than its larger Move 2 counterpart was at launch (£449 / $449 / AU$799), hovering around the same sort of territory as the Apple HomePod 2 smart speaker (£299 / $299 / AU$479) and its WiiM Sound rival (£299 / $299 / approx AU$499).

If you’re after something that’s focused purely on portability, the Award-winning, Bluetooth-only JBL Charge 6 can be yours for at most £170 / $199 / AU$200, although it doesn’t have the same extensive arsenal of features as the Sonos or its smart speaker counterparts.

Closer to the Play’s price, you can also get the much larger JBL Xtreme 4 Bluetooth portable for around £230 / $299 / AU$329.

Build & design

The Play is something of a middle child for Sonos’ established range of portable and semi-portable wireless speakers.

It’s larger than the Toblerone-esque tubes of the slimline Sonos Roam and Roam 2, and puts us in mind of a scaled-down version of the rather bulky, wide-fronted Sonos Move 2. If you’re not so familiar with the established Sonos range, imagine a decent-sized hardcover book or a scaled-down bathroom bin and you’re most of the way there.

Either way, this is a Sonos product through and through, and in general, that’s a good thing. Sonos is not known for its slipshod approach to product design, and while you might find that it tends to err on the side of rather understated, utilitarian aesthetics when designing its speakers, this is unquestionably a well made product

The speaker is weighty in-hand (1.3kg is hardly feather-light for a portable unit), with the main body comprising a wrap-around grille topped by a rubberised top section, which feeds into another rubber strip running along the backside.

That rubber top hosts four physical buttons – two for volume, one for muting/unmuting your voice assistant and a play/pause toggle – while the spine houses a Bluetooth pairing control, a microphone toggle and a large power button. You’re also furnished with a removable, but sadly not adjustable, “utility loop", which you can hook around your finger for easier carrying.

A small LED display at the front gives you various status indicators, though we’d echo our sentiments from previous Sonos models that having a larger light would make this easier to see from afar.

The Play is designed to be portable, so there’s mettle and grit hiding beneath that rather unassuming facade. The speaker boasts a very solid IP67 rating to keep it protected from dust ingress and submersion in water, with garden hose splashes and a quick dunk in our office sink seeing the Play prove its all-terrain credentials with relative ease.

Two finishes are available – black or white – though we’d mention that, while our black sample shows little signs of the rigours to which we subject it during our tests, we wonder if its pristine all-white counterpart might be more susceptible to showing stains and scuffs after a time. If you plan on taking your speaker on outdoor adventures rather than keeping it cooped up inside or going as far as the back garden, the black option might be the one to pick.

Features

It’s best to think of the Sonos Play in the same way you might regard the established Move 2: a portable speaker that can also plug into the mains and slot into your home wi-fi network and, if you wish, integrate within your Sonos multi-room system.

As such, the Play offers Bluetooth 5.3 for when you’re roaming about and just need a quick and simple wireless connection from your smartphone, with pairing swift and stable during our tests.

It also has a very healthy 24 hours of battery life from a single charge. That’s a decent number, matching the standard lifespan of the JBL Charge 6 and the Sonos Move 2, and easily outstripping the 10 or so hours you’ll get from the smaller Roam 2.

Wi-fi compatibility offers you a more comprehensive streaming suite than most standard Bluetooth speaker rivals, with the Play granting support for the likes of Spotify Connect, Apple Music, Tidal via the Sonos app, as well as AirPlay 2. There’s no playing ball with higher quality Bluetooth codecs such as aptX HD or LDAC here, but the Sonos Play is capable of streaming files up to 24-bit/48kHz from most mainstream streaming services over wi-fi.

This being a Sonos speaker, multi-room capabilities act as a major feather in the Play’s proverbial cap. Grouping the speaker together with compatible Sonos devices, such as other Plays, the larger Move 2 or the slimline Sonos Roam 2, is a simple process – you can use the app to drag devices into your preferred group, a process which we find simple, intuitive and easy to navigate.

That simple process is done via the Sonos app, which, when it works well, is in-depth, easy to use and impressively comprehensive. Our problem is that too many times during our testing, the app suffers from usability glitches, often refusing to perform basic functions without explanation. We attempt to link Absolute Radio to our Sonos account, for instance, and only on the third attempt do we achieve a successful pairing – our first two tries are thwarted by an unhelpful error message. We hope these kinks are smoothed out with a firmware update.

Charging is performed using a supplied charging dock with USB-C cable, but there’s no power adapter in the box, so you’ll need to buy one separately (£19 / $19) from Sonos if you don’t already have one. There’s a USB-C port at the back of the speaker, either for charging or to connect an external audio source like a music player or turntable via a line-in adapter.

On the subject of charging, you can use the Play like a portable power bank by simply plugging a USB-C cable and keeping your smartphone juiced up on the go.

There are further tricks to be found to make usability easier, too. You can connect twin Sonos Plays via the app or simply by using Bluetooth – pressing the play/pause button for around two seconds on your Sonos Play will group it together with the speaker that’s currently playing Bluetooth audio. That’s a handy bonus if you’ve taken a few Plays out on your adventures and need a quick and effective way of getting stereo sound without wi-fi or app access.

Speaking of twins, you even get dual voice assistant support for your Sonos speaker, with Sonos’ own voice assistant sitting alongside Amazon’s ever-clever Alexa AI. You’ll need to set up and confirm permission to use Alexa via the separate Amazon app, but once that’s done, she’s easy to summon with a quick call of “Hello Alexa”.

Sound

Sonos never divulges the power rating of its speakers, but we know that the Play sports three Class H amplifiers powering two angled tweeters and a mid-woofer driver, as well as dual force-cancelling passive radiators which aim for deep bass and minimised vibrations.

The resultant sound is impressive in many respects. The Play covers the sonic basics admirably, and while that might sound like damning with faint praise, it’s no guarantee that a speaker of this size and type can put music together as convincingly and cohesively as our test sample manages.

As we pump out a recording of Ramin Djawadi’s The King’s Arrival from the soundtrack to Game Of Thrones, the Play gives the composition an appropriately regal feel – poised, clear, controlled, and with ample muscle to spare, it’s a powerful and convincing opening salvo.

Unlike Game Of Thrones, which really went downhill as its run came to a close, the Sonos Play doesn’t suffer a disastrous drop off when we switch to something completely different. Massive Attack’s Atlas Air gives the Play a new challenge, with the speaker striking a fine balance between weighty punch and composed control as it tackles the track with a professional, capable precision.

There’s ample bass muscle, but the Play’s clear, controlled character and disciplined signature stops that lower end from spilling out all over the place – instead, it sounds taut and punchy, evidenced by the Play firmly handles those opening drum thumps on Michael Jackson’s iconic Billie Jean.

How does the Play stack up against its key rivals? When placed side by side with Apple’s five-star HomePod 2 and with both speakers playing via AirPlay, it’s clear that the Sonos Play’s clear, punchy yet precise sound contrasts with the airier and more free-flowing temperament of the HomePod 2.

The mains-powered HomePod 2 is also a little more nuanced in how it handles instrumental timbres, granting more subtlety and texture to instruments – rich violin strokes, tumbling drum fills, tinkling pianos – making for a more natural listen than the ever-so-slightly mechanical Play.

We also find that the Sonos can tend to paint music with the same brush. Capable and controlled as it sounds, we do sometimes feel as though the speaker isn’t that flexible in its delivery – whether it’s The King’s Arrival or Elvis Costello’s Veronica, everything tends to sound a little uniform no matter the genre.

Veronica is a thin, zippy recording with a character all of its own, but some of that inherent leanness is lost as the Sonos just slightly imposes its own style on Costello’s bittersweet ditty when we listen over Bluetooth.

The five-star, cheaper JBL Charge 6 may sound harder and less forgiving when also playing via Bluetooth, but it brings out the essence of various musical styles – be it Costello, Chappell Roan or Chris Cornell – with greater expressiveness and insight.

Still, our overall impressions of the Play remain positive. Whether pumping out some Gorillaz in the garden or streaming a slice of Stevie Wonder in the sitting room, its clear, confident and controlled sound is rarely a chore to listen to. We’d like it to bend and flex to accommodate different musical styles and genres more readily, but sonically, this remains an admirable effort.

Verdict

The Sonos Play has a lot going for it. It’s hugely versatile and undeniably talented, while its ability to bridge the gap between home and outdoor use potentially saves the need for buying two separate speakers. In that regard, the Play is more than capable of justifying its reasonably lofty price tag.

If you simply need a dedicated specialist – be it a purely portable pal or a static wireless smart speaker – more sonically talented rivals are available. That said, if you’re seeking a do-it-all speaker that’s as happy slotting into your multi-room set-up as it is being taken down to the seaside, the Play makes a good deal of sense.

Review published: 26th March 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Apple HomePod 2

Also consider the Sonos Move 2

Read our JBL Charge 6 review

Check out our top tips to get the most out of the new Sonos Play wireless speaker

Sonos Play vs Apple HomePod 2: which wireless speaker is better?

Best Bluetooth speakers 2026: tried and tested for every budget

Sony has announced its latest slate of Bravia-branded TVs and home audio devices, and there's a certain soundbar that's caught my eye.

The new lineup includes the Bravia Sub 9, which looks like it fell straight out of a sci-fi movie, and the Bravia Theatre Bar 5, which is a more wallet-friendly soundbar and subwoofer combo that sits just below the Theatre System 6. But it's another soundbar that's top of my wish list.

I'm talking about the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7, which replaces the HT-A3000. I have a soft spot for this 'bar, as it was the first Dolby Atmos soundbar I ever had at home (before ultimately upgrading to the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus).

This new version looks like a shrunken-down version of the five-star Bravia Theatre Bar 9, although the soundbar that it is really challenging is the much-loved Sonos Beam Gen 2.

The five-time Award-winning Dolby Atmos soundbar delivers superb cinematic sound in a compact package, and while plenty of challengers have tried to snatch its crown, none have managed to knock it from the top spot.

Sennheiser tried, and ultimately failed, with the Ambeo Soundbar Mini, while Harman Kardon's Enchant 900 proved to be a competitive option but couldn't knock it off its perch.

The closest rival we've had to the Beam Gen 2 is the JBL Bar 300MK2, which offered up a five-star surround sound experience at a price that slightly undercut Sonos. But ultimately, the Sonos Beam 2 prevailed.

However, I think the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 could be the 'bar to finally topple the champion, as it has all of the makings of a five-star soundbar.

Unlike the Sonos Beam Gen 2, and the HT-A3000 that this soundbar replaces, the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 features dedicated upward-firing drivers. This means we'll (hopefully) be treated to "proper" Dolby Atmos height effects and won't have to rely on Sony's Vertical Sound Engine processing.

And this could make all the difference. We noted that the height presentation and projection could have been better in our full HT-A3000 review, and it sounds as though Sony has listened to our concerns.

Furthermore, the new Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 features one thing that the Beam Gen 2 is sorely missing: HDMI passthrough.

Sony has gone all-out by including a full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 socket on this soundbar, which supports up to 4K/120Hz signals with VRR and ALLM, which should make gamers with multiple consoles (like me) rather happy.

Much like the Beam Gen 2, there is the option to connect rear speakers and a subwoofer (Sony suggests the new Bravia Sub 8 and Rear 9 speakers as ideal companions) for a full surround sound upgrade.

There is also a variant called the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 Plus S, which comes bundled with a 100W wireless subwoofer.

Combine these upgrades with Sony's legendary audio expertise and I think that the Bar 7 could finally be the soundbar to usurp the long-standing Sonos champion.

I can't wait to get the new Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 in for a full review and to find out if my prediction proves to be correct.

MORE:

Read our full Sonos Beam Gen 2 review

As well as our Sony HT-A3000 review

And check out our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Sony has just announced the latest additions to its Bravia Theatre Bar range of Dolby Atmos soundbars (plus two new Bravia TVs). And it’s not quite what we were expecting.

Rather than replace the flagship Bravia Theatre Bar 9 or the step-down Bravia Theatre Bar 8, both of which launched almost two years ago, Sony has decided to launch more affordable models below them.

Bravia Theatre Bar 7

First up is the Bravia Theatre Bar 7, which replaces the long in the tooth, four-star rated HT-A3000.

The Bar 7 has a design very similar to that of the Bar 8 and Bar 9, with a rounded mesh front and a metallic, angular rear.

But while it’s the same height and almost the same depth as its more premium siblings, the Bar 7 is significantly narrower, at 95cm compared with the Bar 8’s 110cm and the Bar 9’s 130cm.

It’s worth noting that this means the Bar 7 is still a good deal longer than the 65cm Sonos Beam Gen 2 with which it seems destined to do battle.

As with the other Theatre Bar models, two feet are included in the Bar 7’s box. These can be used to elevate the Bar 7 just a little so that it can straddle an awkward TV pedestal stand. A wall mount is included as well.

Unlike the Sonos Beam, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 features dedicated up-firing speakers, one at each end of the top panel. These are full-range Sony X-Balanced designs.

They are joined by a full-range X-Balanced driver at each end of the bar, plus two forward-facing X-Balanced woofers for the left and right channels, a full-range X-Balanced centre speaker, and two tweeters.

And that’s not all – there are four passive radiators for additional bass, too.

Sony then uses its 360 Spatial Audio technology to create an additional five phantom speakers, which are designed to generate a bubble of sound.

This is the basis for the Bar 7’s reproduction of 3D Audio, which it can handle in both the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats.

The compact bar is IMAX Enhanced Certified, too, though only when the optional rears and a subwoofer are connected.

Speaking of which, there are two variants of this new soundbar. You can buy the solo Bravia Theatre Bar 7 (also known as the HT-A7100), or you can buy a bundle that also includes the 100W Sub 7 subwoofer.

This bundle is known as the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S, or HT-AP710.

Away from movies, there is support for Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect, but Tidal Connect appears to be absent.

The Bar 7 comes with the same remote as the Bar 8 and Bar 9. It isn’t fancy, but it is better than no remote at all.

Of course, it will be possible to control the volume using your TV’s remote control, and if your TV is a recent Sony, you’ll be able to access more or less all of the Bar 7’s settings and controls via the TV’s onscreen menus.

Want more ways to control and tweak the Bar 7? No problem: it’s also compatible with the very good Bravia Connect app.

This is also where you complete Sony’s ‘Sound Field Optimisation’ calibration, which attempts to adapt the sound to your room and seating position.

As you would expect, the Bravia Theatre Bar 7 is designed to be connected to your TV via HDMI eARC (in fact, this appears to be another new soundbar without a legacy optical input), but unlike many rivals, there is also a dedicated HDMI input, and the soundbar supports passthrough of 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM.

Bravia Theatre Bar 5

Sony has also announced a new entry-level model in the Bravia soundbar range.

The Bravia Theatre Bar 5 is a package that contains a compact three-channel soundbar and a fairly bijou wireless subwoofer to make a neat 3.1 system.

Despite the lack of up-firing drivers, the Theatre Bar 5 is able to reproduce Dolby Atmos and DTS:X signals using Sony’s Vertical Surround Engine, which has previously impressed us in models such as the Bravia Theatre System 6.

Unlike the Bar 7, the Bar 5 doesn’t feature HDMI passthrough, but it does have an optical input nestled alongside the HDMI eARC socket.

News subs and surrounds

The two new soundbars are joined by optional new subwoofers and surround speakers, and these are very much flagship models.

The new Bravia Theatre Sub 9 is a gorgeous, sci-fi-styled cube that replaces Sony’s current SW5 flagship subwoofer.

Each half of the cube (it’s not actually a perfect cube, but it looks close enough) features a 20cm aluminium driver.

These are dual opposing drivers that employ phase cancelling to deliver smooth, ultra-deep, distortion-free bass, according to Sony, which also claims a monstrous maximum power output of 600W for the Sub 9.

The Bravia Theatre Sub 8, meanwhile, is essentially half of the Sub 9. It features one of the 20cm aluminium drivers and a claimed power output of 300W.

The new subwoofers are compatible with the Bravia Theatre Bar 9, Bar 8 and Bar 7, as well as the Bravia Theatre Quad.

Thanks to a post-launch software update, you will even be able to pair two of these subs (or two Sub 7s, for that matter) with one of the bars, though the Quad system can still have just one subwoofer.

Finally, the new surround speakers.

The Bravia Theatre Rear 9 speakers replace the RS5s and sit above the existing Rear 8s.

They feature a minimalist, cylindrical design, with a metal ring around the top that matches the metal band around the rear edge of the soundbars.

Each Rear 9 features two 80mm aluminium drivers, one facing forwards and the other upwards (with a bit of a forward-tilting angle), plus a front-firing 16mm tweeter and a side-facing passive radiator.

A swivelling wall-bracket for each speaker is included in the box.

Unfortunately, Sony hasn’t yet given us launch dates or prices for any of this new audio kit, but as soon as we have that information, we will update this story.

MORE:

The one to beat: here's our Sonos Beam Gen 2 review

Here are all of the best soundbars you can buy right now

When you think of multi-room wireless speakers, there's a good chance you think of Sonos. The US brand has been the de facto king of multi-room readiness for a good while now, building a reputation as much on its user-friendly ecosystem as its sonic prowess.

Things might, might, be about to change. Sonos has endured a rocky past few years, with the brand's disastrous app relaunch ultimately leading to the resignation of its then-CEO, Patrick Spence, in 2025.

That tricky period has opened the door to Denon and its revamped Home 2 series of multi-room wireless speakers. Denon's original Home range launched seven years ago, so now seems to be the perfect time for Denon to give its multi-room speaker series a new lease of life.

To get an idea as to whether the revamped range is worthy of taking the multi-room crown, we headed to London for the grand unveiling of the Home 2 series of wireless speakers and to sample the entire range for ourselves.

