Adventures in AV: 2026 is the year of weird and wacky soundbar systems

Before I launch into my latest soundbar musing, let me introduce myself. I'm Robyn, a staff writer here at What Hi-Fi?, and I'll be your guide for today's adventure in AV.

I review soundbars for a living, which means I spend a lot of time in our test room listening to a huge variety of new models. That ranges from affordable ’bars all the way to top-of-the-range premium systems.

And in the past few months alone, I have noticed a common factor tying many of the new soundbars together: their unconventional designs.

Take, for instance, the JBL Bar 1000MK2. Costing £1000 / $1200 / AU$1600, this soundbar system sports an unusual feature that caught my eye as soon as it entered the test room.

It includes detachable speakers that can be removed from either end of the main soundbar, where they are connected via magnetic ports. These can then be moved just behind the listening position to transform into wireless rear satellite speakers to deliver surround sound for movie viewing.

The JBL set-up also offers a nifty Broadcasting feature, where you can take the surrounds out of the room while the sound from your TV or Bluetooth device continues to play.

This clever design gives users a versatility that is rare for soundbar systems, and is a stand-out feature for the JBL model. Its audio performance didn’t impress us quite enough to receive a five-star rating, but it received a more than solid four stars for its exciting sound and clear vocals.

This isn't the first time we've seen a JBL system with this feature – the OG Bar 1300 made its way into our testing room a couple of years ago with the same ability. But I'm surprised that I haven't seen more soundbars “borrow” this nifty (and practical) option since then.

That JBL isn’t the only model to surprise us with its unconventional build. The Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 also presents an odd design. The system launched at £499 / $798 / AU$1199, placing it in the entry-level Dolby Atmos category.

While the main soundbar is directly wired to the subwoofer, the surround speakers are not. Instead, the sub wirelessly transmits the surround-sound information to a receiver box at the back of the room that is in turn wired to the two surround speakers.

It’s a strangely retro approach. We don't see many wired surround sound systems these days – full-on home cinema surround speaker packages apart, of course.

The idea is that while all of the speakers themselves are wired, no cables are running from the front to the back of your room. These wires make the design feel like somewhat of a throwback to the “home cinema in a box” systems of the early 2010s, and the inclusion of a receiver box gives the Sony soundbar a peculiar look overall.

In terms of its sound, however, the Bravia Theatre System 6 really shines with its superbly punchy bass and cohesive surround sound. So much so, that it received a shining five-star rating from us.

I have a sneaky suspicion that we will continue to see more unconventional soundbars pass through our test room in the next few months as well…

This week, for example, we have been testing the Majority Halo Bowfell Atmos soundbar system. The 5.1-channel model might not appear that odd at first, offering as it does two small surround speakers, a subwoofer and a main soundbar.

But once we unpacked the box, we were taken aback by the size of the package. It’s tiny. The main soundbar measures just 6.2 x 40.5 x 9 cm (hwd) – that’s not even the length of a full baguette.

That’s certainly a pro for those short on space. And, considering it retails at the jaw-droppingly low price of £170 (around $225 / AU$320), it’s a wallet-friendly option too.

Our review of the Majority soundbar is incoming but – spoiler alert – it is a pleasingly cinematic and energetic performer.

With these quirky soundbar models joining the ranks with pretty high success rates, I’m excited to see which oddball bar will come into the test room next. And who knows? It might knock a more conventional model off the top spot in its category.

MORE:

Here are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we have tested

This is our review of the JBL Bar 1000MK2

Check out the best budget soundbars