When I joined What Hi-Fi? three years ago, I signed myself up to join a long, hard, epic quest on a par with Galahad’s search for the Grail.
A dangerous one that has driven many a staff writer and editor to madness in the cold, dark depths of our home cinema review rooms.
Editor’s note: There’s still one room we don’t open in the basement, in the dark, where he who can not be named continues his mania, repeatedly blasting Groundhog Day at full volume, using an ever-growing pile of three and four-star cheap soundbars…
The Beam (Gen 2) is good and has lasted surprisingly well, but there’s been a lot of innovation in the top-end and mid-range market since it launched, which is begging to trickle down a little further. And that’s before we mention the general improvements in audio quality we’ve enjoyed over the past three years on even moderately more expensive units.
The Hisense AX5125H is the bigger deal of the two. First, because it’s cheaper, second, because it’s not just a soundbar, it’s a soundbar system that packs two wireless satellites and a cable-free subwoofer.
Getting that much tech for less than £350 is impressive, but what sets the Hisense apart is that it actually sounds good. As we said in our Hisense AX5125H review:
“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.
“[But 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.”
Hence why we gave it a trophy at the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025. However, despite its perks and price, while it's the best cheap system we've tested, its audio isn't quite as finessed as the Beam's. Its nature as a system also means it will take up a lot more space, which is another factor some buyers will need to consider.
The second, freshly reviewed JBL is more of a direct rival to the Beam. While the full-width bar is not an Award-winner, it came a hair’s breadth from defeating its arch-rival during our head-to-head shootout.
Offering a bombastic performance, it may not be as refined as the Sonos, but it’s still an easy five-star recommendation and excellent alternative to its smaller, more established rival. As our noble testers said in our review:
“Ultimately, the Beam’s greater precision, detail and dynamics – and its musical ability – make it the better choice overall, but the JBL’s weightier, more bombastic and more room-filling sound will win it many fans.”
With two such close shots fired across the Beam (Gen 2)’s bow, I can’t help but think that’s a win regardless of whether the reigning champ keeps its crown, and I can get a little excited about 2026, where I’m hoping we’ll see yet more great-sounding soundbars appear.
MORE:
These are the best soundbars we've reviewed
We rate the best surround sound systems
Our picks of the best cheap TVs
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