Denon Home 2 range overview

Denon's new Home 2 range consists of three models: the compact Home 200 (£299 / $399 / €349 / AU$699), the mid-sized Home 400 (£449 / $599 / €499 / AU$999) and the biggest and most expensive of the lot, the flagship Home 600 (£599 / $799 / €699 / AU$1,499).

Denon's watchwords in terms of actual use are focused on flexibility and customer control. The entire range runs on Denon's 'HEOS' multi-room platform, which hosts all the popular streaming services and whereby users can stream sound directly between their speakers, AV receivers and even compatible soundbars.

Via the app, you're able to tinker with your multi-room wireless audio set-up and manage the various components therein, all while accessing services such as Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify in their Connect forms. The Home 2 speaker series promises hi-res audio support up to 24-bit/192kHz alongside DSD128, while Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 are also on the menu.

For wired connectivity, all three speakers also features 3.5mm and USB-C inputs.

All three speakers are compatible with Dolby Atmos-powered spatial audio tracks, either natively or via upsampling. You can even adjust the height and breadth of the speaker's output in the HEOS app when listening to spatial audio tracks, depending on your listening environment and what you want from your speakers' sonic output.

A lot of ways to enjoy Denon's new range of wireless wonders, then, but all the fancy tricks and features in the world mean little if that all-important question isn't met with satisfactory acclaim: how does the Denon Home 2 series actually sound?

We had a preview of the three speakers at the demo to get a first impression...

Denon Home 200

Standing around as tall as the more affordable Sonos Era 100 (originally £249 / $249 / AU$399) and looking rather attractive thanks to a smooth cylindrical form and chic metal base, the Home 200 is billed as a "compact yet powerful" contender.

It features twin 25mm tweeters and a single 10cm woofer. The Home 200 is capable of stereo output thanks to that twin tweeter array handling left and right signals, distinguishing itself from the mono output of its spiritual predecessor, the Home 150. If you like, you can pair two Home 200s together for what Denon describes as "a high-fidelity stereo soundstage".

That trio of drive units is complemented by three built-in amplifiers and 65 watts of total power, and certainly appears capable of helping the compact Home 200 punch above its weight. During our demo, a Tidal stream of Nora Jones' Come Away With Me sounds bold and emotive through the Home 200, with the speaker providing ample body to Jones' vocals and the twangy guitar noodling away beneath.

A Dolby Atmos mix of Ed Sheeran's Shivers, meanwhile, gives the speaker a chance to showcase its rhythmic capabilities, bringing a decent amount of punch and power to the snappy underpinnings of the Ipswich crooner's upbeat arrangement.

The compact Home 200 appears to make a solid impression with its meaty and confident sound. Of course, we would need more dedicated time to assess whether the Home 200 is as dynamically engaging as its Sonos Era 100 or Apple HomePod 2 rivals, or if it is capable of dealing with more complex or layered tunes to really stretch the limits of its abilities.

Still, in the time given, we're struck by how composed and confident the smallest member of the new range sounds, ably filling the hotel demo space with ample helpings of assertive, but rarely shouty, audio goodness.

Denon Home 400

It's time to step things up a gear, with our listening switching to the more sizeable Home 400. A bulkier, larger specimen, the Home 400 packs a six-driver array fed by 90 watts of total power, with each drive unit powered by its own dedicated amplifier.

We're back playing Ed Sheeran's Shivers, discerning that this speaker, thanks to its more omnidirectional driver array and larger size, sounds more open and spacious.

When our demo team make tweaks to the sound via the HEOS app, adjusting the sliders to grant more width and height as appropriate, it's easy to discern the resultant changes in the speakers' sonic output.

The Denon Home 400 has a Spatial Audio width selector thanks to angled up-firing speakers, as well as a height extender when playing Dolby Atmos tracks, and can even be used as a rear channel with a compatible Denon HEOS soundbar.

The Home 400 is more open and provides a greater sense of space between instruments, but just occasionally, we discern vocals can sound a little recessed, be it on Shiver or via a Dolby Atmos mix of The Doors' Riders On The Storm, although that may be due to tinkering with the digital signal processing to achieve those fancy spatial effects.

Still, it will be interesting to pit the speaker’s spatial audio talents against rivals such as the Sonos Era 300.

Instruments, voices and sonic effects seem to be more carefully placed across a more three-dimensional soundstage, granting a more atmospheric feel to The Doors' infamously moody classic. We would need a longer, more dedicated listen to make final judgements, but our first impressions are broadly positive with the Home 2's middle speaker.

Denon Home 600

At £599 / $799 / €699 / AU$1,499, the Home 600 is the most expensive of the speaker trio by some distance.

The Home 600 sounds the most cohesive and wide ranging in our demo, in part thanks to its eight-driver array and 170 watts of total power. Each driver has its own dedicated amplifier, with twin 6.35cm upwards firing units to give a great sense of scale and dimensionality to the sizeable speaker.

Like its siblings, you can stereo pair the flagship unit with another Home 600, though given its larger size, that does feel a bit like sonic overkill. Plus, you'll be paying around £1200 / $1600 / €1400 / AU$3,000 for the privilege.

This is a speaker that appears to go big on power and scale. Riders On The Storm comes across as atmospheric and imposing as Jim Morrison sings ominously that "there's a killer on the road", yet rarely do we feel that the iconic frontman's moody delivery is being lost amid this grander, more cinematic canvas.

We give Shiver another listen to get a proper full-range comparison, and thanks to its larger sonic scale and size, we discern more space between instruments and textures, underpinned by a fairly punchy and propulsive lower-end that seems to keep itself reasonably in-check.

We sense solid variations in dynamics, too, though we'd love to put the Home 600 up against its competitors at this price to discover its true sonic mettle.

During our demo listen, Chris Stapleton's Death Row gives the Home 600 a further chance to flex its musical muscles, with the speakers' pleasing blend of punch and spaciousness adding a more cinematic feeling to the track than its smaller sublings can muster.

It's an enjoyable rendition of Death Row, though do we hear just a touch of hardness in that twanging, southern-fried guitar the more we listen? This is a large unit playing loudly in a small room, so perhaps a little leeway can be afforded to the Home 600.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, more testing time in our own controlled listening rooms might well be needed before we can make any concrete assessments.

Does Denon have Sonos sweating?

On the face of it, there's huge potential appeal to Denon's revamped range of multi-room wireless speakers.

The three new members of the new Denon Home 2 series appear to be nicely made, well-designed and crammed full of features to facilitate their readiness as flexible wireless speakers built for modern home listening. The HEOS platform could potentially give Sonos – a company which has built a reputation on user accessibility and multi-room streaming – a few restless nights.

Sonic prowess have to follow what appear to be some impressive on-paper credentials, but if Denon can deliver its lofty promise of "superior audio performance", it could emerge as a viable alternative to Sonos's established range.

We've heard hints of the new range's audio performance in our brief preview demo, but naturally will need our own review samples and days of rigorous testing to reach final verdicts. For now, we remain cautiously optimistic that Denon might pose a serious contender in the multi-room wireless speaker market.

Your move, Sonos.

MORE:

Onkyo, Ruark and Philips are all vying for desktop speaker supremacy – so which pair should you pick?

Forget the Oscars, this wildly underrated western has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard

Best active speakers: our experts pick the top pairs with integrated amplifiers

After much anticipation, LG’s Sonos-rivalling premium home cinema system, Sound Suite, launched earlier this month.

As the first such system boasting Dolby Atmos FlexConnect technology, Sound Suite arrived promising revolutionary flexibility in terms of system configuration and speaker placement – and in those regards, it largely delivers.

Unfortunately, LG has also fumbled some of the sonic fundamentals, hence the three-star rating in our reviews of both the Sound Suite H7 soundbar and the Sound Suite system as a whole.

But, having spent two weeks using the Sound Suite system both in our dedicated test room and at home, there are actually lots of things that I really like about LG’s Dolby Atmos home cinema solution.

So let’s spend some time giving praise where it’s due by detailing Sound Suite’s many strengths – before embarking on the less pleasant task of flagging its weaknesses.

Strengths

Excellent Dolby Atmos placement

The way Dolby Atmos is handled is without doubt the Sound Suite system’s most impressive quality.

During Blade Runner 2049, audio adverts float convincingly above the listening position, while environmental effects occupy precise positions within the room. In F1, commentary sits neatly overhead and fireworks spread convincingly across the ceiling.

The system consistently places sounds in very specific three-dimensional locations, creating an impressively immersive Atmos bubble.

Huge cinematic scale

A closely related quality is Sound Suite's ability to fill a room with sound.

From the opening moments of Blade Runner 2049 to the chaotic musical sequence in Sinners, the presentation feels genuinely epic and cinematic. Sound spreads widely across the room rather than appearing confined to the speakers themselves.

Even when the speaker placement isn’t ideal, the system still produces a soundfield that feels satisfyingly expansive.

Oodles of deep, powerful bass

The bundled subwoofer delivers seriously deep and powerful bass.

Impacts, explosions and the heavy smacks of cars colliding in F1 land with tremendous weight, and the system digs impressively deep into the low frequencies.

That bass can occasionally become a little overbearing and lacks some precision, but in terms of sheer depth and presence it’s undeniably impressive.

Loads of punch and energy

The Sound Suite system never sounds timid.

Action scenes hit hard, with plenty of punch helping crashes, gunshots and musical moments feel impactful and exciting.

It may sometimes prioritise brute force over finesse, but if you want your movies to feel energetic and dramatic, LG’s system certainly delivers.

Impressively flexible speaker placement

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect technology is what truly sets the Sound Suite system apart.

Rather than demanding perfectly symmetrical speaker placement, the system analyses where each speaker sits and adjusts the soundfield accordingly. Even in less-than-ideal layouts, it manages to produce a surprisingly coherent and immersive presentation.

It can’t perform miracles, and it's well worth making the effort to place the speakers in the 'correct' positions if possible, but FlexConnect does a remarkably convincing job of compensating for awkward setups.

A stylish soundbar with a useful OLED display

The H7 soundbar itself is an attractive and nicely made piece of kit.

Its clean design looks suitably premium, and the inclusion of a small OLED display is genuinely helpful, clearly showing volume levels, input changes and the currently playing audio format.

It’s a thoughtful touch that many competing soundbars still omit.

Big, stylish M7 surround speakers

The M7 surround speakers are larger than many wireless surrounds, but that size works in their favour.

They look stylish and substantial, and their larger cabinets likely help contribute to the system’s expansive soundstage.

They also integrate neatly with the rest of the system, allowing Atmos effects to move smoothly through the room.

Customisable ambient speaker lighting

LG has added a bit of visual flair with customisable lighting built into the speakers and soundbar.

Through the app you can adjust the ambient illumination to suit your room or mood, adding a subtle cinematic atmosphere to movie nights.

It’s hardly essential, but it’s a fun extra that helps the Sound Suite system feel a little more distinctive.

A sensibly streamlined set of sound modes

Thankfully, LG hasn’t overloaded the system with endless sound presets.

There are just five main options – AI Sound Pro+, Standard, Clear Voice Pro+, Bass Boost and Custom EQ – and most users will find that Standard works best for the majority of content.

The relatively restrained selection makes the system easier to use and reduces the temptation to endlessly fiddle with settings.

A proper bundled remote control

Unlike some rivals that rely entirely on apps or TV remotes, LG also includes a dedicated remote control.

It feels a little light and plasticky, but the buttons are clearly labelled and straightforward to use, making everyday operation simple.

That said, a dedicated Night Mode button would have been a welcome addition.

Weaknesses

A cold and somewhat aggressive sound

While the Sound Suite system excels at scale and impact, it struggles with warmth and subtlety.

Treble and bass reign supreme here, leaving the midrange rather lacking, and there's a forthrightness to the delivery that feels quite shouty.

The overall tonal balance leans towards the cold and aggressive side, which can make the presentation a little fatiguing.

Dialogue can sound brash

Dialogue reproduction is one of the system’s weaker areas.

Voices frequently sound raspy and slightly synthetic, lacking the warmth and natural texture that help speech feel convincing.

Compared with rival systems such as Sonos’ Arc Ultra-based home theatres, voices often feel flatter and less expressive.

Background effects are sometimes exaggerated

The system also has a tendency to push background sounds too far forward.

Ambient noises that should remain subtle occasionally become overly prominent, drawing attention away from the dialogue or main action.

The result can feel slightly unnatural, as though the system is over-emphasising certain elements of the soundtrack.

AI sound processing makes things worse

LG’s AI Upmix and AI Sound Pro+ modes initially sound impressive because they increase scale and weight.

Unfortunately, they also exaggerate background effects and give voices an unnatural, echoey character.

In practice, the Standard mode with AI Upmix disabled delivers the most natural and balanced performance.

No HDMI inputs on the soundbar

While not a unique flaw to the Sound Suite H7 (the Sonos Arc Ultra is another notable culprit), connectivity is more limited than it should be.

The soundbar lacks dedicated HDMI inputs, meaning all sources must be connected to your TV rather than directly into the soundbar.

It’s won't be a deal-breaker for everyone, but those with loads of sources will be frustrated.

No DTS:X support

While not terribly surprising, given how closely LG appears to have worked with Dolby on this debut FlexConnect system, the lack of DTS:X compatibility here is a shame.

While Dolby Atmos is certainly the dominant immersive format, plenty of discs and some streaming services feature DTS:X.

Its absence slightly limits the system’s format flexibility.

The sub and surrounds feel less premium than the soundbar

While the H7 soundbar itself feels nicely built, the other components don’t quite match its premium feel.

The subwoofer and surround speakers feel lighter and less substantial, creating a slight mismatch in perceived quality across the system.

It’s not a huge problem, but it does slightly undermine the premium impression.

Early software bugs

During testing, we encountered a number of frustrating software issues.

Initial setup proved surprisingly fiddly, with each component requiring its own wi-fi connection process and the subwoofer using a different pairing method entirely.

At one point the system also powered on at extremely high volume and refused to respond properly to the remote controls until the app was opened – a genuinely unpleasant experience.

Fingers crossed these issues will quickly be solved via software updates.

No bundle discounts yet

At present, LG isn’t offering any meaningful discounts for buying multiple Sound Suite components together.

Given that the system is clearly designed to be built into a full ecosystem, bundled pricing would make the proposition more attractive – especially considering that Sonos offers big discounts on its system bundles.

As things stand, assembling the full setup feels rather expensive.

MORE:

Read the full LG Sound Suite H7 and LG Sound Suite system reviews

Here are the best soundbars and best surround systems you can buy right now

Sonos has long been the multi-room king, but in recent years its position has become a little shaky. Not only is it under threat from cheaper alternatives like the Amazon Echo range, but also from similarly well-specified rivals like the Apple HomePod 2.

So when Sonos announced a new speaker that's exactly the same price as Apple's finest, our interest piqued.

Here we're comparing the Sonos Play with the Apple HomePod 2 to see how they compare – we've tested both, so this is a full head to head following our rigorous reviews treatment. Let's see which comes out on top.

Sonos Play vs Apple HomePod 2: price

This one is a dead heat, in the UK and US at least. The Sonos Play costs £299 / $299 / AU$499, while the HomePod 2 is £299 / $299 / AU$479.

The HomePod 2 might have been around since 2023, but it hasn't seen much of a price reduction during its three-year lifetime. Apart from the occasional small discount during big sales events, it's held firm at its RRP. Sonos too isn't known for its big discounts, so expect to pay full whack for both speakers.

** Winner: Draw **

Sonos Play vs Apple HomePod 2: build & design

Despite some similarities, the Play and HomePod 2 are quite different propositions. The Play is a portable speaker with a rechargeable battery (which lasts for 24 hours), and is designed to be taken outside as well as serving as part of your home multi-room set-up, whereas the HomePod 2 is very much a stay-at-home smart speaker.

Unsurprisingly, the Play is smaller and lighter than the HomePod 2, measuring 19.2 x 11.3 x 7.7cm and weighing 1.3kg (compared to the HomePod 2's 16.8 x 14.2 x 14.2cm and 2.3kg). Though it is worth noting that while the Play is more compact, it is a little taller than Apple's speaker.

The Play also has a removable utility loop, which hooks onto your finger for easy carrying (though sadly it's not adjustable). And for when you're at home, it comes with a charging base to keep it juiced up (the HomePod 2 plugs into the mains with a removable cable if you want to use a longer one).

The Play is also more resistant to the elements, with a water-and dust-proof rating of IP67. The HomePod 2 has no official IP rating, and so should be kept away from water in any scenario (no bathroom listening for you).

The HomePod 2 has Apple's typically high build quality. It feels solid and well made, and looks pretty stylish in both its white and black guises (those are the same finishes as the Sonos Play).

Both speakers have a mesh grille, but on the HomePod this extends all the way around it in 360 degrees. The Play has a break at the back which houses a Bluetooth pairing control, a microphone toggle and a large power button.

Both speakers have their controls on the top, but have very different control methods. The HomePod responds to tap sequences anywhere on its control surface – one tap to play/pause, a double tap to skip to the next track and so on. It's similar to the control method on a pair of earbuds. The Play's controls on the other hand are more traditional, with designated buttons that are textured to make them more tactile.

** Winner: Draw **

Sonos Play vs Apple HomePod 2: features

These are both smart speakers, so connectivity is the name of the game.

Typically for an Apple product, the HomePod connects seamlessly for Apple users, but much less so if you're out of the Cupertino ecosystem. It won't play music via Siri on Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music or even BBC radio, for example – instead you have to play these services on your phone and send the music to the speaker via AirPlay 2. That seems like seems an unnecessary extra step.

