Forget an OLED TV, this clever Dolby Atmos upgrade is the one I’m recommending to friends this Black Friday

Features
By published

Systems are a growing category – and they’re getting cheaper

Samsung Q990F on desk with Black Friday deal tag
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

We’re mere days away from Black Friday proper, which is set to happen on 28th November.

And, as always, the team and I have been inundated with questions (a fact not helped by the fact that we’re running a Black Friday 2025 Live Q&A right now) about what to buy.

The biggest and loudest I’m getting is, “should I upgrade my TV during Black Friday?” If you haven’t read my previous ramblings, the answer is: it depends.

Cliffs Notes: if you’ve bought an OLED TV in the last few years, don’t bother upgrading unless you’re willing to go for a flagship. If you currently have an older LCD TV, there are plenty of excellent options. Jump over to our best TV guide for a shortlist of the ones to keep an eye on. (If in doubt, try the LG C5...)

But, among my friends who have bought OLEDs after heeding my words of wisdom during previous Black Fridays, there is still one big piece of advice I have for people looking to upgrade their home cinema.

It just doesn’t have anything to do with TVs…

Have you thought about getting a Dolby Atmos soundbar system?

The Hisense AX5125H Dolby Atmos soundbar system, pictured on a round, wooden table

(Image credit: Future)

This year, the piece of advice I'm giving to most of my friends and family relates to their audio setup.

Unlike What Hi-Fi?’s regular readers, many of my friends, even those with OLED TVs, haven’t properly backed them up with a decent sound system. Yes, the philistines are still using their TVs' built-in speakers, despite my nagging.

And yes, I have been telling them for years to at least invest in a soundbar – screaming from the rooftops, 'Yes, a Sonos Beam (Gen 2) will sound better than your TV's built-in speakers!'.

What’s different this year is that I’ve become even more demanding, and I’ve elevated my ‘get a soundbar’ advice to ‘have you thought about a soundbar system?’.

And there’s one big reason for that. Specifically, for the first time ever, we’ve found an affordable, entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar system worthy of recommending, in the shape of the five-star, Award-winning Hisense AX5125H, which is available for £189 on Amazon right now (save £60).

Hisense AX5125H
Hisense AX5125H: was £249 now £189 at Amazon

The AX5125H is the only "cheap" Dolby Atmos soundbar system we've found worth recommending. For not a lot, you get a fully functioning, good-sounding system that's better than 99% of TVs' built-in speakers on every level.

View Deal

It may not have a catchy name or look fancy, but this is a big deal. Soundbar systems aren't new, and we’ve had plenty of cheaper units pass through our test rooms, but nothing below the £500/$500 mark has managed to wow us.

Which is why, when another affordable system came in for testing, the home cinema team wasn't exactly fighting over themselves to review it.

TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, took on the job. And, days later, pigs flew.

Tom emerged from our basement test room and came to find his colleague, Lewis Empson. 'Could you come and check something with me?', he asked.

Moments later, they both reappeared and the process repeated, with various members of staff, myself included, all being called down to the basement to check Tom wasn't imagining things.

And each time, after an extended listen, we all found ourselves nodding in agreement. We had indeed finally succeeded and found an affordable, great-sounding soundbar system not just worthy of a five-star rating, but ultimately a What Hi-Fi? Award as well.

As we said in our Hisense AX5125H review: “The fact that you can get this much kit with these specs for this price is really rather impressive – the fact that it actually sounds good is pretty astonishing.”

So much so that I’m actually recommending this system to most people over the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), with its satellites and subwoofer adding a layer of directionality missing from our previous budget soundbar recommendation.

Above it, things are simpler, with Samsung’s flagship HW-Q990F system, which is a fellow Award winner, offering the best Dolby Atmos experience you can get without investing in a full-fat 5.1.2 multi-speaker setup.

Currently selling for £818 (save £881) on Amazon, trust me, the Samsung HW-Q990F is worth the investment if you have the cash.

Samsung HW-Q990F
Samsung HW-Q990F: was £1,699 now £818 at Amazon

The Samsung Q990F is the finest Dolby Atmos soundbar system we've tested. With its redesigned subwoofer offering decent, but controlled low-end heft and satellites offering a sense of directionality, most single soundbar solutions simply can't match.

View Deal

Which third and finally brings me on to my advice for those with a decent, modern soundbar looking for an upgrade this Black Friday.

I’m suggesting people with compatible, modern soundbars think about making the upgrade to a system setup this year.

If you own a Sonos Arc or Arc Ultra, adding a couple of Sonos Era 100 or (if you’re feeling flush) Sonos Era 300 speakers as satellites will truly take your sound to the next level. We’ve tried the setup, and while it ain’t cheap, it is rather good.

Or, if you have a Sennheiser Ambeo or a recent Sony Bravia series soundbar, many offer wireless satellite speakers and subs as add-on options.

If your model is compatible, why not pick some satellites and a sub and level up your movie audio without replacing your main 'bar?

Trust me, when done right, rear speakers make all the difference with surround sound – which, as any serious movie fan knows, is just as important as a decent picture for a properly immersive home movie experience.

It's for all these reasons that I’d urge you to consider splurging on a soundbar system, or upgrading your current soundbar, over replacing your TV this Black Friday. It's a great way to up the home cinema ante, without splashing out on a new screen.

Alastair Stevenson
Alastair Stevenson
Editor in Chief

Alastair is What Hi-Fi?’s editor in chief. He has well over a decade’s experience as a journalist working in both B2C and B2B press. During this time he’s covered everything from the launch of the first Amazon Echo to government cyber security policy. Prior to joining What Hi-Fi? he served as Trusted Reviews’ editor-in-chief. Outside of tech, he has a Masters from King’s College London in Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion, is an enthusiastic, but untalented, guitar player and runs a webcomic in his spare time. 

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.