The Sonos Play, by contrast, supports Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect for playing direct through the speaker, as well as Qobuz and many more through its app. Voice control is supported vis Sonos' own voice assistant and Amazon Alexa, but you won't be able to control Tidal via voice control. Most other services are voice-control supported, though.

Both speakers support a maximum file resolution of 24-bit/48kHz, but while both have Bluetooth, only the Play lets you play music from your phone using Bluetooth. The HomePod 2 uses Bluetooth only for the initial set-up and some communication functions, but that's it.

You can also pair up to four Play or Sonos Move 2 speakers together while out and about to create a more impactful sound, and a handy Bluetooth pairing option lets you hook up multiple speakers without needing to be connected to the wi-fi.

Inside the HomePod is a 10cm high-excursion woofer and five horn-loaded tweeters. The Sonos Play has three class-H amplifiers, two angled tweeters and one mid-woofer, along with passive radiators to allow deeper bass.

Both speakers adjust their sound output depending on their surroundings. Apple's tech is mighty impressive, but it's matched by Sonos's 'TruePlay' technology, which we've also experienced on other speakers.

They both support spatial audio too, though the HomePod is limited to Apple Music and Dolby Atmos via an Apple TV 4K, while the Sonos Play supports both Apple Music and Amazon Music.

The HomePod works great for Apple users, but for its greater versatility and wider range of bases covered, this round goes to the Sonos.

** Winner: Sonos Play **

Sonos Play vs Apple HomePod 2: sound

The Sonos Play has the same configuration of amplifiers / tweeters / midwoofer as the Sonos Move 2, but Sonos has confirmed that the components themselves are different. So rather than sounding identical to the four-star Move 2, it's a different beast altogether.

During our test, we found it covers the sonic basics admirably.

"As we pump out a recording of Ramin Djawadi's The King's Arrival from the soundtrack to Game of Thrones, the Play gives the composition an appropriately regal feel – poised, clear, controlled, and with ample muscle to spare, it's a powerful and convincing opening salvo," we wrote in our Sonos Play review.

The bass proves taut and punchy, lending it the precision of a professional. Though throughout our listening, we did find that tracks tend to sound a bit samey, regardless of genre. Rather than revealing the music as the artist intended, it tends to impose its own will on it just a tad.

The Play has its work cut out against the HomePod 2. Apple's smart speaker is a multi-Award winner, and a lot of that is down to its sound quality.

In our HomePod 2 review, we found that the speaker gives Apple Music's Dolby Atmos version of The 1 by Taylor Swift plenty of clarity and warmth in the vocals. "Swift’s voice is at once airy and focused, and the breathy quality of the delivery is really nicely resolved," we wrote.

It does a fine job with the track's other elements, too. "There’s ample weight and texture to the bassline and a satisfying snap to the rhythmic clapping, with both drawing the ear just as much as they should, complementing the vocals but never overshadowing them."

There's not a hint of the usual sibilance and brightness that most speakers give SBTRKT’s Trials Of The Past, yet it still maintains the excitement levels. Its bass has more weight and presence than you would expect from a speaker this size.

True, the lowest of low frequencies on James Blake's Limit To Your Love do prompt a little wobble in the bass performance, but the HomePod still does well with such a challenging track. "This is no lump of detached bass, but rather a seamlessly integrated and dexterous bottom end, without which the track’s more energetic second half wouldn’t have nearly the impact that it does," we wrote.

The HomePod 2's boundless energy translates to all genres, and it always showcases the music, rather than the speaker itself. Which is exactly how it should be.

Placed side by side, with both speakers playing over AirPlay 2, the HomePod 2 sounds airier and more free flowing than the Play. It's also a little more nuanced in how it handles instrumental timbres, "granting more subtlety and texture to instruments – rich violin strokes, tumbling drum fills, tinkling pianos – making for a more natural listen than the ever-so-slightly mechanical Play," we wrote in our Sonos Play review.

It's not a bad performance by the Play by any means, but we're more inclined to recommend the natural, fluid and spacious presentation of the HomePod 2.

** Winner: Apple HomePod 2 **

Sonos Play vs Apple HomePod 2: verdict

There are plenty of similarities between the two speakers, but plenty of differences also.

The HomePod is very much a home smart speaker, built for those already ensconced in – or willing to jump wholeheartedly into – the Apple ecosystem. Whereas the Sonos Play is platform agnostic, and with a portable design for taking with you to the park, the beach, or even just out to the garden.

The Play is by far the more versatile of the two, and wins or draws every round except for sound. Sadly, for us – and undoubtedly for many of you – that will be the most important round there is.

If you prize sound quality above all else, the HomePod 2 is the better speaker. But if you can't stand Apple, or want a speaker that's just as happy being part of your home multi-room system as soundtracking your picnic, the Play is a fine choice.

** Overall winner: Apple HomePod 2 **

MORE:

Read our Sonos Play review

And our Apple HomePod 2 review

Apple HomePod 2 vs Sonos Era 300: which is better?

Check out the best AirPlay speakers around

Which Sonos speaker should you buy? Find out here

In the past few months alone, we have seen a whole army of soundbars march into our test room to compete against the class leaders. The JBL Bar 300MK2, for instance, gave the Award-winning Sonos Beam Gen 2 a real run for its money with its room-filling, bassy audio performance.

So it was only fair that its senior sibling, the JBL Bar 1000MK2, got a turn. Launching at £1000 / $1200 / AU$1600, the Dolby Atmos package is directly up against another Sonos model, the Arc Ultra (£999 / $999 / AU$1799).

Where the Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra is an all-in-one model, though, the JBL is made up of a main soundbar, two wireless detachable surrounds (more on those in a moment), and a subwoofer.

It boasts a 7.1.4 configuration and is driven by a total power output of 960W. But does the JBL Bar 1000MK2's extra kit mean it takes Sonos’s crown?

After my colleagues and I put the package through its paces, the JBL is held back from greatness by two issues – but it is still a worthy competitor to our Award-winner.

Versatile design

First off, the soundbar’s innovative build really stands out from the crowd. It features battery-powered speakers, which can be connected to the main soundbar via a magnetic port, or used wirelessly to perform as separate surrounds.

JBL also offers a Broadcasting feature, allowing you to put the surrounds into another room while the sound from your TV or Bluetooth device continues to play, transforming it into a neat wireless speaker. This works by selecting either a mono or stereo downmix via the accompanying app, then taking one or both of the speakers to a different room to deliver the mix you have chosen.

The speakers offer a claimed 10 hours of battery life, and can be charged either by plugging them into the mains or just connecting them back to the main soundbar.

That's all quite an stand-out proposition, with the JBL model offering a versatility that most soundbars simply cannot match.

Exciting yet detailed performance

But how does it perform beyond this versatile design? Well, the JBL Bar 1000MK2 manages to deliver an energetic, exciting sound that is a massive improvement over the vast majority of built-in TV speakers.

This is helped by the soundbar’s sense of movement and precision. When watching Blade Runner 2049, for instance, futuristic drones whizz past the viewer in a way that will have you double-checking you are not sat next to a Replicant.

Thanks to the soundbar’s up-firing speakers, there are decent height effects that add to the immersive viewing experience. With Spider-Man: Homecoming, we note: “As Tom Holland’s Spider-Man clings on for dear life to a cloaked plane, we hear its engine sounds move around with precision.”

The separate subwoofer also adds an extra oomph to movies, without being distractingly overpowering.

Subwoofer lacks finesse

That being said, the subwoofer does struggle to deliver bass with subtlety and detail. When we first take it out the box, the JBL low-level frequencies are strong but distract from the rest of the frequencies. That means we reach for the JBL One app to adjust the settings, from which you can access the EQ controls.

After fiddling with the settings, we settle on a less floor-shaking bass that feels better balanced – but it’s still not as detailed as class leaders such as the Sonos Arc Ultra.

The JBL delivers more a powerful bass than the Award-winner, but the Sonos counters with a punchier and precise overall sound that is particularly impressive when we switch to music.

We note in our review when listening to the main theme from Jurassic Park with Qobuz Connect: “The low-level dynamics are delivered with excellent subtlety and finesse that build with the swell of the whole orchestra effectively.”

Surrounds fail to shine

The separate detachable surrounds also don’t pack the punch we were hoping for with the JBL model.

Despite their practical design, they don’t create as much scale as those from rival systems, and they struggle to generate a truly immersive dome of sound above us even when cranked up to their maximum volume.

We also test the surrounds when they are connected to the main soundbar to compare, but this understandably makes the sound field less immersive. Using the soundbar with this layout means it loses the benefits of its clever design, however, so we can’t imagine many people listening like this unless they are charging the surrounds.

With the Sonos Arc Ultra, however, the all-in-one model manages to create a more convincing surround-sound experience that outdoes the JBL Bar 1000MK2 even without the separate speakers. Ultimately, the extra kit cannot compete with the Award-winner's more organised and cohesive audio performance, meaning its crown remains firmly in place.

MORE:

Here's our review of the JBL Bar 1000MK2

Check out our thoughts on the Sonos Arc Ultra

Two things stopped this plucky Dolby Atmos soundbar from beating Sonos’s reigning champ

Sonos has a new portable speaker. And, like the Move 2 and Roam 2, the Play has wi-fi as well as Bluetooth, so it’s equally at home playing music on the go or as part of your home multi-room setup.

It sits between the smaller, cheaper Roam 2 and the bigger, more expensive Move 2. It's a fair bit cheaper than the Move 2, but that's not the only difference between them, as we’ll see based on our early comparison of the two.

Sonos Play vs Move 2: price

As we say, there's quite a price difference between the two speakers. The Play costs £299 / $299 / AU$499 – pre-orders are live now, with shipping starting on 31st March. That’s a good amount cheaper than the Move 2, which costs half as much again, retailing at £449 / $449 / AU$799.

While the Move 2’s price has dropped by around £100 during big sales since its launch in 2023, the rest of the time it has held firm. Which makes this round an easy win for the Play.

** Winner: Sonos Play **

Sonos Play vs Move 2: build & design

The Sonos Move 2 might be a portable speaker, but it’s anything but small. Standing 24.1 x 16 x 12.7cm, it’s about the size of a typical food-waste caddy, but at 3kg, significantly heavier (unless the caddy is extremely full, that is).

Thankfully, there’s a recessed handle on the back to help you lift it with one hand.

The Move 2 is built to Sonos’s usual high standards, and looks in keeping with the other speakers in the brand’s line-up. It’s one of the few speakers in the range that doesn't come only in white or black; there's an olive green colourway too. That option is not available with the Play.

But the Play is better equipped to deal with the elements, being rated IP67 compared with the Move 2’s IP56.

The Play has the same button layout as the Move 2, but its controls are textured so you can feel when you have found them with your fingers. The Move 2’s controls are purely touch sensitive.

The Play is a fair bit smaller than the Move 2, measuring 19.2 x 11.3 x 7.7cm. And, at 1.3kg, it's a lot lighter. It also comes with a “removable utility loop” which you can hook around your finger to make it easier to carry.

For its greater resistance to the elements, more portable nature and textured buttons, we're giving this round to the Sonos Play. But it will be interesting to see how it stands up under the scrutiny of a review.

** Winner: Sonos Play **

Sonos Play vs Move 2: features

Both the Move 2 and Play are similar propositions – portable speakers that can also plug into the mains and join your home wi-fi network to serve as part of your Sonos multi-room system. So it's hardly surprising that they share a lot of the same features.

Bluetooth and wi-fi are on board, though being newer, the Play supports Bluetooth 5.3 compared with the Move 2’s 5.0. Both pack 24 hours of battery life, and customise the sound to your environment using Automatic TruePlay. Their mics also feature advanced beam-forming and multichannel echo cancellation for easy voice controls and TruePlay adjustments.

Both have charging bases for home use, so you can keep the battery topped up ready for your travels. And when you are out and about, you can pair up to four Play and/or Move 2 speakers via Bluetooth for a bigger sound (a bit like JBL PartyBoost/Connect+/Auracast).

Both speakers work with all manner of streaming services and wireless technologies, including Spotify Connect, Apple Music, Tidal and AirPlay 2.

Both also have stereo sound, though their arrays are a little different. The Play sports three class-H amplifiers, while the Move 2 has three class-D amps. Both have two angled tweeters and one midwoofer, though the components themselves differ. The Move 2 also lacks the Play's dual force-cancelling passive radiators (which make for deep bass while minimising vibrations).

Neither supports higher quality codecs such as aptX HD or LDAC, but they can stream in up to 24-bit/48kHz quality from a compatible streaming service.

Both speakers have only a USB-C port in terms of physical connections, but you can use this to connect an external audio source such as a music player or turntable using a line-in adapter. Sonos also sells an adapter that adds an ethernet port for a more solid wired internet connection; this adapter works with both speakers, but of course costs extra.

One thing to note regarding the Move 2: you need to set it up using the app and connect to your wi-fi network before it will work over Bluetooth. So don’t buy it on your way to a festival and expect it to soundtrack your tent adventures. This isn’t the case with the Play – it works over Bluetooth straight out of the box.

** Winner: Sonos Play **

Sonos Play vs Move 2: sound

We’ll have to wait until our review is complete before we can pass judgement on the Play’s sound quality. The Move 2 scored four stars in our review – a good score, but not a great one. Its sound was one of the main reasons it missed out on a fifth star.

Don't get us wrong, it has plenty to recommend it. Its sound spreads wide and has plenty of heft, all while remaining “nicely balanced, clean and detailed, and easy to listen to”, we wrote in our Sonos Move 2 review.

“Play Coi Leray’s Players and the speaker handles the playful, funky tune admirably with clean, precise edges and a punchy beat – it gets your toes tapping and fingers snapping,” we added.

Taylor Swift’s Exile has a pleasing degree of solidity to the piano notes, while Bon Iver’s voice has depth and grit. But it is outperformed by rival Bluetooth speakers, which also manage to be cheaper.

Compared with the best in class, the Move 2 is a bit heavy on the bass. It's still a solid four-star performance, but no more than that, sadly. For a prestige brand such as Sonos, that will be a disappointment.

We’ll update this once we have reviewed the Sonos Play.

** Winner: TBC **

Sonos Play vs Move 2: early verdict

The Play looks like a great proposition. It has already addressed two of our three main criticisms of the Move 2, being both smaller and more affordable. It's also built to be more resistant to the elements, and has textured buttons that should be more tactile.

The big question is: how does it sound? On that we must reserve judgement until we have put it through our usual thorough review treatment. If it can even match the four-star Move 2's sonic performance, it should fare well given its improvements in other areas. And if it can improve on that sound performance? That fifth star could well be within reach…

We will update this article once we have reviewed the Sonos Play.

MORE:

Sonos Move 2 vs Move: which is better?

Which Sonos speaker should you buy? Find out here

The best multi-room systems around

Check out the best Sonos alternatives

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.

MORE:

Check out our full Marantz Cinema 30 review

As well as our Sonos Arc Ultra review

Here is how to set up and get the best sound out of your AVR

Sonos has announced a new portable wireless speaker. The Sonos Play sits between the Roam 2 and Move 2, and is the same price as the Apple HomePod 2. But its portability is a major selling point – it even has a removable utility loop on the back to make it easy to carry.

The Play packs 24 hours of battery life, and is rated IP67 for protection against dust and full immersion in water. It also has a built-in power bank to charge your phone on the go, much like the five-star JBL Charge 6.

Its name harks back the Sonos Play range of speakers (Play:1, Play:3 etc) from years gone by. Which suggests Sonos wants to get back to its roots following a rough couple of years which saw a disastrous app update and the launch of its disappointing Ace wireless headphones.

Like Sonos' other portable speakers, the Play has Bluetooth which lets you pair up to four Play or Move 2 speakers together without the need for wi-fi. Though wi-fi is also onboard, so it can work as part of your networked home system too.

Like the burly Move 2, the Play comes with a charging base, and has Sonos' TruePlay room calibration tech for optimising the sound to your surroundings. It also supports the usual roster of streaming services including Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect.

Sonos has also announced a new Era speaker. Like other 'SL' models, the Era 100 SL is identical so its namesake except for the fact it lacks a microphone. That means no voice controls, but also a lower price tag.

The Era 100 earned five stars in our review, and the SL model should offer the same winning sound.

Like all Sonos speakers, both the Play and Era 100 SL were tuned with input from the Sonos Soundboard, which is described as comprising "leaders across music, film, and more". We're promised a sound that's true to the artist's intent.

The new Sonos Play costs £299 / $299 / AU$499, and the Era 100 SL £169 / $189 / AU$289 (the standard Era 100 currently costs £199 / $199 / AU$319). Pre-orders are open now, with shipping starting on 31st March.

MORE:

Which Sonos speaker should you buy? Find out here

The best multi-room systems around

Check out the best Sonos alternatives

As a home cinema expert, I review a whole lot of soundbars. While no model can quite match the truly immersive experience of a good, full-fat multi-speaker setup, the category has grown considerably over the years, and for good reason.

When soundbars were first introduced in 2005 with the Yamaha YSP-1, they boasted an all-in-one, compact design that packed surround sound into a single product that sat neatly in front of your TV. And there's a lot to like about that simplicity.

But I have been testing more and more soundbar packages that are adding extra elements to the mix. One of the most extreme examples is the Nakamichi Dragon soundbar package, consisting of two subwoofers, two surrounds and a main soundbar which creates a whopping 11.4.6-channel configuration.

You may think that adding extra subwoofers and surround sound speakers would immediately make for a more immersive listening experience. I've tested my fair share of soundbar packages, however, and the most recent system to be put through its paces proves that this is not always the case.

As always, the devil is in the details, and it depends heavily on the specific models you're considering.

Enter the JBL Bar 1000MK2, which sports one of the most versatile soundbar package designs we have had in our test room.

The Dolby Atmos soundbar launched at £1000 / £1200 / AU$1600, although in the UK you can pick it up for £900 at a variety of retailers.

Offering a 7.1.4-channel configuration, the JBL model features two detachable surrounds that deliver “immersive, cinematic surround sound” for movie viewing, according to the brand.

Inside each surround, you will find one up-firing driver as well as a racetrack driver.

They can also be used with JBL's Broadcasting feature, which means you can take one of the surrounds into another room and transform it into a surround speaker, so you don't miss out on the action.

The speakers provide a claimed 10 hours of battery life, but when you need to give them some juice, you can connect them to the main soundbar's magnetic ports on each side.

This all makes them sound great. But upon actually using it, the JBL shows that having lots of clever functionality and wireless surrounds doesn't garuntee it's the best product available, or that it'll be better than equivalently priced single bar solutions.

While the 1000MK2 delivers a reasonably precise and wide soundstage with its detachable speakers, they fail to pack the punch we were hoping for.

We say in our review: "Even when they are cranked up to their maximum volume, they don’t create as much scale as rival systems and struggle to generate a truly immersive dome of sound above us."

Their versatile design is still a big draw, giving the package a flexibility that rivals simply don’t have. But class-leading single soundbars can offer a more immersive listening experience without the extra kit.

Take the Sonos Arc Ultra, we compared it against, for example. The Award-winner comes in at roughly the same price as the JBL model, costing £999 / $999 / AU$1799.

When we put the two soundbars head-to-head, the Sonos surprisingly manages to produce a more convincing surround-sound experience, despite it being just one soundbar. While watching Thunderbolts with both models as gunshots fire all around the soundstage, the Sonos delivers a wider yet more precise experience that the JBL can't match.

Despite including a clever, innovative design with its detachable speakers, the JBL's surrounds don't make enough of an impact, especially when compared to the Sonos' more compact build. It seems that less is more, in this case. Which is why I felt the need to pen this warning, letting readers know, just because something has surrounds, doesn't make it automatically better. Trust me, I've done the side-by-side comparisons to check.

MORE:

Here's our review of the JBL Bar 1000MK2

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

And this is our review of the Sonos Arc Ultra

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.

MORE:

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

Update 3rd March: We have updated this story with a quote from Sonos.

Looks like there’s a new portable Sonos speaker on the way. The Sonos Play looks like a smaller version of the Move 2 and, like that model, it packs Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, according to a now-deleted page on the Canadian Best Buy site (The Verge reports).

The device has a loop on the back for carrying it around, a 24-hour battery life and IP67 water resistance, according to the listing. It also has AUX input, USB-C port for charging and a wireless charging base.

Its price is listed as $399.99 CAD (around £220 / $290 / AU$415), which would position it between the bigger Sonos Move 2 (£449 / $449 / AU$799) and smaller, cheaper Roam 2 (£179 / $179 / AU$299).

According to a Reddit post, the description on the Best Buy site read: “Take quality sound wherever you go with the Sonos Play Bluetooth wireless speaker. Its compact design fits easily in your hand, while automatic Trueplay tuning optimizes audio for any environment. Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth let you stream high‑quality audio from different devices and sources. Up to 24 hours of battery life avoids the need for frequent recharging.”

The release date is given as 31st March, which suggests we should see an announcement soon. Sonos confirmed as much to us in a statement:

"We're excited by the interest in what's next from Sonos," a spokesperson told us. "While we don't comment on leaks or speculation, we look forward to sharing more soon about our newest addition designed to deliver the premium sound experience Sonos is known for."

The Play name is a throwback to Sonos speakers of old – the old lineup of Sonos Play:1, Play:3 and Play:5 (which was replaced by the Sonos Five) will have fond places in many users’ hearts. The name suggests Sonos is looking to get back to its roots as a multi-room champ following a rough couple of years that saw its CEO step down amid customer anger following a botched app update, and its first wireless headphones (the Ace) score a disappointing three stars.

MORE:

Which Sonos speaker should you buy?

Sonos TruePlay: what is it? How do you use it?

Sonos Era 300 vs Apple HomePod 2: which smart speaker is better?

An entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar is, in theory, a great proposition. It means you can bring an immersive yet precise experience to movies at home, while not taking up your whole living room with AV kit. That’s not to mention their more affordable price tag compared to a multi-room speaker system is quite the boon.

There is a huge variety in the types of models you can choose, from small single bars to complete soundbar systems. And it is an example of each that we have before us today.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is an all-in-one model and our top current recommendation for buyers on a budget. It’s snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award every year since it was released back in 2021, and has batted away competition from countless other models in that time.

It’s getting a little long in the tooth, however, and more soundbars have started to trouble the reigning champ. Enter the Hisense AX5125H – a complete Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X) system in a box that's cheaper than the Sonos and offers more kit for your money. It scored a What Hi-Fi? Award last year, quickly making its mark as a great option for those on a budget.

That will rightly lead you to ask: which model should I buy? Well, don’t worry too much, because we’ve compared both models side by side to help you decide which one is worthy of your home set-up.

Hisense AX5125H vs Sonos Beam Gen 2

As we mentioned, the Hisense AX5125H is the cheaper option of the two. It comes in at £249 / $350 (around AU$500), which is quite the bargain considering you get a main soundbar, a subwoofer and two small wireless surround speakers.

This makes it the most affordable soundbar package we have ever had in our test room.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2, despite being just a single soundbar, launched at £449 / $449 / AU$649. We have occasionally seen it drop down to around £349 / $399 / AU$700 during sales events, but it has stuck pretty close to its launch price since it came out.

That still means the Hisense model is the clear winner here, costing £200 / $100 (around AU$200) less than the Beam.

**Winner: Hisense AX5125H**

Hisense AX5125H vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: build

When it comes to design, the Beam is certainly the simpler of the two, with its all-in-one bar measuring 7 x 65 x 10cm (hwd).

It has quite a stylish yet compact design, sporting rounded ends with a perforated polycarbonate grille facing the listener. There are two colour finishes available – white and black.

On top of the Beam’s body are touch-sensitive buttons, LEDs, and far-field mics for voice control of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Hisense’s main soundbar is a fair bit longer, measuring 6 x 92 x 9cm (hwd), and is only available in black.

While the Hisense is longer than the Sonos, both main soundbars are compact enough to sit on most furniture and in front of most TVs without blocking their display, but not so small as to look insubstantial.

Hisense’s wireless subwoofer comes in at 29 x 21 x 30cm, and the surrounds measure 14 x 9 x 11cm each. Each bit of kit with the package model has a little more of a dull overall look than the Sonos, but nothing feels or looks cheap.

Unlike the Beam, there’s an LED display on the front of the Hisense soundbar, which is a pleasant surprise at this price and delivers information such as the input, sound preset and surround mode selected, as well as volume level.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 does not come with a remote control, but it can be operated via the Sonos app and the TV remote.

With the AX5125H, there is no dedicated app to control the product. Instead, we get a remote that feels fairly basic and plasticky, as you would probably expect, but it does the job well enough. From here, you can turn on Bluetooth, change the output, adjust the volume, bass and treble levels, and dim the soundbar’s display.

Both soundbars are practical and easy to set up, but which one you prefer will be down to whether you are short on space or want more kit for your money. Hisense just takes it, however, for its handy LED display.

**Winner: Hisense AX5125H*

Hisense AX5125H vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: features

Under the hood of the Sonos, you will find one central tweeter and four elliptical mid-woofers, each powered by Class D amplifiers.

The 5.0 bar contrasts with Hisense’s 5.1.2-channel configuration. That consists of three front-firing channels and a driver in each surround for the ‘five’, one big driver in the sub for the ‘one’, and two up-firing drivers in the soundbar for the ‘two’.

At the back of the Sonos bar, you will find sockets for power, ethernet, and a single HDMI eARC as well as a connect/reset push button.

You will find more connectivity with the Hisense AX5125H, which offers a dedicated HDMI input. Passthrough is limited to 60Hz, so there’s no support for 4K/120Hz gaming signals, but any passthrough functionality at this level is a bonus, especially since the Beam does not have it.

Both soundbars support Dolby Atmos, but the Hisense AX5125H also supports DTS:X. That’s a big tick for movie fans looking for more options when it comes to surround sound technology.

The Sonos bar can be controlled by the Sonos app, which acts as a hub for the product. From here, you can access EQ controls and more advanced sound settings.

The app also offers room calibration to fine-tune the sound to your space, but it's worth noting that the Beam's calibration requires an iOS device – Android devices aren't compatible.

The Beam does not offer any separate sound modes, whereas the Hisense gives you a variety of presets to choose from: Movie, Music, Game, News and Sport. While it defaults to the AI setting, we settle on Movies for movies and TV shows, and Music for Music, after much testing.

For its offering as a complete system rather than a solo bar, as well as its DTS:X support, the Hisense model takes the crown for this category.

**Winner: Hisense AX5125H**

Hisense AX5125H vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: sound

Now for the juicy part: how do the two models compare when it comes to audio quality? Here, both the Hisense AX5125H and the Sonos Beam Gen 2 are quite different.

Hisense’s model produces an enveloping yet cohesive overall sound that delivers a more immersive soundstage than the Beam Gen 2, thanks to its separate satellite surrounds.

When watching Civil War in our test room, we note: “Bullets whizz from the front to the back of the room and even behind the listening position, helicopters hover at ceiling height, and distant explosions rumble menacingly.”

The bass delivered by the subwoofer is impressive considering the soundbar’s cost, with explosions and deep gunfire having a good impact and solidity.

There are frequencies at which the sub gets a little too excited, and it delivers a big thump that sticks out. This is made clear when watching The Batman, as our hero approaches the thugs in the subway tunnel, and one recurring bass note in the soundtrack is reproduced much louder than the others.

With the Sonos, although it is not as room-filling, counters with a more detailed and balanced overall sound that makes for a more authentic listening experience.

It is a particularly solid performer with voices, too, and we say in our review: “Whether it’s a chirping bird, a car or a voice, there’s remarkable consistency across the complete soundfield, and seamless handover between drivers, which we have to say doesn’t always happen when a Dolby Atmos soundbar has upward drivers to contend with.”

This is stronger than the Hisense’s performance in this area. We find with the AX5125H that while voices sound natural and pretty emotive, the busiest, bassiest sections cause them to become a touch muffled.

Unlike a lot of models at this level, both perform well with music, although the Hisense doesn’t quite match Sonos’ abilities.

The Sonos Beam’s strong vocal performance continues to shine with music, and keeps a good cohesion between the different frequencies.

When playing Tool’s Invincible with the Hisense, it manages to deliver some of the subtle warble in Maynard James Keenan’s vocals. But even at its lowest volume level, the subwoofer can’t resist interjecting slightly rudely at times and adding bass notes that stick out awkwardly.

It’s hard to pick out a clear winner here, as it really depends on what you are looking for. If you want a soundbar that offers clarity, detail and sophistication, then the Beam Gen 2 is a great pick. But if you are on the hunt for a genuinely room-filling, three-dimensional Atmos effect with a bassy sound to boot, then the Hisense model is the better choice.

**Winner: draw**

Hisense AX5125H vs Sonos Beam Gen 2

Both the Hisense AX5125H and the Sonos Beam Gen 2 are top five-star soundbars that will suit your home cinema setup if you are on the hunt for Dolby Atmos without a hefty price tag.

Sonos’ model delivers a more controlled overall performance with an excellent sense of precision and finesse that the Hisense system can't match.

But the AX5125H offers a more immersive soundstage with excellent Atmos presentation thanks to the extra surrounds and subwoofer. Plus, its more affordable price tag is a great choice for those on a budget.

We’re all tied up, folks.

**Overall winner: draw**

MORE:

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars right now

Check out our review of the Hisense AX5125H

And here are the best budget 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!

MORE:

Here's our review of the Harman Kardon Enchant 900

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

And these are the best budget soundbars

I (along with several of my colleagues) just had the pleasure of reviewing the Sony Bravia Theatre System 6.

It really was a pleasure, too, because while this is a highly unusual and somewhat old-school Dolby Atmos system by 2026 standards, the sound is excellent for the money.

Nothing is perfect, though, even a five-star product such as this, and there are some flaws to the Bravia System 6 that buyers should be aware of.

In most cases, these flaws are likely known compromises that Sony had to make in order to prioritise other qualities while hitting the wallet-friendly price tag.

That’s entirely fair, and it means they might not be ‘fixed’ for the next model, but you can’t blame a chap for dreaming, can you?

Besides, as I say, I’m mostly writing this so you, the prospective buyer, know what to expect.

Before I get to the minor flaws, though, let’s highlight some major strengths.

The major strengths

Meaty, expressive bass

Many soundbars at this level are just solo bars, and the subwoofers that come with those that have them tend to be afterthoughts. Not so here.

The System 6’s subwoofer is the star of the show. Yes, its size and weight are at least partly influenced by the connections and processing bits it houses, but they’re also a result of the large driver and hefty amplifier on board.

Sony rates the sub to 200W, and the oodles of deep, weighty bass it produces give me no reason to doubt that figure. But what’s most impressive is how tuneful and articulate it is at the same time.

For a system at this level, this is a deeply (pun intended) impressive low-end performance.

Enveloping Dolby Atmos processing

The System 6’s cabling (more on which below) might look rather old-fashioned by 2026 standards, but its Dolby Atmos performance is anything but dated.

When fed proper Atmos content, it creates a genuinely immersive bubble of sound. Height effects are placed convincingly above you and the sense of scale is far beyond what you’d expect at this price.

What’s more, effects are very accurately placed in this soundfield. In Blade Runner 2049, for example, voices and ambient effects land precisely where they should, and large interior spaces feel appropriately vast and echoing.

Good clarity, particularly to dialogue

This is a punchy, muscular system, but it doesn’t sacrifice clarity in the process.

Dialogue remains crisp and intelligible even when the soundtrack gets busy. During chaotic battle scenes, voices cut cleanly through the mix without sounding artificially boosted or thin. There’s also pleasing natural tonality – speech sounds human rather than processed.

For everyday TV viewing as well as movie nights, that consistency is really valuable.

Surprising musicality

With music, most soundbars, particularly at this level, sound either weedy and artificial or fat and muffled. The System 6, though, is a different beast.

The bar brings detail and decent rhythmic precision, and the subwoofer adds depth and weight while gamely keeping up with the required pace.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is still a more crisp, consistent and energetic soundbar for music, but the Sony system adds a good deal of depth and scale without sacrificing too much in those regards.

It's still absolutely a movies-first system, but it's more musical than is typical of a soundbar set-up at this level.

Solid build quality

The Bravia Theatre System 6 is very plain in its appearance, but there’s reassuring heft to every component. The bar feels sturdy, the surrounds don’t feel like hollow plastic shells, and the subwoofer is seriously substantial.

Nothing about the package feels cheap or compromised. Given the price Sony is asking, that’s impressive in itself.

Wall-mountability

It’s a minor thing, but there are those who will really appreciate the fact that the soundbar, the surround speakers, and even the wireless receiver, can be wall-mounted.

Just remember there are cables that will need hiding if you want a super-sleek set-up.

(Some) Bravia TV interoperability

While the integration doesn’t run as deep here as it does with Sony’s more premium home cinema options, those who connect the Theatre System 6 to a recent Bravia TV will find that several of the sound system's settings appear in the television’s menus.

Given that the System 6 has no display of its own, that’s actually very useful indeed.

Price

This is a lot of sound system for your money.

For the scale, bass depth and Atmos immersion it delivers, the UK asking price of £549 in particular feels very good value indeed, and it's usually available for under £500 (it's $798 and AU$1199 in the US and Australia).

There are several accomplished soundbar options at this level, but nothing that can produce this kind of blockbuster impact.

That makes it very easy to recommend, despite the foibles. Speaking of which…

The minor flaws

Small sonic weaknesses

For all its strengths, the Bravia Theatre System 6's sound is not flawless.

The surrounds occasionally draw attention to themselves when they should melt into the soundfield, and there’s a faint fuzz to the very deepest bass notes in one or two of the most demandingly deep moments.

These issues are minor enough that some people will never notice them, but those with a keen ear will very occasionally hear a distraction.

Cables

Cabling of any kind is anathema to many people in 2026, and there are plenty of completely wireless (power cables aside) soundbar systems, even at this budget level. The super-affordable Hisense AV5125H is a case in point.

That makes the Bravia Theatre System 6’s design – which involves cables between the subwoofer and soundbar, and from a wireless receiver to the two surrounds – seem somewhat archaic.

There’s no wire running from the front to the back of the room, and that’s good news, but having cables dangling from the surrounds in particular will be a problem for neat-freaks.

No display

The System 6 has no proper display. Instead, there’s just a single LED on the subwoofer to indicate what’s going on.

As you can imagine, that doesn’t tell you very much, so you find yourself having to open the (admittedly very nice) Bravia Connect app to change settings and check what’s playing more often than you would like.

No HDMI passthrough

Connectivity is straightforward but limited.

There’s no dedicated HDMI input among the system’s (subwoofer-housed) inputs and outputs, so all of your sources have to go into your TV and then back out via eARC.

Having at least one extra input on the System 6 to compensate would have been a nice touch, particularly as the eARC socket is also one of the precious gaming-friendly HDMI 2.1 ports on most TVs.

No auto-calibration

The System 6 doesn’t feature auto-calibration for the sound.

To be fair, it sounds very good out of the box, but getting the best out of it involves manually inputting speaker distances, and getting the very best out of it involves tweaking levels with the help of an SPL meter.

In short, auto-calibration would be easier and would, in theory at least, result in more buyers getting the best out of the system.

No music streaming

This isn’t a smart speaker system.

There’s no built-in wi-fi streaming platform or native music service integration, and the likes of Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect are off the menu. If you want to send music to the System 6, you’re going to need to do that via Bluetooth, or perhaps via your TV if it has the music apps you use.

That’s not a big deal if movies are your priority, as they probably are, but it does differentiate the Sony package from the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), which is a full music speaker as well as a movie soundbar (albeit a solo one, rather than a full system).

MORE:

Read the full Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 review

Also check out our Sonos Beam Gen 2 review

And here are all of the best soundbars and best budget soundbars you can buy right now

Sometimes less is more.

That’s certainly the case with the recent crop of cheap soundbars we have tested – and there’s one specific feature I don’t mind missing out on when I’m setting up a budget bar.

The tension of unboxing a soundbar, waiting to find out whether the app I need to test said ’bar will be usable or not, is usually unbearable.

I am, of course, in a unique position. As someone who has unboxed and set up countless soundbars, I have more applications taking up my iPhone’s storage than the average Joe.

Sonos, Sony, Samsung, LG, Sennheiser; each has its own application, and that's just to name a few.

They all vary greatly in quality, too. Samsung’s SmartThings app is intuitive, responsive, and mostly optional if you don’t plan on streaming music to your HW-Q990F from your phone. The LG Soundbar app, on the other hand, has been a bit of a buggy mess when we have used it in the past.

That app tended to crash mid-way through the setup process, forcing me to unpair the soundbar from my phone and restart the process completely when I reviewed the LG USE6S back in 2023.

Admittedly that was almost three years ago, so things may have changed; however, the LG Soundbar app currently sports an embarrassing two stars on the Apple App Store, so I'm not willing to bet it has made much progress.

Thankfully, it’s an issue that hasn’t presented itself with the last few soundbars I have looked at. None of them has an app to speak of. This is because they sit towards the more affordable end of the soundbar spectrum; and the most effective way to keep costs down, from what we've seen, is to make a soundbar “dumb”.

Cheap soundbars can teach the flagships a lesson...

Take the four-star Creative Stage Pro, which surprised us with its potent sonic performance despite its minuscule price. While we like its crisp dialogue and punchy bass, arguably its biggest draw is that it just works, and once you plug it in, you don't really need to think about it ever again.

It's a similar story for the Sony HT-SF150, which remains our reference cheap soundbar despite being more than six years old now. Its plug and play nature made it a quick and easy comparison tool to assess the Creative Stage Pro’s performance.

Stepping up in terms of price and complexity, I also helped to test the Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 (review coming soon), which also lacks wi-fi compatibility.

That soundbar does support the Sony Bravia Connect app, but it works over a Bluetooth connection and is simply an alternative way to access settings and features that can also be found on the supplied remote control.

Having an app that works with the soundbar, but isn't necessary to operate or get the best out of it, really is a best-case scenario in my opinion. In fact, it led me to a realisation.

I would take an optional or simple soundbar app over a badly optimised one that happens to be full of features any day of the week. The frustration of an app crashing mid setup can really sour the excitement of testing a new soundbar; I would rather sidestep the process completely if it’s going to be more hassle than it’s worth.

I understand that this philosophy really applies only to budget soundbars, as pricier models need a calibration system, or a way to connect external components such as wireless subwoofers and surround speakers. But that definitely leads me to wish that the flagship soundbars in question had better apps.

If I’m going to be forced to use a soundbar app, can these multi-billion-pound corporations at least make sure it’s a good one?

Maybe that’s too much to ask. So for now I’ll revel in the straightforward, plug-and-play simplicity of the budget soundbars that we’re currently testing.

MORE:

Read our full Sonos Arc Ultra review

Check out our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

As well as the best budget soundbars

This could be a big year for Sonos. The US firm has just announced its first product since the Arc Ultra soundbar in late 2024, and while the Amp Multi might not be as mainstream a proposition as the brand's wireless speakers or soundbars, it does mark the start of a new era for the firm.

Not only is the product the first launched under the stewardship of new CEO Tom Conrad, but it also heralds the start of a busy year for the brand, whose hardware launches will ramp up in the second half of its fiscal year, it told Bloomberg.

Given that its fiscal year ends in September, we could see a flurry of product announcements over the next eight months.

So which products will launch? Here are our predictions and what we would like to see.

Sonos Ace 2

The Ace headphones were a disappointment. Given the quality of Sonos’s wireless speakers and soundbars, we had high hopes for its first pair of wireless over-ears. Unfortunately they were part of the firm's annus horribilis of 2024, during which its botched app update angered customers and led to the replacement of its CEO.

The Ace launched without all its intended features (although TrueCinema has since arrived). The features it did have were a bit buggy in parts. And in a field crowded with five-star rivals, the sound quality was distinctly underwhelming – hence our three-star review score.

But we’re optimists. We know Sonos can do better. And we have no doubt that it will.

The Sonos Ace 2 needs to improve sound quality drastically to compete with the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Sennheiser HDB 630. And if the headphones can launch with a full set of features, even better.

Over its two decades in business, Sonos has built a compelling multi-room ecosystem into which a pair of wireless headphones could slot seamlessly. Here's hoping the Ace 2 is that pair.

Sonos Beam Gen 3

The Beam Gen 2 launched back in 2021, but it's still going strong – at the tail end of last year, it won its fifth consecutive What Hi-Fi? Award. Quite a run.

But five years is a long time in soundbar terms – some companies update their models annually. Though when you have a soundbar of the Beam Gen 2's quality, a yearly update is hardly warranted.

Since its launch, we have seen the Sonos Arc Ultra break new ground in the premium soundbar space, earning five stars and a What Hi-Fi? Award in the process. So hopefully Sonos could apply some of these learnings to its more wallet-friendly Beam range.

How could Sonos improve on the Beam Gen 2? We're hoping for more HDMI ports for connecting games consoles and the like directly to the soundbar. Don't hold your breath, though: it's likely that Sonos will stick with just the one in order to keep costs down.

Fingers crossed for up-firing drivers to provide a genuine Dolby Atmos effect, rather than the virtual processing applied to the current model (though the Gen 2's sound is still phenomenal for the price). And we'd like DTS:X support for a greater range of immersive content and Bluetooth to go with its wi-fi connection, please.

Sony HT-A3000 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: which should you buy?

Sonos Five Gen 2

A moment please, for the Sonos Five. In all the hoopla surrounding the Era 300 and 100, Sonos’s largest wireless speaker has been somewhat forgotten. That hasn’t been helped by its name. It was originally called the ZonePlayer S5 (back when Sonos’s naming conventions were different), before being rechristened the Play:5, and then launched in a subsequent generation, in 2020, as the Sonos Five. Confusing much?

The Five earned four stars from us. In our Sonos Five review, we praised its “bold, expansive sound” and potential for multi-room greatness, though we had some reservations over its overly bassy sound and rounded-off treble.

The time is nigh for a sequel. Improvements to sound are a must, and it could even follow the Era 300 in adding spatial audio (though this would step on the Era 300's toes somewhat). Bluetooth would also be a no-brainer, and since Sonos brought it to the Era speakers, it really has no excuse not to do so here.

A home cinema setup

Sonos already has home cinema products in the form of the Ray, Beam Gen 2, Arc and Arc Ultra soundbars; but what about some separates to go with these?

You can use other Sonos wireless speakers as part of a surround sound setup, of course, but seconding an Era 300 or even 100 to such duties seems like overkill. (As does using the Sub Mini – which is actually pricier than the Beam Gen 2 most of the time.) We would rather see some cheaper dedicated satellite speakers, that are intended for that task alone.

Sonos can do cheap. Remember its Symfonisk tie-in with Ikea?

We would also like to see a smart, streamlined AV amplifier, similar to the Sonos Amp but purely for home cinema. The chances of this one are probably low – but that won't stop us wishing.

Streaming box

This one is even less likely, as in March last year it was reported that Sonos had “shelved” its plans for an Apple TV-like streaming box. Hardly surprising – when you have been burned entering a new market (wireless headphones) just months earlier, and are still working on undoing the harm you did to your mobile app the previous year, it makes sense to put new projects on ice and focus on fixing the mess you created.

But still. The Apple TV 4K stands alone in terms of premium TV streamers, and could do with some real competition. Admittedly Sonos has no experience in visual entertainment, but given its track record of quality home entertainment products, we do have high hopes that this will see the light of day at some point.

MORE:

Which Sonos speaker should you buy? Find out here

Check out the best Sonos alternatives

I switched from the Sony WH-1000XM5 to the Sonos Ace and was surprised

There’s been quite a lot of excitement around these parts for LG’s new Sound Suite system, which is one of the first outings for Dolby Atmos FlexConnect technology.

That excitement was tempered slightly last week, though, when pricing appeared on LG.com that revealed that all of the Sound Suite components would be at least as expensive in the UK as offerings from Sonos.

Well, props to LG for taking our concerns on board, because the brand has gone ahead and reduced the launch prices of most of the Sound Suite components.

Here’s the new pricing:

• H7 soundbar: £1000 £900
• W7 subwoofer: £700 £600
• M7 wireless speaker: £450 £400
• M5 wireless speaker: £200 £250

As you can see, the one component that hasn’t gone down in price is the compact M5 speaker, which is actually now £50 more expensive than the original price that appeared on LG's website.

That’s a bit of a shame, of course, but if that’s the compromise that has had to be made in order to drop the prices of everything else, I’m broadly on board.

The most important thing is that the H7 soundbar will now launch for £100 less than first planned – and £100 less than the imperious Sonos Arc Ultra with which it will inevitably do battle.

The W7 subwoofer is now £200 cheaper than the Sonos Sub 4, too, and the M7 speaker is £50 cheaper than the Sonos Era 300.

This new pricing also means that if someone wanted to build a system with the soundbar, subwoofer and two M7 speakers, they would be looking at a total outlay of £2300, which is less than even the discounted price Sonos is currently charging for its equivalent Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc Ultra.

Of course, LG’s Sound Suite is still going to have to sound great to justify its still-premium pricing, but it’s clearly gunning for Sonos, and this round of pre-launch reductions is a tasty shot across its rival’s bow.

The next step, of course, is for us to submit all of the Sound Suite components to our rigorous testing process, which will involve direct comparisons with their Sonos equivalents as well as other rivals.

We expect that testing will take place very soon, with our full review following shortly after.

MORE:

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars and best surround sound systems you can buy right now

Here's everything you need to know about Dolby Atmos FlexConnect

Sonos has announced an upgraded version of its streaming amp, and it's built to take on large-scale tasks for audiophiles in "complex residential" situations. This comes after a quiet year for the brand, after it had to go back to the drawing board with its app due to a less-than-well recieved redesign in 2024.

The Amp Multi is primed for the custom installation market, with Sonos claiming that it's worked closely with integrators to develop a solution to make audio installations "simpler, more flexible, and more scalable" in "larger and more sophisticated" houses.

It features eight amplified outputs, delivering 125 watts per channel, and audio output can be divided into up to four configurable zones.

It features Sonos' built-in wireless streaming platform, and it's fully compatible with the Sonos app for both playback and set-up. This includes a simple audio PIN system, which makes connecting to the streaming amp quicker and easier.

From these eight outputs, you can control up to 24 Architectural Speakers (three per channel) across Sonos' in-ceiling, in-wall, and outdoor speaker ranges. Put simply, this will far exceed the needs of many and will appeal more to those who have larger homes, which require more complex and demanding installs.

Hardware-wise, the Amp Multi sports a highly efficient GaN power architecture paired with Class-D post-filter feedback, which Sonos says will deliver "clean, controlled sound while improving thermal efficiency across every zone", which means that the system can operate silently over long listening periods.

Sonos is also introducing ProTune on the Amp Multi, which is a new manual sound optimisation that gives installers "granular control of each output", with a 10-band parametric EQ and options to control gain, width control and delay offset.

Finally, the rack-ready design uses the standard 1.5U chassis configuration, with Sonos also selling a matching 2U rack mount seperately. This has been designed with built-in ventilation above and below the unit, allowing for optimal thermal management and easier cable routing solutions.

Pricing for the Amp Multi hasn't been revealed as of yet, however given the target market, and the £699 / $799 / AU$1099 price of the existing two-channel Sonos Amp, we expect a figure to reflect the stately homes that Sonos expects this amplifier to end up in.

Sonos is yet to confirm a launch date either, however it states that it will be available to purchase in "the coming months" via Sonos installation partners, and it will exhibit the Amp Multi at the upcoming Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 event in Barcelona next week.

MORE:

Read our full Sonos Amp review

As well as our Sonos Era 300 review

Should you buy a streaming amplifier?

I’ve already gone on the record to say that I’ve got high hopes for LG’s fancy new Sound Suite system.

LG clearly has high hopes, too, judging from the pricing we’ve just received.

Sound Suite consists of four products – an H7 soundbar, W7 subwoofer, and the M7 and M5 wireless speakers – that can be mixed and matched, so you can build a system to suit your requirements and room.

It’s also one of the first systems to feature Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, which is designed to produce convincing Dolby Atmos sound regardless of the placement of the individual components.

So, you can buy the H7 soundbar on its own, or with the W7 sub and/or a pair of either of the speakers. In that way, it’s rather like a Sonos Arc Ultra, which can be bought and used solo, or partnered with one of Sonos’s subwoofers and/or its Era speakers.

But with Sound Suite, if you have one of LG’s latest and greatest TVs, that can act as the FlexConnect hub and be partnered directly with the sub and/or speakers – no soundbar required.

In total, LG says that there are 27 potential Sound Suite configurations, and that it’s possible to build a 13.1.7-channel system if you so wish.

You will need very deep pockets if you want to go that far, though, because LG has given Sound Suite some very premium pricing in the UK and US (Australian pricing is TBC).

That pricing is as follows:

• H7 soundbar: £1000 / $1000
• W7 subwoofer: £700 / $600
• M7 wireless speaker: £450 / $400
• M5 wireless speaker: £200 / $250

So, the H7 soundbar is priced the same as the awesome, What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra in the UK (though it is cheaper in the US). That’s a bold move indeed, especially considering LG’s less-than-stellar (albeit improving) recent record in soundbar audio quality.

If you want to build a full system that features the H7 soundbar, W7 sub, and a pair of M7 surrounds, you’re looking at an all-in price of £2600 / $2000.

That’s even more than you would currently pay for Sonos’s top-of-the-range Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc Ultra in the UK (£2426), though admittedly less than the cost of the system in the US ($2806).

Bear in mind that the Sonos system includes a pair of the five-star Era 300 speakers as well as the Award-winning Arc Ultra and flagship Sub 4, and you can see that LG has picked a fight with the toughest kid in school with its Sound Suite pricing.

That’s a real statement of intent, and I think it’s great for Sonos to have a new, ambitious rival. But can LG really overthrow the incumbent?

We will be comparing the two systems side by side as part of our Sound Suite review – stay tuned for that in the coming weeks.

MORE:

LG Sound Suite looks like a great mash-up of Sonos and Sony, but I have one slight concern

Here are the best soundbars and best surround sound systems you can buy right now

LG has gone early with a lot of its CES announcements, having briefed us on several of its new products ahead of the big event, which kicks off this weekend.

There’s the brand’s first RGB Mini LED TV and a new ‘Gallery TV’ to take on Samsung’s The Frame range, for starters, but what I’m most intrigued about, and excited to test, is its new Sound Suite range of home cinema speakers.

This is one of the first systems that will use Dolby Atmos FlexConnect – a technology designed to deliver serious Dolby Atmos sound from wireless speakers that are super-flexible about placement.

In that sense, it’s rather like Sony’s Bravia Quad and preceding HT-A9 systems, which each feature four wireless speakers that produce a really impressive bubble of Dolby Atmos sound even when placed in sonically imperfect positions.

But the LG Sound Suite system goes further in terms of flexibility, partly through the use of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, which is said to be more accommodating than any previous tech, but more through the mix-and-match approach to speakers.

So, while those two Sony systems are packages of four identical speakers, LG Sound Suite is a family of four different products that can be mixed and matched as required.

The core component is the H7 soundbar, which can be bought and used solo or partnered with the W7 subwoofer, and/or the M7 and/or M5 surround speakers. In that way, it’s rather like a Sonos home theatre system built around a Sonos Arc Ultra.

But if you have one of LG’s newest premium TVs (the G5, C5 and QNED9M are specifically listed alongside a vague mention of 2026 models), this can act as the hub for the Sound Suite system, giving you the option to skip the soundbar and go for a setup much more akin to the Sony packages I mentioned.

LG claims that there are 27 potential Sound Suite configurations in total, and that it’s possible to build a 13.1.7-channel system if you so wish.

Conceptually, then, LG Sound Suite is the best of all worlds – a system you can build around your specific needs, and expand or adapt as circumstances and budgets change.

That’s very enticing, I’m sure you’ll agree, but I’m hoping LG has put at least as much thought into sound quality as it has into features and flexibility – because the brand’s track record with audio components isn’t terribly impressive.

LG’s TVs of recent years have all sounded pretty poor, even by the low standards set by modern flatscreens, and of all of the LG headphones, soundbars and wireless speakers we’ve tested this decade, none have achieved a hallowed five-star rating. Far from it, in some cases.

There are reasons to be optimistic, though. We know for a fact that LG takes sound seriously and works incredibly hard on audio quality. And the most recent of its soundbars we tested, the LG S70TY, was its best in a long time.

In other words, LG’s sound quality could be peaking at precisely the right time, and if the Sound Suite’s audio can match its ambition and flexibility, it could prove to be an all-things-to-all-people home cinema system.

That should leave the likes of Samsung, Sonos and Sony feeling a little worried.

MORE:

Here are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now

Check out our LG G5 review and LG C5 review

For years, if you checked our best Dolby Atmos soundbars guide, or yearly list of Award winners, you'd have seen one recommendation for buyers on a budget: the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).

While we applaud its longevity, variety is the spice of life, which is why we've continued hunting for an affordable soundbar capable of dethroning it, but to little avail. Perhaps, until now.

Yes, this month, a new challenger has stepped into the ring, in the shape of the JBL Bar 300MK2. Brandishing some pretty comprehensive specifications and a bombastic sound, the soundbar earned our hallowed five-star rating, which may lead you to justifiably ask: which one should I buy?

We’ve got you covered. We've compared them in detail to help you decide which one is worthy of your home set-up.

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: price

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 costs £449 / $449 / AU$649, while the JBL Bar 300MK2 comes in at £350 / $450 / AU$549.

That’s nearly the same price in the US, but there is a bit of a difference in the UK. The Beam certainly isn't immune to price drops, and we've recently seen it go as low as £335, but it usually costs the full £449.

This puts both soundbars in the entry-level Dolby Atmos category, with more pricey mid-range models such as the Sonos Arc at £799 / $799 / AU$1399.

At this price, both models also have stiff competition with the Hisense AX5125H, which costs £249 / $350 (around AU$500). The soundbar package consists of a main soundbar, subwoofer and two small surround speakers.

This is our only other five-star entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar recommendation. Inevitably, it takes up more space than the single soundbars we are looking at today.

But with this match up, while the Sonos model has seen some significant price drops recently, the JBL bar takes the crown.

**Winner: JBL Bar 300MK2**

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: build

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a compact model, measuring 7 x 65 x 10cm (hwd). It’s got quite a stylish design, sporting rounded ends with a perforated polycarbonate grille facing the listener. There are two colour finishes available – white and black.

That contrasts with the JBL’s longer, more plastic-looking build that measures 5 x 94 x 10 cm (hwd), and is only available in black.

This means the JBL is much longer but also a little less tall than the Sonos Beam, so it's even less likely to block the bottom of the TV. It might not be the case if your TV has feet rather than a stand, so that is worth keeping in mind when your setup.

Unlike the Beam, there’s an LED display at the front of the bar, which is a pleasant surprise at this price and makes volume and output changes instantly visible.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 does not come with a remote control, but it can be operated via the Sonos app (more on this later) and the TV remote.

With the Bar 300MK2, we get a remote that closely resembles the soundbar itself. It’s long, thin, simple and entirely black apart from the symbols on the buttons. From here, you can turn on Dolby Atmos and Bluetooth, change the output, adjust the volume, and crank up the bass from 1 to 5. You can also use the accompanying app to control the soundbar.

Both soundbars feel sturdy and well-built, and which one you prefer will be down to personal preference and practicality.

**Winner: draw**

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: features

But what are the soundbars hiding under their shells? Starting with the Sonos model, the 5.0 bar features one central tweeter and four elliptical mid-woofers each powered by Class D amplifiers.

Within the JBL’s slender body are five mid/bass racetrack drivers and four 0.75-inch tweeters, which also create a 5.0 sound system. Neither model includes up-firing speakers, so Dolby Atmos is delivered virtually.

On top of the Beam’s body are touch-sensitive buttons, LEDs, and far-field mics for voice control of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. At the back of the bar, you will find sockets for power, ethernet, and a single HDMI eARC as well as a connect/reset push button.

JBL’s model offers a dedicated HDMI input as well as an HDMI eARC port. That's a draw for those with lots of sources who don’t want to lose an input when they connect their soundbar. That said, this input doesn't support 4K/120Hz signals from a games console.

Both the Sonos and the JBL soundbars can be controlled by an app. These act as an all-in-one hub for the bars, with access to EQ controls and more advanced sound settings.

The apps also offer room calibration to fine-tune the sound to your space, but it's worth noting that the Beam's calibration requires an iOS device – Android devices aren't compatible.

Both soundbars have wi-fi and support music streaming via platforms including AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Amazon Music Ultra HD.

As wi-fi is included, you can stream using platforms such as Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Amazon Music Ultra HD with both soundbars. You can expand the Sonos with wireless surrounds and a subwoofer if you wish. This isn’t an option with the JBL model, however.

It’s tough to decide a winner here as both soundbars are relatively well matched, but the JBL Bar takes it for that extra HDMI connectivity.

**Winner: JBL Bar 300MK2**

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: sound

Now for the main event: how do the soundbars compare in terms of audio performance? It’s evident from the outset that they are taking quite different approaches.

The JBL Bar 300MK2 produces an immersive and room-filling sound in our test room, massively outdoing the audio quality of the majority of TV speakers and producing a wider soundstage than the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

We say in our review while watching Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning: “As the camera follows the progress of the helicopter in the sky, the sound stretches into the room, along the ceiling, to a point just above the listening position.”

It packs a lot of punch with the bass, too, which adds to the overall immersive experience. When the helicopter flies overhead, for example, we can feel the thrum of the chopping in the soles of our feet.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 doesn’t reach the same impactful bass levels and weightiness as the JBL, but it counters with a more precise and controlled overall sound. It balances each frequency with expert finesse, creating an impressively detailed sound considering its compact size and lack of up-firing drivers.

When watching Roma, for example, we say: “In the incredibly stress-inducing scene in which the father painstakingly parks his car in the family’s narrow driveway while smoking a cigarette and blasting classical music, the rapid editing from interior to exterior, above the car to below the bumper, is expertly matched by the Beam Gen 2’s rendering of space and dynamics.”

This controlled performance continues with music, as the Sonos model offers clear vocals along with good cohesion between the different frequencies.

The JBL Bar 300MK2’s bombastic performance lends itself less well to music, though. It’s still bassy and immersive, but with Aurora’s Your Name, the soundbar struggles to separate each frequency, which leads to a slightly clogged delivery.

Although the JBL Bar 300MK2’s punchy performance will win it many fans, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 takes the crown for its more cohesive and detailed overall sound, which works well with both music and movies.

**Winner: Sonos Beam Gen 2**

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: verdict

The JBL Bar 300MK2 and Sonos Beam Gen 2 are both excellent five-star Dolby Atmos soundbars, and either would make a worthy addition to your home cinema system.

JBL’s sleek-looking soundbar offers an immersive, room-filling sound that gives your movie viewing experience a great sense of excitement and scale.

Sonos’ model, on the other hand, delivers a more controlled overall performance with an excellent sense of precision that the JBL can't match.

That makes the Sonos Beam Gen 2 our top recommendation for most people, and means it keeps the top spot as the best entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar for now. Though the JBL definitely gave it a decent, and welcome, run for its money.

**Overall winner: Sonos Beam Gen 2**

Black Friday is firmly in the rear-view mirror, and yet the deals persist. That's good news for anyone who regrets not snapping up a deal, especially if you were thinking of grabbing the Award-winning Sonos Beam (Gen 2).

Compact, sleek, smart and, most importantly, great-sounding; the Dolby Atmos-touting Beam does it all. It's discounted to £335 at Richer Sounds and Amazon, and many other retailers have it listed at a similar price.

Considering we reviewed it at £399, and Sonos has since raised the price to £449, we think this is a pretty tempting discount.

Now, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I do have to wonder why the Beam (Gen 2) is staying at this discounted price.

While it's totally reasonable that Sonos simply felt as if the discounted price should stick around to tempt prospective Beam buyers, the optimist (or should I say conspiracy theorist) in me wonders if Sonos could be clearing the decks for a new soundbar in 2026.

Put simply, the Beam (Gen 2) is due for an update. It launched in October 2021, meaning it's just celebrated its fourth year on sale. While a handful of manufacturers launch new soundbars every year – Samsung, for example – Sonos is often more reserved, choosing instead to refresh its soundbar range every few years.

The company launched the Sonos Arc Ultra towards the end of last year, replacing the original Sonos Arc, which was launched in June 2020. That's a four-year gap, which is where the Beam (Gen 2) finds itself now.

The Arc Ultra featured Sonos' new Sound Motion technology, which meant it could deliver impressively deep and controlled bass from newly designed, trimmed-down drivers.

A smaller driver that's designed to deliver punchier bass is, frankly speaking, destined to end up in a Sonos Beam one way or another. It just makes sense to imbue a new compact 'bar with this driver tech, as it would be right at home in the Beam's smaller footprint.

I've been crossing my fingers tightly for a Sonos Beam Ultra announcement all year, especially considering that the Arc Ultra blew my socks off upon first listen.

Unfortunately, Sonos has remained eerily quiet on the subject. The American audio brand has had a quiet year, which is to be expected after launching an onslaught of products in 2024, including the Ace, Arc Ultra, Sub 4 and Roam 2.

Alongside that, it's dealt with leadership changes and backlash regarding updates to its app and streaming platform. Understandably, it chose this year to take some time to compose itself.

I hope Sonos comes out swinging next year, and the Beam (Gen 3) or Beam Ultra (whichever name it chooses) is a perfect excuse to kick 2026 off with a bang.

That, of course, remains speculation. If you can't wait, then the Beam (Gen 2) is sure to impress, especially at this price. It features HDMI eARC connectivity with Dolby Atmos audio support, wireless streaming capabilities, and it can be tied into the wider Sonos ecosystem if you have existing speakers.

Pair it with a Sonos Sub Mini and two Era 100 speakers, and you'll have a compact surround sound package, too.

For £335 at Richer Sounds and Amazon, this soundbar is very easy to recommend.

MORE:

Read our full Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review

Check out our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

And find more of the best soundbar deals here

IKEA's Symfonisk speakers, made in collaboration with Sonos, was an affordable way of getting Sonos sound in a more lifestyle-friendly design. This collaboration came to an end this year, with the Symfonisk speakers – such as the bookshelf model and the lamp speaker (both four stars) – being phased out globally.

But that hasn't stopped IKEA's ambitions for a speaker range, and the Swedish furniture giant has unveiled three very colourful Bluetooth speakers of its own in time for Christmas.

The Solskydd range – which means "sunscreen" or "sun protection" in Swedish – is made in partnership with Swedish designer Teklan (Tekla Eveina Severin), and features bold colours and patterns that are certainly eye-catching. And they are rather affordable, too.

The IKEA Solskydd speaker range features circular designs varying in size: a small, portable 8-inch/19cm model that costs £29; a medium-sized 11-inch/29cm version costing £50; and a large 18-inch/45cm speaker for £80.

Prices in the USA are $89, $100 and $140 respectively, while the fabric finishes available are a bold-patterned orange and a minimal white (for the smallest model), a green and pink diagonal pattern (medium and large), and a textured orange option for the largest model only.

The smallest speaker features one 6.5mm full-range driver that outputs a claimed 9W of power and has 25 hours of battery life, although note that the USB-C cable and power adapter are sold separately.

The other two models have a 25mm tweeter and a 10cm woofer, and they feature 3.5mm aux and digital optical inputs. Power ratings are claimed at 20W and 40W respectively. These models can also be put in stereo pair mode and offer three EQ settings to fine tune the sound to your preference.

All models feature Bluetooth streaming, although the version and codec supports are not specified. Spotify Tap is available for one-touch streaming from the music service, and you can connect all three speakers together for a multi-speaker arrangement.

You can wall-mount the largest model, while the smaller two can be wall-mounted or placed on their stands.

There are shades of Bang & Olufsen in the Solskydd's design: the largest model is reminiscent of the iconic Beosound A9, while the smallest one puts us a little in mind of the Beosound A1 Gen 3 Bluetooth speaker.

There are LED and buttons on the top of the speakers, for controlling playback and volume adjustment.

Also part of the new smart home range is two lamps with built-in speakers, with equally bold colours and scalloped lamp shade designs that are meant to mimic soft-serve ice cream – or like a bobbing jellyfish, even.

This range is called Kulglass (a combination of the Swedish works for "cool/fun" and "ice cream"): there is a dark green base model with a light green shade, and a red-brown model with a pink shade. They also feature Bluetooth, Spotify Tap and multi-speaker mode.

IKEA says this "vibrant and playful" new range aims to create "high-quality sound products with bold patterns and unexpected colour combinations set to make technology a more enjoyable and visible part of the home."

All models are available from December 2025 onwards.

MORE:

Our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy

A Rotel first, a Cambridge Audio streaming amp, and the Philips OLED910 – these are the 5 exciting products we have in for testing

Read our Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 3 review

When it comes to entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbars, regular readers will be well aware that the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the top dog in our books.

After all, it snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award for the fifth time running earlier this year, and holds the top spot as the best Dolby Atmos soundbar in multiple soundbar guides.

And that's all for good reason. When we first reviewed this model, it delivered a rich and clear sound performance that blew us away.

We note while watching Bohemian Rhapsody: "The sound of each instrument feels natural and unprocessed, no matter where it sits in the shot, and when the camera flies over the audience there’s a real wide-sweeping sensation of movement and expanse."

It is impressively immersive as well, considering its compact dimensions of 7 x 65 x 10cm (hwd). The Sonos manages to balance more subtle sounds with decent precision, while also producing a convincing Dolby Atmos effect.

That all results in a "warm, refined sound" that ultimately earned the soundbar a five-star review. It launched at £449 / $449 / AU$649 and, although we have seen this price drop during sales events such as Black Friday, it has remained roughly at this price since launch.

Now, five years after the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) burst onto the scene, we have found a model that gives it a genuine run for its money.

Enter the JBL 300MK2, a Dolby Atmos soundbar that packs a big punch.

The JBL Bar 300MK2 offers a tempting alternative

The JBL comes in slightly cheaper than the Sonos model, and will set you back £350 / $450 / AU$549.

It offers an unassuming design, featuring rounded edges with a plastic grille on the front. There's an LED display at the front of the bar, which is a pleasant surprise at this price (the Sonos doesn't have a display of any kind) and makes volume and output changes instantly visible.

Around the back of the bar, there are two HDMI connections – one dedicated input and an output that can also receive sound from your TV via eARC. While there’s no 4K/120Hz support, the HDMI passthrough does support Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

But what makes it such a worthy rival? First off, the 300MK2 offers a room-filling Dolby Atmos presentation that is a massive improvement on the majority of TVs' audio. We find while watching Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, for instance: "As the camera follows the progress of the helicopter in the sky, the sound stretches into the room, along the ceiling, to a point just above the listening position."

It can tackle low frequencies excellently as well, producing a weighty sound that you can feel in the soles of your feet with the most booming soundtracks. That doesn't mean the vocals are forced into the background, though, as the sparkling midrange keeps voices in check.

Compared with the Beam, the JBL does truly challenge our reigning champ. Where the Sonos delivers a more cohesive sound overall with top-class control and finesse, the 300MK2's weightier, more bombastic and more room-filling sound will win it many fans.

That's the closest any Dolby Atmos model at this price has got to dethroning the Beam (Gen 2) and, trust us, that's high praise indeed.

MORE:

Here is our review of the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

And this is our full review of the JBL 300MK2

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars right now

We always maintain a reference system for our home cinema reviews. It combines a selection of Award-winning products that act as benchmarks, allowing us to accurately assess the performance of whatever we may be reviewing.

It's a collection of premium home cinema devices, with equally premium price tags to match, but if you want a reference system in your home that matches ours, then Black Friday is the best time to buy the components.

• Browse all the best deals on Amazon

Every part of our reference setup has been discounted for this savings event, meaning you can save a hefty chunk of change if you do want to replicate our system.

Now, ours is admittedly over the top (would you expect anything less?) as we always have multiple TVs and a projector set up at all times, as well as both a surround sound speaker package and a soundbar.

You may not need both a TV/soundbar and a projector/speaker system, so feel free to pick and choose what suits you best. Either way, you're guaranteed to experience the ultimate cinematic performance from these products and save a boatload of cash too.

Our projector: Sony VPL-XW5000ES

Sony's entry-level native 4K laser projector is on a What Hi-Fi? Award-winning streak, scoring its fourth Product of the Year title earlier this month.

It's still a pricey piece of kit, but this deal at Richer Sounds knocks £2000 off a supremely talented beamer that delivers seriously impressive contrast and black depths, sharp details, and rich yet balanced colours for an overall showstopping cinematic experience.

Our only gripe is the lack of motorised lens controls, but once you have the VPL-XW5000ES in place, you'll quickly forgive this minor shortcoming on account of its stellar picture.

Read our full Sony VPL-XW5000ES review

Our OLED TV: Sony Bravia 8 II

The Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II has been the TV we've obsessed over this year, and for good reason, too.

It's served as a benchmark in our reviews for the Panasonic Z95B and Samsung S95F, beating both TVs in terms of sheer picture performance thanks to its deeply engaging and three-dimensional picture.

Sony's masterful picture processing paired with the QD-OLED panel technology makes this TV a sight to behold, and it's backed up by impressive built-in sound, a solid set of gaming features (HDMI 2.1, VRR and ALLM) and a sleek design.

Read our full Sony Bravia 8 II review

Our Mini LED TV: TCL C7K

For the times when we're not reviewing a pricey OLED TV, we find ourselves reaching for the TCL C7K.

This surprise hit of 2025 delivers a bright and punchy image when required, but it also has a trick up its sleeve to ensure it impresses during dark scenes too.

TCL's new Halo Control technology hugely mitigates blooming, and black depths are seriously impressive by backlit TV standards.

If you're not interested in OLED or want a TV that offers a stunning picture without a ludicrous price tag, then the C7K is for you.

Read our full TCL C7K review

Our AVR: Marantz Cinema 30

We've swooned over this AVR plenty of times, but we're here to do it once again.

The Marantz Cinema 30 is a handsome piece of home cinema kit, with a premium sculpted metal design, tasteful ambient accent lights, and even a gorgeous remote control; but in the grand scheme of things, none of that really matters, as we care most about sound quality.

The good news is that the Marantz Cinema 30 is a showstopper when it comes to delivering cinematic sound, with a rich, weighty and smooth performance that is guaranteed to immerse even the toughest audiophiles.

It's dynamic, can deliver huge scale sound, and features excellent connectivity; it really is the full package.

Read our full Marantz Cinema 30 review

Our speaker package: KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1

The latest addition to our reference home cinema system, the KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 was the sleeper hit from this year's Awards testing process.

It won us over almost instantly with its rich, powerful and engaging sound, complete with a subwoofer that handles bass like a champion. It's accurate and agile, yet warm and inviting, which is a surprisingly difficult balance to strike.

We're also huge fans of its dashing good looks, and the fact that it's comprised entirely of standmounting speakers means it should take up slightly less room than an equivalent floorstanding setup.

It's become our new reference system for a reason, and we're already looking forward to the next time we can watch a movie using it.

Read our full KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 review

Our soundbar: Sonos Arc Ultra

Surround sound speaker packages will always be our favourite method of achieving cinematic sound, but we can't deny the convenience of a soundbar. And this soundbar happens to be pretty fantastic.

The Sonos Arc Ultra had massive shoes to fill, but it did so with ease, delivering the punchy, big-scale sound of its predecessor with added richness and height, as well as a whole lot more bass.

This all-in-one cinematic sound solution is a perfect accompaniment to the Sony Bravia 8 II, and it's primed to be made into a full system with the Sonos Sub 4 and a pair of Sonos Era 300 speakers.

Our 4K Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB820

We tend to use the Oppo UDP 203 for a majority of our 4K disc spinning duties, but that player has been sadly discontinued.

Fret not, as the Panasonic DP-UB820 also has a permanent spot in our reference lineup, and considering it just took home yet another Product of the Year win, we don't see it leaving any time soon.

This easy-to-use 4K Blu-ray player delivers a vibrant, rich, and crisp 4K HDR image alongside powerful and spacious sound.

We've sung the praises of 4K Blu-rays over streaming countless times, and this player is one of the best ways to experience the benefits of physical media.

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB820 review

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

Looking for a complete surround sound system to give your home cinema set-up a boost? After all, a good audio performance can be the difference between a sub-par movie night and a five-star cinema experience. Well, we may have found the deal for you if that's what you are after.

There's a hefty saving to be made on a Sonos bundle that will save you a whopping £808. You can pick up the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar, a pair of Era 300 surrounds and the Sub 4 for £1888.20 at Peter Tyson. This is only available if you add the discount code BUNDLE10 at checkout, but that should take a matter of seconds.

We may not have heard all of these elements together as part of a complete system, but both the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sonos Era 300 proved themselves to be excellent performers on their own.

Need more convincing? When we had the Sonos Arc Ultra in our test room, its immersive, room-filling sound performance simply blew us away. We say in our review: "It really is quite amazing how much more crisp, spacious, precise and detailed the Ultra sounds."

You don't need a remote or display to control the Ultra, you just connect it to your TV via HDMI eARC and it becomes your TV's speakers. And while a lack of dedicated HDMI inputs and DTS:X support will bother some people, for others it won't be an issue.

Moving on to the two Sonos Era 300 surrounds included in the deal, the glowing reviews only continue. With its huge scale of engaging sound, wide range of features and seamless Sonos experience, we find that this model is an impressive speaker that can do it all.

Even though we tested the Era 300 with just one speaker, we note that the spread of sound is immense and "projects sound further into the room and overhead more confidently than any other similar wireless speaker we’ve heard."

Under the hood, the arrangement is made up of six drivers – four tweeters (one forward-firing, two side-firing, one upward-firing) and two woofers (angled left and right for stereo playback) – all powered by Class D amplification.

There's a metal grille covering the front and rear driver sections, and touch controls for playback and volume along the top panel, which work beautifully.

Then we come to the Sonos Sub 4. Full disclosure here: we have not had this model in our test room.

It features dual force-cancelling woofers that "virtually eliminate distortion", according to Sonos. It also offers a versatile design that can be placed upright or on its side (depending on your setup). That all bodes well for the model to offer some extra oomph to the sound system as a whole.

If that £808 saving at Peter Tyson sounds tempting, then now is the time to pounce.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• Stereo amplifier: Cambridge Audio now £299
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

Fake Black Friday is here. And by that I mean the penultimate Friday to the actual Black Friday.

For those who have somehow avoided the event until now, proper Black Friday always happens on the final Friday of November – even if Amazon and company insist it’s now a week-long event.

But, timings aside, I can confirm there are many good deals around right now, especially if you’re looking for a soundbar.

The most enticing of these is on the five-star Sonos Arc Ultra, which is currently the bar we recommend to most people in our best Dolby Atmos soundbars guide.

And, to be clear, with Amazon currently offering it for £799 (save £200), that is a very compelling offer. One that I, along with the wider What Hi-Fi? team, wholeheartedly recommend to most shoppers.

But the Sonos Arc is not the soundbar I would buy, even at this excellent price.

No, as the owner of a perfectly serviceable JBL Bar 1300 system, I’d only part with my money and be tempted to change soundbars for our current money-is-no-object recommendation.

Said soundbar is the five-star KEF XIO, which is belligerently refusing discounts, so is still priced £1999 at Richer Sounds (and everywhere else, for that matter).

Why this bar when it’s over twice the price of the Sonos Arc Ultra? The answer is simple: I have the burden of knowledge.

Every year, the What Hi-Fi? team holds a hardware battle royale during Awards season, running every contender for a trophy against its rivals to find which is the absolute best of the best.

We did exactly this in our viewing and listening rooms, picking What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 winners. It meant that I got to hear the XIO and Arc Ultra directly against one another for a prolonged period as we deliberated on which products deserved a trophy.

And while I stand by our team verdict that the Arc Ultra is a more appropriate option for most people, there's no getting past the fact that the XIO’s sonic profile is more in line with my tastes.

The word I’d use to describe the XIO is precise. During all the movies we threw at it, which ranged from the bombastic Jurassic World and action-packed John Wick 2 to the wonderfully musical Dolby Atmos-remastered version of Labyrinth, the XIO’s sound just clicked with me.

Even during demanding scenes, every part of the frequency range was even handedly represented, with no part eating into the other. Rain falling on the streets had a precise, audible impact, despite the presence of a booming synth background music part.

The conflicting directions of gunfire screaming through the night sky held a distinct place from the car engine noise below during a demanding test scene in Civil War.

And that’s all before I start ranting about how wonderfully musical and dynamic David Bowie’s Magic Dance sounded watching Labyrinth.

Yes, the Arc Ultra still puts in a five-star worthy performance and has a definite edge from a performance-per-pound perspective, but it sounds a smidgeon less musical than the XIO. I know this as when I rewatched the iconic Labyrinth scene, it lost some of the magic I experienced hearing it on the XIO. And after that, I just can't think of upgrading to anything else.

Put simply, I just prefer the XIO to anything else on the market right now, and I can’t see myself bothering to upgrade to anything else, even if rivals are discounted over Black Friday.

Trust me, sometimes it's worth just getting the thing you actually want.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

Sonos has revived the much-beloved Arc Dolby Atmos soundbar for Black Friday, citing it as the "last chance" to buy this Hall of Fame-inductee. We've raved about the Arc ever since it first launched back in 2020, but now's the time that we finally have to conclude that you shouldn't buy it, especially when these alternatives are available for similar prices.

• Check out all of the Black Friday deals at Amazon
• Richer Sounds Black Friday event: huge savings on TVs and projectors
• Sevenoaks Black Friday deals: save up to £2700 on TVs
• Peter Tyson: save hundreds on a new AV receiver

Sonos is currently offering the Arc on its official web store for £719, down from the £899 price it retailed at before the launch of the Arc Ultra (more on that in a moment). It's a fine discount of £120, but there are better options available that come within touching distance of that price.

We'll start with the obvious one...

The Sonos Arc Ultra is a better buy...

The successor to the Sonos Arc is a better soundbar in every way. It takes everything we loved about the original, and improves it with a bigger, bolder and richer sound that includes hugely improved bass thanks to the new Sound Motion driver technology.

We compared the Arc Ultra to its predecessor during our full review, and agreed that those looking for a flagship Sonos 'bar should spring for the latest version as it presents a clear upgrade over the original.

There is, of course, the matter of price to consider. The Arc Ultra is newer and more technically capable, and therefore more expensive, but we've already spotted a Black Friday deal at Amazon that knocks the price down to £799 from £999.

With just an £81 difference between the two five-star Dolby Atmos soundbars, we think the smart move is to opt for the newer model.

The Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus is a superb Sonos alternative...

Looking to avoid Sonos altogether? The Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus is a great alternative as it offers a room-filling cinematic sound alongside a handful of creature comforts that many will appreciate.

This includes a thorough on-board calibration system that doesn't rely on your smartphone's microphone, a physical remote control as well as an app, and two HDMI passthrough sockets, though they are only rated at the HDMI 2.0 standard.

The Ambeo Soundbar Plus pumps out a rich, punchy and spacious sound, making it a worthy competitor to the Sonos Arc, and at just £750 at Amazon (down from £1299), it's only £30 more expensive than the Sonos Arc; making this an ideal choice for anyone who wants to steer clear of Sonos.

The Samsung HW-Q990F is the full package...

If you're looking for a full surround sound system that features the convenience of a soundbar, then look no further than the Samsung HW-Q990F. It incorporates a dedicated subwoofer and surround sound speakers, as well as multiple HDMI 2.1 passthrough sockets, which gamers will appreciate.

It also happens to sound simply superb, which is why we bestowed it with a coveted Product of the Year Award earlier this month. The wireless subwoofer produces rich, tuneful bass, while the rest of the system provides a spacious, engaging and three-dimensional cinematic sound.

This system hits its stride with Dolby Atmos content, with soaring height effects and sounds passing seamlessly between channels, and it even handles music with finesse.

It's a whole £100 more than the Arc, meaning it's currently at £819 at Amazon; however, that's half the price it launched at, and you get a lot more in the way of features and performance for that extra money. If you have the space and budget, we'd seriously recommend paying the extra for the HW-Q990F.

More of today's best early Black Friday deals

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Wine, beer and spirits: save up to 34% on drinks

Black Friday has kicked off a week early, which is good news for deal hunters such as myself, as I now have even more time to locate and recommend the best products at the best prices.

While I often look towards the products that we've tested recently on my search for the most purchase-worthy discounts, I will also consult the products that I use every single day, and for good reason too.

• Black Friday 2025 hi-fi and home cinema deals live: our experts' picks of the top savings on speakers, headphones, TVs, soundbars and more

I have reviewed more TVs, soundbars, and video streamers than I can count at this point, which means my standards are, understandably, high. This means the products that I use on a day-to-day basis are ones that I can truly vouch for, as is the case with the five-star Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus.

It's a competitor to the Sonos Arc Ultra, which is an admittedly superb Dolby Atmos soundbar, but I think that the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus has its own benefits, which make it a fantastic alternative for those who are looking to avoid Sonos.

I'll start with the biggest advantage right now: the price. We tested the Ambeo Soundbar Plus at £1299, a substantial price tag no matter how you look at it. However, a Black Friday deal at Amazon knocks this price down to just £749.

That's a huge £549 discount, and it means that the Ambeo Soundbar Plus is now £49 cheaper than the Sonos Arc Ultra, which is currently down to £799 from £999.

While I have to admit that the Sonos Arc Ultra takes the edge when it comes to sound quality, thanks to its Sound Motion drivers for enhanced bass, and superbly spacious handling of Dolby Atmos height effects, the Sennheiser holds its own when it comes to delivering cinematic sound, and the feature set is a step above the Sonos.

We complimented the Ambeo Plus' wide and room-filling sound that envelops us in immersive Dolby Atmos audio, and its surprisingly potent bass is weighty and present without introducing distortion. Pair that with a warm, rich sound that makes movies and music alike shine, and the Sennheiser quickly becomes a very likeable soundbar indeed.

I've spent a considerable amount of time using both 'bars, and when it comes to design, I think that the Sennheiser is the nicer-looking soundbar. While audio quality is paramount, and design is ultimately subjective, the Sennheiser's grey fabric mesh and top-mounted capacitive buttons and light bar make it a bit more visually appealing.

It's in the features department that I find the Sennheiser soundbar to truly outshine the Arc Ultra. Unlike the Sonos, the Amebo Soundbar Plus features two HDMI passthrough ports that support signals up to 4K/60Hz with Dolby Vision. Furthermore, Sennheiser includes a dedicated remote in the box, whereas the Arc Ultra relies on the Sonos app.

Speaking of the app, Sonos has come under fire for its app issues within the last year, and as someone who had to set up a Sonos Beam Gen 2 just a couple of days ago, I can vouch that the Sonos app is still a bit messy. The Sennheiser Control app, on the other hand, is nicely laid out, simple and responsive.

It also allows users to access the automatic calibration system, which is combined wth the on-board microphone to adapt the sound to your listening environment. It's as easy as pressing a button, whereas Sonos' Trueplay system is a lot more complicated.

iPhone users can access an advanced version of the calibration system, which requires walking around the listening space, waving their phone around, whereas the quick version utilises the built-in microphone to take a less thorough measurement. You'll notice I singled out iPhone users; that's because the advanced version isn't compatible with Android devices.

If you're trying to avoid Sonos and want an alternative that delivers a competitive sound and even better features, then the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus is a great choice. And for £750 at Amazon, this is one of Black Friday's best soundbar deals yet.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

Black Friday seems to have kicked into high gear a week early, which means that there are already some huge savings on the top TVs, soundbars, 4K Blu-ray players and streaming devices.

Now, for those who have held off on investing in upgrading their home cinema system all year, hoping that Black Friday would provide the lowest prices on some of the best products we've reviewed this year, we have some good news.

We've seen a handful of Award-winning AV products drop to their respective lowest-ever prices, so it only makes sense for us to build a system out of the best Black Friday deals we've seen so far.

We're leaning towards the premium side here; expect a superb flagship OLED TV that our TV and AV Editor, Tom Parsons, calls the "best OLED TV I've ever tested", alongside a Dolby Atmos soundbar that outshines its Hall of Fame-inductee predecessor.

Those looking for a more affordable system should stay tuned, as we have many more systems in mind that we'll be sharing very soon...

Sony, Sonos, Panasonic and Apple join forces for this five-star system

We've combined the power of four Award-winning products here. This living-room-friendly system combines convenience with performance, as you'll find the best picture and sound available from this selection.

The Sony Bravia 8 II is a QD-OLED TV that we've raved about ever since we first laid eyes upon it, as it delivers a natural, rich and deeply cinematic image. It's a dream screen for cinephiles, and with the inclusion of Quantum Dots over its standard Bravia 8 counterpart, you can expect a brighter and punchier image that doesn't sacrifice cinematic authenticity.

The 65-inch Bravia 8 II has just dropped to its lowest-ever price, meaning you can snag it for just £1999, down from £2999, at Richer Sounds. That's a huge £1000 saving on one of the best TVs to grace our AV testing room.

While it's a great-looking TV, and it happens to feature the latest crop of gaming specs too, we'd recommend pairing it with an external sound system. We've chosen the Sonsos Arc Ultra, a smart Dolby Atmos soundbar, in terms of looks and functionality. It's also a powerhouse when it comes to audio performance, with a punchy, weighty and detailed sound that will undoubtedly do your favourite films justice.

It too has dropped to its lowest-ever price, with a £200 discount at Amazon, meaning you'll only need to pay £799 for this five-star soundbar.

Speaking of films, you'll need something to access your content, which is why we've picked a 4K Blu-ray player and a dedicated streamer. The Panasonic DP-UB820EB is our pick, as it's an Award-winning disc player that undercuts a lot of its competitors. And for the times when you need to dip into streaming services, the Apple TV 4K will handle streamed content with a rich, punchy and contrast-rich presentation.

There's a modest £10 saving on the Apple TV 4K at John Lewis (a saving is still a saving, though), and the Panasonic Blu-ray player is down to £289 at Richer Sounds; it's worth noting that while that's not much of a saving from the initial £290 launch price, Panasonic has raised the RRP of this player to £350 in recent years, so this is a bigger saving than it looks.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

There's a lot to consider when buying a soundbar: price, features such as Dolby Atmos, whether you go for a solo bar or one with a subwoofer and surround speakers…

But one of the most important factors is its physical dimensions. Just how big is each soundbar?

Get it right and you'll have a sound system that not only sounds great, but looks in keeping with your home AV setup. Get it wrong, and it'll be like giving your TV wings. Or worse, like sitting behind a man in a top hat at the cinema.

That's why we put together this quick guide. All of these soundbars sound excellent – they are all Award winners, after all. And for each, we have suggested a TV that will not only sit around the same area of the market as the soundbar (budget, mid-range or high-end), but will also be a perfect fit in terms of dimensions.

That way, you can be sure that your setup looks as good as it performs.

The whole system: Samsung HW-Q990F

Pair it with... Samsung QE65QN90F

This soundbar's 123cm width works nicely with the 65-inch QN90F's width of 145cm, and with the TV on its stand, it shouldn't block the bottom of the screen. But there's another reason to pair the stablemate devices: extra features.

Because they are both from the same brand, the soundbar's settings appear within the TV's menus (and Samsung's SmartThings mobile app), making them easier to tweak. There's also the Samsung Q Symphony feature, which makes the soundbar and TV speakers work in concert for a more expansive sound (though this can be a little hit and miss).

Brand-matching aside, the QN90F is a mighty fine TV, earning five stars from us. That's thanks to its outstanding backlight control, punchy colours and four HDMI 2.1 ports. True, it didn't win any Awards, due to seriously fierce competition and its relatively high price, but it's still a great TV. Paired with the Q990F soundbar system, it's a compelling proposition.

Read our Samsung HW-Q990F review

And our Samsung QN90F review

The small option: Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Pair it with… Sony XR-42A90K

Not everyone wants, needs or can accommodate a larger soundbar/TV setup, of course. And if that's you, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a great shout. It has won a What Hi-Fi? Award every year since 2021 – and, in 2020, its predecessor picked up the gong!

It's just 65cm wide, so will sit nicely under the Sony XR-42A90K (which is 93cm wide). And if you're thinking that the Sony TV looks very close to the cabinet on which it sits, that's because it's not pictured on its stilts. These raise the TV by about 7cm – which is exactly the height of the Beam (Gen 2).

The A90K is getting on a bit now, but it's still a fantastic small TV. Its picture is sharp and detailed, its motion handling is typically excellent for the brand, and it's even great for gamers.

The only downer is the price – it's currently about £350 pricier than the Award-winning 42-inch LG C5. But if it's a seamless fit with the Beam (Gen 2) you're after, the A90K could be worth the extra.

Read our Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review

And our Sony A90K review

For bigger TVs: KEF XIO

Pair it with… Sony Bravia 8 II

Despite its monstrous width of 121cm, the KEF XIO is relatively low – its height of 7cm is the same as the dinky little Sonos Beam (Gen 2) above.

In their higher position, the Sony Bravia 8 II's feet will add about 7.5cm to the TV, allowing the XIO to tuck in nicely below – though don't push it too far under, as that will affect the sound from the up-firing speakers.

While the soundbar won't quite fit between the feet of the 55-inch model, there's plenty of space for it with the 65 incher.

You are pretty much guaranteed a good time. The KEF XIO won an Award not only as the best soundbar over £1000, but also for its Velocity Control Technology, which won our coveted Innovation of the Year gong.

In our review, we praise the XIO's sound, which manages to be detailed and precise without losing any excitement. Bass is tight and agile – and the soundbar fares equally well with music as it does with movies.

The Bravia 8 II is every inch its equal. Another Award winner, it manages to improve on the Sony A95L, which is quite a feat, considering that was one of the best TVs of recent years.

It is an exceptionally bright TV (though not quite as bright as the LG G5) and vibrant, with a real three-dimensionality to its picture. Black levels are perfect, with excellent shadow detail, and it delivers an authentic picture straight out of the box.

Like the XIO, it's certainly not cheap, but this level of performance rarely is.

Read our KEF XIO review

And our Sony Bravia 8 II review

MORE:

The best soundbar deals

And best TV deals

Or go big with the best projector deals

With Black Friday fast approaching, you might already be having a browse to see what home cinema deals are available. And who could blame you? Plenty of retailers have some bargains on offer for a variety of different pieces of kit, from projectors to Dolby Atmos soundbars.

But how do you know which ones are worth your time? I have been keeping my eye on the best deals in the latter of these categories, and I know when you are getting a good bang for your buck.

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbar deals that are on offer currently ranging from a budget (but brilliant) soundbar system to more premium models that are sure to upgrade your home cinema setup.

• Hisense AX5125H was £249 now £199 at Argos (save £50)
• Sony HT-S2000 was £349 now £299 at Amazon (save £50)
• Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 was £1399 now £899 at Peter Tyson (save £500)

Hisense AX5125H

First up, the Hisense AX5125H is a five-star complete soundbar package that blew us away during testing and has just snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award this year.

With support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, as well as easy set-up and operation, the 5.1.2-channel system consists of a soundbar, a wireless subwoofer and two wireless surround speakers.

When we had it in our test room, we praised its amazing weight and spaciousness for the money as well as its tonally expressive bass.

The Hisense model has dropped from £249 down to £199 at Argos, making it even more tempting for those on the hunt for a budget steal.

Sony HT-S2000

The Sony HT-S2000 is another budget Dolby Atmos soundbar that offers a surprisingly cohesive and expressive audio performance.

The 3.1-channel arrangement offers clear dialogue, an impressive directionality and decent kick from the built-in subwoofer.

We say in our review while watching Batman Vs Superman Dawn of Justice: "As fists (and bodies) start flying, there is a crisp and impactful thud to each hit, and this bar’s dynamic capabilities are shown off in further detail with the culmination of the scene when Batman crashes through a wall in dramatic fashion."

Its singular bar design is easy to set up, taking less than a minute to upgrade your TV's sound quality. In terms of connectivity, it features Bluetooth 5.2 and HDMI eARC – as well as an Optical audio connection in case your TV lacks eARC capabilities.

While it launched at the more than reasonable price of £349, this early Black Friday deal drops its tag all the way down to £299 at Amazon.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9

At the more premium end of the Dolby Atmos spectrum, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 is a great model that is certainly worth a second look.

Having tested the Bravia Theatre Bar 9 in our dedicated listening rooms, we awarded it a five-star rating – positioning it among the finest Dolby Atmos soundbars available today.

When watching Unbroken, the soundbar showcased what we described as "arguably the most Atmos-y delivery we've heard from a solo soundbar".

The soundbar's ability to project audio far beyond its physical boundaries – extending sound to the ceiling and well into the room – represents an impressive achievement in single-unit Atmos implementation.

It has dropped from £1399 to £899 at Peter Tyson, saving you some of your hard earned cash while still bagging a top-notch soundbar.

If your budget can stretch a little further, it's worth checking out the five-star Sonos Arc Ultra which we just crowned a victor at the What Hi-Fi? Awards this year. After all, Black Friday might result in drop from its current price of £999 / $999 / AU$1799.

MORE:

These are the best soundbars we have reviewed

We rate the best surround sound systems

Sonos Arc Ultra vs Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9: which flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar is better?

The soundbars category is always one of the most exciting to judge as part of the What Hi-Fi? Awards.

This is a category that’s jam-packed with contenders of all styles and prices, and each year there is technical advancement that pushes the boundaries in terms of sound quality.

This year, the biggest surprises came at opposite ends of the price spectrum, in the form of the very different KEF XIO and Hisense AX5125H.

From super-premium to amazingly affordable

The KEF XIO is a marvel that packs unique KEF technology (some from its hi-fi products, some entirely new) into a gorgeous, premium soundbar that’s as fabulous with music as it is with movies.

It’s the new, super-premium soundbar of choice, beating the incumbent Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max and the new Yamaha True X Surround Surround 90A.

The Hisense AX5125H couldn’t be more different. This is a super-affordable system that, despite its low price, includes a wireless subwoofer and surround speakers, and supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

The fact that you get so much for your money here is remarkable enough – the fact that it sounds really good is borderline astonishing. What a bargain.

Sonos unseats Sony

We’ve got two more new winners in the soundbars category, the first of which is the Sonos Arc Ultra.

“New?”, we hear you ask. Well, yes; while the Sonos Arc Ultra has actually been available for almost a year now, it crucially came out after our Awards deadline last year, so didn’t publicly exist in time for consideration.

It’s a different story now, of course, and the Arc Ultra’s brilliant reproduction of Dolby Atmos soundtracks and its superbly tight, tuneful bass make it a fairly comfortable winner over solo soundbar rivals from the likes of Sony (including last year's Award-winning Bravia Theatre Bar 9), Samsung and Marshall.

Another Samsung system victory, and a return of a repeat winner

Samsung does still take a big win here – for its HW-Q990F soundbar system.

This replaces the HW-Q990D in Samsung’s range and in our list of winners, having faced and defeated competition from the likes of JBL, Yamaha, Sonos, Sony and Hisense over the course of 2025.

Our final winner is the incumbent Sonos Beam Gen 2. This small but mighty Dolby Atmos soundbar has now been a winner five years in a row, which is incredibly impressive, particularly considering how much competition it has faced in that time.

This year, it defeated new challengers from JBL, Harman Kardon, Sony, LG and more. We’re starting to think that the Beam Gen 2 will only be beaten when Sonos launches its replacement.

So, which one of these five deserved winners will be crowned the 2025 soundbar Product of the Year at the glitzy What Hi-Fi? Awards ceremony on 13th November? Tune in to whathifi.com to find out.

MORE:

See every What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 winner here

These are the best Dolby Atmos movie scenes with which to test your soundbar

And here is the complete list of the best soundbars you can buy right now

This week we crowned the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) as this year’s best soundbar under £500 Best Buy winner for the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025.

There are lots of reasons for that, but the biggest is that when we ran it head-to-head with rivals in our listening rooms it sounded the best.

"What!? Even though it's so old!?" I hear the more animated among you shout. Yes, you read that right.

Trust me, I was in the room. Despite originally launching in 2021 the Beam (Gen 2) is still a step up on its main rivals, which this year include the new JBL Bar 300MK2, Harman Kardon Enchant 900, Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6, and Sony HT-S2000 from last year.

As we said in our review:

“Four years on from its launch, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 remains the best Dolby Atmos soundbar in its size and price categories. It combines impressively spacious movie sound with clarity and punch that works just as well with music, making it an affordable, all-in-one device of rare ability.”

But you know what? I have a small, but growing, grumble about its ongoing dominance. Specifically, that it’s at least in part due to an ongoing shortage of valid rivals that not only in price, but that also match its size.

If you look at any of the rivals I mentioned above, they’re all full width. Which is fine if you have a big 55-inch or above, price appropriate TV to match it with, but bad news for a significant chunk of Beam (Gen 2) fans that have “small” as a key item on their wishlist.

Many of us care about quality, but are short on space. That’s a key reason 42-inch and 48-inch OLED TVs exist and have a small, but very devoted fan base – of which I am part.

Just because I live in a tiny house that can’t sensibly accommodate a giant TV and soundbar doesn't mean I don’t care about picture and audio quality. This is why the Beam (Gen 2) is so appealing.

It’s pretty much the only “good” sounding soundbar that is small enough to fit on a 48-inch or smaller cabinet. It’s also the only one that’s low enough to overcome smaller TVs’ annoying tendency to only have one height option with their stand designs.

This means most sets sit too low to comfortably fit a full-width soundbar under them, without cutting off part of the screen. Either that, or if you put them on a smaller stand they awkwardly jut out over the sides. I’ve attached a comic example from our contributor, Joe Svetlik, to show what I mean above.

On top of that, this many years on from the Beam (Gen 2)’s launch and considering the massive sonic upgrades we’ve seen on other lines of soundbars (including the holistic improvements we experienced comparing the Sonos Arc to the Sonos Arc Ultra), surely it’s possible to make something better now?

And that’s why, while I am impressed with the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)’s longevity and continued dominance, I would like to see it challenged in the not too distant future.

MORE:

These are the best soundbars we’ve reviewed

We rate the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Our picks of the best surround sound systems

While one of the perks of being a What Hi-Fi? reviewer is, of course, getting access to super-premium products well beyond the means of many, few things put smiles on our faces like unearthing a brilliant budget gem.

And that’s what we have before us today.

The Hisense AX5125H is a complete Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X) system in a box that costs less than most solo soundbars, and it sounds so much better than it has any right to at its price – and than we were expecting.

Price

The Hisense AX5125H currently costs £249 / $350 (around AU$500), which is frankly ridiculous value for what it is.

For reference, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is occasionally available for around £349 / $399 / AU$700 and is just a soundbar, whereas the Hisense package includes a soundbar, a wireless subwoofer and two wireless surrounds.

There really is nothing else we’ve reviewed that offers so much for so little. Perhaps that’s why our expectations were so low.

Design

All of the components in the Hisense system have a slightly dull, functional look to them, but nothing appears or feels cheap. On the contrary, the soundbar in particular feels solid and well put together.

The soundbar’s dimensions are sensible, too: at 6 x 92 x 9cm (height x width x depth) it’s compact enough to sit on most furniture and in front of most TVs without blocking its display, but not so small as to look insubstantial.

The surrounds are less confidence-inspiring, as they’re very dinky indeed. This of course makes for easy placement (as with the soundbar itself, there are integrated keyhole fixings for wall mounting, if that’s the route you want to go down), but tiny speakers rarely make a big sound. Aren’t these going to sound really thin and tinny?

The subwoofer is also fairly compact by the standards of its brethren, but less alarmingly so. The dimensions (29 x 21 x 30cm) make it very easy to find a nook for the sub, though we recommend giving it a little space, preferably quite close to the soundbar itself, for maximum effectiveness.

While many soundbars have no display at all, the Hisense AX5125H has a simple dot-matrix number that delivers information such as the input, sound preset and surround mode selected, as well as volume level. It isn’t fancy, but it is fairly clear and effective. It can also be dimmed or turned off entirely via a button on the remote.

Said remote is fairly basic and plasticky, as you would probably expect, but it does the job well enough. Many owners will rarely, if ever, touch it anyway, as their TV’s remote will handle changes in volume as long as it's connected via HDMI eARC/ARC.

Features and specs

While many owners will simply connect their TV to the Hisense AX5125H via HDMI eARC/ARC and be done with it, those with external sources (particularly those with lots of them) will be pleased to see that the soundbar also has a dedicated HDMI input. Passthrough is limited to 60Hz, so there’s no support for 4K/120Hz gaming signals, but any passthrough functionality at this level is a bonus.

Should you have an older TV or some other audio equipment to connect, there’s also an optical input, and Bluetooth is on board for music.

Hisense rates the total power output at 500W, split across 5.1.2 channels. That’s three front-firing channels and a driver in each surround for the ‘5’, one big driver in the sub for the ‘1’, and two up-firing drivers in the soundbar for the ‘2’.

There are several audio presets to choose from, with the system defaulting to the AI setting. You can trust this to choose the right profile for different sources if you really want, but we prefer to take the guesswork out of things and, after much testing, settle on Movies for movies and TV shows, and Music for Music.

Game, News and Sport have little value (just stick with Movie for these content types), but the Night mode will likely prove useful at times, as it suppresses bass and dynamic range to reduce disruption to those in the house who might not want to hear what you’re listening to.

There are also two surround modes, Pure Surround and Surround Pro. The differences between these are, disappointingly, not outlined in the manual, but Surround Pro sounds the bigger and weightier of the two, while Pure Surround is cleaner, clearer and more direct. It’s the latter we choose.

Sound quality

We didn’t have particularly high hopes for the AX5125H’s sound, largely because of its price, but also because of those dinky surround speakers. Surely they wouldn’t be able to deliver convincing surround effects.

But as soon as we get the system running in earnest, using the fight for Washington, DC from Civil War as our first real tester, we’re struck by how cohesive and enveloping the presentation is.

As the gentle guitar track recedes and is replaced by the sounds of war, we’re surrounded by gunfire and incidental effects. Bullets whizz from the front to the back of the room and even behind the listening position, helicopters hover at ceiling height, and distant explosions rumble menacingly.

The subwoofer is really rather impressive, given the system cost. It’s capable of going very loud and very deep, and while it of course lacks the sophistication of a good, standalone sub, it’s not the woolly, monotonal blunt instrument that one would expect at this level.

Instead, 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.

That said, there are frequencies at which the sub gets a little too excited, and it delivers a big thump that rather sticks out. The bass in the soundtrack as Batman approaches the thugs in the subway tunnel in The Batman is a great example, with one recurring note being reproduced much louder than the others.

It’s also clear that the system relies heavily on the subwoofer for dynamics, which means that less weighty effects can sound a little flat. You can lessen this by keeping the bass volume to somewhere between about 0 and +2, and then increasing the overall volume. You won’t rob the system of its weight, but you will get greater balance, particularly in loud sections of soundtrack.

While you’re at it, we recommend keeping the treble level around the 0 mark. Increasing it adds a little more zing to some effects, but it also adds sibilance to voices.

Keep the treble in check, and voices sound natural and pretty emotive, with the system having just enough low-level dynamic ability to reveal the nuance in an actor’s performance. The dialogue also remains clear in the vast majority of situations, with only the busiest, bassiest sections causing them to become a touch muffled.

We switch to Dune 2, and as a swarm of Ornithopters takes to the air, the Atmos effect is really well delivered. While the lack of up-firing drivers in the surround speakers means this isn’t quite a full dome of sound, the height effects appear quite deep into the room and the overall delivery is brilliantly enveloping.

A system with up-firers at all points should be even more impressive here, but such a system will cost significantly more.

While the AX5125H punches well above its weight with movies, it’s a more qualified success with music. The surround modes are surprisingly not horrible with stereo music, but there’s still an inauthentic aspect to their delivery, so turning them off is still advised.

The soundbar has a good crack at Tool’s Invincible, gamely driving the frantic percussion and even delivering some of the subtle warble in Maynard James Keenan’s vocals. But even at its lowest volume level, the subwoofer can’t resist interjecting slightly rudely at times and adding bass notes that stick out awkwardly.

This isn’t a horrible musical delivery by any means, but it’s not a patch on the Hisense’s performance with movies.

Verdict

The Hisense AX5125H caught us completely off guard. Most solo soundbars that cost this sort of money are seriously deficient in terms of audio quality, so surely sound must have been compromised even further for Hisense to have delivered a complete system with these specs.

That’s simply not the case, though. This remarkably affordable system delivers Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks with room-filling, sofa-shaking exuberance, and while it of course has its limitations, it’s a vast upgrade on the sound of any TV we’ve tested.

If you thought convincing, exciting Dolby Atmos sound was out of your budget, it’s time to think again.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Design 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Check out our reviews of the Sonos Bean Gen 2 and Samsung HW-Q990F

Here are all of the best soundbars and best budget soundbars you can buy right now